Transport help for London visit

agme28

Hiya

I am looking to visit London for 3 nights in April as I want to do some sightseeing. I want to know the best value way of combining travel with entrance fees to specific attractions.

I am curious to know more about the 2for1 offers when using a valid paper travelcard. I am after a day travelcard which covers zones 1-6 and all forms of transport as we will be using the Tube, the national railway to Hampton Court and possibly buses if there are any rail disruptions. I know you can buy these in the tube stations, but then they aren't valid for the 2for1 offers.

If I buy a day travelcard in a National Rail station, will it be similar to the tube ones in that it covers all transport types?

If I buy an off peak one, I know it is for use after 9.30am, but is there an end of day time limit as well?

Basically, we just want to visit Hampton Court, Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, Museum of London, British Museum and National Portrait Gallery.

Any advice welcomed enromously as I am getting confused over all these travelcards and t&c's!

Thanks
Abi

PS is Euston not a National Rail station? What is London Overland Railway? We will arrive at Euston you see, from Liverpool.

susancs

If you purchase a london zones Travelcard from either a train or tube station it gives all day travel on tubes, certain London overground train routes, London buses,trams and Docklands Light railway within the zones you have purchased it for. However if you buy it from a train station then it has the LT logo and BR crows foot logo on it, which enables you to get the 2 for 1 offers if you show it with the voucher printed off the 2for1 offers train web site. If you buy from a tube station it will only have the London transport logo and is not valid for the 2for1s. Euston is a train and tube station. Buy your travelcard from the train ticket offices part of it.

The London travel network has increased to cover train travel on selected overground train routes in recent years.
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/london-overground-network-map.pdf

agme28

Hi again

Am I right in thinking that Hampton Court would not be included in the travelcard then if it doesn't include national rail? I am confused between National Rail and London Overground tbh. If not, I suppose it would be cheaper to buy for zones 1-2 instead.

Also, can you buy day travelcards ONLY on the day or could we buy three day travelcards when we initially arrive at Euston?

Many thanks

dzug1

Hampton Court is included in the travelcard as long as you buy zones 1-6. Zones 1-2 is cheaper, yes - so only buy the 1-6 one for the day you visit Hampton Court.

You can buy the three days when you arrive, provided the ticket clerk is cooperative - a less expert one may not know how.

Forget the difference between London Overground and National Rail - if you have a travelcard it doesn't affect you in any way. They are just trains

Travelcards cover you for ALL modes of transport regardless of where you buy them

agme28

Brilliant, thanks for clarifying.

Now my main problem is findind someone willing to come with me midweek! My mum won't let me go alone and will refuse to mind the kids if I do it grrrr!

p00hsticks

agme28 wrote: »

Hiya

I am curious to know more about the 2for1 offers when using a valid paper travelcard.

agme28 wrote: »

Hiya

We will arrive at Euston you see, from Liverpool.

If, as you imply, you are travelling from Liverpool to London by train, then you don't need to worry about getting paper travelcards whilst you're down there just in order to take advantage of the 2-4-1 offers - you can use your train tickets to and from Liverpool instead - just make sure that you don't hand your tickets in at Euston if they shoudl ask for them (whcih I donlt think they often do (according to the T&C of the 2-4-1 offer, you should be allowed to retain them if you say that you want to use them as proof for the offer )


I'd then suggest considering buying an Oystercard from the Information Bureau at Euston when you get there to use for traveling around....

agme28

p00hsticks wrote: »

If, as you imply, you are travelling from Liverpool to London by train, then you don't need to worry about getting paper travelcards whilst you're down there just in order to take advantage of the 2-4-1 offers - you can use your train tickets to and from Liverpool instead

My understanding was that you had to have a travelcard/ticket which was valid on the day you wanted to visit any said attraction with a 2for1 offer. We wouldn't be doing much on the day we arrive or depart. Is this not so?

p00hsticks

agme28 wrote: »

My understanding was that you had to have a travelcard/ticket which was valid on the day you wanted to visit any said attraction with a 2for1 offer. We wouldn't be doing much on the day we arrive or depart. Is this not so?

no it isn't - if you check out the FAQs for the 2-4-1 offer here
http://www.daysoutguide.co.uk/faq.aspx

Under "What period of time will my train tickets be valid to claim the offers?"

it says

"If you hold Return train tickets which are valid for more than one day on the return journey, e.g. Off-Peak Returns to London valid for one month, you can use them to claim any of the offers within that same one month period of return travel validity.

If for example you buy Return tickets to London, outbound on a Monday and returning on a Friday, you will be able to use the vouchers throughout the Monday-Friday period, provided you show both outward and return portions of your tickets (remember to tell the train company staffs that you need to keep your outward tickets!).

If for example you are buying single tickets, e.g.Advance tickets to London for a one-way journey on a Monday, and Advance tickets for departing London on a Friday you will be able to use the vouchers during the Monday-Friday period, provided you show both outward and return tickets (remember to tell the train company staffs that you need to keep your outward tickets!). "

When I went down to London recently I actually printed out a hard copy of this and has it with me in case it was queried, but they were quite happy to accept our pair of advance single tickets to and from Euston at both the Tower of London and on the Thames Clippers (the only places we took advantage of the offer).

Incidentally, you say you are going in April. Note that at the moment, the expiry date for all these offers is 31st March 2010. However I suspect it's highly likely that they will extend the deadline for another three months nearer the time, as they have done to my knowledge at least three times already.

agme28

Thanks for that, I guess I will check out the site to see if it is extended in six week's or so's time.