Oystercard Help Please

philosopher88

Hi there,

I am going to be travelling into London (through zones 5 to 1) for a university course which I am starting in October; everyday for a year.

I know that I can get a Student 18+ oystercard to help reduce the cost of weekly/monthly and annual season tickets, but they are still really expensive.

I was wondering if anyone had any advice as to how I could reduce the cost even further please?

Thanks,

minerva_windsong

If you're getting any trains as part of that journey (not the Overground), have you linked it to your 16-25 Railcard? As you may be able to get discount on that bit.

Char_pdc

Hello,

I am a student studying in London and have been for the last 4 years. As far as I know there is no other way to get cheap travel around London, although if anyone else knows a way I would be interested as it would reduce the cost of my travel as well.

Is there any way you could bus/walk to a tube station in zone 4, which would reduce the costs although it would add time onto your journey.

Do you have a bike - could you cycle part/all the way?

I thought linking your 16-25 railcard only gave you a discount on pay-as-you go off-peak travel rather than travelcards? And I thought it applied to journeys involving National Rail rather than London Underground?

fuzzybear01

I would suggest doing it the other way around and get the tube into zone 2 then the bus/buses from there. The zone 1 part of the journey seems to add the most cost

philosopher88

Thank you for all of your advice.

I have already linked my 16-25 railcard, which helps as you said for pay as you go journeys.

If it helps, I am going from Stanmore to Elephant and Castle.

Thanks,

adelight

Had a look and ditching the zone 1 part of the tube would mean a 1.5 mile walk from st johns wood to marble arch to catch a bus, you'd saved 60p but probably add an hour to your journey!
Could you get the 16-19 discounts? They're much better than 18+ student discounts.

melancholly

how easy is it to get to mill hill broadway? it's a direct 35 min train from there. E&C counts as zone 1 and 2 so you won't have to change in zone 1 so the oyster card would be cheaper.... and possibly faster

silvercar

melancholly wrote: »

how easy is it to get to mill hill broadway? it's a direct 35 min train from there. E&C counts as zone 1 and 2 so you won't have to change in zone 1 so the oyster card would be cheaper.... and possibly faster

You would be going through zone 1, so the oyster would cover zone 1.

The only other way is straight single journeys, which cost less on the oyster if the total journeys in a day is less than the daily cap.

Also check whether you need to be in early every day, travel after 9.30am is a lot cheaper.

melancholly

silvercar wrote: »

You would be going through zone 1, so the oyster would cover zone 1.

The only other way is straight single journeys, which cost less on the oyster if the total journeys in a day is less than the daily cap.

Also check whether you need to be in early every day, travel after 9.30am is a lot cheaper.

yeah - but it's one journey, not having to change between tube lines within zone 1 which cranks up the price!

caroline1973lefty

if you have a travelcard for any zone or zones, it covers buses for ALL zones, i think.

so if you can rely on buses in the innermost or outermost zones of your journey, you could avoid needing to buy that zone on your travelcard.

HTH

philosopher88

Thanks adelight but I don't think the extra hour journey would be worth just 60p. I have my 16-25 railcard on it, but that is not the cheapest option if I am travelling at peak time.

melancholly, unfortunately mill hill broadway is difficult to get to.

Any other ideas guys?

Thank you for the suggestions so far.