London Travel - Oyster Cards

bert

Hi I've just spent the last hour or so researching various things on this, but I still don't understand what the difference is between a normal oyster card and a visitor oyster card. I'm doing this all through the tfl website;

A £10 visitor oyster card seems to require a £3 activation fee (assuming this is non-refundable?) [total cost £13]

Otherwise if I get a normal £10 oyster card it will charge a £5 "refundable deposit" [total cost £15]

So as long as I'm on the ball and remember to hand my oyster card in when/if I don't need it the normal oyster card is better VFM(?) My other main question is what other difference is there between these cards. I think it's safe to assume the charging structure is identical, but will a visitors one expire in say a month?

I will be in London with a friend for 3 days, and don't think a few daily travelcards will be VFM. I might be back in London later in the year too.

Lastly, I want to assign a Senior railcard to another new oyster card for my father, do I have to do this in person and does my father have to be there in person?

Many thanks

Rossy.

I have never looked into this but the oyster cards work like a PAYG system

Load cash and it'll deduct it off the card as you travel around London.

Also once enough journeys are done then the card will not deduct any more cash from the card

I have a Oyster but it's valid until 2059 and gets me free travel on everything - Perks of working for TFL

bert

Have since picked up the following:

Your Visitor Oyster card will cost £13 per person, which includes a £3 non-refundable one-off fee to cover the cost of producing the card. It will be pre-loaded with £10 credit and can be topped up at over 4,000 outlets all over London. Cards do not expire and can be used for future visits or given to someone else visiting London.

That covers a little of what I'm asking, but further clarity on the rest is always appreciated

wealdroam

If you are only in London for three days I don't think daily paper travelcards are going to be more expensive. It's when you buy a seven day travelcard that further savings can be made.

bram01

bert wrote: »

Hi I've just spent the last hour or so researching various things on this, but I still don't understand what the difference is between a normal oyster card and a visitor oyster card. I'm doing this all through the tfl website;

A £10 visitor oyster card seems to require a £3 activation fee (assuming this is non-refundable?) [total cost £13]

Otherwise if I get a normal £10 oyster card it will charge a £5 "refundable deposit" [total cost £15]

So as long as I'm on the ball and remember to hand my oyster card in when/if I don't need it the normal oyster card is better VFM(?) My other main question is what other difference is there between these cards. I think it's safe to assume the charging structure is identical, but will a visitors one expire in say a month?

As you've found out, the visitor card won't expire. They are identical in all ways apart from the deposit. AIUI the visitor card is usually posted to you so you have it before you arrive and they don't expect to get them back either, which is why they charge a fee. If you're happy to buy the card at a tube station when you first get to London and hand it back in just before you leave then it may well work out better VFM because you won't pay any more than your travel.

bert wrote: »

I will be in London with a friend for 3 days, and don't think a few daily travelcards will be VFM. I might be back in London later in the year too.

wealdroam wrote: »

If you are only in London for three days I don't think daily paper travelcards are going to be more expensive. It's when you buy a seven day travelcard that further savings can be made.

There is no difference in cost between a daily travelcard and the daily price cap on an Oyster. The difference is that once you have bought a paper travelcard you have spent £6.60 (zones 1 and 2 only) regardless of whether you actually make enough journeys. With Oyster you'll pay £1.90 per off-peak tube journey in zones 1 and 2, so if you actually only do 3 journeys you'll only pay £5.70. Once you make the fourth journey you'll be charged a further 90p and then capped. All this assumes you don't start using it before 9.30am Monday to Friday. So for most single straightforward journeys I would recommend Oyster because it won't overcharge you as long as you use it properly (touch in and touch out at the ends of every journey). The one time that I recommend a paper travelcard is if you decide to spend a while just roaming round the tube without leaving a station. If you do this you may fall foul of the maximum journey times.

bert wrote: »

Lastly, I want to assign a Senior railcard to another new oyster card for my father, do I have to do this in person and does my father have to be there in person?

Many thanks

It does have to be done in person, yes. And it probably ought to be done by the person who owns the card too. The railcard details will be logged against the Oyster card so they may want to check it is the right person. Also, once linked you must carry the senior card with you at all times and it's no longer possible to lend your card to someone else.

datimms

This is really helpful, I am going to London this weekend and wondered the same thing.

Does anyone know, if you have credit left at the end, do they refund that as well, or do you only get your deposit back? Also, I read that when you start a journey it will charge you something like £7.80 and then work out the correct price when you swipe out. Does that mean that you always need at least £7.80 credit on the card to be able to even start a journey?

Many thanks
Dave

alanrowell

bram01 wrote: »

They are identical in all ways apart from the deposit.

Except that you can't load Travelcards on them, so for stays over 4 days they become more expensive than a 7 day paper Travelcard or Travelcard loaded onto an Oystercard.

Then there's the use of a paper Travelcard bought at a train station for the offers on daysoutguide.com - the savings could easily cover the cost of all of your transport in London.

datimms

alanrowell wrote: »

Then there's the use of a paper Travelcard bought at a train station for the offers on daysoutguide.com - the savings could easily cover the cost of all of your transport in London.

Just to clarify, this is from the daysoutguide website:
By way of recognition most 'paper' rail travel tickets show the Double-Arrow (or 'crows-foot') National Rail logo, then you're safe to assume it is valid. If you are unsure in any way please ask at your local staffed National Rail station.
London Underground issued tickets (including Travelcards issued by London Underground ticket offices and agents) are NOT valid and will not be accepted at any attraction.


Therefore, if you want to take advantage of the offers, MAKE SURE to buy tickets from a train station.

dzug1

datimms wrote: »

This is really helpful, I am going to London this weekend and wondered the same thing.

Does anyone know, if you have credit left at the end, do they refund that as well, or do you only get your deposit back? Also, I read that when you start a journey it will charge you something like £7.80 and then work out the correct price when you swipe out. Does that mean that you always need at least £7.80 credit on the card to be able to even start a journey?

Many thanks
Dave

The £7.80 varies according to where you start your journey - looking at my last two entries off peak in zone 1 was £2.90 and peak was £6.50. I don't know how it's determined.You are allowed to go into deficit - I think it will let you through if there is enough on the card for the minimum fare from the station you are starting from. (I didn't have £6.50 on the card when I swiped in but went back into credit on swiping out)

And yes you do get your credit back as well as the deposit

bert

Blimey it's never straight forward!

What I'll do is get a normal Oyster card and then when I get to London perhaps a 7 day travelcard for my friend since she's a visitor to the UK and since I'll probably go back to London at some point. The travelcard will allow for the 2for1 days out stuff.

Cheers all

p00hsticks

bert wrote: »

The travelcard will allow for the 2for1 days out stuff.

To take advantage of these 2-4-1 offers, note that both people need valid paper train tickets.