Cheapest way to travel in London (bus & tube) for 4 days

magan

Sorry if it looks a bit dumb, I am completely lost about prices for bus & tube in London, so maybe someone that regularly uses them can give me some advice. I have some friends coming over (mum, dad and 2 children under 16) they only come for 4 days and they want to find out the cheapest way to travel covering tube and bus in London. They are going to be in Forest Hill (zone 3), I don't know if it would be worth to get one travelcard daily for bus and tube or if there are coupons for less than a week, or if it would be worth to get an oyster card for the whole week although they will not use it, and if that stuff will cover all the zones or they would have to specify the zones, they will be mainly doing what tourists usually do, checking museums, buckingham palace and all that. Can anyone give me some advice? Thanks a lot in advance.

Trebor16

This site should help you with regards to the use of an Osyter card:-

https://oyster.tfl.gov.uk/oyster/entry.do

Marco_Panettone

And this'll show you the fares: http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/14416.aspx

Costs might vary depending on the age of passenger, but Oyster pay-as-you-go is capped at the daily travelcard price anyway.

dzug1

http://www.daysoutguide.co.uk might be worth a look before deciding - the rail ticket can be a travelcard but not an Oyster

magan

Thanks a lot for all the info. It seems that in the end it will end up being a "bit" cheaper to get a travelcard for the whole week £34 as the oyster or travelcard for daily use come to be £10.60, amazingly children under 16 seem to pay (I thought they were free). Definitely, I was completely lost about public transport. Thanks for all the info, it has been very helpful.

dzug1

5-10 year olds (and 0-5) are free - 11-15 pay

JimmyTheWig

If they are going to be making more than a few journeys every day then they may as well buy paper tickets, I believe.

The advantage of Oyster is that you only pay for what you use. Make one journey and you pay for one journey. Make ten journeys and you pay for a daily travelcard. Which is particularly ideal if, when making the first journey, you don't know if you'll be making more or not.
But the disadvantage of Oyster is that you have to buy the card. Seems a bit pointless for a few days, when the cost of a daily travelcard is the same on paper or Oyster.

Children travel free if they have a photocard Oyster. These cost £10, so not particularly free for 4 days.

magan

Thanks, I am checking now the possibility of getting an Oyster after all, it might be more economic in the end.

mutley74

magan wrote: »

Thanks, I am checking now the possibility of getting an Oyster after all, it might be more economic in the end.

dont make the mistake of ordering a visitor oyster card which has a £3 non refundable fee. Same operating costs as a Standard Oyster card, except the standard costs £5 which is refundable at the end of the visit.

(the visitor card is tfl scam for visitors IMHO)

dzug1

JimmyTheWig wrote: »

Children travel free if they have a photocard Oyster. These cost £10, so not particularly free for 4 days.

They don't need a photocard to travel free up to age 10 if with an adult
11 and up they do, but it's only free on buses/trams - they pay reduced rates on the tube etc

Not worth it for short term visitors