Oyster Card Questions

dzug

cowboy wrote: »

The nearest tube station in Ilford is Gant Hill, but I need to get a bus there. So, I guess I can use Oyster card for this?

As for travelling to Luton, it's a 940am flight. I was thinking of taking a tube from Gant Hill to Victoria at 530am (reaching around 630am), then Victoria to Luton at 640am (reaching Luton at 815am - enough time for me to check in before the 940am flight). Btw, can I actually get to Luton directly from Ilford?

So again, travel card or oyster? =/

If you get the bus to Gants Hill and then the tube an Oyster card is fine. It's Ilford to Liverpool Street that's the problem.

You can't get directly from Ilford to Luton - the route I was thinking of was rail to Liverpool St, tube to Farringdon and train from there - but bus from Victoria as you are planning will be cheaper. Remember it's a bit of a hike from the tube to the coach/bus stations at Victoria. 10 mins is cutting it fine.

Lemmy_Caution

If you are prepared to go to Gants Hill by bus (its not that far really, 10 minutes or so.) Then Oyster is best. This will save on single fares for the early morning starts. Cash Tube fare £4 as opposed to £2 Osyter off-peak. Bus fares are half with Oyster too. The way you are going will take a little longer, with a little less convenience.

cowboy

Thanks, all...for your help. Sorry for not getting back earlier...I have this bad habit of leaving everything to the very last minute.

Anyway, after much consideration...I think a 1-day travelcard is a better option, since I could get 2 for 1 for some attractions in London (http://www.daysoutguide.co.uk/). Besides, it's more convenient to take the train from Ilford to Central London as the train station is only 0.5miles away from the hotel.

The other thing I'm not sure of now is whether I can use the 1-day travelcard for the journey to Luton Airport from Ilford by train? (ie Ilford - Liverpool St - Farringdon - Luton, as suggested by dzug).

So the plan now is:
11th of July 6pm -
I arrive at London Victoria, travel to Ilford (hotel checkin) using 1-day travelcard (£6.70 zone1-6), then head to Heathrow to meet up with my parents there and travel together to Ilford again.
Cost: £6.70 x 3 = £20.10

12th of July (whole day) - London Tour
Probably will just need 1-day travel card for Zone 1-4(£5.70) or Zone 1-2 (£5.10). Will be travelling after 930 to avoid peak time.
Total Cost for 3 adults: £17.10 (zone1-4) or £15.30 (zone1-2)

13th of July (6am) - Need to travel from Ilford to Central London, then to Luton Airport for our 940am flight to Paris.
*This one I'm not sure. Please advise...
Plan 1
Ilford to Victoria (train) - £5.70 1-day travelcard (otherwise £6.10 for single by cash)
Victoria to Luton Airport (bus) - £5 each by Greenline Coach
Total cost for 3 person: £32.10

Plan 2:
Ilford -> Liverpool St -> Farringdon -> Luton Airport (train)
- £17.80 each by cash, total £53.40 for 3 person
- How much by travelcard, if possible?

Stompa

squashy wrote: »

http://www.londontoolkit.com/briefing/oystercard.htm
The only site I have come across with prices

It is on the tfl site, just not quite as easy to find as it should be:

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/TfL-Fares-April-2007.pdf

dzug

Sorry you can't use a travelcard to get to Luton Airport as it's outside zone 6. The furthest you could get is Elstree.

And at 6am on a Friday you need a peak travelcard anyway.

I'm sure the Greenline fare to Luton is more than £5 - but you can book it as Easybus now I believe so it could be cheap.

cowboy

dzug wrote: »

Sorry you can't use a travelcard to get to Luton Airport as it's outside zone 6. The furthest you could get is Elstree.

And at 6am on a Friday you need a peak travelcard anyway.

I'm sure the Greenline fare to Luton is more than £5 - but you can book it as Easybus now I believe so it could be cheap.

Thanks, dzug. So the cheapest way is to pay by cash for the train journey from Ilford to Victoria.

And yeah, I saw the Greenline fare in Easybus for £5... Otherwise, it's £10 by National Express....

Can't believe we'll be spending so much on transportation alone. And so not-straightforward as well.