London tubes and trains

pboae

I'm going down to London for a long weekend soon. On the Saturday I need to go out to Three Bridges (near Gatwick) and then come back into town on the Sunday. The return ticket is £20 (via Thameslink not Gatwick Express).

If I bought a 3 day 1-6 travelcard for £20 ish, could I just buy a ticket from the edge of zone 6 to Three Bridges? If so, is there a way I can find out how much that would cost? Where could I buy the extra bit of ticket from?

Otherwise, could I get the Travelcard, then buy a ticket from East Croydon (zone 5) to Three Bridges. That would make the return ticket about £11.

I will need a travelcard anyway, though only zone 1-2 (£16.40). So I would still save money.

Finally, what is classed as off peak for a travelcard? Is it weekdays after 9.30am, or 7am-7pm?

It's making my head spin trying to work it all out!

TheImportanceOfBeingIdle

Off peak starts at 09:30 and goes to 04:30 the following morning. Peak is the 5 hours inbetween.

A 3 day off peak would cost £19.80 for all 6 zones. Peak would cost £39.60 for all 6 zones.

From boundary zone 6 to Three Bridges, there are no Standard Open Returns available. You'd have to buy either a cheap day single at £5.50 on both days or a standard open single at £8 on both days. You'd get that ticket from the train station.

From East Croyden to Three Bridges, you'd need an open ticket on the outward at £5.80 and a saver/cheap day single at £6.30

coral

I think the cheapest option is

Saturday All Zones Tcard- £6.70 + Boundary Zone 6 - Three Bridges £5.50
Sunday - Three Bridges - Gatwick Airport £1.80 - Gatwick Airport - All Zones Tcard - £10.00 (dont actually have to leave the train at Gatwick, you can buy all these tickets at a ticket office in London on Saturday (not a machine).

If you need a travelcard on the Friday/Monday then you just buy Zones 1/2 peak/offpeak as required.

Only thing to be aware of is which operator you are using on the Sunday from Gatwick to London as the tickets are specific - FCC go into Bridge/Kings Cross, Southern into Victoria - change at Gatwick as required.

pboae

Thanks very much,

What is the difference between a cheap day single and a standard open single? (I'll be going to and from Three Bridges around lunchtime if that matters).

Could you check I have got this right then:
Arrive London Friday lunchtime, buy 3 day off peak travelcard (£19.80)

Saturday get tube to Thameslink (in Zone 1) and buy a single ticket from Zone 6 to Three Bridges (£5.50)

Sunday, buy ticket from Three Bridges to Zone 6 (£5.50)

Total: £30.80

(Alternative was the return from London to Three Bridges £20, and the 3 day zone 1&2 card £16.40 = £36.40)

Thanks again.

TheImportanceOfBeingIdle

Cheap day single only allows you to travel off peak. Standard open allows you to travel at any time.

pboae

Thanks Coral, what is the £10 travelcard from Gatwick? I can't find it on the Transport for London site.

I could go to/from Gatwick instead of Three Bridges, it wouldn't make much difference, I just assumed Gatwick would be more expensive and more hassle. (It's more important that I keep the costs down).

I definitely need to get the FCC train from Kings Cross, not Victoria.


(I rang National Rail enquiries about all this early, and they were useless. I knew I should've come here first!).

misscutiepie1984

Don't saturdays and sundays are off peak all day

pboae

I thought weekends were Off peak too.

dzug

The £10 travelcard from Gatwick is a ticket that gives you an off-peak day return into London (or single if that's all you need) and free travel in zones 1-6 for the day.

You can buy one from Three Bridges too for £13.50 but that's a little more expensive. TfL won't know about it as it originates outside London.

pboae

Ah OK, so that's why coral suggested doing it the other way going out, got it now!

TheImportanceOfBeingIdle

pboae wrote: »

Thanks Coral, what is the £10 travelcard from Gatwick? I can't find it on the Transport for London site.

I could go to/from Gatwick instead of Three Bridges, it wouldn't make much difference, I just assumed Gatwick would be more expensive and more hassle. (It's more important that I keep the costs down).

I definitely need to get the FCC train from Kings Cross, not Victoria.


(I rang National Rail enquiries about all this early, and they were useless. I knew I should've come here first!).

Thats who I work for ya cheeky mare.