Network Railcard and Travelcard for London Zone 1 with kids?

anxiousnow

In the Easter holidays I need to be in London on a weekday before 11.30am due to a booking made by a friend. I have a Network railcard which discounts my trip somewhat but it's still pretty expensive!

One thing I've noticed is that to add a Travelcard (which I would like to use) costs a lot more, presumably because they are charging the kids as if they have to pay on the tube (they are under 11, so will be free).

Is there any way around this? Perhaps buying tickets at the station or buying a Travelcard once I get to London (would I get Network Railcard discount doing it this way? If so that would be better than using my contactless card as Oyster).

I have tried adding my ticket (with Travelcard) and theirs separately (without Travelcard) but their fares come up higher if not bought at the same time as my ticket. I've also looked at split fares, advance fares etc but no discounts to be had... 

MSE_James

Your best bet is likely to be to use contactless for your travel in London.

(We've moved this to our Public Transport board)

jbuchanangb

Network Railcard covers up to 4 adults and 4 children. So use that to get to London. In London on the tube children under 11 travel free, so adult should pay with contactless, and children accompany them.

If the trip to London starts before 9.30am, you could look at buying anytime singles without discount to go up, then  singles with discount to come back. That worked for me when using my railcard to go into town early and come back off-peak. I ran some tests using my old base of Billericay as an example. The best deal departing at 10.15 is £22.05. The Network Railcard has saved over £20, compared to normal off-peak day returns.

Between 9.30 and 10, the best deal is the Off Peak Family Railcard at £33.20. (Includes the tube travel)

Before 9.30 it looks like singles each way as mentioned above, will cost £51. (£32 up, £19 back)

Where are you coming from. What time do you need to reach London terminal station?

anxiousnow

Thank you!

I have to be in London Waterloo before 11.30, coming from Portsmouth.

I could save some money by getting a train ticket to Clapham Junction (Off Peak Day Travelcard) or to Victoria, but involves changing and longer journeys and might not make it for 11.30 on the earliest possible off peak ticket, so I think I'll have to just pay the price of the return fare to Waterloo with the Railcard, and then contactless for the Travelcard as you suggest! 

macman

There are trains from CJ to W'loo every few minutes, so changing at CJ is unlikely to delay your arrival at W'loo by more than 5 minutes. You don't have to change trains in order to split ticket.

jbuchanangb

I checked it out on https://tickets.railforums.co.uk/ and to arrive at Waterloo at 11.24 the best deal is by splitting the tickets at Havant the fare comes to £57.40 Off-Peak return. Their fee for finding that fare is £6.42 so you'd pay them £63.82.

JGB1955

jbuchanangb said:

I checked it out on https://tickets.railforums.co.uk/ and to arrive at Waterloo at 11.24 the best deal is by splitting the tickets at Havant the fare comes to £57.40 Off-Peak return. Their fee for finding that fare is £6.42 so you'd pay them £63.82.

Or you could save yourself the £6.42 and buy the tickets yourself.

anxiousnow

Thanks, it looks as though I can buy a return ticket to Clapham with a Travelcard and use the Travelcard to get me to Waterloo from there (assuming it's valid on the overground), saving me the cost of a Travelcard as well as the fare being less. It takes half an hour longer as I have to go on the line that goes via Clapham to Victoria, rather than the Waterloo line, but it's probably worthwhile! 

jbuchanangb

I can see that you can catch th 9.15am from Portsmouth change at Clapham Junction, and arrive at Waterloo spot on 11.30.

I can see that if you return the same way on the 19.54, arriving Portsmouth 22.03, then the whole trip can be done for £45

This seems to be the Super-Off Peak Day return. Does not include Travelcards.
Also, there seems to be a fare called Super OffPeak Day PriceBuster, which includes a Travelcard and which would come out at £30.65, valid via Three Bridges, i.e. on the Southern to Clapham Junction. (£23.35 without the Travelcard) Would be valid on the trains above mentioned.

macman

anxiousnow said:

Thanks, it looks as though I can buy a return ticket to Clapham with a Travelcard and use the Travelcard to get me to Waterloo from there (assuming it's valid on the overground), saving me the cost of a Travelcard as well as the fare being less. It takes half an hour longer as I have to go on the line that goes via Clapham to Victoria, rather than the Waterloo line, but it's probably worthwhile! 

Clapham Jn to Waterloo isn't part of the Overground, it's Network Rail. It runs overground, but is not part of The Overground, which is a dIvision of TfL A Travelcard is valid on all the services in the zones it's issued for.
Victoria to Waterloo requires 2 tube lines, changing at Embankment. An extremely long way round compared to a few minutes direct from C Jn.

spenderdave

The OP is travelling this weekend so will probably have made his journey now. But there are no Southern trains between Clapham Junction and Victoria anyway because of engineering work (which I found out myself on Friday) so going via Victoria wouldn't have been possible.