zone 1 annual travelcard

Osteopete

I have been traveling around London for a few years, first on a waiter's budget, then on a student budget, so have learned which loopholes to look out for. A few important points here. An Oystercard Pay-As-You-Go is capped at 50p less than a daily travelcard, BUT it is capped at 50p less than a full-fare, zone 1-6 travelcard, so if you are only travelling in zone 1-2, it may actually be cheaper to to buy a daily Zone 1-2.

The other option is to use the Oyster PAYG, but take busses. these are only £1 per journey, and rumour has it, charges a maximum of £3.30 if you only travel on busses on that day, but I have never been able to verify the cap on that. Sadly, unlike Germany, where a bus ticket allows you to travel for up to an hour on any number of busses, Oyster charges you every time you get on a bus, even if you are only going one stop to change onto another bus.

The major benefit for a goldcard holder, is that you essentially get 2 months free travel, as a yearly ticket costs what 10 months travel would normally cost. It also gives you (and up to 5 of your friends traveling on the same journey) 1/3 off ticket prices on national rail IN THE SOUTH EAST. So not nationally.

The 1/3 off discount is also valid on a zone 1-6 travelcard for your friends, meaning they get a zone 1-6 for approximately the same price as a zone 1-3. Sadly, this means you have to be with them all day, because if challenged, someone in the group must be able to present a gold travelcard.

If you are going to Greenwich, the Oyster PAYG card does cover the DLR (Docklands Light Railway), so no need to take an overground train.

mr_fishbulb

liamjford wrote: »

just flash your 'gold card' recipt you got when you bought the card

Am I the only one whose gold card does not last the whole year without the writing coming off?

I keep it in my oyster card wallet.

dacouch

A zone 1 (Or any zone) travel card entitles you to travel on buses in all zones which can be handy