236 posts
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Post by undeuxtrois on Jan 3, 2020 2:38:20 GMT
Hi, I'm going to London for 3 nights next month and I'm wondering if I should get a regular Oyster card or a visitors one?
I'll be staying somewhere near Euston and will only need to travel one of the days, from round Euston train station to wherever the closest stop is to the Apollo Vic in Victoria. Could anyone help me with what stations and how much I'd need to put on the oyster card?
Do you just scan it on a machine when you use the tube?
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Post by nick on Jan 3, 2020 4:56:49 GMT
You can use any contactless credit or debit card instead. Make sure you use the same one for each journey as it calculates any discounts/daily maximums automatically. I’ve not used an Oyster for a few years.
And, yes, you simply tap at the barriers at tube/bus and train stations.
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Post by nick on Jan 3, 2020 5:01:03 GMT
You need to travel from Euston tube station to Victoria tube station. It’s a straight journey on the Victoria line (the light blue line). 4 stops and about 10 mins journey.
The theatre is outside Victoria Station.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 3, 2020 7:43:13 GMT
I wouldn't bother with the Visitor Oyster - it costs £5 (not refundable), gets you some discounts but if you're only in London for 3 nights you probably won't get much benefit from that.
As noted above if you're from the UK and have a contactless credit or debit card, that's easiest.
If you get an Oyster, there is a £5 deposit (refundable, unlike the visitor one). Assuming you are travelling off-peak the trip from Euston to Victoria should be £2.40 each way. Before you leave London, you can go to a ticket machine and get a refund for the deposit and any remaining credit (as long as its less than £10)
You can register your contactless or oyster card on tfl.gov.uk if you want to keep track of spending and be able to claim refunds if you are overcharged.
Quite a useful basic guide to Oysters if you've not bought one before ...
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19,790 posts
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Jan 3, 2020 8:15:06 GMT
I just use my credit card when I’m visiting London these days. Can’t see the point of the oyster really. And I use buses wherever possible rather than the tube. It’s so much more pleasant. You don’t tap out when you get off the bus, only when you get on.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 3, 2020 8:47:33 GMT
Alternatively the walk between Euston and Victoria is only about an hour and, depending on how much of a tourist you are, you go passed Leicester Square, Trafalgar Square and Buckingham Palace
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235 posts
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Post by Jane Parfitt on Jan 3, 2020 10:28:32 GMT
I have Revolut, a prepaid credit card, which I use for travel in London. It's free to sign up for a standard card and you preload it with as much or as little money as you like and then use it exactly like an Oyster card. The advantage over Oyster is that you can use it elsewhere as a credit card if there's enough money on it. If you lose it and someone else uses it they'll only be able to use what is preloaded rather than rack up huge costs.
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5,159 posts
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Post by TallPaul on Jan 3, 2020 10:52:20 GMT
Something else to maybe bear in mind is that Euston and Euston Square are completely different Tube stations, serving different lines.
You will eventually get to Victoria from the latter, but it will be a long journey...like travelling by train in northern England! 😉
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Post by Sam on Jan 3, 2020 10:58:15 GMT
I bought a new Oyster card when I moved back to London as I have my railcard set up on it. I don't think it saves me on my regular commute, as that's during peak, but if I end up staying late at work I save 1/3 on my journey back, and any travel at the weekends too.
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Post by undeuxtrois on Jan 3, 2020 14:26:38 GMT
Wow thanks all for your replies - really helpful as I'm travelling alone and have been been to London before! I'd walk from Euston but an hour is too far in a completely unfamiliar area, but I'm happy to walk any other time.
So if I just use my debit card, do I buy a return from Euston to Vic or is it you just tap the card like contactless each way? How much would this journey cost there and back?
I don't know why Oyster cards confuse me haha but yeah there's probably not much benefit considering I won't be there for too long.
This website is so useful for confirming things for me cos I can read the info online but it's reassuring to have people who can tell me exactly what things are like.
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2,389 posts
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Post by peggs on Jan 3, 2020 15:07:57 GMT
Just tap when you enter and again when you leave and it'll calculate the amount, someone said £2.40 each way do £4.80 total which sounds about right.
Didn't know that about only tapping on on buses, such a handy forum this.
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Post by TallPaul on Jan 3, 2020 16:48:05 GMT
The great thing about bus travel in London is you can start an unlimited number of journeys, on an unlimited number of buses, within 60 minutes of first 'tapping in', all for £1.50.
Travel one stop around here and they'll want £2.50 off you!
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Post by londonpostie on Jan 3, 2020 17:03:20 GMT
psst; it's actually about 70 minutes but they don't advertise that  |
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Post by basi1faw1ty on Jan 3, 2020 17:33:45 GMT
Yeah, just use contactless, as long as you're using a UK card. I found Oyster to be very fiddly, and constantly stopping by ticket machines to top up was a time waster (I never did put enough on the card despite how many times I've visited).
Side note: Wait, did I read that right? Why is the visitor Oyster non-refundable whilst the regular is? Is there something I'm missing?
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Post by digipal on Jan 3, 2020 18:48:28 GMT
You can also use Apple Pay so just tap your phone / watch on a reader [if you've got AP setup on it]. Not sure it works if it's not a UK acount though
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Post by jess173 on Jan 3, 2020 20:04:15 GMT
You can also use Apple Pay so just tap your phone / watch on a reader [if you've got AP setup on it]. Not sure it works if it's not a UK acount though It definitely does. I’m using it on my watch with a German credit card and never had problems. |
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Post by n1david on Jan 4, 2020 15:02:21 GMT
Side note: Wait, did I read that right? Why is the visitor Oyster non-refundable whilst the regular is? Is there something I'm missing? I guess that's to pay for the discounts at places like the London Eye, Hard Rock Cafe and M&Ms World - otherwise you could take out a Visitor Oyster card, use the discounts and return the card to get all your money back. You can get your unused credit back, but that £5 deposit gets you all sorts of enticing offers... content.tfl.gov.uk/visitor-oyster-special-offers.pdf |
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Post by undeuxtrois on Jan 5, 2020 9:14:56 GMT
Why does it cost more to pay with cash? So stupid how you can't use cash on buses in London too.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 5, 2020 9:30:56 GMT
Why does it cost more to pay with cash? So stupid how you can't use cash on buses in London too. Not stupid at all, no-one wants to wait for ages while people try to find change! London traffic is bad enough as it is. It's a fast-moving city so the transport needs to be efficient. It's no different to New York and many other large cities! It really isn't difficult to use a bank card or buy an Oyster card, and it's a very convenient system where you can even travel once if you don't have enough money on your card. |
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Post by londonpostie on Jan 5, 2020 9:44:45 GMT
Why does it cost more to pay with cash? So stupid how you can't use cash on buses in London too.
Excellent!
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Jan 5, 2020 11:41:44 GMT
Why does it cost more to pay with cash? So stupid how you can't use cash on buses in London too. You’re paying the costs of them handling your cash. Maintaining the ticket machine, or paying the person in the ticket office, counting it, securing it, transporting it, banking it. Cash is a very expensive commodity to deal with. |
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Post by londonpostie on Jan 5, 2020 11:49:52 GMT
And on the buses, the end of shift counting up and reconciling, and who pays if there is a discrepancy ..
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Post by learfan on Jan 5, 2020 13:03:58 GMT
Alternatively the walk between Euston and Victoria is only about an hour and, depending on how much of a tourist you are, you go passed Leicester Square, Trafalgar Square and Buckingham Palace Only an hour! |
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Post by Jon on Jan 5, 2020 19:52:59 GMT
Why does it cost more to pay with cash? So stupid how you can't use cash on buses in London too. You’re paying the costs of them handling your cash. Maintaining the ticket machine, or paying the person in the ticket office, counting it, securing it, transporting it, banking it. Cash is a very expensive commodity to deal with. Its not just cash, paper tickets have seen a decline in London. I do wish there was a way to have contactless on the wider rail network but that would require massive investment |
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Post by sherriebythesea on Jan 5, 2020 23:25:21 GMT
I used Apple Pay on my iPhone the whole 3 weeks I was there last year.
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