London in December

[TW]Fox;17445487 said:
What can be simpler than simply touching a card? It's a great system because it automatically ensures you are paying the least amount possible.

Travelcards are expensive, especially when you find you've not made enough journeys for it to represent a saving! This doesnt happen with Oyster.
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It has made cash fares more expensive for everyone else. This is extremely annoying if you forget your Oyster card and only need to make one or two journeys. If you have a prepaid Travelcard loaded up on it you have to watch it like a hawk because nothing tells you what date it runs out unless you check it at a ticket machine on the underground, then you get charged for a single fare on top of your travelcard rate. Plus, on top of my Travelcard I have to keep a minimum topup loaded on it or it doesn't work.

Don't try me on this Fox, I use an Oyster card every day and it regularly catches me out if I don't pay attention. I know what it does and doesn't do. If you're not used to them it will sting you.
 
Jonny69 said:
It has made cash fares more expensive for everyone else. This is extremely annoying if you forget your Oyster card and only need to make one or two journeys. If you have a prepaid Travelcard loaded up on it you have to watch it like a hawk because nothing tells you what date it runs out unless you check it at a ticket machine on the underground, then you get charged for a single fare on top of your travelcard rate. Plus, on top of my Travelcard I have to keep a minimum topup loaded on it or it doesn't work.

Don't try me on this Fox, I use an Oyster card every day and it regularly catches me out if I don't pay attention. I know what it does and doesn't do. If you're not used to them it will sting you.
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You're doing it wrong then. I don't need a travel card at the moment but I thought you could set it to auto renew? And anyway, most of the barriers warn you if it's close to running out!

As for cash fares being more expensive, don't forget your oyster card! Mine just sits in my wallet anyway...
 
Jonny69 said:
Don't try me on this Fox, I use an Oyster card every day and it regularly catches me out if I don't pay attention. I know what it does and doesn't do. If you're not used to them it will sting you.
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Stop scaremongering:/ If you can't work out how to use an oystercard then you shouldn't really be on the tube without your carer.

Anyway, not suggesting you load a travelcard on for a holiday. Just buy a card, load £20 cash on and your daily cost will always be cheaper or equal to the cost of a day travelcard. If you use up your £20 you wont be able to go through the barriers. Simples. Certainly beats queueing at the ticket office every morning with all the other tourists who have been given rubbish advice.
 
Stupot_ said:
Are you serious? Londons great! just gotta stay away from the crowds.
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London is pretty good which is why I visit but I only go to London because for regular trips etc it's less expensive than Paris, or Milan, or Rome, or Barcelona, or Berlin, etc.

He is closer to all of those places, and they are all better than London.
 
[TW]Fox;17445542 said:
You live in Malta?

Don't bother then - seriously. London is good for a day out from somewhere in the UK but really it isnt worth the effort from Malta. There are many far better cities to visit which are closer or just as far.
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Lol!

I think what familiarity you do have with London is breeding a little content. London has everything you could want from a city - entertainment, eating out, history (with mostly free museums and art galleries), sights, the seat of government, global economic city, parks etc. There's very little to want for, and what it has is all absolutely world-class. Millions of city travellers would rank London as one the greatest places in the world.
 
The Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park will be on while you are there, so that might be worth a look. http://www.hydeparkwinterwonderland.com/

The whole arguing over Oyster/Travel Cards thing though, I'd say really all depends on where you are staying and how often you would actually need to use it.

I think a lot of people who aren't that familiar with London don't realize just how easy and quick it is to walk between most areas of Central. Especially if you are sightseeing, you miss most of it by being underground. Also, if you can afford to, might as well just take a taxi places if you need to.

You could easily find things to do for the entire length of your stay, however, like any major city, in order to do everything and see everything it will cost a bit of money.
 
No time to read everything.. but lastminute.com is a good site for any tickets.. London eye tickets are pretty cheap on there too. plus, you know you won't get tickets located behind pillars etc. Be careful buying from anywhere without a name.

I live in Victoria, Central London. SW1. Try to stay in a Marriott hotel, you can get some deals on lastminute - the hotels are top quality and more reasonable than real upper class places (Ritz, Hiltons) The Victoria Park Plaza hotel has awesome positioning and is very nice too. (Opposite my house :s)

London's full of tourists during work hours. And central london is really safe civilian wise. Just don't leave your stuff anywhere unattended or hang out in soho/camden >2am.

If you need bars/places to go, you can send me a message. Lived here a long time running clubnights/bars/music nights/open mics/events.

S
 
Ok, ignore the rubbish about oysters, just go to any station information desk and they'll sell them for £3 with £3 credit on it. You lose nothing and pay £1.50 a tube journey, if your travel costs equate to more than £5ish then it caps and you automatically have a day travel card. Top it up in shops or at ANY tube station.

Simple

Winter wonderland is cool. German's run it, so sausages and beers and rides. Usually really cold though! Its the bottom right corner of Hyde Park.

A good site to check events the week you go is timeout. google it.

S
 
Jonny69 said:
It has made cash fares more expensive for everyone else. This is extremely annoying if you forget your Oyster card and only need to make one or two journeys. If you have a prepaid Travelcard loaded up on it you have to watch it like a hawk because nothing tells you what date it runs out
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Except the barriers, the ticket machine, and the email reminders.

The reason for jacking up the paper ticket prices is to put people off using them - the Oyster system is cheaper to administer, and faster for the customer.
 
Mad old tory said:
You're doing it wrong then. I don't need a travel card at the moment but I thought you could set it to auto renew? And anyway, most of the barriers warn you if it's close to running out!

As for cash fares being more expensive, don't forget your oyster card! Mine just sits in my wallet anyway...
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I use the underground once a year.. I couldn't believe the price of a cash price in Zone 1. Disgraceful! Yet aren't those bikes a £1.. ???
 
There is so much to do and see you will love it.
Have a good trip, the oyster card is a good idea, London public transport is not cheap but its very efficient. You can be pretty much anywhere in 30 minutes.
There is a tube map somewhere that shows all the attractions and their closest stations ill try and dig it up.
Try and go on the London eye, ive never been on it (but worked in some of the taller buildings) but i imagine its great for tourists.

have fun, crime is no worse than any major city, keep your wallet safe from pick pockets and opportunist thieves, hold that camera tightly, you should be fine and get some nice winter dark snaps.


http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/central_bus_map.pdf


there's 1 map its not great but its a start
 
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Having just moved to London I can say the transport system, whilst pretty expensive, it very good! Haven't got an oyster yet because I'm waiting to get a student one, butt he one day travel cards aren't that bad if you do a couple of journeys a day.
 
[TW]Fox;17446765 said:
London is pretty good which is why I visit but I only go to London because for regular trips etc it's less expensive than Paris, or Milan, or Rome, or Barcelona, or Berlin, etc.

He is closer to all of those places, and they are all better than London.
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Just LOL.
 
I wouldn't say they're better, but they're different. If you'd never been to London, I'd imagine it's a fairly amazing place (unless that's just because I was a child...).

If you become accustomed to it, as with anything, you would find it less exciting.
 
I've just come back form a trip to London.

I usually stay at one of the Premier Inn's.
They seem good quality for the price.

I'd recommend an Oyster Card for Underground travel.
And if you're going to do a lot of site seeing maybe it's worth getting a London Pass http://www.londonpass.com

If you want to see my photos, here's the link.
London or the slideshow version London Slideshow
There's 388 photos and you won't see a better collection of London photos by anyone :D
 
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