London Travel card price and where to purchase?

agnes · 6 Feb 2015 at 15:52

I'm trying to source a monthly pass for zones 1 - 6. I'll be going from Reading to St Pauls specifically, unsure when or how long. But need a month's cost for referencing purpose.

Anyone know?

dowie · 6 Feb 2015 at 16:06

225.10

Woden · 6 Feb 2015 at 16:07

Wouldn't an oyster card be cheaper?

agnes · 6 Feb 2015 at 16:08

dowie said:
225.10

I saw that price too, but can't find where to buy. I guess at the station...

Woden said:
Wouldn't an oyster card be cheaper?

I'm not sure how to work that out.

Seems it won't be as Reading isn't in the Oyster card zones...

dowie · 6 Feb 2015 at 16:09

No, a PAYG Oyster card wouldn't. You can buy a travel card on your oyster though and it costs the same as the paper one.

agnes · 6 Feb 2015 at 16:10

So, £225.10 is the monthly price. Does that include peak times? Twyford doesn't matter as it's the slow train to London, Reading, peak time comes into play as it's fast train to London.

Sorry for my noobness by the way, my costs of travel have always been covered by employer/contract agreements so I always drive. But this isn't, only a 10% increase on rates to cover costs so saving pennies is key. More money in the kitty.

dowie · 6 Feb 2015 at 16:13

agnes said:
I saw that price too, but can't find where to buy. I guess at the station

yup can get at the station or just register your Oyster card and do it online.

agnes · 6 Feb 2015 at 16:14

dowie said:
yup can get at the station or just register your Oyster card and do it online.

Thanks bud.

agnes · 15 Mar 2015 at 14:11

Sorry to revive this thread, but I've got a ninja Q.

I was told a monthly season ticket from Twyford - St Pauls (travel card zones 1-6) would be the peak time one (I am travelling in peak). Whilst this makes sense, I was told in the Reading station that because I'm not using the 'fast' train from Reading to Paddington, instead the slow on from Twyford, I don't need the peak ticket.

Is this true? I'm confused now.

Em3bbs · 15 Mar 2015 at 15:16

No it is not true. You need a peak time travelcard to travel during peak times. I have a yearly Gold Card and I'm on the same line as you. Just because you are coming from a smaller station doesn't mean that peak time doesn't exist - try and buy a daily travelcard in and out of peak times at the machine at Twyford and you'll see the price is different.

agnes · 15 Mar 2015 at 16:30

Em3bbs said:
No it is not true. You need a peak time travelcard to travel during peak times. I have a yearly Gold Card and I'm on the same line as you. Just because you are coming from a smaller station doesn't mean that peak time doesn't exist - try and buy a daily travelcard in and out of peak times at the machine at Twyford and you'll see the price is different.

Yea, I thought the same too. The guy at Reading must have been smoking the funny stuff that day.

How much do you pay for a yearly?

Caged · 15 Mar 2015 at 17:08

Double-check the costs and look at how many journeys you're making because when I last did the sums, travelling between two Zone 1 underground stations twice a day, 5 days a week (e.g. to and from the office) was cheaper on PAYG Oyster than adding a Travelcard onto my ticket. Not by much to be fair.

If you're coming from Reading you'll be going into Paddington so from there to St Pauls will be all Zone 1 travel.

delta0 · 15 Mar 2015 at 18:40

Are you actually going to be travelling to zone 2-6?

Diddums · 15 Mar 2015 at 18:42

http://www.oystercalculator.co.uk/

Em3bbs · 15 Mar 2015 at 19:07

agnes said:
Yea, I thought the same too. The guy at Reading must have been smoking the funny stuff that day.

How much do you pay for a yearly?

£3400 for a yearly, I'm a few stops nearer to Paddington to you though. My work give interest free salary sacrifice loans for train travel so I use that.

Dave · 15 Mar 2015 at 19:25

Diddums said:
http://www.oystercalculator.co.uk/

This website doesn't seem to be correct - when I put in an example journey that I made last week (London Bridge - Feltham), it gives too high a charge for an evening journey. It doesn't seem to take into account National Rail fares, or journeys from outside zone 1 to zone 1 in the evening now being off-peak for National Rail fares. (It reckons £11.70 for my journey, whereas it's actually £9.70)

Scam · 16 Mar 2015 at 11:48

http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/service/seasonticket/tickets is what you want. Take note of whether or not you can travel via Reading (I presume on the faster trains).

Check the prices, see if it's better including zones 1-6 or if you're better spending the £1,284 on a Zone 1 Oyster travelcard separately.

Easy.

EDIT: You should have asked for more than a 10% rise in pay for travelling on that line, it's the most expensive per mile in the country

agnes · 16 Mar 2015 at 19:44

Caged said:
Double-check the costs and look at how many journeys you're making because when I last did the sums, travelling between two Zone 1 underground stations twice a day, 5 days a week (e.g. to and from the office) was cheaper on PAYG Oyster than adding a Travelcard onto my ticket. Not by much to be fair.

If you're coming from Reading you'll be going into Paddington so from there to St Pauls will be all Zone 1 travel.

Saving of about £3. Not sure if worth it. As I might detour on the way home some nights.

Oh well, I just have to bite the bullet. Also, the company does indeed do loans, but not inside probation period. So I have to suck it up until that's finished.

It's not the end of the world, just more than I first anticipated.