When I first came to London, I took the train from Heathrow airport to Russell Square...I t was my first time in an underground...the first of a long series of times coming...I was completely unaware about what an Oyster was and so, for a month or so, I just used to buy tickets every time I had to take the train, spending a huge amount o money I could have spent in more worthy things like: food, clothes and beer.
I think that for all that month long, with the money I spent in tickets, I have been paying the whole salary of a Tube driver, but I was lucky that one day, a security man at the station, made this expensive nightmare finish, shaking a brochure about the Oyster right in front of my big, sparkling eyes, with such a hypnotizing waving that I couldn't not to get one, immediately!
Transports here in London are all pretty expensive, especially the Tube tickets, which can last you no more than 24 hours, but there is a secret not to spend £££ in them, and this secret I am going to share with you is....the Oyster card!
Even if your stay in London is no longer than a few days, getting an Oyster is the cheapest and easier way to travel through the Tube and buses.
Oyster cards are available in each tube station and they cost just 3£ that you can get back when you return the card to the ticket office.
There are several types of Oyster: Pay As You Go, students and ordinary season cards (monthly, weekly and daily); however, I would suggest one of the season cards or the daily one as, once you top up your Oyster, you can travel as much as you want for all the period you have paid for.
For students +18 in London things are even much easier as, providing the name of the University the study at, they can get an Oyster in which is displayed their picture and full name.With this student Oyster every time they top up, they get a 30% discount.
Oyster cards can ruin other magnetic objects if kept too closely to them, but don't worry because Transport of London look after you any time, that's why when you get your Oyster at the tickets office, they also give you a nice, free, Oyster plastic folder!
i think it would be kind from the TFL side to produce a multiple oyster ticket. Like they have in Barcelona, there it's called T-10, and it's a reduced ticked valid for 10 trips!I think it would be nice if they could produce something like that for zone 1 and 2 at least.
ReplyDeleteIrene!
ReplyDeleteI've been living here for 10 months and somebody said "do you have an oyster card yet"? This just proves that not everybody knows how to get the best deal and fork out 4 pounds a ticket sometimes, if they are lazy! Maybe you could add a post about the hints of how to pay less on the underground... for example, not paying for a day ticket at peak times (6:30 - 9:30 am) which costs 2-3 pounds less! Or when to use pay-as-you-go vs. a day ticket! All interesting! Students would love you! Hehe.