MIG wrote:
MIG wrote:
Neil Williams wrote:
LT wrote:
I'm trying to pre-buy an oyster card before coming to London from the
states. The oystercard.com web site won't let me use my phone number.. Can
I just wait until I'm there and buy one at Heathrow?
Yes.

Is there any advantage
to pre-buying it?
Not really.

I'm there for 10 days and the oyster seems like the way
to go, is this correct?
If it's 10 consecutive days, a 7 Day Travelcard may save money, leaving
only 3 days on Pre-Pay.

Neil

Not only that, but if you buy a period (eg 7 day) travelcard, you won't
have to pay a £3 deposit.


That wasn't very clear was it? I meant that if the first credit you
put on your brand-new Oyster card is for a 7-day travelcard, the
deposit on the card is £0. You then have the card to do what you like
with thereafter, and can subsequently put prepay on it etc.

A travelcard is valid on all National Rail routes in the London zones,
whereas prepay mostly isn't. For trips to Windsor etc, that might be
of more use to you anyway.

....bearing in mind that Windsor is outside the London ticket zones, so
you'd need to ask for an extension to your 7-day ticket to get there.

You should also think about which of zones you need on your ticket -
Heathrow is in the outermost zone (zone 6) but most attractions are in
the two most central zones (1 & 2). A ticket for just the central zones
is about half the price of a ticket for all zones.

So, if you're arriving at Heathrow, then travelling mostly around in the
centre and then heading back out to Heathrow, the best idea is to get an
Oyster loaded with a 7-day ticket for Zones 1 & 2 (£22.20), and some
prepay to cover the trips out to/from the airport and the other 3 days
(about £17 should cover it, assuming you travel after the morning rush,
0930 onwards).


--
Dave Arquati
Imperial College, SW7
www.alwaystouchout.com - Transport projects in London