Does anyone know of a website which is able to calculate whether using
PAYG Oyster or an annual Travelcard is better value for an individual?

I think I've used http://www.prepayortravelcard.com/ in the past but
it doesn't seem to be fully updated for 2010 yet and my local
Underground station doesn't yet have any 2010 fare booklets..

Regards
Sunil

In message
,
Sunil Sood writes

Does anyone know of a website which is able to calculate whether using
PAYG Oyster or an annual Travelcard is better value for an individual?

I don't, but I can't see how PAYG would ever be cheaper than an annual
Travelcard for somebody making the same journey for 5 days a week
throughout most of the year. Although there is a big up-front payment,
with interest rates at their current low levels I suspect that an annual
travel card will always be cheaper - and, of course, it can also be used
for shopping or leisure trips at any time without additional cost.

The advantage of PAYG is for occasional travellers, part-time workers,
those that often wish to go beyond their Travelcard zones, tourists, and
the like.
--
Paul Terry

On Wed, 30 Dec 2009 19:07:52 +0000, Paul Terry wrote:
In message
,
Sunil Sood writes

Does anyone know of a website which is able to calculate whether using
PAYG Oyster or an annual Travelcard is better value for an individual?

I don't, but I can't see how PAYG would ever be cheaper than an annual
Travelcard for somebody making the same journey for 5 days a week
throughout most of the year.

It used to be for me. Zone 4 into zone 1 at 2.80 each way, 5 days a
week for 46 weeks a year (bank holidays and 4 weeks annual leave) is
1288 rather than 1472 for an annual travel card.

In 2010 PAYG increases to 1426 which makes it close enough that a
travelcard is worth it for the added flexibility.

David

On Dec 30, 7:07*pm, Paul Terry wrote:

Does anyone know of a website which is able to calculate whether using
PAYG Oyster or an annual Travelcard is better value for an individual?

I don't, but I can't see how PAYG would ever be cheaper than an annual
Travelcard for somebody making the same journey for 5 days a week
throughout most of the year.

As David indicates - even for regular travellers - the difference
between a PAYG Oyster and an annual Travelcard can be stacked in
favour of PAYG especially if one leaves work outside the 4:30pm-7pm
window (thus benefiting from off-peak prices) and/or your annual leave
is taken into account.

I gather for 2010 most annual Travelcard prices have been frozen,
while PAYG fares are going up.. - which may well alter which is the
best value for any particular individual..

Regards
Sunil

On Dec 30, 9:52*pm, Paul Corfield wrote:

I think I've used http://www.prepayortravelcard.com/ in the past but
it doesn't seem to be fully updated for 2010 yet and my local
Underground station doesn't yet have any 2010 fare booklets..

Note that there are no fares booklets for the 2010 increase. They have
been abolished. *You are stuck with using the TfL website.

Thanks for letting me know - it wouldn't be so bad if I could find
a .pdf detailing all the fares.. even if there isn't a paper version!

Regards
Sunil

In article ,
(Paul Corfield) wrote:

Note that there are no fares booklets for the 2010 increase. They have
been abolished. You are stuck with using the TfL website.

Isn't there even a downloadable PDF version of the booklet?

--
Colin Rosenstiel

Paul Corfield wrote on 30 December 2009 21:52:17 ...
On Wed, 30 Dec 2009 10:23:10 -0800 (PST), Sunil Sood
wrote:

Does anyone know of a website which is able to calculate whether using
PAYG Oyster or an annual Travelcard is better value for an individual?

Not that I am aware of.

I think I've used http://www.prepayortravelcard.com/ in the past but
it doesn't seem to be fully updated for 2010 yet and my local
Underground station doesn't yet have any 2010 fare booklets..

Note that there are no fares booklets for the 2010 increase. They have
been abolished. You are stuck with using the TfL website.

And as far as I can see, you have to look at vast numbers of different
web pages to get the whole picture. It was easy with a handy booklet to
be able to compare different fares in order to decide which option to go
for. Now you're forever clicking and scrolling through the jungle of
the TfL site. Yuk! Or have I missed a nice comprehensive PDF file
somewhere?

Is there anything like the old booklet for use by staff, e.g. station
staff faced with a customer query about fares?
--
Richard J.
(to email me, swap 'uk' and 'yon' in address)

In an attempt to find the answer I went to tfl.gov.uk. And here's the
email I subsequently sent:

Good morning

A journey through the website is even harder than a TfL bus trip in the snow!

The news is that fares are going up. I want to know what the new fares
will be using Oyster.

For travelcards, single journeys – including PAYGo on National Rail -
and price caps. From talk at work, in the pub and on the bus, I’m sure
lots of people want to do the same.

CLICK – I’ve got a bookmark for your home page.
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/

OK, there’s a button on the top bar labelled TICKETS. Looks promising:
CLICK
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/default.aspx

Good!
New Fares for 2010 and Oyster on National Rail

and just below that: Fares in 2010
CLICK
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/faresandtickets/2930.aspx

Good!
This looks like the right place:
FARE FINDER – how much you’ll pay for single tickets
CLICK
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/tickets/fa...refinder/next/

Good!
That all works. Now back to the previous page to check travelcards
CLICK
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/faresandtickets/2930.aspx

Here we a

Travelcards and passes
If you travel a lot you might be better off with a daily, 7 day,
monthly or annual travelcard. Find out more about travelcards and passes
CLICK
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/faresa...ets/10628.aspx

Well, I suppose you need to explain what and how they work, so can’t
really complain. But where are the fares? Oh, there’s a link on the
left. 7 Day, Monthly and Annual Travelcards, it says. Sounds promising
CLICK
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/faresandtickets/1059.aspx

A more detailed explainer. But where are the fares? Ah! found it. ADULT
TRAVELCARD looks promising
CLICK
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/faresa...kets/4805.aspx

Three cheers for TfL – only EIGHT CLICKS TO EIGHT PAGES to find the
fare. But hang on a minute:

Are these the fares for a ticket bought TODAY? or a ticket bought next
week, when lots of us will be returning to work from holiday. THE PAGE
DOESN’T TELL US!!!!

SO what’s the answer? The DLR station in Woolwich doesn’t have a ticket
office, so it looks as thought I will have to take a bus trip to North
Greenwich to see if there’s a leaflet. If so, I will pay cash, retain
the tickets and send them to Mayor Boris, asking him for a refund. Or
maybe I should go to Wimbledon. At least they might understand my
feelings – in the words of John McEnroe:

YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS!

Your website structure is incredibly well organised – it just ignores
the needs of CUSTOMERS.
Yes it would disrupt the incredible tidy structure, but a few days
before the price rise, couldn’t we have direct links to the prices for
Adult and Child Travelcards?

PLEASE
If the leaflet exists as a pdf please forward – or email me the link to
the page with the new fares.

Thanks.


Obviously someone here knows the answer, but shouldn't TfL make it
easier for us? Or am I missing something?

Ken

On 2009-12-30 18:23:10 +0000, Sunil Sood said:


Does anyone know of a website which is able to calculate whether using
PAYG Oyster or an annual Travelcard is better value for an individual?

I think I've used http://www.prepayortravelcard.com/ in the past but
it doesn't seem to be fully updated for 2010 yet and my local
Underground station doesn't yet have any 2010 fare booklets..

Regards
Sunil


--
Writer / editor on London's River

In message of Thu, 31 Dec
2009 10:59:11 in uk.transport.london, Paul Corfield
writes

[delete]


Is there anything like the old booklet for use by staff, e.g. station
staff faced with a customer query about fares?

There is internal documentation which I have copies of but I can't
provide copies. I'd get shot at dawn I'm afraid.


LU CSC did not know there is no intention to publish a couple of days
ago.

At what time would you be shot if you provided document titles?
I feel an FOI Act enquiry coming on.
--
Walter Briscoe

On Dec 30, 9:52*pm, Paul Corfield wrote:

Note that there are no fares booklets for the 2010 increase. They have
been abolished. *You are stuck with using the TfL website.

Not to worry, you can always call a friendly travel advisor on a local
020 number for information.

Oh, wait...


I have been pondering recently whether it would be worthwhile for the
collective brains on u.t.l to put together an unofficial guide to
Oyster - with all the basic info that was previously in the booklet,
alongside the slightly more complex stuff that's not quite as widely
published, such as OSIs, split ticketing, and whether you can get
railcard-discounted PAYG capping when you're just travelling on buses.
Would anyone be interested in some kind of a web 2.0-type
collaboration?