ezzie

Well I'm struggling to understand Oyster Cards and the multitude of fares available, but all I want is the standard commuter price....what here in Sydney is a plain 'weekly' (or monthly) ticket.

Any ideas what they're called and where I find them online - a lovely BE person gave me the National Rail Enquiries website but I can't get my head around which fare does what!

ezzie

Maybe someone could also throw light on why when I search for Brum to London it gives me the single fare of £21.50 but a return of £141 ??????

dunroving

It just works out that way sometimes - you can get two singles more cheaply than a return.

I use this site for buying tickets: http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/ - they don't charge you extra for using a credit card (like TheTrainline.co.uk does).

ezzie

That's the site that's confusing me (must start taking fish oil!)...any idea which fare is the equivalent of a weekly?

rebs

Try this page for some details of season tickets - might give you some useful details?
http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_...eason_tickets/

dunroving

I'm not sure what the equivalent of a "weekly" is (sounds like what my office cleaner does!) - but you can click on the various fares in the National Rail Web site and it will take you to the conditions of the fare (e.g., can be used any day, any route, or restricted to the date and time specified, etc.) You might be able to figure out from that information which one is your "weekly".

I still have no clue what an Oyster card is, but get the impression it is to do with spending money so I'm in no rush to find out!

jmh

Go to the web site of the train company that runs the service to the area you are looking at, e.g. Southwest Trains, Chilton Railways etc, and look for 'season tickets'. You can buy weekly, monthly or annual tickets.

quoll

Oyster cards are wonderful inventions - you just pop them on the yellow circle at the beginning and end of your London metropolitan journey and they charge you a lower rate than buying a ticket for each journey. You top them up when you need to - can register and do it automatically on line if you like. Cards only cost L3 and that is refundable when you hand them back. All sorts of benefits from getting a yearly card - my son's partner has one and she gets discounts on rail travel out of the city.

Sorry Ezzie, no idea whether they sell weekly tickets or not but they are expensive I do know that!

wardy2

141 pounds sounds like a stndard open return ticket that means you can travel in and out of birmingham at peak times without restriction.

21.50 sounds like a single fare that you have to book in advance maybe by 6pm the day before but there are only a ltd supply of these and sold first come first served, you do have to book a specific train and if you miss it you tend to be stuffed and have to buy another ticket.

There should be a ticket price called a saver return which you can buy on the day but you have to travel at off peak times which gives you a bit more flexibility.

Oyster cards are they tube tickets if they are I knew them by a different name, if it is you buy them for the amount of zones you need to travel through to get to your destination and you are charged accordingly. Zones are broken into 6 areas central london being zone 1 so if you are only travelling in this area thats all you pay for. You used to be able to buy them weekly, monthly and yearly its a while since I stopped working at the train station mind so things could have changed.

Imagine it like an archery board with all the different circles central london being the bulls eye the more rings you enter the more you pay it is for unlimited travel though, I think you can pay peak and off peak tickets.

hope this helps

jmh

The Oyster card is by far the best way to travel around London. As already stated you buy the card and put money it. The system works out automatically which is the best fair when you flash out of your last journey. You don't have to worry about which zones you buy. It is also valid on buses. There are discussions underway with the train companies to use them on the rail lines in London. My local station is Surbiton which at the moment is not on the Oyster card system, but it will be. At the moment I buy a day travel card for six zones which costs approx £7 (off peak). You can use trains, tube and buses all day after 9.30 I think it is. There are variations on the travelcard system, but if you are only using underground and train the Oyster card is the way to go.

Train fares are not always clear but I generally find station staff pretty helpful.