sportpix

Apologies this is not a PT question but I'm hopeful that someone will have advice on the most cost efficient way to travel in London. I was hoping to get a seniors discount but from what I can see online such discounts are available only to residents of London but not to tourists.
I will spend three nights in London in early April, the first of which will be in Central London as my daughter is running in a half marathon event and she wants me to watch her perform. She will go back home to Northants after the race while I will check into a hotel near LHR T4. I've chosen this hotel as T4 has an underground station, and after my second night there I will fly from T2 to Bangkok and on to HK. In HK we have an Octopus card, which began life as a touchless transport card but quickly expanded into payment device for just about everything. As I'm over 60 I pay only euro 0.3 cents for any journey on HK public transport no matter what the distance may be.
Sadly it seems that I will have to pay full fare for using the London Undergound, even if I buy an Oyster Card, or does having a British passport allow me to get any discounts?
Thanks in advance, Richard

campos

On a visit a few years ago I ordered a pre-loaded Oyster card and was sent to my overseas address. I can't recall if there was any discount . I'm sure the TFL site will give up-to-date info.

Casa Santo Estevo

maybe be a question for Trip Advisor?

Andyj100

You can use a contactless bank card or Apple Pay, including for the journey from LHR (or LGW) to London. It calculates the cheapest ticket and ceases charging money thereafter, so it's limited at a 1 day rail card for the zones you have used. There is no need for an Oyster card anymore, but they are available from the ticket machines at LHR. As you say, concessionary travel is for residents only. Only tap getting on a bus. REMEMBER to tap out if you use the DLR as there are no barriers.

tdrinker

https://tfl.gov.uk/fares/find-fares/...s?intcmp=54713

Note the peak / off-peak fares:

• Peak fares - Monday to Friday (not on public holidays) between 06:30 and 09:30, and between 16:00 and 19:00
• Off-peak fares - at all other times and if you travel from a station outside Zone 1 to a station in Zone 1 between 16:00 and 19:00, Monday to Friday

Staying close to Heathrow is convenient for the airport and cheaper than a central London hotel, but means longer and more expensive tube journeys.

If you have a UK debit or credit card, you can use it as an Oyster card, i.e. tap in and out of stations and busses. The journey cost is the same as for an Oyster, and it saves the hassle of buying an Oyster card (which you may have to pay a deposit for, can't remember). An overseas debit or credit card may also work, again I'm not sure (and beware any transaction charges). For short trip, if you don't have a UK debit or credit card, buying a daily travelcard is an option.

RichardHenshall

I find that the Citymapper app is very useful for planning and for realtime guidance while travelling.

Listen Very Carefully

AS others have said just tap in and out with your debit card and there is a maximum it will take ie you will pay no more than if you were to buy a "day travelcard"

sportpix

Many thanks for this. Just downloaded it and it seems like something that we all should have when travelling to far off destinations.

sportpix

I have a PT debit card, I do not have a UK one having not lived there for more than 30 years. Sounds like this is the way to go and to ignore the Oyster card. I will (hopefully) be flying into Gatwick as I believe there are no connections from Faro to LHR. Thanks for your help and advice.

ARCNET

BA fly into LHR from Faro.

sportpix

I booked Gatwick about three hours ago 😢. Crazy expensive 😡

Andyj100

You can use a contactless card for the regular train from Gatwick to London Victoria or London Bridge, but I think not for the Gatwick Express service....which is 5 minutes quicker and 10 times more expensive.

sportpix

I just asked my wife about the train from Gatwick Airport to Central London and she replied: why do you ask, you're flying into LHR. After telling her she was wrong about 10 times I checked the eticket (that I forwarded to her when I received it via email from BA) and found to my total embarrassment that she was indeed correct (nothing new there...). I had no idea how I'd made the mistake until yesterday when I booked a similar ticket for a trip my wife will make in July and saw what I got wrong. Although I typed in Faro to Gatwick on the BA website the flights it listed on the date of departure each had a suffix GTW, LHR or LCA (or similar). I simply looked at the flight times and prices and chose a mid-morning flight for x GBP and made the booking, not realising that the one I booked was LHR. We learn something new every day...

tdrinker

You'll be OK provided you didn't book a hotel at Gatwick ...

Pilotabroad

As you are now certain it's Heathrow also check the Heathrow Express train. Only takes 25mins, very clean, always half empty, arrives into Paddington and on the website/app it has lots of various discounts available.
A much more pleasant experience