Best way to purchase a one day tube ticket?

[hulahoopsilove]

Sorry for posting here but hoping a mum can advise.

We are coming to London for the day between christmas and new year and we need a days tube ticket - last tiem we came we qued and qued for an hour at the ticket office to buy one.

We get free train travel so cant order them online or can you just order a tube ticket so we have it already for the day?

[ThisFenceIsComfy]

Why do you get free train travel?

[ThisFenceIsComfy]

You can order a travelcard as part of a National Rail ticket though, yes.

[hulahoopsilove]

peaks of the job

[hulahoopsilove]

you cant order a tube ticket independently without bookign a train ticket

[hulahoopsilove]

opps perks of the job

[Haribolover]

If you have a contactless debit/credit card you can use that to touch in and out like an Oyster card. Works out cheaper than a day tube pass as they charge you the cheaper oyster rate.

[NorwaySpruce]

You can order an oyster card from the TFL website, and top it up online.

I really can't imagine there being queues of an hour at the ticket machines though, as most people have prepay now.

Actually, you could use a contactless payment card if you have one, I think your travel costs will be capped that way.

[tribpot]

It looks as if you can buy paper travelcards in advance and have them delivered to you, which takes the hassle out when you arrive: TfL page but I would probably just go contactless as well, or get an Oyster card.

Don't forget kids travel free on London Transport (at least under 11).

[ThisFenceIsComfy]

If you don't have a contactless card then I would just either :

Buy a paper one day travelcard from a machine. The queues won't be that long.

Buy an oystercard from a machine with £10 on it. Certain machines sell oysters. Remember with oystercards that you have to pay a deposit for the card still I think. It's a fiver. You only get that back if you hand in your Oyster back to a ticket office.

Buy an oystercard online . do here. There is still a deposit for the card.

[tribpot]

Oh and there were very long queues at Kings Cross last Saturday, at both the ticket machines and the ticket desks. So I would get a ticket in advance.

[PrincessOfChina]

You can order an Oyster online.

[hulahoopsilove]

it was the ticket desk that was busy. We will be coming in at St Pancras.
dont want an Oyster as the Tube ticket will do us for the day as we will be going here there and everywhere so much cheaper

[tribpot]

Makes sense although I like my Oyster card (partly because I have to claim a lot of the journeys on expenses so this makes it easy to do). I'd order the paper tickets online so you don't have to queue.