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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask for help figuring out trains to London and tube?

27 replies

BettyBakesCakes · 28/10/2023 19:28

I find the train booking sites so confusing. We want to travel to london and use the tube. I can get cheap train tickets for £66 great, but they have no travel card included.

If I buy a tickets with a travelcard it's £144!

Is there a cheaper way of doing it?

OP posts:
Coffeerum · 28/10/2023 19:29

You don’t need to include a travel card. Just do train tickets and use contactless when you’re in London. If you use the tube enough on one particular day it will automatically cap at the limit anyway.

socks1107 · 28/10/2023 19:31

You can use your debit card on the tube. Is it all adults or any children? Children under 11 are free

TookTheBook · 28/10/2023 19:34

Advance train tickets are often cheaper than using your National Rail Travelcard at a peak time if that's what you mean.

Otherwise as others have said, you can just your contactless bank card on the tube and buses in London. Just get the train tickets you want and use your contactless on any London public transport. Really easy.

GRex · 28/10/2023 19:35

Check if a network railcard is cost effective for the rail journey, then use a debit card as you'll probably be under the cap most days. Caps are here: tfl.gov.uk/fares/find-fares/tube-and-rail-fares/caps-and-travelcard-prices?intcmp=54720.

Doric · 28/10/2023 19:36

Don’t add a travel card. Use your debit card as contactless on the tube.

Enjoy your visit! What are your plans?

LuckOfTheDrawer · 28/10/2023 19:36

You can just use a debit card to tap on and off the tube. You can't pay for more than one person using the same card though, so you need to do something different for kids - we bought a daycare from a machine one time, and we used an old Oyster card another time.

LuckOfTheDrawer · 28/10/2023 19:37

^day ticket

devildeepbluesea · 28/10/2023 19:38

YYY contactless on the tube all the way.

TookTheBook · 28/10/2023 19:40

@LuckOfTheDrawer Kids are free on the tube under age 11 though. You just have to go through the wide gates with your own card

LuckOfTheDrawer · 28/10/2023 20:00

Oh, OK - my son is a bit older.

MojoDojoCasaHouse · 28/10/2023 20:03

I have been recently with a 15 year old. Used my debit card to tap in and out for me and bought DD a child one day travel card from the machine. Easy peasy.

Original poster
BettyBakesCakes · 28/10/2023 20:05

Doric · 28/10/2023 19:36

Don’t add a travel card. Use your debit card as contactless on the tube.

Enjoy your visit! What are your plans?

The teens want to see the Christmas lights :)

OP posts:
Original poster
BettyBakesCakes · 28/10/2023 20:06

Ok so dh and I can tap our debit cards but two teens will need either a different debit card or a travelcard which we can buy at the tube station?

OP posts:
LuckOfTheDrawer · 28/10/2023 20:15

Yes (unless they have a debit card).

You can use your phone or watch too if you're set up for that ofc.

Mrsjayy · 28/10/2023 20:17

My dds just used their phones do your kids have Google pay or something.

ChazsBrilliantAttitude · 28/10/2023 20:18

Get an oystercard with a young visitors discount

scroll past the zip info on the linked page - young visitor discount is at the bottom
https://tfl.gov.uk/fares/free-and-discounted-travel/11-15-zip-oyster-photocard

PenguinTattoo · 28/10/2023 20:50

Just to say if your teens use a debit card or phone, they will be charged adult fares. So it might be better to get them 1 day child travel cards (£7.60 each) when you get to the first station.

DisforDarkChocolate · 28/10/2023 21:01

If it's travel for fun I use my debit card.

If it's work travel I use a Oyster card because it's easy to show work journeys and their cost to claim back.

LittleOwl153 · 28/10/2023 21:08

We did this over half term.

If you have time look at the ZIP 11-15 for the teens... (think ours took about 2 weeks but was a few years ago). There was a cost but once you have it you can just top it up like an oyster card.

We used old oysters for DH and I (because we didnt want to add the stress of having debit cards in our pockets to tap constantly- but most 'locals' seems to use cards, watches, back of wallet etc. ) and teen dd had her Zip, under 11s travel free with an adult.

I had a thread about it where folks were fab with options...

LittleOwl153 · 28/10/2023 21:16

Something we did which would be fab in the Christmas lights was the river boats...

We used these https://www.cityexperiences.com/london/city-cruises/river-red-rover/ but I'm sure we got discounted tickets from the website prices. The Thames Clippers (Uber Boats) are also an option.

Have fun OP!

Red Rover Hop On/Off Thames River Cruise | City Cruises

Join us for a departure from London for a delightful hop on/hop off cruise along River Thames.

https://www.cityexperiences.com/london/city-cruises/river-red-rover

NeedToKnow101 · 28/10/2023 21:26

Have a good time. Keep your train tickets in case you need them for any paid attractions, see 2for1 London.

NeedToKnow101 · 28/10/2023 21:27

Forgot to say 2for1 London is what it says on the tin.

JFT · 28/10/2023 21:30

When you get to London, ask the staff at any of the big underground stations - Kings Cross / Euston etc and they will give you the best advice about what works out cheapest.

LuckOfTheDrawer · 28/10/2023 21:57

JFT · 28/10/2023 21:30

When you get to London, ask the staff at any of the big underground stations - Kings Cross / Euston etc and they will give you the best advice about what works out cheapest.

We planned to do this, but then there weren't any staff or desks or anything like that. Just a big busy station with some ticket machines.

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