Cheapest way to buy bus and tube travel monthly?

[Pendulum]

For my new job I'll be arriving at a mainline London station. I'd like to have the flexibility to use either the bus or the tube without having to stop and buy single tickets. To my rail monthly season ticket it seems I can bolt on bus services or tube services, but they are separate products and buying both looks like an expensive way of doing things.

Is there a ticket that I could buy monthly (separately from my rail ticket) that would give me access to both bus and tube services? I have used Travelcards before but am never sure whether they are valid on buses.

googling gives info on oyster cards but dont really know how they work

these days its all OYSTER cards & they will caover everything plus charge you the cheapest solution for the day (ie if you just use buses it could be a bus day pass, or tube & bus it may be a travel card, or if the single fares work out cheaper then that is all you will be charged.)

It's pretty good system.

Oyster card

Hi Pendulum. If it's a mainline station I'd guess you're coming into zone 1? I'd definitely say get an Oyster because most fares are much cheaper that way, but what you put on it depends on how you'll be using it. You can either use Pay as you Go and top it up, or get a bus pass or travelcard for specific zones. Travelcards cover buses, tubes and trains.

If you go to www.tfl.gov.uk and look at the Oyster section, you'll be able to see the fares in more detail.

HTH.

Buying a separate travel card or oyster on top of your monthly mainline ticket will probably work out more expensive than a travel card season ticket tbh, particularly if travelling in from outside the zones.

Which zone are you travelling from?

When does your season ticket to the mainline station expire? It's often cheapest to add a Travelcard to that, so instead of getting a monthly or whatever to London Terminals, get it to Zones whatever you need.

However if you are only sometimes using tubes/buses, ie not 5 days a week, then Oyster PAYG is likely to be your best bet (and yes, Oyster and Travelcards are valid on buses as well as Tubes and DLR and trains - and give you a 1/3 off boat services!)

Ooh thanks for replies. I'm coming in from way outside London so not in any zone. Yes, arriving in Zone 1 and travelling to Zone 1 for work.

I am aware of Oyster cards but only in a peripheral way - I last worked/ lived in London about 10 years ago! From the website it looks as though I could buy a monthly Travelcard on an Oyster that would give me access to both both bus and tube (as you suggest Empress).

Titchy I was planning on getting a travel card season ticket bundled with my mainline train ticket, but I'm not sure that includes bus services- there now seems to be something called "PlusBus" that you have to bolt on separately.

It's all very confusing

Travelcards cover the busses in london.

Great thanks. So it sounds that what I need to find out is whether it is cheaper to bundle a travelcard with my mainline ticket, or to buy a separate Oyster. Will brace myself to give the train company a call tomorrow. Thanks all

Agree travel card season will cover bus (and tram, tube and within-the-zones rail travel).

Pendulum if you get the travelcard bundled with your mainline ticket, that covers tubes, buses and DLR.

Plusbus is an add on for bus services outside London.

Prices should be on your rail company website - search southwest (or first great western or whoever) season ticket cost.

Oh and see if your company will give you a loan for an annual - they're usually the price of about 10 monthly tickets.