Contactless tube tickets - possible?

[DoinItForTheKids]

Hi

I've got a journey into London Euston at the start of October. I need to get the tube from there to Leicester Square. I have downloaded the TfL 'contactless' app but for the life of me, how in God's name do you actually buy a ticket?!?

I need a return ticket for this journey for this one day and was hoping, much as you might do with thetrainline.com, that I could buy a ticket (having set up a payment card on the app) and just obtain an e-ticket that I can use on my phone. Is this within the app and if so, where? Don't tell me I have to actually go to a ticket machine and faff about?

Also, if you pre-buy a ticket does the 'clock start running' on how long you've got to use it, from the moment you buy it? I was thinking that I might know that in a week or two I'm working in London for 4 weeks and it make sense to get a month's ticket and because I like to be organised, buy it in advance - if I bought it say 2 weeks in advance, would it start getting 'used' immediately, or when I had my first travel on it? I don't want to assume and obviously if the clock starts ticking straight away, it would only ever make sense to set up tickets immediately before travel...

Can anyone give me the lowdown as the last time I had to come through Russell Square tube station the train tickets I was given didn't work at any of the barriers - got no beef from the guys on the ticket barriers, they were quite happy to flash me through but at the same time, I'd just like to be able to swipe my phone at the sensor and whip through.

I've got to say, it seems almost impossible to book a seamless journey from the East Midlands through to London which includes working tube tickets for the inevitable onward journey beyond the mainline train station. You can plan your journey including tubes through NationalRail but as soon as you go to the step of booking tickets (or you to go to thetrainline.com), it doesn't want to know about the tube stations, only the train stations, so you can't complete a booking which covers all legs of the journey.

You can just use a contactless card and tap it at the barriers as if it was an Oyster card - would recommend that for just one journey.

You don't need an app or a physical ticket, just tap in and out using your contactless debit card.

Er, you just use your contactless card. No need for all the dramatics...

Another coming to say what’s wrong with your bank card?

Yes, any contactless Reddit or debit card is all you need.

And all you need to do is swipe in and out (even if the barrier is standing open) with the same card so it knows which fare to apply. If you don't, it'll charge you the daily cap (annoying, but not the end of the world). If you do more travelling than you expect, and it's all on the same card, the daily cap will kick in automatically when you reach it.

I think if you want a monthly one you can specify the date it starts on.

If using your contactless card, you have to register with TfL here.

Don’t buy a monthly travel card - it enables you to travel every day for a month, so covers (and costs) a lot more than you need.

As said above, just buy your train ticket to Euston like normal, use that to get out on to the concourse at Euston, and then use a contactless debit card (the same one at the beginning and end of each journey) to swipe in and out of any tube stations you need to go through.

Lunaballoon you don't need to register the debit card, unless you want to be able to see the journey, claim a receipt etc

Contactless is brilliant. Plus you get charged the cheapest rate for the day's travel. I think.

Plus it shows on your bank statement if you need to claim.

If you are travelling for just the one day the ticket for your train to Euston you just need to ask for one that includes the London travel card. One train ticket from where ever you start from to London then all over London on tube, bus, trains within zones 1-6, overground train, tram and then back on the train to home. It's the most basic ticket you can get when coming to London for the day.
If you are then coming regularly you can either use your contactless card or get an Oyster card. If you want a month travel card into Euston you can get that from the station you are starting at by speaking to an actual person - internet isn't always the best with this especially as thetrainline.com isn't actually a website for either Transport for London or Virgin or London Northwestern trains (the train companies that use Euston). Just go to your local station and speak to a human.

If you are going to be in London for a month, then it might be more cost effective to buy a monthly card when you arrive - load it on to any Oyster. You'll need to check the prices online just before you are due the longer time here.

I have an annual bus pass on my Oyster, to cover my usual commute, and PAYG for all other travel (because I'm in the habit of using/holding the Oyster and keeping all other cards firmly out of sight). If I didn't have a long season ticket, then it would be a particular bank card.

There is a way to make it work in smart phones (I've seen a friend do it), but I have no idea how it works, as I don't use my phone to pay for anything (I suspect it'll be something like ApplePay, that makes your phone behave like a contactless card for any reader)

Thanks kindly for all the informative replies. I'll just use the old contactless card then - do I have to top it up in advance or will it just deduct the appropriate amount as I pass through the barrier at point of use?

FWIW to those replying in dismissive and somewhat snide terms, I suffer from severe anxiety which is at its worst when I have to plan journeys. One of the ways I manage that is to plan very carefully all journeys. It may seem pathetic to you but that's how life is for me, I just get on with it; you might think a bit about how people have all sorts of stuff they have to manage which can drive an enquiry on a site like this, instead of assuming they are dumb or overly theatrical arseholes.

oP to answer your last question it is exactly the same as any other purchase - funds need to be available to pay it. So a debit card needs funds in the bank account, credit card needs available limit. I would also recommend using it as a chip and pin for a transaction before you travel as most cards only allow a certain number of contactless payments in a row and very occasionally (as a regular tube user) this has caused a problem

To confirm OP: we are not talking about an old Oyster card... you literally use your bank debit card. That’s all you need, as long as it has the contactless symbol.

Just use your contactless debit card. (Like the same one you would use to make a small purchase in Tesco, for example)

You need to make sure there is money in your bank account to use it, yes. No 'topping up'- it's just your usual bank card.

You don’t need to top it up (I don’t fully understand what you mean by that) it’s just like making a purchase in a shop, it’s just deducted from your bank account.

Yes, I definitely understand that you just use your contactless debit card and the payment comes from your bank . Thank you all.

Apologies if you thought I was one of the ones being rude when I said 'speak to a human'. I just meant it is often easier than the Internet because websites can be confusing especially if you use ones that aren't actually the train company (ie trainline). I find if I write down clearly what I need and then speak to a member of station staff. So for a one day trip you just need to say "I need a return to London coming back today that includes the Tube" you will get the right ticket.

No, not you bookmum... !

it seems almost impossible to book a seamless journey from the East Midlands through to London which includes working tube tickets for the inevitable onward journey beyond the mainline train station

Just as an FYI, here is an example of how you would buy a combined train and underground ticket. I checked and you can do this on the East Midlands Trains website as well - although no need to bother when you can just use your debit card.

That all said, depending on how much time you've got on arrival, you could walk down to Leicester Square and you might find that less stressful than the Tube. It's a half hour walk.

I only know about how the contactless bank card works on TfL because I have family in London and have been to visit and do a bit of sightseeing. If you live outside of London you may have zero idea of how this works. I would have presumed I needed an Oyster card or valid ticket if my family members hadn’t told me otherwise. Obviously there is Google etc but it’s not always overly clear. OP hope your journey goes smoothly.

Thanks Egg I'm sure it will - meeting with all the senior people in my new job [eek]!

Oooh I'm not walking 30 minutes in heels tribpot!! Perish the thought!! Hadn't thought of going at it via LNER as I was looking at my previous forms of booking which had been directly through Virgin or thetrainline but will definitely look at this as an option for this one - thanks for that.