What is a London pass or Oyster card?

[klfrodo]

37 minutes ago, cruisinqt said:

Thanks for the link. The prices aren’t too bad and more what I’m looking for. But I have a question. There seems to be several Premier Inns and everyone recommends a different one. There’s Premier Inn Westminster, the Premier Inn Waterloo, the Premier Inn Kings Cross, the Premier Inn St Pancras, etc. If it were  you and you were choosing a Premier Inn, which one would you choose to stay in?

Have you considered Vrbo? That's what we've decided to go with instead of a hotel. You can go to the site and see what properties are available in the area of London you are interested in. See where the nearest tube station is,etc.

Just a thought. I used to love my Marriott properties in the past but have found I enjoy trying Vrbo properties.

[phabric]

53 minutes ago, cruisinqt said:

Thanks for the link. The prices aren’t too bad and more what I’m looking for. But I have a question. There seems to be several Premier Inns and everyone recommends a different one. There’s Premier Inn Westminster, the Premier Inn Waterloo, the Premier Inn Kings Cross, the Premier Inn St Pancras, etc. If it were  you and you were choosing a Premier Inn, which one would you choose to stay in?

I have stayed at Premier Inn Waterloo 5x.  Premier Inn Waterloo and Premier Inn Westminster are the same hotel.  They show on their site Premier Inn Waterloo (Westminster Bridge).

 

There is also Premier Inn County Hall in the same area.  This hotel is across a small plaza from Premier Inn Waterloo.  Is a little more £ than Premier Inn Waterloo.

 

Premier Inn Waterloo entrance is street level.  Premier Inn County Hall has a couple of stairs to the entrance.

 

Both hotels have restaurant, bar and A/C.

 

Both are close to London Eye, Westminster bridge, Big Ben, Parliament, Westminster Abbey, HOHO, regular bus, 2 tube stations, Waterloo Train station, restaurants, pubs, grocery store, and stores.

[cruisinqt]

50 minutes ago, klfrodo said:

Have you considered Vrbo? That's what we've decided to go with instead of a hotel. You can go to the site and see what properties are available in the area of London you are interested in. See where the nearest tube station is,etc.

Just a thought. I used to love my Marriott properties in the past but have found I enjoy trying Vrbo properties.

I use VRBO all the time here in the USA and love them. I’m a little concerned about staying in someone’s home in another country though. Homes are usually in residential areas where you need a car to get around and we don’t plan on renting a car. London has so many different ways of getting around that’s really cheap so we plan on using them instead. 

[cruisinqt]

40 minutes ago, phabric said:

I have stayed at Premier Inn Waterloo 5x.  Premier Inn Waterloo and Premier Inn Westminster are the same hotel.  They show on their site Premier Inn Waterloo (Westminster Bridge).

 

There is also Premier Inn County Hall in the same area.  This hotel is across a small plaza from Premier Inn Waterloo.  Is a little more £ than Premier Inn Waterloo.

 

Premier Inn Waterloo entrance is street level.  Premier Inn County Hall has a couple of stairs to the entrance.

 

Both hotels have restaurant, bar and A/C.

 

Both are close to London Eye, Westminster bridge, Big Ben, Parliament, Westminster Abbey, HOHO, regular bus, 2 tube stations, Waterloo Train station, restaurants, pubs, grocery store, and stores.

That’s good to know. I had knee surgery a while back and steps may bother my knees after walking around London sightseeing. Thanks 

[let's go cruising]

I just ordered the Visitor Oyster cards. I think this will save hassle when we arrive at Heathrow.  

[Island2Dweller]

"I just ordered the Visitor Oyster cards. I think this will save hassle when we arrive at Heathrow.   "

Whats done is done, but for the benefits of others.  Really do not recommend this.  You're paying more to buy in advance for a product that has less flexibility than the oyster you buy on arrival.  There is zero hassle to buy on arrival.

For context, Oyster was revolutionary when introduced but is now "old tech".  The majority of fares in London are not paid by Oyster, more people use bank cards or phone pay.  There is no set up fee to use these (the £7 cost of oyster is non refundable), and they can be used on more routes than Oyster

[let's go cruising]

WEEKLY Travelcards were discontinued as of January 1, 2023. I had problems because I was trying to compare the Visitor Oyster Card with the Weekly Travelcard and couldn't seem to. I have since found that the Weekly are discontinued. I don't have to worry that I picked the wrong product.

[d9704011]

13 minutes ago, let's go cruising said:

don't have to worry that I picked the wrong product.

I agree with you.  Contactless is a great idea as long as it works.  Using an American or Canadian ccredit card is still a bit risky... not entirely certain that the chip will be read.  There are advantages/disadvantages to both means of payment.  I use the Oyster Card and am entirely satisfied with that method.

[let's go cruising]

28 minutes ago, Island2Dweller said:

more people use bank cards or phone pay.  There is no set up fee to use these (the £7 cost of oyster is non refundable), and they can be used on more routes than Oyster

I hear you, but bank card or phone pay doesn't work for our situation. We don't have credit cards or phones that we can use for this type of payment.

[pink845]

Lots of good information on this thread. Thanks to everyone who replied to the OP.  From what I have gathered so far, Quest 1. an Oyster card can be purchased at the Underground Tube Station in Terminal 4 at Heathrow.  Is that correct.  I will be arriving Terminal 2 so I will have to make my way there using somehow.  Appears to be a bus according to Google maps.  Hmm.  Quest 2. Has someone done this.   Quest. 3. Can we pay with cash for the Oyster cards.  We will be in town three days so we would want to load let's say for Zone 1 - to 6 at least 50 GBP on each card.  Can we pay cash and load the card.  Quest 4. How much is the fee to buy the actual card. 5 GPB; 10GPB. What is the fee.    Appears to be a CAP per day, once we meet it, then all remaining travel for 4:30 am to 4:30 am in free.  Is that correct.  And finally, can we get our money back if we put too much on the card. And where would be do that.  I remember with the Sydney Australia card we had for their transit, we had to mail in our card to get our money back.  What a hassle that was.  I will take a look at the videos that were posted as well.  

[d9704011]

Maybe have a look at this...

https://www.visitbritainshop.com/ca/en/london-visitor-oyster-card

 

[gumshoe958]

4 hours ago, pink845 said:

Lots of good information on this thread. Thanks to everyone who replied to the OP.  From what I have gathered so far, Quest 1. an Oyster card can be purchased at the Underground Tube Station in Terminal 4 at Heathrow.  Is that correct.  I will be arriving Terminal 2 so I will have to make my way there using somehow.  Appears to be a bus according to Google maps.  Hmm.  Quest 2. Has someone done this.   Quest. 3. Can we pay with cash for the Oyster cards.  We will be in town three days so we would want to load let's say for Zone 1 - to 6 at least 50 GBP on each card.  Can we pay cash and load the card.  Quest 4. How much is the fee to buy the actual card. 5 GPB; 10GPB. What is the fee.    Appears to be a CAP per day, once we meet it, then all remaining travel for 4:30 am to 4:30 am in free.  Is that correct.  And finally, can we get our money back if we put too much on the card. And where would be do that.  I remember with the Sydney Australia card we had for their transit, we had to mail in our card to get our money back.  What a hassle that was.  I will take a look at the videos that were posted as well.  

See my reply to your other thread but you can buy standard Oyster cards with cash at some tube station ticket machines. There is a £7 admin fee.

 

You are right about capping, the daily cap is £14.90 as long as you stay within London zones 1-6 and don’t use the Heathrow Express train (use the tube or the Elizabeth line train instead).

 

If you have unused credit left on the card at the end, if it’s under £10 you can get it back from a tube station ticket machine. Otherwise you have to call up or apply by mail.

 

But as I said on the other thread, contactless cards or Apple/Google Pay are MUCH easier and are the way to go if you have them.

 

Edited March 19, 2023 by gumshoe958

[Globaliser]

13 hours ago, pink845 said:

Quest 1. an Oyster card can be purchased at the Underground Tube Station in Terminal 4 at Heathrow.  Is that correct.  I will be arriving Terminal 2 so I will have to make my way there using somehow.  Appears to be a bus according to Google maps.  Hmm. ... Quest. 3. Can we pay with cash for the Oyster cards.  We will be in town three days so we would want to load let's say for Zone 1 - to 6 at least 50 GBP on each card.  Can we pay cash and load the card.  

 

You've been given good advice already about why you don't need an Oyster, but in case you decide to buy one anyway, you will be able to do so at the Tube station serving Terminals 2 and 3, which is a short walk from each of those terminals. You don't need to go to Terminal 4 to buy one. And although you can pay cash to load the Oyster, it's faster to do so using a credit or debit card.

[wowzz]

On 3/12/2023 at 4:21 PM, let's go cruising said:

I hear you, but bank card or phone pay doesn't work for our situation. We don't have credit cards or phones that we can use for this type of payment.

So, basically, don't use public transport in London. Everyone else manages perfectly well.

[pink845]

"So, basically, don't use public transport in London. Everyone else manages perfectly well."   Ha ha.  Funny One.   Oh, I will definitely be using public transportation in London. We always manage perfectly well no matter what country we find ourselves visiting.  A couple of Oyster cards with the Cap will work for us and we will load them up  up with our cash upon arrival.  It has been a few years since I have been to London and I am quite looking forward to revisiting.  

[wowzz]

15 hours ago, pink845 said:

"So, basically, don't use public transport in London. Everyone else manages perfectly well."   Ha ha.  Funny One.   Oh, I will definitely be using public transportation in London. We always manage perfectly well no matter what country we find ourselves visiting.  A couple of Oyster cards with the Cap will work for us and we will load them up  up with our cash upon arrival.  It has been a few years since I have been to London and I am quite looking forward to revisiting.  

It just seems so unbelievably complicated, when everyone else uses a credit card !

[Joanne G.]

"Unbelievably complicated" to tap a transit card rather than tap a credit card or phone?  Not for me.   What would be unbelievably complicated, to me, would be dropping my phone or losing my credit card in a large, jostling crowd on the tube, in the station, or on a bus. 

 

With what I spent on my London vacation, the £5 (last year's cost) was a drop in the bucket and well worth the convenience.   And, at least as of last August, it was not at all true that "everyone else" uses a credit card.  I saw many, many Oyster cards in use.  And as long as mine opened the turnstiles, I wouldn't care if I was the only person using one LOL.

 

This reminds me of the frequent discussion on these boards about whether to leave your passport in the cabin safe (protected from loss or theft) or carry it with you in port (important if you need ID for some reason or miss the ship).   There is no right answer.  We all do what we are most comfortable with.

 

I love London and will use my Oyster card during my pre-and-post cruise stays this year. I wish everyone else a great visit in London, however you choose to get around.  😀

[Globaliser]

1 hour ago, Joanne G. said:

"Unbelievably complicated" to tap a transit card rather than tap a credit card or phone?

 

I don't think anyone is saying that it's unbelievably complicated to tap an Oyster that you already have, compared to tapping a credit card. The unnecessary complication comes from insisting on buying an Oyster, and (in addition) to do so using cash, when the passenger does not already have an Oyster but could use a credit card that they already have.

 

A fear of losing a credit card because of using it to pay for public transport is verging on the irrational. (So too is an insistence on refusing to use the contactless payment facility.) In today's largely cashless UK, on an ordinary day I may use my credit card a dozen times or more between leaving home in the morning and getting back in the evening. It really is no big deal - but some of the reasons suggested here for treating one's credit card like the Crown Jewels suggest that some people think otherwise.

 

There are some valid reasons for using an Oyster as opposed to a credit card, but these will mostly apply to Londoners. There are some people who don't hold and can't get either credit or debit cards (so Oyster will probably always be with us in some form). And then there are those of us who prize Oyster for their speed at the readers - but you really have to be a Londoner to have perfected the skills needed to make the most of that speed.

[wowzz]

56 minutes ago, Globaliser said:

The unnecessary complication comes from insisting on buying an Oyster, and (in addition) to do so using cash, when the passenger does not already have an Oyster but could use a credit card that they already have.

Thank you. That was my point.

I have the feeling that however much you stress the advantage of credit cards over cash, your rational argument is never going to prevail.

 

[Meander Ingwa]

I have an Oyster card that I have been using for about 7 years.  I top up on every visit.  Even for a short visit pre/post it is pretty darn handy.  For a single visit you can get the deposit 5L fee returned at the airport.  Tapping in and out on the underground is easy and fast.  It also saves on any international use fees that your credit card company may have.

 

I keep my Oyster and a folded up tube map it its own little card sleeve.  My map always comes in hand and you dont have to rely of wifi for on line maps.

 

Oyster will get you in to London via the Underground ( Piccadilly line) or on the Elizabeth line, which is part of National rail.  I prefer Liz line since it is fast and spacious.  Riding the Pic in the morning can be an experience in itself.  Depending on where your hotel is, the Pic may be a better choice.  Elizabeth line has limited stops / interchanges.  You can buy a card at any of the underground stations in heathrow using your credit card.  By now I hope everyone has a chip and pin card.  It really only takes a minute or two and there are agent there to help you if there is any confusion.  If you are concerned about the balance on your card you can tap it on the purchase machine at any station and get your balance.

 

My favorite arrival day ritual is drop bags at hotel ( if room isnt ready) then a visit to St Pauls for evensong ( no matter your spiritual persuasion)  This gets you inside the space at no charge.  You can sit and listen to lovely music and admire the space under the dome. There are a lot of London museums which are free of charge.  You can visit the British/National Museums for an hour or two ever day rather than feeling like you have to make a full day of it.  There are many free places to visit in London .  Sit down and plan what it is you wish to do in your short time and consider how many of those places have admission fees.  London is huge and pretty impossible to absorb in a few days.  I think there is much pleasure in just wandering about.  My favorite is a walk along the south bank along Southwark over the bridge to St Pauls in the evening.   A walk around The City ( original core inside the roman walls) on a Sunday morning.  The streets of The City are pretty empty then.  That tip about the bus ride ( public transportation) is pretty handy.  You can use your Oyster on the busses and the river boats as well.  The river boats are more spendy than the tube, but you get to see things

 

 

[Globaliser]

7 minutes ago, Meander Ingwa said:

For a single visit you can get the deposit 5L fee returned at the airport.

 

Unfortunately, this is no longer the case. An Oyster costs £7, and this fee has become non-refundable for Oysters bought on or after 4 September 2022. But Oyster credit is valid indefinitely, so you can just keep the Oyster for your next visit.

[Meander Ingwa]

I didnt know they changed,  Thanks for the info.  I have used my card for so long that a refund to buy a cup of coffee or a pint of Cider ( my choice) is pretty moot

[ehogan]

Hopefully my Oyster card still has credit from 2010 (didnt want to turn it in since it has Will and Kates engagement photo on it😀).  Hubby needs a new one…would it be available for purchase at Terminal 5?

 

 We will try our CDN credit card but not sure it will be accepted.

 

Thanks to all for your valuable info.

[Meander Ingwa]

The cards are available at any underground station including T5.  You can check you balance on the old card and top it up. 

 

You can check with your credit card company, but most VISA / MC widely accepted.  If you have a chip or RFID in your credit card you should not have issues, but do check with your company.  I use Capitol One and now that they issue chip pins it is no worries.  Some company still want you to report that you are going to be traveling internationally, Capitol One does not require it any more.  Even my home bank no longer needs to know.  I use my ATM card to get cash, though I seldom use cash except at little Mom and Pop eateries and stores where bank fees eat profit margin.  

[gnome12]

3 hours ago, ehogan said:

Hopefully my Oyster card still has credit from 2010 (didnt want to turn it in since it has Will and Kates engagement photo on it😀).  Hubby needs a new one…would it be available for purchase at Terminal 5?

 

 We will try our CDN credit card but not sure it will be accepted.

 

Thanks to all for your valuable info.

Canadian cards have been chip and pin for years.