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Heading to London next week, just a day trip but tend to play on the underground getting to a to b, normally get an off peak travel pass, normal train ticket style cost is £12.60, looking online the oyster travel is capped at £6.60? Is this right? If I get the card from a shop when I arrive is there a charge for the card or is it really £6.60 for the day travel?
I believe there are 2 types of oyster card. Prepay like a pay as you go SIM card, and season ticket types.
You can now use a contactless card like a password as you go oyster card which has a cap, not sure how much but it's what I always use when I go to London for work or visiting family.
Afaik the daily cap will depend on the zones you travel through but should usually still be less than a travel card . You do pay for an oyster to start off with but you can use contactless bank cards, the [url= https://oyster.tfl.gov.uk/oyster/entry.do# ]Tfl[/url] web site is pretty good for all this.
You can use a bog standard contactless credit card as a pay as you go on Underground and buses. Has the same daily cap arrangements as an Oyster.
You need to pay a deposit for an Oyster card and load it up with sufficient funds. With a credit card you just use it as you need it with no deposit or prepayment/loading required. No need to register the credit card either.
NB don't forget to tap out at destination station even if the gates are open or you'll be charged the top fare for the route.
I don't have a contactless card. Use my iPhone? If linked to my bank account?
They seem to take Apple Pay: https://tfl.gov.uk/fares-and-payments/contactless/other-methods-of-contactless-payment/apple-pay?cid=applepay
Could be what you're after. Don't use it myself so can't advise.
Apple Pay works, no reason to use an Oyster these days really. It is capped, but as above, depends on zone. Going from East Croydon to Watford is not the same daily cap as pottering around Zone 1.
If you're getting the train into London from outside the Oyster zone then wouldn't a zone 1-6 rail travelcard be cheaper than rail fare + oyster ? (certainly was when I looked into it). If you're getting into London via other means then different story.
Booked the train ticket ages ago, paid £20 return from Solihull, cheapest tickets, the underground pass was the same at £12.60 on top back in November as it is now.
Not always, it'll depend on what sort of deal you can get on the into London bit. Advance tickets can work out cheaper, but won't include tube travel.
Edit: 8 seconds too slow.
Ah OK, I travel in daily at peak time. Travelcard beats rail only + oyster for that time of day.
I always buy a travelcard now as its 1 gbp more than a return, kingston to waterloo. Helps my tax records if claiming expenses as i can keep old travelcard. I stopped using my oyster ages ago.
do the travelcard surcharge bits really vary that much?
£16.40 for Ebbsfleet-St.Pancreas, or £20.40 for the same with Zone1-6.
How many Oyster journeys can you get for 4 quid?
We got a direct train in on Chiltern Trains so have always needed to pay for additional underground usage around zones 1-2, talking to the other half she has 2 contactless bank cards so will use them, saved £12 not much but every penny and all that!
£16.40 for Ebbsfleet-St.Pancreas, or £20.40 for the same with Zone1-6.
As I said, if you have Advanced fares it's a more marked difference. Rugby - London (aritrary choice) can be had for £6 each way on Advance fares. A day return with travel card is £32.50.
It'll vary by route. A day ticket for me is £41.30, a travel card is £49.00, a zone 1 Oyster single is £2.40, so unless you're doing 4 or more journeys, or going far outside zone 1 it doesn't stack up.