Does A London Oyster Card Make Sense?
November 25th, 2009 by Rajul ChandeThe Oyster smart card system has significantly changed the way London's "tube" operates.
An Oyster card lets you make use of the majority of the London transport system (even though some places choose to stay outside the scheme).
It gets you a huge discount on standard fares and helps avoid the hassle of queueing to buy tickets.
The system automatically saves you money by calculating the lowest fare at the end of each day based on your exact travel that day.
If you travel more than you expected to initially, it only charges you the lowest fare instead of pricey singles and returns.
So does this scheme have any pitfalls?
It can feel a bit daunting initially as you must purchase an Oyster card. This will cost a small deposit, which you ought to quickly recoup in the money you save.
You also need to "touch in and touch out" your Oyster card throughout your journey. But you should get used to this quickly by copying the many Londoners who use the system.
So unless your trip to London is a very brief trip, you're certainly advised to get onto the Oyster scheme. As far as I know, Oyster cards have no expiry date: you should be able to use them when you return to London.
If you do not expect to come back to London in the near future, you can usually get your deposit back (but please verify this with London Underground before you purchase).
There is a special "Visitor Oyster" card available from certain selling points which is meant to be specifically for tourists. But it does not appear to have any particular benefits currently.
If you really don't want an Oyster card, you should at least make sure that you buy the cheapest London travelcard for unlimited access to the tube and buses for the entire day. But you may need to wait until after 9.30am on weekdays to access the cheapest fares.
You could also grab a weekly travelcard for an even bigger discount in case you're in London for longer, but this does mean that you need some sort of photo.
Do recall that Oyster cards and travelcards may be used on the tube and buses, though they are not valid at all rail stations. It's important to confirm before travelling.
For further info about the Oyster and public transport system in London it is useful to visit the official Transport for London website.
Finally, please make sure you wait until after 9.30am on weekdays to avoid London's extremely high peak-time prices.
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