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London Pass or Oyster and pay as you go?



 
 
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  #1  
Old January 31st, 2009, 04:07 PM posted to rec.travel.europe
Blaaaaaaaa
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Posts: 2
Default London Pass or Oyster and pay as you go?

I am trying to weigh the value of the London pass with travel which is
currently selling for about $160 to $170 pp vs Oyster $74.00 pp for zones
1-6 and paying for the attractions in London. Coming in from LHR via United
for six nights. Any exp travellers out their want to give their opinion? my
daughter who is 13 wants to see the typical attractions. I want her to see
some she may not be aware of and I also want to check out where I use to
live; St John's Wood to Hampstead.

Science Museum
Royal Art Museum
Natural History Museum

London Eye
Tower of London
10 Downing St
WWII museum
London Dungeon
Houses of Parliment Big Ben and the London bridge


  #2  
Old January 31st, 2009, 04:52 PM posted to rec.travel.europe
James Silverton[_2_]
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Posts: 531
Default London Pass or Oyster and pay as you go?

Blaaaaaaaa wrote on Sat, 31 Jan 2009 15:07:44 GMT:

Science Museum
Royal Art Museum
Natural History Museum


The prices quoted here probably include a commission but the admission
to many places would soon add up. I assume GBP 1.00 = USD 1.4.

http://www.1st4londontheatre.co.uk/attractions/

--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

  #3  
Old January 31st, 2009, 04:53 PM posted to rec.travel.europe
[email protected]
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Posts: 253
Default London Pass or Oyster and pay as you go?

I got my 7-day Travelcard for zones 1-2 at the Underground ticket
office in T4 at LHR. I also had the clerk add a small cash supplement
to pay for the additional zones so I could take the Picadilly line
into London and back to airport (some people prefer other modes of
travel to go between LHR and London, like the Heathrow Express if you
want to go to Paddington Station, but the Underground is the
cheapest). There was no deposit cherged for this Oyster card, so I
also came away with a free souvenir.

I found that, except for LHR, I had no need to go beyond zones 1-2
when playing tourist in London. Psychologically, one thing I like
about the pass is the "freedom of the rails" where I can take short
hops on public transportation for "free".
  #4  
Old January 31st, 2009, 05:58 PM posted to rec.travel.europe
tim.....
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Posts: 1,591
Default London Pass or Oyster and pay as you go?


"Blaaaaaaaa" wrote in message
...
I am trying to weigh the value of the London pass with travel which is
currently selling for about $160 to $170 pp vs Oyster $74.00 pp for zones
1-6 and paying for the attractions in London.


The London pass is almost certainly going to cost more, unless you really
max out on the more expensive attractions.

I note that the LP can be purchased with or without travel and that a travel
days costs 7.00.

But if you only want to stay inside zones 1 and 2 the cost of an off peak
pass is only 5.60. It will cost more if you want to start your journey
before 9:30, but are you really going to want to do that?


Coming in from LHR via United for six nights. Any exp travellers out their
want to give their opinion? my daughter who is 13 wants to see the typical
attractions. I want her to see some she may not be aware of and I also
want to check out where I use to live; St John's Wood to Hampstead.

Science Museum


free

Royal Art Museum
Natural History Museum


free


London Eye
Tower of London
10 Downing St


free (not that you can see much)

WWII museum


Do you mean the Imperial War Museum - free

London Dungeon
Houses of Parliment Big Ben and the London bridge


free

HTH

tim




  #5  
Old January 31st, 2009, 10:38 PM posted to rec.travel.europe
Blaaaaah
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 11
Default London Pass or Oyster and pay as you go?

Well our flight arrives at LHR at 5 AM if on time which is a big "if" coming
out of Chicago in March. I considered the express but at 15 a pop I would
rather take the tube and go to St Johns Wood but my daughter has never exp
rush hour in a major city. We could alway mill about Heathrow for a while.
Our hotel is in between Pimlico and Sloane Square zone 1 and St Johns is
Zone 2 unless we got off at Baker Street and walked to St John's Wood.

I don't remember the London Dungeon being free. ? Tower of London 16.50 +
9.50 She now wants to look at Kensington palace 12.30 + 6.15 London Dung
13.05 + 9.23 London Eye 20.93 x 2 totals 108.59 for admissions alone = $
158.514 So that is 1 London pass and travel card.
6 days at 7.00 = 42 x 2 = 84 = $122.618 give or take and that is another
one.


"tim....." wrote in message
...

"Blaaaaaaaa" wrote in message
...
I am trying to weigh the value of the London pass with travel which is
currently selling for about $160 to $170 pp vs Oyster $74.00 pp for
zones 1-6 and paying for the attractions in London.


The London pass is almost certainly going to cost more, unless you really
max out on the more expensive attractions.

I note that the LP can be purchased with or without travel and that a
travel days costs 7.00.

But if you only want to stay inside zones 1 and 2 the cost of an off peak
pass is only 5.60. It will cost more if you want to start your journey
before 9:30, but are you really going to want to do that?


Coming in from LHR via United for six nights. Any exp travellers out
their want to give their opinion? my daughter who is 13 wants to see the
typical attractions. I want her to see some she may not be aware of and I
also want to check out where I use to live; St John's Wood to Hampstead.

Science Museum


free

Royal Art Museum
Natural History Museum


free


London Eye
Tower of London
10 Downing St


free (not that you can see much)

WWII museum


Do you mean the Imperial War Museum - free

London Dungeon
Houses of Parliment Big Ben and the London bridge


free

HTH

tim





  #6  
Old January 31st, 2009, 11:37 PM posted to rec.travel.europe
Jim Ley
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Posts: 862
Default London Pass or Oyster and pay as you go?

On Sat, 31 Jan 2009 15:38:13 -0600, "Blaaaaah"
wrote:

I don't remember the London Dungeon being free. ? Tower of London 16.50 +
9.50 She now wants to look at Kensington palace 12.30 + 6.15 London Dung
13.05 + 9.23 London Eye 20.93 x 2 totals 108.59 for admissions alone = $
158.514 So that is 1 London pass and travel card.
6 days at 7.00 = 42 x 2 = 84 = $122.618 give or take and that is another
one.


a 1 week, zone 1 and 2 travel card is 25.80 not 42 pounds, and lets
you travel before 9:30. Also if you're just using Oyster for your
journeys, then you are paying a maximum of 6.70 a day if you leave
before 9:30 every day, and make enough journeys, otherwise it's going
to be less than that. so the 42 is definately not a reasonable limit.

(you originally said 74 USD for the all zones travel card for a week -
it's only 47.60 GBP if you buy it at LHR when you arrive, which is
less than that.

Jim.
  #7  
Old February 3rd, 2009, 08:32 PM posted to rec.travel.europe
Blaaaaah
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 11
Default London Pass or Oyster and pay as you go?

47.60 GBP = 68.5775 USD
United Kingdom Pounds United States Dollars
1 GBP = 1.44070 USD 1 USD = 0.694106 GBP




"Jim Ley" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 31 Jan 2009 15:38:13 -0600, "Blaaaaah"
wrote:

I don't remember the London Dungeon being free. ? Tower of London 16.50 +
9.50 She now wants to look at Kensington palace 12.30 + 6.15 London Dung
13.05 + 9.23 London Eye 20.93 x 2 totals 108.59 for admissions alone = $
158.514 So that is 1 London pass and travel card.
6 days at 7.00 = 42 x 2 = 84 = $122.618 give or take and that is another
one.


a 1 week, zone 1 and 2 travel card is 25.80 not 42 pounds, and lets
you travel before 9:30. Also if you're just using Oyster for your
journeys, then you are paying a maximum of 6.70 a day if you leave
before 9:30 every day, and make enough journeys, otherwise it's going
to be less than that. so the 42 is definately not a reasonable limit.

(you originally said 74 USD for the all zones travel card for a week -
it's only 47.60 GBP if you buy it at LHR when you arrive, which is
less than that.

Jim.


  #8  
Old February 3rd, 2009, 09:35 PM posted to rec.travel.europe
tim.....
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,591
Default London Pass or Oyster and pay as you go?


"Blaaaaah" wrote in message
...
Well our flight arrives at LHR at 5 AM if on time which is a big "if"
coming out of Chicago in March. I considered the express but at 15 a pop I
would rather take the tube and go to St Johns Wood but my daughter has
never exp rush hour in a major city. We could alway mill about Heathrow
for a while. Our hotel is in between Pimlico and Sloane Square zone 1 and
St Johns is Zone 2 unless we got off at Baker Street and walked to St
John's Wood.

I don't remember the London Dungeon being free. ?


I didn't say that it was!

Tower of London 16.50 + 9.50 She now wants to look at Kensington palace
12.30 + 6.15 London Dung 13.05 + 9.23 London Eye 20.93 x 2 totals 108.59
for admissions alone = $ 158.514 So that is 1 London pass and travel card.


One of us is misunderstanding. The London pass is a personal pass. You
have to buy a separate pass for a child! (unless there's something different
in this US version).

Yep, you'll make a saving if you manage to rush around these things in one
day. If you take 4 days doing them, you won't.

tim



  #9  
Old February 6th, 2009, 09:07 AM posted to rec.travel.europe
Wiener Sänger
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Posts: 88
Default London Pass or Oyster and pay as you go?

On Jan 31, 8:07*pm, "Blaaaaaaaa" wrote:

Science Museum
Royal Art Museum
Natural History Museum

London Eye
Tower of London
10 Downing St
WWII museum
London Dungeon
Houses of Parliment Big Ben and the London bridge


What I recommend is Oyster cards + http://www.daysoutguide.co.uk (but
1 get 1 Free offers)

This involves getting a train ticket into London from St. John's Wood
(or Hampstead, you said?), and taking a printout of the coupon for
each of the attractions that you want to see.

The Tower of London, Madame Tussauds and many others are included. I
managed to make full use of my London Pass way back in 2001, but this
was quite a strain, and I ruled out some attractions that I wanted to
see, but are NOT on the London Pass.

During my subsequent two visits, I did use daily travelcards, and
found it far more enjoyable, pacing myself at attractions I really
wanted to see, and even finding time to go out to the Lake District,
Cambridge, Oxford, Stratford, Dover and further afield to Scotland and
Wales. If you have a London Pass, you will be loath to waste it, and
your entire holiday will be dominated by trying to max it out. Note
that some of the attractions you have listed are FREE anyway, and you
may not see them if you try to gain maximum advantage out your London
Pass(es).

Relax and Enjoy Merrie Olde England ..
  #10  
Old March 9th, 2009, 05:53 AM posted to rec.travel.europe
Michael Brennan
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Posts: 1
Default London Pass or Oyster and pay as you go?

In article ,
Wiener Sänger wrote:
On Jan 31, 8:07*pm, "Blaaaaaaaa" wrote:

Science Museum
Royal Art Museum
Natural History Museum

London Eye
Tower of London
10 Downing St
WWII museum
London Dungeon
Houses of Parliment Big Ben and the London bridge


What I recommend is Oyster cards + http://www.daysoutguide.co.uk (but
1 get 1 Free offers)

This involves getting a train ticket into London from St. John's Wood
(or Hampstead, you said?), and taking a printout of the coupon for
each of the attractions that you want to see.

The Tower of London, Madame Tussauds and many others are included. I
managed to make full use of my London Pass way back in 2001, but this
was quite a strain, and I ruled out some attractions that I wanted to
see, but are NOT on the London Pass.

During my subsequent two visits, I did use daily travelcards, and
found it far more enjoyable, pacing myself at attractions I really
wanted to see, and even finding time to go out to the Lake District,
Cambridge, Oxford, Stratford, Dover and further afield to Scotland and
Wales. If you have a London Pass, you will be loath to waste it, and
your entire holiday will be dominated by trying to max it out. Note
that some of the attractions you have listed are FREE anyway, and you
may not see them if you try to gain maximum advantage out your London
Pass(es).

Relax and Enjoy Merrie Olde England ..



Myself and two daughters (12 and 8) had a 2 day London Pass that was on special
from BA last summer. We bought TravelCards and were staying in Kingston.
We did see London Zoo, Kensington Palace, Tower of London, Regents Canal,
Hampton Court, Royal Collection, Royal Mews, Tower to Waterloo boat ride,
Changing of Guard.

I did have an Oyster Card. London Transport gets really fussy, and insisted
my daughter over 10 had an Oyster Card, which is free if under 16 but need to
apply to Post Office (or fill an application available at the PO). Had to pay
cash for the 12 year old travel card.

Definitely would spend more time at Tower of London, pass on London
zoo. Definitely see the Dungeon. Kensington Palace, Royal Collection, Royal
Mews, were all okay but not worth the effort IMHO, and not of great interest
to my two girls.

The Thames boat ride at sunset was really fun. Not sure about the Eye, seems a
bit overrated and was not included on the London Pass we had. Hampton Court
was very interesting, needed more time though. Next time will see Windsor
Castle and Eton.

It was all a bit manic, but my kids seemed to have a good time. We also took
the double decker from Kingston to LHR, which for 16miles took 1hr. My
kids really enjoyed sitting upstairs at the front of the bus. Really enjoyed
Terminal 5, it is really eye-popping. Getting from the central bus depot to
Terminal 5 was quite an adventure too. Remember take the free underground,
which is not well promoted.

This was early August 2008, exchange rate was horrific, crowds around Buckingham
Palace were impossible. Regents Canal boat ride was okay, real slowww.

You need to plan your itinerary. We did most of riding around London on the bus,
as the best way to see London. Even found an old Routemaster at Paddington with
a conductor.

If your plane arrives at 5am, it will be 6:30am by time get through customs,
and out to the bus area. If Terminal 5, take the underground. Will get you
into London around 7:30am. If you get caught up in the middle of the rush
hour, might not be a lot of fun with your bags. Go to your hotel, and leave
your bags and find a cafe can hang out in for a while. Depending on how hardy
a traveller you are, going to feel pretty wasted. My daughters were pretty
fired up, when we arrived in London at 3pm after a 10 hour flight, having
left US, 5pm the day before. Just walking around taking in the sights and
smells is fun for me.

--good luck mikeb
 




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