Clueless Please Help

[ilovemarkb]

Going to london for 2 days. Will be staying at russel square......shopping in oxford street......going to see a couple of musicals. Found a fab website that tells me how to get from A to B (bus or tube). Im just clueless abouts fayres and how to purchase tickets etc we will arrive on wed lunchtime and leave on thursday night???????? Thanks in anticipation x

[mushroom25]

just use your contactless debit or credit cards, the cost is the same as if you were using "oyster" cards, and there's a daily "cap" so you won't bust your contactless limit.

see here
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/fares-and-payments/contactless

[atalanta]

If you go to London by train, you can add ( quite cheaply) within-London travel to your mainline ticket. That covers bus and tube.

[New Judge]

And remember that you CANNOT pay by cash on a London bus. You must have a ticket (or a contactless debit card) before boarding.

[Ellipsis]

If you're staying in Russell Square then Oxford Street is within easy walking distance. You may need a tube or bus to get to the musicals depending on where they are and how fit you are, but there's a good chance you could walk to those too.

[mushroom25]

you cannot buy a bus ticket NJ - it's oyster or contactless only.

[237SJ]

ticket = one day travel card

[Buenchico]

The simplest thing, Ilovemarkb, is to do what the majority of Londoner's do and use an Oyster card. (It still seems to be far more commonly used than the newer contactless technology).

You can buy it online (and then pick it up at a station) but it's probably simplest (since you won't need to create an account) just to buy one from the Underground ticket office of your arrival station in London. You pay £5 (refundable) deposit for the card plus whatever amount of credit that you want to put on it.

As long as you won't be travelling outside Zone 4 (which, based upon your various posts here, seems to be very unlikely), or travelling before 0930 on a weekday, the maximum cost of your travel is capped at £8 per day. So (for 2 days travel, plus the cost of the card) you'll need to pay £21; that will cover you for unlimited bus or tube journeys in Zones 1 to 4.

You simply touch your card on a reader by the entrance and exit gates on the Tube. On a bus you touch your card on the reader by the door when you get on only.

At the end of your stay you can either keep the card for future use or get a refund of the cost of the card and any unexpired credit. (You can do that at any ticket office or, where the available credit is less than £10, at ticket machines).

[mushroom25]

chris, i was at king's cross yesterday re-validating my staff oyster card, something that can still only be done manually.

of those prospective passengers who were seeking to do as you suggested, buy an oyster card for transient use were asked if they had a contactless card for each traveller, and if the answer was "yes", they were advised instead to purchase their travel via contactless card. the one couple who were sold an oyster card had only one contactless card between them, which won't do for more than one, i'm told.

[ilovemarkb]

thanks guys for your very helpful answers cant wait!!! this is a suprise for my sisters 50 th !!!