Blushingsnail wrote:Gaz: the London Reconnections site explains about the 'Oyster Extension Permits' (which only applies to travelcard holders, not PAYG):
Thanks for the link, Blushingsnail. Unfortunately, it simply highlights the complexities and inconsistencies of the OEP!
I think I'll merely continue to get a boundary paper-ticket with my Gold Card discount for journies ending at a NR station outside London (although apparently Off-Peak Day Returns are being scrapped from 2 Jan?).
I'll probably also just get a separate PAYG card for occasional journies outside zone 3, such as getting to East Croydon!
As for loading an OEP onto your Travelcard and it not having a time limit: each time you touch-in and have an OEP loaded on, your card is deducted the maximum tfl fare and this is refunded when you touch-out if still within your zone. However, if you fail to validly touch out for whatever reason then they assume you have used your OEP and the fare, or maximum daily fare, is charged.
nasaroc wrote:"Daily Price Capping
Daily Price Capping with Oyster pay as you go, ensures that passengers who make multiple journeys on public transport in a day in London will never be charged more than the price of the equivalent Day Travelcard or One Day Bus Pass."
I hope that answers my question: on a number of days when I would ultimately want to use a Day Travelcard, my first journey would be likely to be on a bus, where I wouldn't be able to buy one. So if I clock up one or more bus journeys, then enough rail/tube journeys to give me a Day Travelcard cap I won't have to pay more than the DT price? My head's hurting already ...
Yes you will be able to renew Travelcards at the station. Here is clarification from TfL:
"Passengers will be able to renew Oyster Travelcards at selected National Rail stations. At Sydenham (and the other stations recently taken over by London Overground - New Cross Gate to West Croydon), passengers will be able to purchase weekly or monthly Travelcards on Oyster".
Obviously, Travelcards and Oyster PAYG can also be ordered on-line and from selected local shops (there are seven shops offering Oyster within a short distance of Sydenham station).
Hurraah for finally being able to activate my monthly Oyster Card at Sydenham station on the 2nd Jan! Has really got on my nerves that I currently have to do this at Charing Cross tube station on my journey into work.
Next step, repair the leaking sieve of a roof on Platform 2 and actually provide one for Platform 1! (lives in hope)
Just looking at the detail of this and trying to work out how not to get ripped for too much extra.
According to the Southern website "The introduction of Oyster pay as you go also means that Rail Off-Peak Day Return tickets (‘Cheap day Returns’) will be withdrawn on 2nd January 2010.”
Is that the same as an Anytime Day Return? Or do they still sell them?
If they still sell them it looks cheaper to get an Anytime Day Return with a Gold card/Network Railcard than pay for two Oyster singles. This is especially true at peak times.
If you want to travel on tubes as well as trains then it also still looks cheaper to get a one day travel card with the 1/3rd off than the capped Oyster PAYG fare.
So, using Oyster will be more expensive if you have a Gold card or Railcard.
A word of warning for those hoping to add/buy a travel card (weekly, monthly etc.) to their Oystercard at Sydenham station. I tried today and this feature will not be available until 'late January' according to ticket office staff (via ticket machines or ticket office). I think this also applies to any sort of top-up.
I've just bought a monthly travel card online to start on Monday and asked to get it activated at Sydenham station - I'll try this tomorrow. No way will I rely on everything working Monday morning!!!
digime2007 wrote:Is that the same as an Anytime Day Return? Or do they still sell them?
No, the Anytime, as its name suggests, allows you to travel during the morning peak as well.
If they still sell them it looks cheaper to get an Anytime Day Return with a Gold card/Network Railcard than pay for two Oyster singles. This is especially true at peak times.
You can't do that. The Gold Card discount doesn't kick in until 10 am, and there's a minimum weekday spend of £13 on tickets purchased with a Network Card, the swine!
If you want to travel on tubes as well as trains then it also still looks cheaper to get a one day travel card with the 1/3rd off than the capped Oyster PAYG fare.
I did a little bit of checking last night. It seems that, if you're travelling either with or against the flow between 1600 and 1900 on weekdays you may get clobbered for a more expensive ticket, so you may need to bear that in mind when deciding whether to get singles or a day Travelcard.
Yep, Oyster has an addition peak evening period between the times you mentioned.
Apart from my weekday season ticket I only really travel at weekends or very occasionally in the week (after 10), and my wife uses her Railcard at weekends.
With these caveats Oyster is more expensive for us.
Seems a shame that we've waited so long for the convenience of Oyster and we'll end up continuing to buy paper tickets.
alywin wrote:I did a little bit of checking last night. It seems that, if you're travelling either with or against the flow between 1600 and 1900 on weekdays you may get clobbered for a more expensive ticket, so you may need to bear that in mind when deciding whether to get singles or a day Travelcard.
Yes. So much for this rubbish about Oyster making things cheaper for us. From Zone 4 it's a nice cheap £2.30 to Charing Cross for much of the day, but between 1600 and 1900 it goes up to £3.10, I think it was. That means where I could previously get a day return to London for my evenings at the theatre for about £4.70 it's now going to cost me £5.40 - and what would I do about a Goldcard/Network Card discount if I had either? I can't get it on a non-existent ticket, can I? Going up and back during rush-hour times costs £6.20, so I might as well pay another 10 p and get a day Travelcard
Has really got on my nerves that I currently have to do this at Charing Cross tube station on my journey into work.
