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Old 01-28-2008, 09:43 AM   #1
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Default London Transport - Oyster Card

Hi fellow punks,

I thought I would share with you this tidbit for all of you heading to or through London this year. The Oyster Card that you see the locals using for tickets is available to locals and backpackers alike.

For 3 GBP you can buy the card (it is refundable when you return it). I simply went to a window asked for a card, gave the man 13 GBP and a minute later I had my card with 10GBP for rides.

It changes a one-way transport in and out of Zone 1 from 4GBP to 1.5GBP. It also will only bill you for the cheapest ticket. In other words, let us say you use the tube four times in one day, that is 6GBP, but a day pass is only 5,45GBP, you will be charged 5,45.

It is a good option, makes a good souvenir, and doesn't require you to have an address in London anymore

Plus you get that feeling like you are among the Londoners. You aren't a tourist with a fanny pack trying to figure out how many pounds you need to get around...and you can't put a price on that sort of elitism

--Joey
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Old 01-28-2008, 09:59 AM   #2
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I'm doing London and I've read about the Oyster card and I guess the whole Tube thing confuses me. I guess maybe because I've been comparing it to the "el" in Chicago. If I want to get on the red line at Addison St. and ride it all the way to Sox park, it's the same price as taking it to the very next stop. Or if I want to transfer to the blue line and go to O'Hare... it's all the same price. Whatever. It's very easy. You could get off at the last stop, stay on the platform and get on the first one going back and never pay a dime. Essecinally you could ride it all day and only pay once, prividing you didn't get off. My roommate used to do this for fun.

When I read about the Tube it just seems so damn complicated. Does it work similar to the el? Are the transfers free?
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Old 01-28-2008, 10:46 AM   #3
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I love the tube, but I'd hate it if I had to buy separate tickets. Because when I'm not at uni, I live only 20 minutes from London, I get a "travel card" which gives me the train ride there and back, plus unlimited tube travel, and it works out so much cheaper.
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Old 01-28-2008, 10:53 AM   #4
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The subway in Washington DC charges you a precise amount based on where you get on and off if I remember right. And I think Paris does as well, or has pretty small zones.

I do like the NYC/chicago method where you just sort of get in and you're all set because I'm incompetent when it comes to trains and subways.

EDIT - I think I may have posted this here already, but if you haven't heard them these spoof tube announcements are pretty funny:
http://www.emmaclarke.com/fun/mind-t...-announcements
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Old 01-28-2008, 10:58 AM   #5
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I've got an Oyster card, and it's very handy for visiting London - the debit system is awesome because sometimes I'm there for a day, or other times the better part of a week, but I can just keep recharging the same card no matter how much time I'm spending there. I LOVE that after you hit £5.45, it becomes a full day pass, but that you're only charged for single (discounted) rides before that.

Paris has a new system called NaviGo which is very similar, but for now is only available to locals - they have to mail you the card at your French address, and it has to be linked to a French credit/debit account. Visitors still have to buy that stupid Paris Visite card, although you can get around it by getting a subsidized "Carte Orange," though that'll be phased out soon in favor of the NaviGo.
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Old 01-28-2008, 11:06 AM   #6
 
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Yeah I can't say enough about the Oyster card. I had one from studying abroad and had my mom get one just for our week trip last March. I'm a big fan of the buses, yes they make take twice and three times as long to get to your destination, but they are cheaper and a free "tour". I don't know how many times while living in London I would just hop on a bus, get on another, and see where I ended up. Was very interesting and fun!
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Old 01-28-2008, 12:28 PM   #7
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I still have mine too! Its taped into my scrapbook from our last trip to London just waiting to be used again...unless some Tpunk wants to buy it for £2.50? lets make a deal?
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Old 01-28-2008, 11:50 PM   #8
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I was a fan of the Oyster card, just remember to scan it when you get off the tube as well or else it stuffs up. I did that a couple of times. Very frustrating.
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Old 01-29-2008, 04:10 AM   #9
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LOVE the oyster card best invention ever... I also kept mine from my trip... ready and waiting for when I go back.
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Old 01-29-2008, 09:34 PM   #10
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I was hoping to keep mine, stupidly it was in my wallet when I got mugged in Spain.
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Old 03-03-2008, 07:00 AM   #11
 
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Oyster card is very useful,my oyster card pack is my actual wallet,its useful,also its something random for a band to sign if you are at a gig (Zico Chain signed mine)
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Old 03-07-2008, 09:03 AM   #12
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you're back!
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Old 03-08-2008, 01:35 AM   #13
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thats so cool, having a signed oyster card! I have my oyster card in a really prominent place in my wallet to remind me to save money for my trip back in July! Sydney was trialling a similar system (the T card) but I heard that they don't have the funding for it anymore so it's been put on the backburner. so sad.
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Old 03-13-2008, 04:27 AM   #14
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My wallet's so full of swipe cards now, that they're starting to not work. Too much interference, I guess? I have a London Oyster, a Paris Navigo, my office badge, and my lunch/canteen debit pass. Now I have to take each out to swipe them, kinda killing the convenience *sigh*
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Old 03-19-2008, 07:57 PM   #15
 
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who's back?

i found this while being bored -> http://www.firebox.com/product/946 <- don't know if anyone else has found this and put it somewhere on the site
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