Travelling in London and tourist attractions. Help required.

wilt

wilt

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Steven
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I live in N.Ireland.
It's been many years since I last visited London, I'm returning next month with my daughter for an 18th birthday weekend.

The last time there I purchased a weekend ticket and travelled away to my hearts content. But I'm not sure how things work nowadays with oyster cards/cashless kiosks etc.

I'm flying into London City Airport and staying Russell Square, then wanting to go to all the tourist places.

Can someone recommend to me the best way to travel and pay for it?
Would I need railcard? Does oyster cover rail and tube?
Do you pre load an oyster card?
Should I book attractions now?

My head's pickled, older and certainly not as confident as I was when I last visited.
 
Mr Perceptive said:
You can just use your debit card, works pretty much the same as Oyster - just tap it on the tube entry/exit gated
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This.

On attractions it depends what you like. I loved Highgate cemetery but then I love history.

The walkie talkie building is free to enter and great views. Tower bridge tour is good too.
 
If you are both fit, the being based in Russell Sq means a lot is accessible by foot. Tap in tap out is the same as an Oyster - once you've travelled a Daycards worth, you don’t get charged any more, Be careful to use the same card (or device). Often walking is faster than the tube for short journeys.

As for where to go, that’s too wide a question, and depends on weather. What interests you both?
 
Others have covered transport, the tube is generally easy to use and freequent. If travelling further out bear in mind that some lines fork (e.g. westbound Piccadilly trains can go to Heathrow or Uxbridge) so make sure you look at where they terminate, or in the case of the Northern line, which stations they go via. The DLR stations mostly don't have ticket barriers, you have to find the pad to tap in / out. - if you use it don't forget to do this. Generally no need for an Oyster card as you can use a credit / debit card instead. Exception would be if you are entitled to buy tickets with a discount or want a season ticket, but don't ask me how you go about this!

Not sure what attractions you mean so:

If you like art, the National Gallery, Tate and Wallace collection are all free.
If you like history, the British museum is free and enormous
If you like science, the science museum is free
If you like natural history, the natural history museum is free

Some of those it is worth booking a free ticket in advance as there can be queues when turning up on the day without one. Expect bag checks at the British museum (potentially a LONG queue) and National gallery, not sure about the others.
 
Don't forget to tap out or you will be charged more, no need to tap out on buses! You and your daughter will have to use different cards, they could both be yours though.

Contactless and mobile pay as you go

Use a contactless bank card or mobile device to pay as you go on all our transport services
tfl.gov.uk tfl.gov.uk
 
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wilt said:
I'm looking to do a show if possible.
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You’ll need to book asap for the popular ones as they usually sell out a long time in advance. Otherwise you can take a chance and go to the ticket booth in Leicester Square and see what tickets they’ve got available on the day.
 
National Portrait Gallery's always a must for me and the Photographers Gallery is a good sop foe coffee and browse the shop.
 
I thought the boat ride down the Thames was pretty cool, the guide gives you all the history on the bridges as you pass under, London Dungeon is a bit of fun too
 
Just use a debit/credit card on the underground, make sure you use the same card you use to tap in to tap back out, you won't get charged until the next day, sometimes TFL put a 10 pence charge on the card as a test transaction, the prices are rising in March, if you're travelling in zones 1 and 2, the daily cap is £8.50, so no matter how much you travel on the tube in 24 hours, you won't pay more than this

For attractions, I'd book directly with them, and please don't buy tickets off a ticket tout, they sell them way over price, and just don't think of using the Tuk-Tuks, there totally unregulated and they'll just rip you off.
 
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As said above use your debit card, make sure the person infront of you has cleared the gate and the gate has started to close before you put your card on the yellow reader and make sure the display shows "enter" or "exit" as appropriate. It's easy to walk through the gate behind the previous person and not realise your card hasn't been read.

It's a bit of a faff but I would suggest you set up a TFL account and register your debit card details. This will make it easier to clear up any discrepancies (I've travelled around London for years and have still fallen foul of the "tap in - tap out" thing once or twice) and you can also see your travel history and check you've not been charged over the daily cap.

Hope you have a great time, London is a fantastic place to visit, I'm still finding new things and I've lived here for 50 years!!

D
 
wilt said:
The museums all sound like a nice day out, I think we're going to go on the Thames boat as it looks interesting and fun.
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Staying in Russell Square you're a stones throw from the British Museum, which can keep you occupied for a full day without effort.

Within 20 mins or so walk you have Covent Garden and Theatre Land, shopping in Oxford and Regent Streets.

As others have said, what are your interests?
 
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I'm very easy pleased when it comes to places to go and see, especially if there's a photo opportunity.
Unfortunately my daughter isn't, so I've asked her but places like the Harry Potter experience is booked out until May and we sort of have only deceided to go to London this week.
We've booked the Sky Garden, looking at Madame Tussauds, Uber Boat on the Thames, visiting the tourist spots e.g Big Ben, Buckingham Palace etc.
Bit of shopping, some nice meals and hopefully a show all packed into 4 days.
 
Lot of good suggestions here, depends what your daughter likes too but one thing I always enjoy is a water taxi or boat trip along the Thames, gives you a different perspective and a chance to sit down. St Catherine's dock by Tower Bridge is worth a look
 
You must visit the London Planetarium, wonderful experience :)
 
Treat yourself to a picnic at the garden at 120 (www.thegardenat120.com). It's a roof top garden right in the city 10 mins stroll from the tourists at the tower.

Great views. Amazingly, it's free.
 
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