Yet Another stupid question - this time re: the Oyster Card

JohnBoyUK

With my house move coming up, I'm going to be commuting from Welling rather than Barnehurst, so will be moving from Zone 1-4 rather than 1-6. With the re-opening of the East London line come next month, I can commute to Whitechapel & Mile End/Stepney Green for work without the need for Zone 1, so can get rid of it and get a Zone 2-4 travel card in theory, saving me a lot of cash.

I've been told the best way to get around Zone 1 when needed afterwards is with an Oyster Card.

So...this is where I get confused...

Say I go out for a beer in the City or West End on a Friday night so need Zone 1, so need to use the Oyster Card. Got no problem with that.
But what happens on the way home? If I have to swipe in at London Bridge on the way home...am I right in saying I will be charged the full possible fair if I dont swipe out again at the end of my route? So presumably, my only option is to swipe in at London Bridge, swipe out at Welling. So wouldnt I be charged the Zone 1 to 4 route on the Oyster, rather than just Zone 1 and then reply on my travelcard for 2 to 4?

Dont think I've explained that very well but does it make sense? Whats the best thing to do?

Riscardo

Get a Zone 2-4 travelcard, and a top up on the same card for when you go out of these zones. Just keep £5 on it.

cafcfan

My experience is that after I've been out for "a beer" I never remember to swipe my oyster card at the end of my journey and get hit for the full fare!

aliwibble

If your travelcard is on your Oystercard, then it just charges you for the bits that are outside your travelcard area. So you'd just get charged for the zone 1 leg of the journey.

JohnBoyUK

Aha, of course, I put my travelcard on the Oyster too. Ok panic over chaps, ta muchly :-)

ValleyGary

Just bunk it.

JohnBoyUK

[quote][cite]Posted By: ValleyGary[/cite]Just bunk it.[/quote]

lol well there's always that option. I'm doing the commute by bike next week so if I take to it, I may give up public transport alltogether.

ValleyGary

From Welling?!....thighs like Chris Hoy by June.

JohnBoyUK

Its easy, its only 14 and a bit miles door to door through the Greenwich Foot Tunnel. Can do it in just a fraction over an hour, whereby train/tube takes 1hr 15-20mins.
Have thighs like Chris Hoy now. Unfortunately, I have the upper body of Big Daddy to go with them.

DaveMehmet

[cite]Posted By: JohnBoyUK[/cite]With my house move coming up, I'm going to be commuting from Welling rather than Barnehurst, so will be moving from Zone 1-4 rather than 1-6. With the re-opening of the East London line come next month, I can commute to Whitechapel & Mile End/Stepney Green for work without the need for Zone 1, so can get rid of it and get a Zone 2-4 travel card in theory, saving me a lot of cash.

I've been told the best way to get around Zone 1 when needed afterwards is with an Oyster Card.

So...this is where I get confused...

Say I go out for a beer in the City or West End on a Friday night so need Zone 1, so need to use the Oyster Card. Got no problem with that.
But what happens on the way home? If I have to swipe in at London Bridge on the way home...am I right in saying I will be charged the full possible fair if I dont swipe out again at the end of my route? So presumably, my only option is to swipe in at London Bridge, swipe out at Welling. So wouldnt I be charged the Zone 1 to 4 route on the Oyster, rather than just Zone 1 and then reply on my travelcard for 2 to 4?

Dont think I've explained that very well but does it make sense? Whats the best thing to do?

Kanu?

JohnBoyUK

Ok, how do I get my travelcard onto a oyster card?
Do I go back to the railway station that issued the travelcard in the first place?

razil

you can buy a travelcard on your oyster I think

McLovin

The gates at London Bridge are always open after 9. It's the train companies way of saying sorry.

JohnBoyUK

Sorry, to explain, I've still got 6 months of my existing 1-6 travelcard which I want reduced to a 2-4 and put on my oyster... so not looking to buy a new travelcard until the old one runs out...

razil

just use oyster pay as you go when not doing those journeys although they may be willing to do what you want anyway, you just need to ask at a ticket office - tube probably best bet assuming your journey uses tube

Riscardo

Or cash in the annual travelcard ... and buy a monthly oyster until you get the money back and put that towards an annual oyster