Our Greater London Megathread

Vic_08

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

If I want to purchase a regular oyster card can I use my Irish address or can I just make one up in London. Frequent traveler in London and fed up of queuing for tickets.

No personal details are required at all, you only need to give details to register online but the card can be used just as well without doing so.

Just go to any tube station and pay deposit, now that ticket offices are closed the machines vend them.

Jamie2k9

Thanks all!

Shint0

Does anybody have any recent experience of using the Gatwick Express and Southern Rail from Gatwick? Some posters here mentioned over a week ago ongoing disruptions. Just wondering if it's still the same. I see there is a planned strike for 7th and 8th but those dates won't affect me. They are preferable for me over Thameslink as I will be tight on time so Victoria station suits better than London Bridge.

Marcusm

There are strike issues but there is also the issue of widespread cancellations and service curtailment across the Southern network. London Bridge station has now substantially reopened for Thameslink services so that might aid your time issues. Is Victoria particularly closer to your destination? Given the potential for disruption even outside of strike days, it might be best to have flexible plans and all network tickets.

LXFlyer

There is an emergency timetable in operation on Southern due to staff shortages and a work to rule.

Look at their website for full details.

www.southernrailway.com

Vic_08

Shint0 wrote: »

Does anybody have any recent experience of using the Gatwick Express and Southern Rail from Gatwick? Some posters here mentioned over a week ago ongoing disruptions. Just wondering if it's still the same. I see there is a planned strike for 7th and 8th but those dates won't affect me. They are preferable for me over Thameslink as I will be tight on time so Victoria station suits better than London Bridge.

The disruptions are ongoing and unlikely to end in the near future.

There still are frequent trains between Gatwick and Victoria, just not as frequent as normal so may also be more crowded.

Best advice is to download the national rail app and check the live running as soon as you land.

For example, in the next hour from Gatwick to Victoria there are:


13.30 Gat Ex
13.37 Southern Fast
13.45 Gat Ex
13.53 Southern Fast
13.56 Southern Fast
14.00 Gat Ex
14.07 Southern Fast
14.15 Gat Ex
14.26 Southern Fast

Which is more or less the typical weekday pattern, there are some missing services at times, for example there can be the odd Gat Ex missing so a 30 min gap rather than 15 as normal.

Marcusm

Marcusm wrote: »

There are strike issues but there is also the issue of widespread cancellations and service curtailment across the Southern network. London Bridge station has now substantially reopened for Thameslink services so that might aid your time issues. Is Victoria particularly closer to your destination? Given the potential for disruption even outside of strike days, it might be best to have flexible plans and all network tickets.

Agreed, best bet is to see what is available when you get to Gatwick.

Worth noting that London Bridge to Westminster (if you are heading to that area) is 4 minutes on the tube, so it really isn't much less convenient than Victoria.

shrapnel222

Deleted User wrote: »

Agreed, best bet is to see what is available when you get to Gatwick.

Worth noting that London Bridge to Westminster (if you are heading to that area) is 4 minutes on the tube, so it really isn't much less convenient than Victoria.

no way does it take 4 minutes to do those 3 stops. i'd say at least 6 minimum on a very good day, and then the change at westminster is easily 5 minutes to get from the jubilee platform to the district line platform

Shint0

Thanks to everybody who replied. It seems now the strike on the 7th has been called off just announced in the last hour.

I'm heading over tomorrow night. It won't affect me too much this weekend but I'll be back over in the next two weeks and that's the journey I need to plan for. I relied on the Gatwick Expeess 15 minute frequency up to now to just get straight into Victoria because it's so central and a major hub. Vic_08 times seem to suggest there still are trains at fifteen minute intervals but with some at thirty minute intervals.

I've checked the Thameslink website which seems to suggest a lot of their trains are now running every fifteen minutes compared to every half hour previously. I wouldn't have known about the changes to the Express except for this thread so thanks all.

LXFlyer

I wouldn't be using Gatwick Express in the first instance given the excessive cost when the Southern and Thameslink services are significantly cheaper and almost as fast.

Vic_08

lxflyer wrote: »

I wouldn't be using Gatwick Express in the first instance given the excessive cost when the Southern and Thameslink services are significantly cheaper and almost as fast.

The extra price is not close to being worth it, the new GX trains are less comfortable than the ones they are replacing, the speed and convenience of being able to avoid the ticket office queues and pay on-board is now gone and they are no quicker for most journeys, even the expectation of a seat and leisurely boarding with a train always waiting is gone now that some GX services are extended to/from Brighton.

In real terms the quickest train to Victoria is the first one to depart (ignoring the slow line services that stop at most stations), the fast Southern services (stopping at East Croydon and Clapham Jct only) use the same line as Gat Express so if the first one is a Southern it will get to Victoria ahead of a following "faster" GX train.

Padraig Mor

Marcusm wrote: »

There are strike issues but there is also the issue of widespread cancellations and service curtailment across the Southern network. London Bridge station has now substantially reopened for Thameslink services so that might aid your time issues. Is Victoria particularly closer to your destination? Given the potential for disruption even outside of strike days, it might be best to have flexible plans and all network tickets.

Thameslink also go the Blackfriars, City Thameslink, Farringdon and St Pancras - would any of these be convenient?

highlydebased

During a strike day Gatwick Express will take passengers with the cheaper Southern Only tickets

Miaireland

Just wondering has anyone gone and visited the Shard? If they did how did you get on? Just wondering if it is worth the money. I am only planning to do it if it is a clear day so will have to skip the prebook discount.

aiidee

Hi We went to London last Easter with our two teenagers got great advice from this thread .We avoided the Shard as it is expensive instead we went to the SKY GARDEN ...highly recommend it
It is FREE but you need to book your visit online . Just Google Sky garden London and follow the steps . Once you get in you can stay as long as you want bars and restaurant up there outdoor area , well worth the visit but remember to bring Identification you need it at security entering.
Have great trip!

shrapnel222

Miaireland wrote: »

Just wondering has anyone gone and visited the Shard? If they did how did you get on? Just wondering if it is worth the money. I am only planning to do it if it is a clear day so will have to skip the prebook discount.

is it worth the money? probably not, and if i were just visiting London, i probably wouldn't bother and just go to the Sky garden which is great and free.

But i have been to the Shard and took my kids there and it is pretty impressive nonetheless. We went before sundown and stayed there until it was pitch black, and the 360 views on offer are stunning.

Miaireland

Thanks, never got to the shard at the end. The day I had planned to go was very foggy.

paulpd

Hello

We're going to London for 3 nights so will have all day Fri and Sat there, home Sunday. Staying in Islington - one of the HIltons there. Our 6 yr old sone is coming.

Would anyone recommend the London Pass? We're just thinking we might be pushed for time to make use of it (it's about €200 for the three of us), plus we would like to get a show in one of the nights. During rhe day we want to get in as much as possible.

Thanks

budhabob

The science museum! Its brilliant for kids and adults alike.

ncmc

Paul, I haven't ever used the London Pass, but I've heard from many people that it's not good value for money and you end up going to see places just because they're covered by the pass. Bear in mind, you're only there two days, your 6 year old won't be able for a frenetic pace and a lot of great attractions in London are free and suddenly it may not seem good value any more.

What exactly are you hoping to see? Your 6 year old might like the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum and both of those are free.

paulpd

ncmc wrote: »

Paul, I haven't ever used the London Pass, but I've heard from many people that it's not good value for money and you end up going to see places just because they're covered by the pass. Bear in mind, you're only there two days, your 6 year old won't be able for a frenetic pace and a lot of great attractions in London are free and suddenly it may not seem good value any more.

What exactly are you hoping to see? Your 6 year old might like the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum and both of those are free.

Thanks for the reply,

We fly Thursday night so we've all day Friday and Saturday. Big Ben. Winter wonderland in Hyde Park. Open top bus. Oxford Street and Hamleys, They're set in stone! In addition just some sights and possibly a show one of the evenings.

Thanks again.

ncmc

So really nothing you have planned is covered by the pass bar the open top tour? I think you'd end up running around like headless chickens trying to cram things in just to try and get value from the pass. Were you planning on doing the London eye or something similar? You could consider the Sky Garden, it's free but you have to book tickets three weeks in advance.

https://skygarden.london

bridgetown1

Planning a surprise break in London.
I have flights, hotel and theatre tickets (les mis:D) sorted.

Final Step..........Oyster Cards!

Can I get them from here in advance or must they be purchased when we get there?

If the former, please tell me HOW?!!

If the latter, please tell me WHERE?!! Can I get them in Gatwick??

Thank You!!!

coylemj

You can buy a 'visitor' Oyster card by mail order but that type of card cannot be registered so if you lose it, all of the credit is lost. If you buy a regular card when you get there, you can register on the TFL website, add the card to your account and if you lose the card, you can phone them and ask them to add the credit to a new card, has happened me once.

https://tfl.gov.uk/fares-and-payments/where-to-top-up-and-buy-tickets

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

nc6000

Fred Swanson wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

Yep, I bought two visitor Oyster cards in advance of travelling and I managed to lose them when out and about in London and also lost whatever credit was on them. :rolleyes:

I ended up replacing them at one of the Tube stations which was no trouble at all.

The only downside to buying them on arrival would be if you arrived in one of the stations during rush-hour and had to queue for a while.

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

Padraig Mor

You can also just use your contactless bank debit card - same thing really. Just make sure to check with your bank that there's no issues. I was in London last weekend with my wife. I have an Oyster but she doesn't. Her AIB debit card didn't work at the gates - I don't know why, especially as it worked for other contactless transactions. She had to use my card instead (also AIB debit), which worked fine.

Note re Gatwick: you can use your Oyster or contactless to get trains from there. I recommend Thameslink which will bring you to London Bridge faster than the Gatwick Express does to Victoria, or about 45/50 mins to Blackfriars / Farringdon / St Pancras. It will cost you £8 single using Oyster / contactless off peak, which is generally cheaper than getting a paper ticket. But watch out! It triggers a very high daily 'cap' on your spending of, IIRC, £19. If you get an Oyster and are mostly travelling around Zone 1/2, best bet is to use your bank card to pay the train fare, and use your Oyster once you get to central London. Using Oyster / contactless from Gatwick also means you can skip the always long queues for train tickets.

Melisandre121

Heading to London next month for a few days with the OH and looking for ideas for things to do if anyone has any suggestions?

Obviously we'll be doing Buckingham palace, Tower of London etc.. but any other ideas would be appreciated

ncmc

Melisandre121 wrote: »

Heading to London next month for a few days with the OH and looking for ideas for things to do if anyone has any suggestions?

Obviously we'll be doing Buckingham palace, Tower of London etc.. but any other ideas would be appreciated

What are your interests? There are literally thousands of things to do in London, do you like museums? History? Art? Theatre? I would consider the following to be 'must see' but that is just based on my preferences
-Tower Of London
-Westminster Avenue
-National Gallery (free)
-Natural History Museum (free)
-Victoria & Albert museum (free)
-British Museum (free)
-A walk along the South Bank from London Eye to Tower
-A walk through some of the parks, Regent Park/Hyde Park
-Camden Market
-Portobello Market
-Covent Garden/Leicester St/Trafalgar Square
-Regent St/Picadilly
-Harrods
-A West End show

Now some of those are just walk bys, but with only a couple of days, you have to be realistic about how much you can fit it.