AstraVanMan wrote:

Good idea - just checked and it's £16.60 for the three of them, restricted
to FCC services, or £25.40 going via Victoria. What's Blackfriars like for
getting from the tube up to the mainline station - any escalators etc? It's
not a return journey btw, they're just heading to Gatwick from Heathrow.

Blackfriars isn't too bad, but it is stairs, and there are a fair few.

Unfortunatly I can't think of a step-free train route. An option you
might consider, time permitting, is piccadilly direct to kings cross,
then walk to kingscross thameslink, then thameslink^H^H^H^H^H^H^H FCC
to Gatwick from there. On the whole you'll be better with District to
Blackfriars though.

Also, will it present a problem if they were to get return travelcards
starting from Gatwick and the first time they'd put it through a barrier was
at Heathrow? I'm guessing probably not, as they could well have showed them
to a regular ticket inspector on the barriers at Blackfriars/London Bridge
and only used them on buses, hence not going through any machines anyway.
Any comments on this?

However, outward no such beast. A possible solution (assuming travel is
late enough in the day to be on the return leg) is to buy the Gatwick
travel card in advance. Otherwise a zone 1-6 travelcard and a boundary
zone 6 to Gatwick extension, or the Feltham bus - Clapham Junction
option.

Well, the £16.60 option from Gatwick looks the cheapest option, though it
restricts them to First Capital Connect services, which take around 45
minutes from Blackfriars, plus the extra time on the tube, though the price
is good and they're in no major rush. Providing Blackfriars has some
escalators up to the mainline station.

--
"For want of the price of tea and a slice, the old man died."

In article ,
(AstraVanMan) wrote:

or £16.60 for a Travelcard from Gatwick (restricted to FCC,
so Blackfriars then).

Should be the same on Southern, surely?

--
Colin Rosenstiel

"Paul Weaver" wrote:
That doesn't sound right... is that for ordering online? If you are able
to get to a Tube station to get them in person, I'm pretty sure you can
top them up with whatever you want. Not 100% sure, though.

My last one I bought with a £10 note, but that includes the £3
non-refundable deposit. Have topped up with £2 before at machines.

Ah right - that's one thing though - on the "Your guide to Oyster" leaflet
it says that the deposit is refundable. I quote "When you first get your
Oyster card, you will need to pay a refundable £3 deposit if you are buying
a 7 Day Travelcard or using cash to pay as you go."

So if it is refundable, when does the refund happen, or is it in the form of
credits towards journeys or something?

--
"For want of the price of tea and a slice, the old man died."

"Colin Rosenstiel" wrote:
or £16.60 for a Travelcard from Gatwick (restricted to FCC,
so Blackfriars then).

Should be the same on Southern, surely?

Well, I'd have thought so but the operator at National Rail Enquiries didn't
seem to think so. Then again, she came across as about as clued up as me,
and she's the one with a massive resource of ticket pricing structures etc
etc to hand.

--
"For want of the price of tea and a slice, the old man died."

In article ,
(AstraVanMan) wrote:

"Colin Rosenstiel" wrote:
or £16.60 for a Travelcard from Gatwick (restricted to FCC,
so Blackfriars then).

Should be the same on Southern, surely?

Well, I'd have thought so but the operator at National Rail Enquiries
didn't seem to think so. Then again, she came across as about as
clued up as me, and she's the one with a massive resource of ticket
pricing structures etc etc to hand.

No change there, then. :-(

--
Colin Rosenstiel

AstraVanMan wrote:

Ah right - that's one thing though - on the "Your guide to Oyster" leaflet
it says that the deposit is refundable. I quote "When you first get your
Oyster card, you will need to pay a refundable £3 deposit if you are buying
a 7 Day Travelcard or using cash to pay as you go."

So if it is refundable, when does the refund happen, or is it in the form of
credits towards journeys or something?

You get the deposit back when/if you give them the Oyster back.