On Thu, 15 Jun 2006 13:42:33 +0100, wrote:

No - it's not technically as Richard said. All that is certain is that for
certain pairs of stations, journeys are defined as using Zone 1 even if a
route avoiding Z1 would be possible. Earl's Court to Notting Hill Gate is
certainly one of those cases. I have also tried Shepherd's Bush (Central)
to Parsons Green, which is also defined as via Zone 1.

Someone else mentioned Harrow-on-the-Hill to Barons Court being defined as
via Z1 but H-o-t-H to Ravenscourt Park *not* being defined in that way.

Is the list of these definitions published anywhere? I've not been able to
find it!

If you look on the wall of your origin station, there should be a
table of "Fares From This Station" on a poster. (Alternatively, you
can use the ticket machine to check the fare to particular stations.)

The fare to each station should give you a clue as to which zones you
are expected to pass through.

I *assume* the Oyster system uses the same data and therefore charges
you (or not, as appropriate) for passing through the same combination
of zones.