Hi,

My wife and I will be travelling to London from Philadelphia and plan to
make extensive use of the public transportation system while there. We
will be there for 7 days. We will be staying at Leatherhead, Surrey
which I understand is Zone 6. Thus, we would be coming into the city
proper each day and going back fairly late in the evening.

I would be most grateful if anyone would answer these questions for us...

1. What kind of pass should we get? After scouting around, it seems it
is the weekly travelcard allowing travel across all 6 zones?
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/fares-tick...s-period.shtml


2. If the above is true, how do I get a 'photocard', as the site
mentioned above says we need for a weekly travelcard? It is too late for
me to get a visitor travelcard mailed to us - we are leaving in 24
hours. Is one issued on the spot? Can non UK residents get it? Is there
a office at Heathrow issuing such photocards and travelcards?

3. If weekly travelcard is not an option, what is our best bet?


4. Is public transportation fairly safe? Late in the evening?

Many thanks.

On Fri, 07 May 2004 01:51:39 -0400, "S. Sen"
wrote:

Hi,

My wife and I will be travelling to London from Philadelphia and plan to
make extensive use of the public transportation system while there. We
will be there for 7 days. We will be staying at Leatherhead, Surrey
which I understand is Zone 6. Thus, we would be coming into the city
proper each day and going back fairly late in the evening.


Leatherhead is outside the travelcard area so isn't in any zone. If
you get an ordinary zone 1-6 card then you will need to buy, in
addition, individual return tickets (round-trip in American
terminology) from Leatherhead to the outside of zone 6 every day. Go
to the station at Leatherhead in the morning, show them your
travelcard, and ask for a return to the outside of zone 6.

I would be most grateful if anyone would answer these questions for us...

1. What kind of pass should we get? After scouting around, it seems it
is the weekly travelcard allowing travel across all 6 zones?
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/fares-tick...s-period.shtml



You should be able to get a ticket which is both a one-week 6-zone
card and also a season ticket from Leatherhad, and should be able to
buy this from a national rail (not London Underground) ticket office

2. If the above is true, how do I get a 'photocard', as the site
mentioned above says we need for a weekly travelcard? It is too late for
me to get a visitor travelcard mailed to us - we are leaving in 24
hours. Is one issued on the spot? Can non UK residents get it? Is there
a office at Heathrow issuing such photocards and travelcards?


For a photocard, just turn up with a passport photo and one will be
issued on the spot. If you don't have a spare passport photo, many
underground stations including those Heathrow have machines that will
take one. There's no problem getting one as a non-UK resident.

3. If weekly travelcard is not an option, what is our best bet?



I think given your imminent departure a weekly card issued in London
is probably best

4. Is public transportation fairly safe? Late in the evening?


Yes

Martin

In article , S. Sen
writes
Hi,


Hello!

My wife and I will be travelling to London from Philadelphia and plan
to make extensive use of the public transportation system while there.
We will be there for 7 days. We will be staying at Leatherhead, Surrey
which I understand is Zone 6. Thus, we would be coming into the city
proper each day and going back fairly late in the evening.


Leatherhead is outside the zones as I understand it although I may be
wrong.

I would be most grateful if anyone would answer these questions for us...

1. What kind of pass should we get? After scouting around, it seems it
is the weekly travelcard allowing travel across all 6 zones?
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/fares-tick...s-period.shtml


You will need to travel in to London on the train to one of the London
terminus points then use the 'tube' (subway) from there or busses etc.
The station most local to you can sell you a weekly travel card and they
should be able to issue a photocard too - take along passport sized
photographs of yourselves.

Don't expect the ticket to be cheap although if you travel in to London
after the morning peak period (which I think ends at 9.30am the ticket
will be substantially cheaper.


2. If the above is true, how do I get a 'photocard', as the site
mentioned above says we need for a weekly travelcard? It is too late
for me to get a visitor travelcard mailed to us - we are leaving in 24
hours. Is one issued on the spot? Can non UK residents get it? Is there
a office at Heathrow issuing such photocards and travelcards?


See above.

3. If weekly travelcard is not an option, what is our best bet?


You can buy tickets each day but be prepared to queue at the ticket
office. Make sure you ask for the right kind of ticket. To confuse
things further there are a number of train operating companies in
Britain and more than one may serve Leatherhead station - make sure you
travel with the right company or your ticket may not be valid.


4. Is public transportation fairly safe? Late in the evening?


Yes and no. Things get a little more dodgy the later you travel,
especially on Friday and Saturday night when everyone has been out
partying etc. Try to avoid the last train back if possible.

Many thanks.



HTH
--
Andrew
Electronic communications can be altered and therefore the integrity of this
communication can not be guaranteed.
Views expressed in this communication are those of the author and not
associations or companies I am involved with.

"S. Sen" wrote in message ...
Hi,

My wife and I will be travelling to London from Philadelphia and plan to
make extensive use of the public transportation system while there. We
will be there for 7 days. We will be staying at Leatherhead, Surrey
which I understand is Zone 6. Thus, we would be coming into the city
proper each day and going back fairly late in the evening.

I would be most grateful if anyone would answer these questions for us...

1. What kind of pass should we get? After scouting around, it seems it
is the weekly travelcard allowing travel across all 6 zones?
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/fares-tick...s-period.shtml

Leatherhead is outside the zonal system. Train services run from there
to Victoria station roughly every half hour, and take around 40-45
minutes. You should see http://www.southcentraltrains.co.uk for
ticketing information. As long as you travel after 9.30am, you can get
a day ticket permitting return travel from Leatherhead and then
unlimited travel within London proper for the day. This costs £8.60. I
haven't been able to find a weekly price on the internet.


2. If the above is true, how do I get a 'photocard', as the site
mentioned above says we need for a weekly travelcard? It is too late for
me to get a visitor travelcard mailed to us - we are leaving in 24
hours. Is one issued on the spot? Can non UK residents get it? Is there
a office at Heathrow issuing such photocards and travelcards?

Photocards are free from any ticket office,and anyone can get one. You
just need to supply a passport sized photo; there are usually photo
booths in stations. You won't need a photocard for a daily ticket.

3. If weekly travelcard is not an option, what is our best bet?

See above.


4. Is public transportation fairly safe? Late in the evening?

Generally yes, but always use common sense as you would in any city.
So don't make yourself stand out as a tourist, keep valuables secure
in your bag and don't use mobile/cellphones around station exits

Many thanks.

On Fri, 7 May 2004 at 01:51:39, S. Sen wrote:

Hi,

My wife and I will be travelling to London from Philadelphia and plan to
make extensive use of the public transportation system while there. We
will be there for 7 days. We will be staying at Leatherhead, Surrey which
I understand is Zone 6. Thus, we would be coming into the city proper
each day and going back fairly late in the evening.

I think you'll find Leatherhead is actually outside Zone 6, and you will
need a one-week season ticket to-from London Zone 1.

I would be most grateful if anyone would answer these questions for us...

1. What kind of pass should we get? After scouting around, it seems it is
the weekly travelcard allowing travel across all 6 zones? http://www.tfl.
gov.uk/tfl/fares-tickets/2004/travelcards-period.shtml


2. If the above is true, how do I get a 'photocard', as the site mentioned
above says we need for a weekly travelcard? It is too late for me to get
a visitor travelcard mailed to us - we are leaving in 24 hours. Is one
issued on the spot? Can non UK residents get it? Is there a office at
Heathrow issuing such photocards and travelcards?

I'm pretty sure you can get a photocard without difficulty - we did once
for a French child staying with us on an exchange visit. They are free
- you just present yourself at the ticket office at Heathrow with a
passport photo, and they will give you the form to fill in, and issue
you the card then and there.

3. If weekly travelcard is not an option, what is our best bet?

A weekly season ticket, I think, which is similar but will have the
additional train to Leatherhead.

4. Is public transportation fairly safe? Late in the evening?

Yes, but be sensible, just as you would be at home.
--
Annabel Smyth
http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/index.html
Website updated 8 March 2004

In message , Martin Rich
writes
You should be able to get a ticket which is both a one-week 6-zone
card and also a season ticket from Leatherhad, and should be able to
buy this from a national rail (not London Underground) ticket office

This is by far the best option, especially if you want to leave
Leatherhead early in the morning. It's simply a 7-day "Leatherhead to
London Season ticket, with underground".

Buy it at the Leatherhead ticket office (but not in the Monday morning
rush hour, they can be forward dated). You'll probably need a passport
photo so you can be issued with a National Rail photocard, which they
can do when you buy the ticket.
--
Roland Perry

In message , Andrew P Smith
writes
To confuse things further there are a number of train operating
companies in Britain and more than one may serve Leatherhead station -
make sure you travel with the right company or your ticket may not be
valid.

This only matters (a) for the part from Leatherhead to the Zone 6
boundary if he's getting a travelcard and (b) when the OP buys a "Train
Company X only" ticket.

It seems all the London-bound trains are operated by South Central,
anyway.
--
Roland Perry

On Fri, 7 May 2004, Martin Rich wrote:

On Fri, 07 May 2004 01:51:39 -0400, "S. Sen"
wrote:

My wife and I will be travelling to London from Philadelphia and plan
to make extensive use of the public transportation system while there.
We will be there for 7 days. We will be staying at Leatherhead, Surrey
which I understand is Zone 6. Thus, we would be coming into the city
proper each day and going back fairly late in the evening.

Leatherhead is outside the travelcard area so isn't in any zone. If you
get an ordinary zone 1-6 card then you will need to buy, in addition,
individual return tickets (round-trip in American terminology) from
Leatherhead to the outside of zone 6 every day. Go to the station at
Leatherhead in the morning, show them your travelcard, and ask for a
return to the outside of zone 6.

Is it possible to instead get, say, a return to the edge of Z2 with a Z12
travelcard, and if so, would that be cheaper? I suspect that our
Philadelphian friend will not routinely be venturing outside the middle of
town.

tom

--
information distribution, vox humana, deviation, handle, feed, l.g. **

"Roland Perry" wrote in message
...
In message , Andrew P Smith
writes
To confuse things further there are a number of train operating
companies in Britain and more than one may serve Leatherhead station -
make sure you travel with the right company or your ticket may not be
valid.

This only matters (a) for the part from Leatherhead to the Zone 6
boundary if he's getting a travelcard and (b) when the OP buys a "Train
Company X only" ticket.

It seems all the London-bound trains are operated by South Central,
anyway.

Actually there are two TOC's at Leatherhead, South West Trains to Waterloo
and South Central to Victoria. However all tickets from Leatherhead are
valid by either company.

Peter Smyth

In message , Peter Smyth
writes
It seems all the London-bound trains are operated by South Central,
anyway.

Actually there are two TOC's at Leatherhead, South West Trains to Waterloo
and South Central to Victoria.

The SWT trains ones must be consistently slower than SC, then - they
don't appear on the Railtrack planner if you ask for a journey to
London.
--
Roland Perry