Oyster Card, am I understanding it correctly?

[ducklite]

I am a bit leery about using contactless cards as involves showing my credit or debit card in a crowd of people and would be worried about pickpockets

 

I prefer my Oyster card which I can top up with a relatively low balance so if lost or stolen doesn't involve me having to report loss to provider and getting new cards -that's just me

 

Everyone I saw using them just tapped their wallet on the spot, no one took out their card.

 

I also have to say that generally speaking London is very safe and pickpockets aren't an issue there unless you give someone a ridiculously ample opportunity.

Edited March 21, 2015 by ducklite

[insanemagnet]

Everyone I saw using them just tapped their wallet on the spot, no one took out their card.

 

Yes. Just make sure you only have one contactless or Oyster card in your wallet at any one time, otherwise you will have 'card clash'.

 

The machine won't take two payments, but it might take the payment from the card that you didn't want it to.

[Globaliser]

Everyone I saw using them just tapped their wallet on the spot, no one took out their card.

Many people keep their Oysters in their wallets, too, so you actually can't easily tell whether someone's using an Oyster or a contactless credit/debit card from this.

 

One thing that does tell them apart is that an Oyster is read and updated inside a tenth of a second (typically 30 milliseconds), so you really can tap it on the reader. In contrast, from observation and personal experience a contactless card takes between 0.5 and 1.5 seconds to be read.

 

This won't bother most visitors and infrequent users. But I found that it made have to break my stride and stop at the gate until the contactless card had been read, when normally I would be able to just keep walking through the gate as it opened, and it started to drive me up the wall.

 

After a week of contactless, I went back to my Oyster.

 

There is a serious point in this, which is that TfL will have to watch what this does to throughput at busy stations in peak hours. It will have the biggest adverse effect at precisely the places and times where you least want it to happen. I'm sceptical at the moment.

I also have to say that generally speaking London is very safe and pickpockets aren't an issue there unless you give someone a ridiculously ample opportunity.

I think that the police would beg to differ on this. They have huge operations against pickpockets in London, including against the organised gangs that come from South America and other far-flung places because of the rich pickings to be had in London.

[Bob++]

I agree about London pickpockets. It is better than some cities but that's not saying much. Think like a pickpocket though: They congregate at the same places that tourists do and especially where tourists are spending money. They want to see which pocket you use so that they can snag it with one dip.

 

Just take the usual precautions and you will be fine. I always make sure that my wife and I have at least two lines of credit, so that if one gets stolen and has to be cancelled, the other still works - My late father got caught out by this in France when his cards were stolen on a Saturday. They were without credit or access to cash until the banks opened on Tuesday.

Edited March 22, 2015 by Bob++

[ducklite]

As I said, if you give them the opportunity... In Rome we felt like we had to constantly be in guard, same with Paris. In London we used common sense and never felt like we had to constantly mind our pockets. To us it's more like NYC, in crowded touristy places you need to be aware, but they aren't nearly as brazen. We haven't encountered any aggressive touts and beggars like we have in Paris, Rome, and Athens.

[Globaliser]

I agree about London pickpockets. It is better than some cities but that's not saying much. Think like a pickpocket though: They congregate at the same places that tourists do and especially where tourists are spending money. They want to see which pocket you use so that they can snag it with one dip.

 

Just take the usual precautions and you will be fine. I always make sure that my wife and I have at least two lines of credit, so that if one gets stolen and has to be cancelled, the other still works - My late father got caught out by this in France when his cards were stolen on a Saturday. They were without credit or access to cash until the banks opened on Tuesday.

An interesting article in the FT today about this: FT Masterclass: Pickpocketing and how to avoid it with James Freedman

[Bob++]

An interesting article in the FT today about this: FT Masterclass: Pickpocketing and how to avoid it with James Freedman

 

Unfortunately it is only accessible to those with a subscription. This is an extract:

I ask if there are certain hotspots where pickpockets strike. Tourist spots, Freedman tells me, especially places such as Big Ben and the Eiffel Tower, where people’s attention is directed upwards and away from their belongings. He says that many pickpockets also operate near signs warning us to beware of pickpockets. The irony is that when people read the signs, they check their pockets or bag, thus alerting the lurking pickpocket to where their valuables are.

 

Learning the pickpockets’ tactics doesn’t necessarily protect you from them, however, because “they’ll adapt and they’ll change”, says Freedman. “But if you understand the psychology . . . then you just start thinking like the bad guys. Then you are much less likely to be a victim.” He adds that most of us could go through our wallet or purse and take out 60 per cent of its contents.

 

If you carry your credit cards in the same wallet as your driving licence, he says, you are giving potential thieves your card details, home address, full name and date of birth. This is what is referred to as “a full set” and is all someone needs to commit fraud.

 

Much the same as I said in my post above.

Edited April 11, 2015 by Bob++

[kbert92069]

I'd like to know this too...:confused:

 

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/fares-and-payments/contactless?intcmp=8257

[SteveH2508]

Yes. Just make sure you only have one contactless or Oyster card in your wallet at any one time, otherwise you will have 'card clash'.

 

The machine won't take two payments, but it might take the payment from the card that you didn't want it to.

 

Apparently there was a 'character:rolleyes:' in London who took the chip out of his Oyster card and mounted it in a magic wand - turns heads, causes smiles and avoids card clash - what's not to like!

[surebeatssailing]

We are going to London for 3 days post cruise & it is our first trip to London.

 

I am a bit overwhelmed trying to navigate areas of London on little maps in tour books to see if the usual tourist sites are in walking distance or do we need an oyster to navigate the Tube.

 

Trying to decide between the Doubletree Tower of London which is supposed to be near the Victoria station & near the HOHO tours.

 

Also looking at the Doubletree in Westminster on John Islip Street close to the Westminster tube station . Tour books say this location is walkable to Westminster Abbey, Parliment Houses, London Eye, Trafalger Square.

 

Hopefully someone can guide us to which Doubletree is the better location & hopefully accessible to some good Indian restaurants too.

 

Thank you

[fabnfortysomething]

We are going to London for 3 days post cruise & it is our first trip to London.

 

I am a bit overwhelmed trying to navigate areas of London on little maps in tour books to see if the usual tourist sites are in walking distance or do we need an oyster to navigate the Tube.

 

Trying to decide between the Doubletree Tower of London which is supposed to be near the Victoria station & near the HOHO tours.

 

Also looking at the Doubletree in Westminster on John Islip Street close to the Westminster tube station . Tour books say this location is walkable to Westminster Abbey, Parliment Houses, London Eye, Trafalger Square.

 

Hopefully someone can guide us to which Doubletree is the better location & hopefully accessible to some good Indian restaurants too.

 

Thank you

 

once you get an idea of the layout of Central London most sites are within walking distance-in fact you can walk further using the tube than above ground because you go up and down escalators and walk along long tunnels to reach street level once you exit the train!

 

rather than using small maps buy a large scale map and study it to mark out the main sights and that will give you an idea of what is within each area

 

oyster cards are still worthwhile as you can also use buses

 

personally would go for Westminster Doubletree as closer to more sights but cant help with Indian restaurants:D

[Cotswold Eagle]

Trying to decide between the Doubletree Tower of London which is supposed to be near the Victoria station & near the HOHO tours.

 

Thank you

 

There is a Doubletree Tower of London and one by Victoria Station, but they are not the same. The two locations are miles apart. Both are popular, as is the Westminster one; they are all convenient for different tourist sites and not too far from HOHO routes.

 

I'd probably go with the Westminster one too - near the river, handy for lots of different places, but in a reasonably quiet location. But you can make a case for all of them and it's likely you'll need transport to get to some places you want to see from any of them.

 

It is also handy for the Cinnamon Club, one of the finest (and more expensive) Indian restaurants in London :)

 

If you end up at the Victoria Doubletree, I'd say walk down to the Pimlico Tandoori - more of a local restaurant, not fine dining like the Cinnamon Club. It rather depends on what you mean by "good" - these are both good, but in very different ways!

Edited April 16, 2015 by Cotswold Eagle

[surebeatssailing]

FABNFORTYSOMETHING & COTSWOLD EAGLE

 

fabnfortysomething...thank you or your advice about the Doubletree Westminster location

 

Cotswold Eagle... thank you for the Indian restaurant information . I did not know about the Doubletree Victoria Station & will have to look at this location too.

[insanemagnet]

once you get an idea of the layout of Central London most sites are within walking distance-in fact you can walk further using the tube than above ground because you go up and down escalators and walk along long tunnels to reach street level once you exit the train!

 

The number of tourists who catch the tube from Leicester Square to Covent Garden - The distance on foot is 300 yards!

 

rather than using small maps buy a large scale map and study it to mark out the main sights and that will give you an idea of what is within each area

 

Or use the walking details on Google maps to get an idea of the distance. The bits of London that tourists want to see is in a pretty small area, and has been mentioned is often as easy and more interesting on foot.

 

oyster cards are still worthwhile as you can also use buses

 

To use a 'normal' bus not the tourist tour buses, then you must pay using either Oyster or a contactless card. Buses don't take payment in cash.

 

The 'normal' buses do provide lots of sightseeing opportunities - http://www.toptiplondon.com/places-to-visit/sightseeing-tips/sightseeing-by-local-bus

[Bob++]

For this kind of planning Google Maps is great. You can zoom in and out and it will show walkin and/or public transport options.

 

When you are there, if you have a smartphone, there are some good navigation apps available. Otherwise, as said above, invest in a large scale map of Central London. This one looks good: http://www.bensonsmaps.co.uk/our-publications/the-handy-london-map-guide/

[surebeatssailing]

To use a 'normal' bus not the tourist tour buses, then you must pay using either Oyster or a contactless card. Buses don't take payment in cash.

 

The 'normal' buses do provide lots of sightseeing opportunities - http://www.toptiplondon.com/places-t...g-by-local-bus

 

Thanks INSANEMAGNET! Excellent website...we are more interested in walking & bus routes so that we can see more in our limited stay

 

 

Thanks to BOB+++ for the map website...just ordered the one you suggested & it should arrive by monday! I wish I was more proficient with google maps but the bus route & london map book will be really helpful.

 

Thanks

Shirley...surebeatssailing

[Globaliser]

I am a bit overwhelmed trying to navigate areas of London on little maps in tour books to see if the usual tourist sites are in walking distance or do we need an oyster to navigate the Tube.

I wouldn't want you to get the wrong impression from some of the previous posts. London's "usual tourist sites" are spread over a large area, and wherever you stay there will be plenty of places that are too far away to be comfortable walking distance. For example, the Victoria and Albert Museum is on many people's lists, and Tower Bridge is iconic. But these are about 5 miles apart. Even if you stay exactly half way between them, you'd have to walk for about an hour in one direction to get to one; and an hour in the other direction to get to the other.

 

So if you want to make the most of your three days, you should expect to have to use public transport.

[Plainsman]

I haven't heard about this, as far as Oysters bought in London are concerned, and I would be irritated if it were true. If I've forgotten my Oyster, I hand over £10 cash and get an Oyster with £5 credit on it, in a transaction that takes about 45 seconds. As soon as I get my own Oyster back and I have a spare moment, I get a refund on the emergency card. It would be a pain to have to wait for a month.

 

There's no mention of this on the TfL website either: http://www.tfl.gov.uk/fares-and-payments/replacements-and-refunds/oyster-refunds-and-replacements

 

If the information you saw says that the deposit for an Oyster bought in London is £3, then it may be out of date anyway as the deposit is now £5 (and has been for a good couple of years now).

 

I personally have never understood the appeal of getting a Visitors Oyster, and I don't know anything about how they work.

If I'm going to the Tower of London from my hotel at Victoria Station, do I need the Oyster card to get there and the 2for1 travelcard to enter the Tower?

[Globaliser]

If I'm going to the Tower of London from my hotel at Victoria Station, do I need the Oyster card to get there and the 2for1 travelcard to enter the Tower?

I think there's some confusion here. The Oyster is a way of paying for your travel. A Travelcard is another way of paying for your travel. So you don't need both.

 

If you buy a Travelcard from one of a limited number of places in London, it will be issued on a ticket that entitles you to make use of the 2 for 1 offers marketed by this website, subject to the conditions of those offers.

 

However, the existence of those offers is only one of the factors that you should consider when you decide how you're going to pay for your travel. In particular, you need to be aware that the cheapest one-day Travelcard now is £12.00. But if you use an Oyster in Zones 1 and 2 only (which will cover virtually all tourist travel), you will not pay more than a maximum of £6.40 for any day.

[surebeatssailing]

I wouldn't want you to get the wrong impression from some of the previous posts. London's "usual tourist sites" are spread over a large area, and wherever you stay there will be plenty of places that are too far away to be comfortable walking distance. For example, the Victoria and Albert Museum is on many people's lists, and Tower Bridge is iconic. But these are about 5 miles apart. Even if you stay exactly half way between them, you'd have to walk for about an hour in one direction to get to one; and an hour in the other direction to get to the other.

 

So if you want to make the most of your three days, you should expect to have to use public transport.

 

Thanks...I believe most of the sites are within 5 miles that we are looking at so we figured on some travel. Although slower than the tube we may use buses so we can see more as we are navigating london on our first trip.

[Plainsman]

I think there's some confusion here. The Oyster is a way of paying for your travel. A Travelcard is another way of paying for your travel. So you don't need both.

 

If you buy a Travelcard from one of a limited number of places in London, it will be issued on a ticket that entitles you to make use of the 2 for 1 offers marketed by this website, subject to the conditions of those offers.

 

However, the existence of those offers is only one of the factors that you should consider when you decide how you're going to pay for your travel. In particular, you need to be aware that the cheapest one-day Travelcard now is £12.00. But if you use an Oyster in Zones 1 and 2 only (which will cover virtually all tourist travel), you will not pay more than a maximum of £6.40 for any day.

Globaliser, I just found out my AMEX card is "contactless" and has no FEX, can I use it instead of an "Oyster" card? If so does it have a daily limit?

[insanemagnet]

Yes, all Amex contactless cards can be used, irrespective of where they have been issued. The TFL website has a section in non-UK contactless cards.

 

You will probably need to do have used the car for a chip and pin transaction before it will work for contactless payment, but your bank can advise you on this.

 

It will have the daily cap, depending on use, e.g.£6.40 in zone 1 and 2.

[Globaliser]

London Toolkit may be saying that, but as Globaliser says it is not mentioned anywhere on the Transport for London site (who administer Oyster cards). They equally clearly state that the £5 deposit on Oyster cards is refundable.

Yesterday, I took a leaflet being handed out at a station to explain the changes that include the removal of the ticket office from that station (which is happening to a lot of Tube stations). It included this paragraph:-

Customers can now get refunds for up to £10 Oyster credit (and their deposit) at ticket machines, and replace an Oyster card that has stopped working. Other new ticket machine functionality includes the ability to add a journey extension to an Oyster card, resolve incomplete Oyster jouneys, and add a monthly season ticket to an Oyster card without the need for registration.

There was no mention of having to wait a month from Oyster issue before you can get back the full amount of your deposit.

[Plainsman]

Yes, all Amex contactless cards can be used, irrespective of where they have been issued. The TFL website has a section in non-UK contactless cards.

 

You will probably need to do have used the car for a chip and pin transaction before it will work for contactless payment, but your bank can advise you on this.

 

It will have the daily cap, depending on use, e.g.£6.40 in zone 1 and 2.

Will my wife and I be able to board with one contactless credit card or must we both have our own card.

[ducklite]

Will my wife and I be able to board with one contactless credit card or must we both have our own card.

 

 

Each person needs their own.