london transfers

[handfordr]

We are traveling out Harwich on the 17 of May an dreturning on the 31. Has anyone heard of or used: FCMBS (First Choice Minibus Services)?

 

FCMBS are fine. They're based near Heathrow Airport where you see their small buses all the time flitting around. They do contract work for tour operators, airlines, hotels and such like as well as private transfers and have a reputation as being reliable.

[nonrev1]

Thanks for your help! Much better pricing with them back to LHR vs. the cruise transfer!

 

Lauri

[Globaliser]

my son will be 14 at time of travel. i got a photocard app in the mail. asks for a fee yet on the website said no more fees.

What sort of fee is it asking for? This page says:-

If you live outside London, you will need to complete a "Visitor" application form and return it to our agent together with a £5 deposit at least four weeks before you need the card. Your Oyster photocard will be loaded with £5 of credit to pay as you go. You will be able to get a refund of this balance if you do not use it.

Is it just this £5 that you're being asked to pay?

for our oysters, on visitbritain.com there's a $25 usd fee for each, any other place to buy them ahead or wait till we get there?

Personally, I would just get them at the Tube station at Paddington when you get there (if you're taking the Tube from Paddington to your hotel), or at the first Tube station that you use. It only takes about 60 seconds to get a pay-as-you-go Oyster. There's no fee if you do this. There is a £3 deposit, but you get that back along with the unused credit when you hand it back.

[smcg]

from transport trading limited (application for photocard for son)

you must apply 4 weeks before needed, then use the form to collect the photocard at Heathrow.

send in with passport type photo

send with 5lb fee (non refundable) for processing

yet on the website for oyster it says no fee for photocards.

I know it's not a lot but it all adds up!

I can buy mine and my husband's oysters at heathrow like i was planning, but i need to get my son's photocard in advance

sheree

[Globaliser]

Did you get the form through the TfL website (eg from that page)? If so, I would contact TfL and ask about this. The fact that the agent is asking for £5 does make it sound like it's the £5 deposit that the TfL website is talking about.

[DMRick]

How fussy are the trains about the luggage weights? It says 44 pounds. I have one that is usaully about 49 pounds.

I sure hope when I actually buy the train tickets for April, I buy the correct ones. We are going from Gatwick to London (Victoria Station..we have a room near it), and then the next day London to Harwich, and then after the cruise, Harwich to whichever airport works best to fly to Dublin. My husband is over 60, so he gets the discounted tickets. Sounds like I have to buy them separately on the site.

My mind is just swimming with all the details. Looks like I have to figure out the actual times we need. We get into Gatwick at 6:25 and will have to clear customs. What happens if you miss your train, can you use the ticket towards buying a later one?

[Globaliser]

How fussy are the trains about the luggage weights? It says 44 pounds. I have one that is usaully about 49 pounds.

...

What happens if you miss your train, can you use the ticket towards buying a later one?

I don't think that there are any weight limits for luggage on trains. You will normally have to load and unload the luggage yourself, but the train floor is usually only a few inches higher than the platform level, so this is pretty easy.

 

As far as Gatwick to London Victoria is concerned, the Gatwick Express makes things very easy. If you book online:-

First Class & Express Class Single

You can use these tickets onboard anytime after the day you book, up to 30 days after the date you originally choose to travel. For instance, tickets booked on 1 May for travel on 15 May are valid from 2 May until 13 June.

 

First Class & Express Class Return

You can use these tickets onboard within one calendar month of your outward journey. You can make your outward journey any time after the day you make the booking, up to 30 days after the date you originally choose to travel.

And if you book online, you can choose an e-ticket option, so you don't even have to stop to pick up a paper ticket anywhere:-

3 easy steps to using e-tickets

1. Book tickets online, making e-tickets your preference - you’ll be given a reference number for your booking

2. Make sure you have with you when you travel a record of your reference number or the credit/debit card you use to make the booking

3. Give your reference number or credit/debit card to the Onboard Revenue Staff when they ask for your ticket

This information can be found on the Gatwick Express website (see the "Tickets" section).

 

As far as London Liverpool Street to Harwich is concerned, most fares are also pretty flexible. If you look at the fare conditions (see a site like this one), you can see whether or not you are restricted to travelling on the specified train. Most fares are not.

 

In addition, AFAIK there are no special tickets needed for the cruise ship trains that operate to/from Harwich International on certain ship sailing days. The main difference is that the cruise ship trains operate non-stop (saving something like 15 minutes of journey time) and they terminate at Harwich International rather than going on to Harwich Town.

[smcg]

globaliser:

the form is from TTL itself. they sent it upon my request, the info re the money is attached to the application, not a separate letter from an agent

boy, trains in u.s. are so much simpler!!

sheree

[lord of the seas]

globaliser:

 

trains in u.s. are so much simpler!!

sheree

 

Mmmmmmmmm

[nonrev1]

Well - my hotel is booked ( great price through Priceline!) and have looked online for tube/trains to Harwich. Yes - you do need a Masters degree to figure out the fares - so - hopefully you can help me:

 

I am staying in a hotel off of Kensington/Olympia - can I buy a through ticket at the station from Kensington/Olympia through to Harwich? or - do I buy a Tube Ticket and then buy another ticket for Harwich when I get to Liverpool Street Station?

 

and the other question may seem dumb but: is Liverpool St. Underground Station the same as London Liverpool Street Station? Everything I am reading says the Tube arrives at Liverpool St. Underground Station and the train departs from London Liverpool Street Station.

 

We have decided to take the train to the ship since we will already be in the city ....but on the way back, we will probably take the ships transport or use a driver

 

Thanks for your help!

[Globaliser]

boy, trains in u.s. are so much simpler!!

I think that maybe you need to go travelling a bit more.

 

You're trying to get free and discounted travel for a child, whose age and entitlement to this travel must therefore be evidenced. Is it much of a surprise that you have to jump through a few hoops?

 

If it's too much bother, I'd suggest that you just pay a cash fare for every Tube trip that you take. That's a very simple and straightforward process. It's only £4 per person per trip.

 

But if you want cheaper ways of doing it, don't be surprised if you have to lift a finger or two.

[nonrev1]

Globaliser - any help with my previous questions? Did not want to get lost in the shuffle - you have provided some great information!

 

Thanks!

[handfordr]

Well - my hotel is booked ( great price through Priceline!) and have looked online for tube/trains to Harwich. Yes - you do need a Masters degree to figure out the fares - so - hopefully you can help me:

 

I am staying in a hotel off of Kensington/Olympia - can I buy a through ticket at the station from Kensington/Olympia through to Harwich? or - do I buy a Tube Ticket and then buy another ticket for Harwich when I get to Liverpool Street Station?

 

and the other question may seem dumb but: is Liverpool St. Underground Station the same as London Liverpool Street Station? Everything I am reading says the Tube arrives at Liverpool St. Underground Station and the train departs from London Liverpool Street Station.

 

We have decided to take the train to the ship since we will already be in the city ....but on the way back, we will probably take the ships transport or use a driver

 

Thanks for your help!

 

Priceline and Olympia adds up to the Hilton Olympia, on the other side of the rails from Olympia Underground Station (which is above ground). Unfortunately Olympia Underground is an anomally, its a branch line of two stops to Kensington High Street and is really only there for the exhibition centre. As a result trains runs only 15 minutes or so. You'll probably find youreslf getting the bus or walking to Gloucester Road during your stay. You cannot normally buy overground tickets at Underground stations, but Olympia doubles as an overground so there again they might. I think you'll end up purchasing the Underground fare separate. You might think about walking about half a mile to High Street Kensington Underground where there are direct trains to Liverpool Strret.

 

Liverpool Street Underground is beneath Liverpool Street Overground, you just take the escalators up to the station.

[smcg]

Sorry about askign questions

i don't mind jumping thru hoops, just don't want to be ripped off. i wish if something says one thing it means that

i have traveled alot, europe via rental car, israel, egypt, south america, portugal, alaska etc

I have a masters and still can't figure things!

One thing says travelcard is best, another says Oyster, one says child rates, other says apply for photocard, oyster not good on this train, ok for that one etc etc

just very confusing.

i don't mind paying for photocard if i have to, the question was whythe website says no fee, and their docs say pay a fee. i will have his passport for proof of age (which btw he's had since he was 2)

[hangfat]

Sorry about askign questions

i don't mind jumping thru hoops, just don't want to be ripped off. i wish if something says one thing it means that

i have traveled alot, europe via rental car, israel, egypt, south america, portugal, alaska etc

I have a masters and still can't figure things!

One thing says travelcard is best, another says Oyster, one says child rates, other says apply for photocard, oyster not good on this train, ok for that one etc etc

just very confusing.

i don't mind paying for photocard if i have to, the question was whythe website says no fee, and their docs say pay a fee. i will have his passport for proof of age (which btw he's had since he was 2)

 

totally agree with you on this

[nonrev1]

Thanks Handfordr! And you are absolutely correct, it is the Hilton Olympia.

[Globaliser]

Globaliser - any help with my previous questions?

Sorry to have missed them, but handfordr has now given you all the answers you need.

 

The only thing to add is that if you are travelling around London on a pre-pay Oyster card, your best bet will almost certainly be to pay the Underground fare separately using the Oyster card, and then buying a separate ticket for Liverpool Street to Harwich.

One thing says travelcard is best, another says Oyster, one says child rates, other says apply for photocard, oyster not good on this train, ok for that one etc etc

just very confusing.

 

i don't mind paying for photocard if i have to, the question was whythe website says no fee, and their docs say pay a fee. i will have his passport for proof of age (which btw he's had since he was 2)

The issues you are having with this are no worse than in any other big city. Try navigating yourself around the New York City area by public transport, for example - especially if you need to take trains like Metro North (which introduces the same issue as for the overground trains in London which don't take pre-pay Oyster). Overall, it's much more complicated than London - particularly now that London has a pre-pay Oyster system with price-capping that means that most travellers can just pay as they go without worrying about whether they are paying too much, as you never will with pre-pay Oyster.

 

Child rates are for children. The same issue arises everywhere.

 

And the website may have said no fee for the child rate photocard, but it is also absolutely crystal clear about the fact that you need to pay £5 which will be put onto the child Oyster card, and which is refundable later if unused. I am confident that that is the £5 that the application form is asking for. There does not seem to me to be any question of a ripoff.

 

And if you think that it's feasible to have every bus driver and every Tube station ticket barrier operator read every child's passport to check their age before deciding whether they're entitled to free travel, you clearly have no idea what pressure London Transport operates under. Having a single uniform document issued by TfL that demonstrates entitlement to free/discounted travel is the only practicable way of doing it.

[smcg]

"A L5 payment must be included with your application. (then in bold) this fee is non-refundable and will be automatically deducted....even if your application is rejected.

 

then

 

you must pay a non refundable fee of L5 for every application, even if replacing a lost or stolen photocard.

 

nowhere does it state that it gets added to the card, if it did, that would explain it

 

I live in NJ and travel in NYC quite a bit, trains, subways, buses, with a metro card and without. Also DC and their underground system.

 

As many have stated the london system is probably one of the most difficult.

 

The HE and HC are very clear re fares, oyster etc. NE and NR aren't and this photocard thing isn't.

 

I'm ok with the tube and it's stops etc, that can be figured out

 

of course I still need to see whether to do a travelcard or oyster. since we have to go back and forth to dover in addition to hthe time in london

[handfordr]

I'll probably confuse you even more but for most first time visitors to London its probably worth seriously considering Travelcards instead of Oystercards. Travelcards are marginally more expensive than Oyster Cards, but unlike Oyster Cards they can be used for 2 for 1 entrance offers at many of the main attractions including Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, Hop On, Hop Off buses. Details of the offers you can use with Travelcard and the coupons are on the web site below

http://www.daysoutguide.co.uk/