London Travel Forum

Hi We are planning a day trip to Bath by train, getting started by 8 or so from Lancaster Gate,I think. Not sure about tickets though. Can we (should we) prepurchase or can you buy them on the train? I`ve read about long queues at ticket offices and would like to avoid that. I`ve heard about Cheap Day Return Tickets and One Day Travelcards but they are only valid after 9:30am. We are planning to get the 5 day travel card which covers zones 1-6, so our trip to Windsor is covered. what is an Oyster Card and what is the easiest way to obtain one? Also, does prepurchasing(from home) require specifying a particular day of travel?
Thanks for any help and all suggestions much appreciated. Anna&Kym

I'm not 100% certain but I don't think a zone 1-6 covers Windsor, perhaps you are purchasing a London Pass? I've always taken a train from Paddington via Slough to get there, not the tube and there has been an extra charge for the ticket. You can get a cheap day return on the day of travel, the queues aren't long but I think I bought our last one at a machine at Paddington. A cheap day return is £8.10, the journey is quicker from Paddington with a change at Slough if you get on an express train.

What I found for tickets to Bath from London was that it was much cheaper to book well in advance, a single was £9.50 when we went, £19 return, but we had to pick a specific train. I just checked for a random date in August, the morning £9.50 fares were already gone. I don't think Bath has a cheap day return. I purchased from home and picked up with the Fast Ticket option.

I don't think there is a 5 day travel card unless you are buying with a London Pass but you might find that it's cheaper to get a zone 1-2 pass if the only reason you are buying it is for the Windsor trip which appears to be included if you buy transport with the London Pass (not included with the regular zone 1-6 travelcard). You have to do the math, I've read other people saying that the transport option with the London Pass is not a good deal but I've never looked at it.

If you have a travelcard, you will not need an Oyster card. An Oyster card is just another way to travel on the tubes, buses, etc.