Now that the British pound has lost about 25 percent of its value against the dollar, London is looking like a more affordable destination for Americans again. And without getting too political, from my experience this Christmas, Americans have become popular again.
Getting there is becoming more affordable as well. Fuel surcharges are finally dropping — taxes and fuel together now can add less than $400.00 to the price of a ticket. (Yes, hard to believe that sounds good, but by comparison, they added over $600.00 earlier this year.)
Once travelers are on the ground in the huge city, however, transportation around London can still be a bit pricey. As a relatively frequent visitor I have often purchased day passes, which are generally valid after morning rush hour, (i.e. after 9:30 a.m.), because if nothing else it saves queuing for tickets every time, and/or trying to figure out the individual fares.
But this year, after seeing past advertisements for Oyster cards, I finally gave them a shot. This card was my easiest London Transit experience ever.
The Oyster Card has nothing to do with seafood, and everything to do with a faster, cheaper experience. Purchase the cards at most Tube stations, or they can be ordered before leaving home.
For starters, Oyster fares are about half or less the regular fares, a tube journey might be £1.50, as opposed to £4. A bus fare is usually 90 pence, as opposed to £2. And the Oyster pass price is capped at the price for a day pass. Travelers scooting across the city through its warren of tube stations, can’t go wrong.
In addition, the cards are a hard plastic and refillable, so no need to keep track of, and avoid bending, those little hard paper tickets. Travelers just tap the card on a reader when boarding a bus, and entering and exiting tube stations.
They can be purchased before traveling to England at visitbritain.com, which can be a real timesaver, although with the falling pound it is now a little cheaper to buy them in London. Currently, for example, a card worth £20 is $36.50. On the other hand, the convenience of just hopping on a bus the first day and not needing to find – or queue at – a Tube stop may be well worth the extra cost.
Janice Hough is a California-based travel agent a travel blogger and a part-time comedy writer. A frequent flier herself, she’s been doing battle with airlines, hotels, and other travel companies for over three decades. Besides writing for Travelers United, Janice has a humor blog at Leftcoastsportsbabe.com (Warning, the political and sports humor therein does not represent the views of anyone but herself.)
