{"id":1325,"date":"2023-04-20T11:44:00","date_gmt":"2023-04-20T11:44:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/movingtolondon.net\/?p=1325"},"modified":"2023-07-13T17:55:25","modified_gmt":"2023-07-13T17:55:25","slug":"8-essential-tips-for-saving-money-when-travelling-around-london","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/movingtolondon.net\/8-essential-tips-for-saving-money-when-travelling-around-london\/","title":{"rendered":"8 Essential Tips for Saving Money When Travelling around London"},"content":{"rendered":"

One of the great things about London is the ease in which you can <\/span>travel around the city<\/a><\/span>. Of course, most methods of transport cost money. But fear not, because with a little bit of travel savvy (and inside information) it\u2019s possible to dramatically reduce your transportation costs – and that includes those who are here for a simple holiday to the city as well as those who\u2019re planning to <\/span>settle here<\/a><\/span> for a longer period of time.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are 8 great money saving tips<\/a> for traveling around the UK capital city.<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Travelcards<\/span><\/h2>\n

Public transport in London consists of <\/span>The Tube<\/span><\/a><\/span>, <\/span>London Buses<\/span><\/span>, <\/span>overground trains<\/span><\/a><\/span> and the <\/span>DLR<\/span><\/a><\/span> (Docklands Light Railway). If you\u2019re planning on using any or a combination of these transport options for the duration of a day or a week, then it will definitely be cheaper to purchase what is known as a <\/span>travelcard<\/span><\/a><\/span>. <\/span><\/p>\n

These allow you to travel as much as you like for the specified period on any of the transport options within London. <\/span><\/p>\n

Prices start from \u00a312 and are valid for either one day or one week. They can be purchased from any overground or underground train station. They are paper tickets that do not require a photograph or ID to purchase. More information can be found on the <\/span>TFL<\/span><\/a><\/span> (Transport for London) website.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Oyster cards\/<\/span>C<\/span>ontactless payment<\/span><\/h2>\n

The strange sounding <\/span>Oyster Card<\/span><\/a><\/span> is a pre-paid card that automatically tots up your public transport costs within a day, and then gives you a discount (to a capped fee) on the price. <\/span><\/p>\n

You can purchase these at most stations (overground and tube). You then have the option of topping them up at any station (with whatever amount of money you like), or for those spending a longer amount of time in London, setting up an automatic <\/span>direct debit<\/span><\/a><\/span> from your bank account to top it up when the balance drops below a specified level.<\/span><\/p>\n

When you enter a tube station you simply tap your card on the yellow reader, and then again when you leave. When you use the card on a bus, you only need tap the reader with your card the once. There is a one off payment fee of \u00a35 to purchase the card. This is refundable when (and if) you return your Oyster Card.<\/span><\/p>\n

Transport for London have recently brought in the ability to use your debit or credit card in a similar manner. As long as you have a \u2018<\/span>contactless<\/span><\/a><\/span>\u2019 enabled card, then you can use this in exactly the same manner.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Boris bikes<\/span><\/h2>\n

These bikes were named after the <\/span>man<\/span> who introduced them to the city – London Mayor, <\/span>Boris Johnson<\/span><\/span>. Officially cal<\/span>l<\/span>ed <\/span>Santander Cycles<\/span><\/a><\/span>, these bikes can be found all over the city and hired for as little as \u00a32. <\/span><\/p>\n

There <\/span>i<\/span>s no need to book <\/span>one<\/span>, you simply go to a docking station, tap your bank card and the bike is released for your use. And you don\u2019t even have to drop it back at the same place – it can be returned to any <\/span>one<\/span> of the many docking stations found around London.<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Shank\u2019s pony<\/span><\/h2>\n

The terminology might not be familiar to you, but traveling by Shank\u2019s pony simply means to walk. <\/span><\/p>\n

In many cases, especially around the centre of the city, you can save money by walking to your destination. And during the rush hour, it\u2019s often far quicker as well. Add to this the advantage that you get to experience seeing many of <\/span>London\u2019s wonderful landmarks<\/a><\/span> as you pass by, and that it\u2019s <\/span>great exercise<\/a><\/span>, then walking around London really can prove to be one of the best <\/span>money saving options<\/span><\/a> available to you.<\/span><\/p>\n

5<\/span>. Uber<\/span><\/h2>\n

If you\u2019re planning on taking a taxi, don\u2019t simply hail a <\/span>black cab<\/span><\/a><\/span> on the street. Download and use <\/span>the <\/span>mobile phone app, <\/span>Uber<\/span><\/span>, which allows you to book a cab instantly, get ride shares and generally get a far cheaper fare to your destination. You simply book your taxi and payment is taken directly from your credit or debit card.<\/span><\/p>\n

6. Student discounted fares<\/span><\/h2>\n

There are two possibilities for those aged 16-25 or those in full or parttime education. The first is the <\/span>18+ Student Oyster Card<\/span><\/a><\/span>. This gives you 30% off the regular fares and travel cards for using London Transport. To be eligible you need to be 18 years old or over, and registered on a course that\u2019s registered with Transport for London. You also need to be <\/span>living in Londo<\/span>n<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The second option is the young persons (16-25 years) railcard, and it\u2019s available to anyone within that age range. And the best thing is that if you have both of them the discounts can be combined, giving you a massive 34% off of all London Transport costs.<\/span><\/p>\n

7. Travel off peak<\/span><\/h2>\n

Travelling during off peak hours can provide you with enormous savings. <\/span><\/p>\n

Peak hours in London are between the hours of 06:30 and 09:30, and 16:00 to 19:00. <\/span><\/p>\n

If you can possibly travel outside of these hours using London Transport not only will you save a substantial amount of money, but you\u2019ll also have a far more pleasant experience. This is because the majority of people are travelling to and from work during these hours, and the tubes, trains and buses are naturally far busier.<\/span><\/p>\n

8. Season tickets<\/span><\/h2>\n

Of course, if you <\/span>work in London<\/a><\/span> then you\u2019re probably not going to be able to avoid travelling during peak hours. In such cases it might well be worth purchasing a <\/span>season ticket<\/span><\/a><\/span>. <\/span><\/p>\n

These can be purchased for periods of time such as one week, one month or any longer period up to the maximum of one year. <\/span><\/p>\n

Whilst you might <\/span>gasp<\/span> a little when you see the price you have to pay out to purchase a season ticket, when you sit down and work it out it normally will <\/span>end up<\/span> costing you a substantially lower amount of money. <\/span><\/p>\n

Of course, it depends on how much you use public tra<\/span>n<\/span>sport, and each case is individual. But if you\u2019re <\/span>staying in London for an extended period<\/span> of time<\/span><\/a>, it\u2019s definitely worth checking out the cost of a season ticket against purchasing travel cards or using an Oyster Card.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

One of the great things about London is the ease in which you can travel around the city. Of course, most methods of transport cost money. But fear not, because with a little bit of travel savvy (and inside information) it\u2019s possible to dramatically reduce your transportation costs – and that includes those who are here for a simple holiday to the city as well as those who\u2019re planning to settle here for a longer period of time. Here are 8 great money saving tips for traveling around the UK capital city. 1. Travelcards Public transport in London consists of The Tube, London Buses, overground trains and the DLR (Docklands Light Railway). If you\u2019re planning on using any or a combination of these transport options for the duration of a day or a week, then it will definitely be cheaper to purchase what is known as a travelcard. These allow you to travel as much as you like for the specified period on any of the transport options within London. Prices start from \u00a312 and are valid for either one day or one week. They can be purchased from any overground or underground train station. They are paper tickets that do not require a photograph or ID to purchase. More information can be found on the TFL (Transport for London) website. 2. Oyster cards\/Contactless payment The strange sounding Oyster Card is a pre-paid card that automatically tots up your public transport costs within a day, and then gives you a discount (to a capped fee) on the price. You can purchase these at most stations (overground and tube). You then have the option of topping them up at any station (with whatever amount of money you like), or for those spending a longer amount of time in London, setting up an automatic direct debit from your bank account to top it up when the balance drops below a specified level. When you enter a tube station you simply tap your card on the yellow reader, and then again when you leave. When you use the card on a bus, you only need tap the reader with your card the once. There is a one off payment fee of \u00a35 to purchase the card. This is refundable when (and if) you return your Oyster Card. Transport for London have recently brought in the ability to use your debit or credit card in a similar manner. As long as you have a \u2018contactless\u2019 enabled card, then you can use this in exactly the same manner. 3. Boris bikes These bikes were named after the man who introduced them to the city – London Mayor, Boris Johnson. Officially called Santander Cycles, these bikes can be found all over the city and hired for as little as \u00a32. There is no need to book one, you simply go to a docking station, tap your bank card and the bike is released for your use. And you don\u2019t even have to drop it back at the same place – it can be returned to any one of the many docking stations found around London. 4. Shank\u2019s pony The terminology might not be familiar to you, but traveling by Shank\u2019s pony simply means to walk. In many cases, especially around the centre of the city, you can save money by walking to your destination. And during the rush hour, it\u2019s often far quicker as well. Add to this the advantage that you get to experience seeing many of London\u2019s wonderful landmarks as you pass by, and that it\u2019s great exercise, then walking around London really can prove to be one of the best money saving options available to you. 5. Uber If you\u2019re planning on taking a taxi, don\u2019t simply hail a black cab on the street. Download and use the mobile phone app, Uber, which allows you to book a cab instantly, get ride shares and generally get a far cheaper fare to your destination. You simply book your taxi and payment is taken directly from your credit or debit card. 6. Student discounted fares There are two possibilities for those aged 16-25 or those in full or parttime education. The first is the 18+ Student Oyster Card. This gives you 30% off the regular fares and travel cards for using London Transport. To be eligible you need to be 18 years old or over, and registered on a course that\u2019s registered with Transport for London. You also need to be living in London. The second option is the young persons (16-25 years) railcard, and it\u2019s available to anyone within that age range. And the best thing is that if you have both of them the discounts can be combined, giving you a massive 34% off of all London Transport costs. 7. Travel off peak Travelling during off peak hours can provide you with enormous savings. Peak hours in London are between the hours of 06:30 and 09:30, and 16:00 to 19:00. If you can possibly travel outside of these hours using London Transport not only will you save a substantial amount of money, but you\u2019ll also have a far more pleasant experience. This is because the majority of people are travelling to and from work during these hours, and the tubes, trains and buses are naturally far busier. 8. Season tickets Of course, if you work in London then you\u2019re probably not going to be able to avoid travelling during peak hours. In such cases it might well be worth purchasing a season ticket. These can be purchased for periods of time such as one week, one month or any longer period up to the maximum of one year. Whilst you might gasp a little when you see the price you have to pay out to purchase a season ticket, when you sit down and work it out it normally will end up costing you a substantially lower amount of money. Of course, it depends on how much you use public transport, and each […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1331,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kadence_starter_templates_imported_post":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[6],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/movingtolondon.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/circle_line_in_meaningless_composition_westbound.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/movingtolondon.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1325"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/movingtolondon.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/movingtolondon.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/movingtolondon.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/movingtolondon.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1325"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/movingtolondon.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1325\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3056,"href":"https:\/\/movingtolondon.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1325\/revisions\/3056"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/movingtolondon.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1331"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/movingtolondon.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1325"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/movingtolondon.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1325"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/movingtolondon.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1325"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}