London to Bicester Village reverse commute

[Envy123]

My mother got a job offer for a higher position in Bicester Village. The position pays more, even taking into account the increased travel costs. She also tested the commute and is satisfied with the timings.

She lives in North London (Arnos Grove, in particular) and she would need to take the tube to Marylebone, as well as Chiltern to Bicester Village. She has no railcards.

The problem is that my mother has very few means to pay for travel until she gets her salary. Her employer doesn't help with a season ticket loan and she has a poor credit score, so can't really use CommuterClub. What would be the best option in this case?

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Romilly]

The ideal would be for a family member to gift her the cost of travel until her first pay day.

Short of that, I guess you are asking about ways of reducing the cost.

Season tickets for a month work out cheaper per day than season tickets for a week, but I will use weekly prices for comparison.

A weekly Marylebone-Bicester Village (via High Wycombe) season ticket is £121.20. To that would have to be added the cost of travel from Arnos Grove to Marylebone (bus although longer will be cheaper).

South Ruislip and West Ruislip stations are on the Chiltern Line. A weekly season ticket from West Ruislip to Bicester Village is £96.30, but this will involve changing at High Wycombe, so slower again.

To get from Arnos Grove to West Ruislip most cheaply would involve two buses each way (so £1.50 using the Hopper fare): No.251 from Arnos Grove to Burnt Oak Leisure Centre (26 mins) and No. 114 to Ruislip. Early in the morning (e.g. taking the 0530 bus from Arnos Grove), the 114 takes about 50 minutes to Ruislip (get off in South Ruislip and walk 6 mins to South Ruislip station or get off at Ruislip Underground station and walk 19 minutes to West Ruislip station). I am not sure that I would submit to that twice a day to save £25 per week, but it would be a short-term option.

Alternatively, consider using the Underground from Arnos Grove to Ruislip, whether the Piccadilly Line all the way or, more cheaply, using London Overground between Caledonian Road (or Highbury & Islington) and West Hampstead. Or Underground to West Ruislip.

 

[Envy123]

Thank you.

My mother and I decided that we would pay for the one monthly ticket using a credit card and pay it off immediately once she gets the salary.

 

[yorkie]

It's approx £20 per week extra to get a Travelcard (ie £4 per day), which is cheaper than using PAYG each day from Arnos Grove to Marylebone.

If she starts on a Monday during May, assuming a 5-day week, buying one ticket for 5 weeks of travel (a season issued for a validity period of 1 month & 2 days) would cost £583.10, which works out at £116.62 per week including the tube. Any additional journeys within the validity area/period would, of course, be free.

 

[Doctor Fegg]

Chiltern offer cut-price monthlies on Direct Debit, which may prove useful.

 

[CyrusWuff]

Chiltern offer cut-price monthlies on Direct Debit, which may prove useful.

Kind of...They charge you for 11 months and give you the 12th free, with tickets issued to start on the 1st of the month, and the Direct Debit taken on the 20th.

Whilst it avoids the need to find £5580 up front (in this case), you end up paying significantly more in the long run (namely a minimum of £5892.70) as you don't get the discount for buying an Annual.

It also works out more expensive than buying "odd" periods where the tickets end on a Friday before going on holiday and starting again on a Monday once you get back.