London travelcard

[Williamsson]

• I am travelling from Didcot Parkway to London Paddington and returning the same day with tube travel in London
• Travelling on Wednesday 12th September 2018
• Off-peak travel (planning on taking the 10:48 and returning that evening)
• No railcard
• Happy to consider cheaper options if possible

Basically, I am travelling into London tomorrow for a short meeting at Paddington at noon and then have another event in the evening. Obviously I can arrange to hang around in London until the evening but given that I normally purchase an 'off-peak Day travelcard' which advertises unlimited travel, can I do the following:
- Get the 10:48 from DID to PAD
- Get a train (probably the 13:26 back to Didcot Parkway from PAD
- Get the 17:19 from DID back to PAD (I would want to arrive back into London Paddington @ 6pm)
- tube travel in london
- Get an evening train (probably the the last train back) that night from PAD to DID again

Is this possible on one travelcard ticket or would I need to buy an off peak return for the first journey then an offpeak travelcard for the second journey with tube travel?

Thanks in advance for helping me understand!

 

[Clip]

As you are returning to Didcot then your ticket in effect becomes used as its valid for one journey to and from London and the TC part in the middle ( though some may say that the TC is still valid but im not one to agree on that)

Do you not have a contactless card you can use whilst in london as this will cap and will be easier with you just getting the 2 returns you will need for getting to/from Didcot

 

[cactustwirly]

• I am travelling from Didcot Parkway to London Paddington and returning the same day with tube travel in London
• Travelling on Wednesday 12th September 2018
• Off-peak travel (planning on taking the 10:48 and returning that evening)
• No railcard
• Happy to consider cheaper options if possible

Basically, I am travelling into London tomorrow for a short meeting at Paddington at noon and then have another event in the evening. Obviously I can arrange to hang around in London until the evening but given that I normally purchase an 'off-peak Day travelcard' which advertises unlimited travel, can I do the following:
- Get the 10:48 from DID to PAD
- Get a train (probably the 13:26 back to Didcot Parkway from PAD
- Get the 17:19 from DID back to PAD (I would want to arrive back into London Paddington @ 6pm)
- tube travel in london
- Get an evening train (probably the the last train back) that night from PAD to DID again

Is this possible on one travelcard ticket or would I need to buy an off peak return for the first journey then an offpeak travelcard for the second journey with tube travel?

Thanks in advance for helping me understand!

You will need another off peak return as well, as the unlimited travel is only within Zones 1-6.
However when you return to Didcot, you could just get a return from Boundary Zone 6, instead of Paddington which would work out cheaper.

 

[Williamsson]

Thanks Cactustwirly, I suspected as much. Appreciate the quick response, have a great day!

 

[Nippy]

I don't know if the gates at Didcot would retain your Travelcard when you got back? Maybe others know?

 

[Hadders]

I don't know if the gates at Didcot would retain your Travelcard when you got back? Maybe others know?

Quite possibly. Just asknto be let through manually.

 

[Haywain]

I don't know if the gates at Didcot would retain your Travelcard when you got back? Maybe others know?

Quite possibly. Just asknto be let through manually.

When returning to Didcot the first time (and leaving the second time) the relevant ticket for the Didcot barriers is the return from Boundary Zone 6 to Didcot. The Travelcard, if being used again, should definitely not be offered to the barrier or the barrier staff!

 

[Joe Paxton]

When returning to Didcot the first time (and leaving the second time) the relevant ticket for the Didcot barriers is the return from Boundary Zone 6 to Didcot. The Travelcard, if being used again, should definitely not be offered to the barrier or the barrier staff!

I can imagine it being a struggle at a ticket office to buy a BZ6 to Didcot return ticket when in possession of a outboundary Day Travelcard from Didcot... a ticket machine that offers BZ fares might be easier!

 

[Hadders]

Maybe purchase it from a TVM at Paddington although i’m Not 100% sure if they have tickets from another station enabled.

 

[bkhtele]

Didcot to west Drayton off
Peak return would also be valid. You might have difficulty with train staff though. Perfectly valid in my opinion under the new national conditions of travel.

 

[swt_passenger]

Didcot to west Drayton off
Peak return would also be valid. You might have difficulty with train staff though. Perfectly valid in my opinion under the new national conditions of travel.

You’d be using it the wrong direction though. You’d need West Drayton to Didcot.

 

[bkhtele]

Ops my mistake! sorry. Thanks for the correction

 

[DelW]

Ops my mistake! sorry. Thanks for the correction

There isn't any benefit, but I think your original suggestion could actually work:
Journey 1: use West Drayton outward half at Didcot barriers, use Travelcard at PAD
Journey 2: use Travelcard at PAD, use West Drayton return half at Didcot (will be retained)
Journeys 3 & 4: use Travelcard as normal

I've used out-boundary travelcards in situations where I've started the day in London, spent the day there, and travelled home in the afternoon, and found it cheaper to buy an out-boundary travelcard than a six-zones and a separate single home. I didn't ever have a problem using the card in the zones without having made the inward journey first.

 

[Haywain]

There isn't any benefit, but I think your original suggestion could actually work:
Journey 1: use West Drayton outward half at Didcot barriers, use Travelcard at PAD
Journey 2: use Travelcard at PAD, use West Drayton return half at Didcot (will be retained)
Journeys 3 & 4: use Travelcard as normal

I've used out-boundary travelcards in situations where I've started the day in London, spent the day there, and travelled home in the afternoon, and found it cheaper to buy an out-boundary travelcard than a six-zones and a separate single home. I didn't ever have a problem using the card in the zones without having made the inward journey first.

Your experience does not include the risk of the Travelcard being seen before the inward journey has been completed and I would therefore urge the OP not to follow your suggestion.

 

[bkhtele]

For two return journeys on the same day to Paddington + tube:
Would a paper 1-6 travel card plus two Didcot to West Drayton off peak day returns be valid under the current national conditions of carriage?

 

[DelW]

Your experience does not include the risk of the Travelcard being seen before the inward journey has been completed and I would therefore urge the OP not to follow your suggestion.

Since the OP was intending to make his trip yesterday, it was more a theoretical point than a suggestion. I don't think there's anything illicit in my combination, but I agree it might provoke awkward questions and possibly be difficult to prove you weren't doing something fraudulent.

 

[Muzer]

Are you allowed to use an outboundary travelcard as a travelcard before the outward journey portion? (Never mind how enforceable it is, I'm curious as to whether or not you're actually allowed to).

 

[SAPhil]

Are you allowed to use an outboundary travelcard as a travelcard before the outward journey portion? (Never mind how enforceable it is, I'm curious as to whether or not you're actually allowed to).

I'd like to know the answer to this and a similar question. Are you allowed to use an outboundary travelcard as a travelcard without ever making the outward journey?

 

[swt_passenger]

I'd like to know the answer to this and a similar question. Are you allowed to use an outboundary travelcard as a travelcard without ever making the outward journey?

No reason why not. The problem being pointed out earlier is specifically using the return direction journey before attempting to use the outward. Different case entirely.

 

[bb21]

Are you allowed to use an outboundary travelcard as a travelcard before the outward journey portion? (Never mind how enforceable it is, I'm curious as to whether or not you're actually allowed to).

I really don't see any reason why not.

 

[alastair]

If you do this journey even only rarely it will be worth you buying a Network Railcard https://www.network-railcard.co.uk/. This will give you 34% off your fare anywhere in London and South East (including Didcot). It is only valid after 10am Mon-Fri (anytime weekends/BH). There is also a minimum fare of £13 Mon-Fri. Up to 3 people travelling with you also get the discount. The card costs £30 but should pay for itself in 2 or 3 trips and is valid a year.

 

[bkhtele]

Or you might want the Thames 3 (consecutive) days rover:
£50.80 (equivalent to £16.95 a day).
Or with a network card: £33.50 (£11.17 a day)
Valid from Didcot off peak.

Can be purchased from FGW web site.

 

[alistairlees]

There isn't any benefit, but I think your original suggestion could actually work:
Journey 1: use West Drayton outward half at Didcot barriers, use Travelcard at PAD
Journey 2: use Travelcard at PAD, use West Drayton return half at Didcot (will be retained)
Journeys 3 & 4: use Travelcard as normal

I've used out-boundary travelcards in situations where I've started the day in London, spent the day there, and travelled home in the afternoon, and found it cheaper to buy an out-boundary travelcard than a six-zones and a separate single home. I didn't ever have a problem using the card in the zones without having made the inward journey first.

Journey 3 would not be allowed as the Travelcard part has already been used. You can't do an outward journey AFTER you have used the Travelcard element.

 

[cactustwirly]

So journey 1 use Travelcard to travel to London
Journey 2 use Tc and outward BZ6 portion
Journey 3 use return portion of BZ6 and Tc
Journey 4 use Travel card back to Didcot