Split ticketing with travelcard loaded on Oyster

[Yankee01]

I'm planning on making a day trip to Cambridge while I'm in London.

My question is does split ticketing work with a travelcard loaded on an oyster card? That is, could I buy a Finsbury Park to Cambridge day return and use that along with the travelcard for the full journey? I figure the travelcard would have covered the portion of the journey to Finsbury Park. Is there any issue of not tapping out on oyster at Finsbury Park?

I'll be staying near Farringdon. The savings isn't all that much for off-peak times. Though it looks like there is a train that departs Farringdon just before 9:30 which costs quite a bit more. When that same train leaves Finsbury Park, it is far cheaper.

If I can do this, it makes the travelcard come out a bit ahead of using the PAYG daily caps.

 

[Leogilbert007]

The forum booking site factors in any travelcards when booking.booking page with *full* journey information entered >> Settings (cog icon) >> scroll down >> specify the zones covered by your travelcard and any time restrictions. Click ok and the site will show any advantageous fares if a boundary zone fare is cheaper than a through ticket

 

[Hadders]

What you want to do is fine although I’d recommend a Boundary Zone x ticket to Cambridge rather than from a named station, for maximum flexibility. This would give you the ability to travel from Kings Cross via Welwyn Garden City or Hertford, and from Liverpool Street using the Greater Anglia route.

X being the outermost zone your Travelcard is valid in.

 

[Dirty_Mac]

A day return from Finsbury Park to Cambridge is £32.10 while a day return from Zone 6 boundary to Cambridge costs £30.60 (assuming you have a zones 1–6 travelcard) so I definitely suggest the latter.

 

[Roger1973]

Not that I've often had a London travelcard on Oyster, but would it depend whether it's an all zones travelcard or just (for example) zones 1 to 3?

If it's not all zones, is there a risk that by tapping in in zone 1, then not tapping out anywhere, then in these circumstances, Oyster will record an incomplete journey and charge a PAYG fare as if you've travelled to zone 6, though?

 

[Hadders]

Not that I've often had a London travelcard on Oyster, but would it depend whether it's an all zones travelcard or just (for example) zones 1 to 3?

Boundary Zone fares are available from Zones 2,3,4,5 and 6

If it's not all zones, is there a risk that by tapping in in zone 1, then not tapping out anywhere, then in these circumstances, Oyster will record an incomplete journey and charge a PAYG fare as if you've travelled to zone 6, though?

There is no requirement to touch in or out if a Travelcard season is held on an Oyster card. A touch in without a touch out, our a touch out with no touch in won't result in a charge.

 

[Roger1973]

Boundary Zone fares are available from Zones 2,3,4,5 and 6

There is no requirement to touch in or out if a Travelcard season is held on an Oyster card. A touch in without a touch out, our a touch out with no touch in won't result in a charge.

Thanks - it's not something I've done for a while, so I was a bit out of touch with it all.

 

[Yankee01]

Thanks all for the advice on the boundary zone fares. That would be the best fit for what I'm looking to do. For the return, getting back to any London station on any route does give me more flexibility. Would this ticket be available from any TVM at the station?

Something a bit unrelated, how would the fare be calculated using Elizabeth line from Heathrow with a zone 1-2 travelcard to central London? I keep some funds on the Oyster for extension fares. I just want to have enough to cover it.

 

[Hadders]

Most (but not all) ticket machines sell Boundary Zone fares. Ticket offices sell them as does the forum's on ticket selling sits.

Exactly what ticket do you hold on your Oyster card?

 

[redreni]

I'm sure the OP will have gathered this but perhaps worth mentioning, for the avoidance of doubt, that as a Travelcard is always either a season ticket or a daily zonal ticket, there is no requirement for the train to call at the boundary station. So it's permissible to use a non-stop train from Kings Cross to Cambridge with a Travelcard plus a ticket from Boundary Zone X to Cambridge.