Guide to Student Travel Around London

Guide to Student Travel around London

2014

As a student in London, you are automatically eligible for various discounts on travel. The fare structure in London can be confusing and complicated for new comers; how ever t his guide w ill hopefully help you decipher the various charges. Depending on how far you have to go, there are various options available t o you. All transport in London is cheaper and quicker to use if you have an ‘ Oyster Card.’ This is a plastic card the size of a debit or credit card that you can either load money, or a ‘ travelcard’ onto (meanings explained below .) In London there are many different modes of transport that you can pay for using your Oyster Card. The London Underground (or tube) is the main transport netw ork across the cit y . Also part of the tube netw ork is the Docklands Light Railw ay (DLR) w hich operates in East and South East London, and the London Overground service, w hich is a less regular train service. You w ill also be able to use your Oyst er Card on all bus services, some river services and some suburban rail services. For the purposes of f ares, London is divided into ' Zones' - w ith Central London f alling into Zone 1, and the Zones going up to Zone 9 at the out ermost points of London. The stations closest to the Academy are all in Zone 1.

Pay As You Go Oyster Card Regardless of your situation, having an Oyster Card w ill automatically save you money. It costs £5 to purchase (refundable if you w ish to return your card if you leave London), and w ill automatically save you money compared to the cash fare for a paper ticket . Using an Oyster Card as ‘ Pay As You Go’ , means that if you load for example £20 onto the card (either done at a st ation or online), for each journey you make, a deduction is made. There is a daily price cap so that no matter how much you use your card in a day, it w ill never exceed the amount charged f or a day travelcard, w hich is a paper ticket (not an Oyster Card) that can...