Hi all,
Firstly, greetings! I'm moving to Lovelace Road from Fulham on the 12th of May with my girlfriend - looking forward to exploring the area :)
I have a few questions on train fares from Surbiton that hopefully someone will be able to answer (apologies if this has already been asked elsewhere but I couldn't find anything). So... I work near Piccadilly Circus every day from Monday to Friday, and I want to travel as cheaply as possible each day as funds are going to be a little tight from now on. Hopefully someone could have a quick read through this and make sure I've interpreted the TfL website correctly, please!
Some background info... firstly, I'm unable to afford an annual travelcard - so I'll have to rule that out. Secondly, I might be able to travel entirely at off-peak times (but as I'm not sure yet I'd like to do the sums for both peak and off-peak travel). Thirdly, I won't be travelling much (if at all) other than to/from work 5 days a week. Lastly, I'm 24 - so I could get a 16-25 railcard.
The TfL website says that peak singles from zones 1-6 are £6.90 and off-peak singles are £4.60 (so £13.80 peak return, or £8.50 off-peak return because of the daily price capping) - so I'd be looking at £69 (peak) or £42.50 (off-peak) each week. I assume I should be looking at http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/14414.aspx#adultthrough, and not http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/14416.aspx?
Comparing this to a monthly travelcard, peak singles work out at £299.82 per month, and off-peak singles work out at £184.67 per month. I think that this makes the monthly travelcard at £205.10 the cheapest way of doing it at peak times (saving £94.72 each month), but more expensive at off-peak times (by £20.43 per month).
If I were to get a 16-25 railcard, peak singles remain the same price - but off-peak singles drop to £3.05 (capped at £5.60 for an off-peak return), so £28 per week, or £121.67 a month.
So I really have two questions:
1) Peak travel: is the monthly travelcard at £205.10 really the cheapest way of travelling to Piccadilly Circus at peak times? Or is there a cheaper way other than an annual travelcard?
2) Off-peak travel: assuming I would be able to travel at off-peak times, is buying pay-as-you-go off-peak singles with a 16-25 railcard at approx. £121.67 a month the cheapest way of doing it?
This seems a massive difference. If anyone else can think of any other tricks to make either option even cheaper then I'd appreciate their thoughts.
I'd be interested to hear how anyone else who works in Central London does it! Thanks in advance for any help with this.
Comments
Hi - welcome to Surbiton,
It is very expensive. I work in central London and I would suggest
On Peak :
1 Month season ticket London - Vauxhall £111.40 per month
Vauxhall to Piccadilly Circus - Bus (88) £1.35 per day
Cost per month approx £141.10
I can't find a cheaper option than the one you suggested for off peak travel.
Laura
Welcome to Surbiton ! Unfortunately I can't help you with train fares, but you have made a good choice with Lovelace Road. It is quiet, handy for buses and trains, and close to the river and the shops in Kingston as well. At the moment they are building a new bridge at the end of the road going towards Surbiton so you won't be able to drive thru that way until the middle of May I believe. Hope you get some answers to your train fares question! By the way I would say the best pubs are the Black Lion for 'locals' and music at weekends, the Coronation just past the station up the hill for a cheap pint, and Gordon Bennett for a nice wine bar, both along Maple Road. A short walk for you. Maybe some surbitonians can recommend a good restaurant for you ... The French Table on Maple Road is the best but quite expensive.
Hi there, thanks for the info!
We've heard the Lovelace area is nice - it seems nice and quiet and leafy. Hopefully we'll enjoy it there :) I'll have to check out those pubs - we haven't been able to explore the area much yet so it'll be good to find a nice local pub.
Any restaurant recommendations would be good if anyone has them!
Thanks again
- get on your bike! I notice you have one as your avatar. Is that a fixed-gear? When I cycle from the Surb to the West End I got it down to 50 minutes. It's a pretty easy ride, the only climbing is in Richmond Park. You could do it on a fixed gear or single speed easily.
I'm freelance so I don't do it every day as there's no guarantee I'll be working somewhere with showers.
I use a Brompton other times so then at least I only have to pay for the train part of the journey.
Also, check out the Lamb - best pub in Surbiton. I live on Upper Brighton Rd near Lovelace and it is a lovely area. Plus, in 30 mins cycle you can be in the Surrey Hills!
The Lamb eh? I've heard good things about it on this site - I'll check it out and head over the road to the Black Lion as well :)
http://maps.google.com/?q=http://share.abvio.com/8195/bd82/4c08/073c/Cyc...
it's not too busy and I think it's pretty safe. Plus you get to cycle through Richmond Park. If you are into your cycling then there's a great local cycling club, Kingston Wheelers, who meet up for club runs near Laithwaites on Portsmouth Rd.
Thanks, I might just take you up on that :) Do you know of any running clubs in Kingston/Surbiton as well?
Hi Aytri, I joined 26.2 Road running club in Berrylands about 10 years ago and it was the best thing I did for staying motivated with keeping fit. Before joining I yo-yo'd with enthusiasm. It is extremely friendly and cater for runners of all levels. The only thing they ask is that you can run at least 3 miles. Don't be misled by the name, its not just for marathon runners... they have runners who run a few miles on club nights and never race or run further than that. At the other end of the scale there are runners who are 2:45 marathon pace and one amazing lady in her sixties who has run a 100 mile event and a 24 hour race within the last year. There really is a level to suit everyone
At £15 per year membership it is pretty good value for money when compared to Gyms etc.
They meet at 7pm on Mondays and Wednesdays from the Tennis Club. See http://www.26point2.co.uk/ for more details.
Enjoy your running
Pegs
get a return to waterloo and then either walk or ride. this is the only way to make it as cheap as possible, other than riding all of the way.
p.s Welcome to the best kept secret in London.
see you down the lamb....
I agree. It is not worth getting the tube or bus from Waterloo to Piccadilly Circus. The tube won't save much time and is expensive, the bus will probably actually take you longer than walking.
It is a 15 minute walk at most.
I am not sure Surbiton is a well kept secret, but you have made a good choice. A lot of people moving down from more central areas in London are put off by the name and staid reputation, but actually Surbiton has got a lot more going for it than almost any other suburban area in London.