Cheapest travel from Cuffley - Victoria, 3 days/week

[EmmaHenry]

Hi,

I am returning to work from maternity leave in January, 3 days a week and as my salary will be reducing accordingly, I need to find the cheapest way to make 3 return journeys from Cuffley to Victoria, 3 days per week (Mon, Tues and Thurs).

I will be travelling at peak times - I need to be at Victoria for 08.25 and will be there at 17.05 for the return journey home.

I don't qualify for any railcards.

I have heard of split ticketing so wondered if this was an option (and if it is allowed by the train company); also is it worth me covering part of the journey with an Oyster card? I understand a season ticket is not cost-effective, so are daily tickets cheaper if I buy them in advance, and if so, how far in advance?

Any help gratefully received!!

Thanks,

Emma.

 

[dzug2]

An anytime day return to Finsbury Park costs £9. A peak hour Oyster fare from there to Victoria is £2.50 - so £14 a day. You must get off at Finsbury Park though - you can't carry on to Kings Cross on the train.

An anytime day return Cuffley to Victoria is £15 - so you are saving £1 a day.

Buying in advance will save you nothing - indeed it may even cost you money if you are charged a booking fee or need to cancel

 

[bb21]

The good thing for the OP is that she might as well change at Finsbury Park as she needs the Victoria Line anyway.

The only drawback I can think of is that she might not get a seat on the way back getting on at Finsbury Park.

 

[cuccir]

I have heard of split ticketing so wondered if this was an option (and if it is allowed by the train company); also is it worth me covering part of the journey with an Oyster card? I understand a season ticket is not cost-effective, so are daily tickets cheaper if I buy them in advance, and if so, how far in advance?

It's not buying in advance which is cheaper, but buying advance tickets. I realise it might sound pedantic, but in this case you're one of the many people who have been mislead by adverts which have (wrongly) claimed that buying in advance is cheaper - the Advertising Standards Authority have followed up complaints on those ads. Advance tickets are usually only available on long distance journeys - there are a limited number of cheap tickets released for every train. There are unfortunately no advance tickets from Cuffley to Victoria!

 

[LexyBoy]

Welcome to the forum!

I have heard of split ticketing so wondered if this was an option (and if it is allowed by the train company)

I think dzug2 has probably found the best splitting point. You could also split (and change from train to Tube) at Highbury and Islington. The fares are the same, so it's a matter of which is more convenient.

"Split ticketing" is a right under the National Rail Conditions of Carriage, on the condition that the train stops at the station you change from one to the other (though under certain conditions it need not). The Train Operating Companies must abide by these conditions and cannot decide for themselves what is and is not valid.

is it worth me covering part of the journey with an Oyster card?

As you'd be splitting within the London Zones, the answer will be yes, as Oyster is the cheapest way of travelling in London. The very cheapest way would be to take the bus (73 I think) from Finsbury Park to Victoria, which would be £1.30 each way instead of £2.50, but I imagine that you don't want to take any longer than necessary!

I understand a season ticket is not cost-effective, so are daily tickets cheaper if I buy them in advance, and if so, how far in advance?

Indeed, in this case a season ticket is no use - for some routes a 7-day Season can be cheaper than even 2 daily returns!

Train tickets are never cheaper if bought in advance - Advance tickets can be cheaper than Off Peak or Anytime tickets, and must be bought in advance, but these are only available for certain routes and trains. "Walk-up" tickets - Off Peak, Super Off Peak, and Anytime - are the same price whenever and wherever they are bought. In the case of suburban routes like yours, these are the only ticket types available. (edit: same rant as cuccir, sorry!)

 

[John @ home]

An anytime day return to Finsbury Park costs £9. A peak hour Oyster fare from there to Victoria is £2.50 - so £14 a day.

I agree with this calculation. £14 daily is the best I can find. LexyBoy has pointed out that an Anytime Day Return Cuffley - Highbury & Islington is also £9. This gives you a much better interchange than at Finsbury Park. You need to remember to touch in with your Oyster card on the validators by the walkways between the two platforms at Highbury and Islington.

Even if you decide to change at Finsbury Park, it's worth buying your return ticket to Highbury each day because that gives you more options at times of disruption.

You must get off at Finsbury Park though - you can't carry on to Kings Cross on the train.

I agree that you need to get off the train at Finsbury Park (or Highbury) to touch in with your Oyster card. But it's not true to say that you can't carry on to Kings Cross on the train.

Finsbury Park - Kings Cross is a green route when using Oyster Pay-as-you-Go on National Rail, and Finsbury Park - Victoria is charged at the same rate whether the Finsbury Park - Kings Cross section is made by Underground or National Rail (if you don't exceed the maximum interchange times at Kings Cross). National Rail travel on a red route is charged at a higher rate. It's useful to remember this at times of disruption.

For all you ever wanted to know about Oyster, see MikeWh's excellent site at oyster-rail.org.uk.

 

[OwlMan]

I do not know how you get to Cuffley station but if you went to Crews Hill instaed that is within the oyster zone , so would you save you the problem of splitting tickets. The cost of zone1-6 oyster peak time single is £6-50 making a total of £13 per day using oyster.

 

[EmmaHenry]

Wow - thanks very much everyone! Having looked on the Oyster website, it seems that a single tube journey 0630 to 0930 is £2.50 then it reduces to £1.90 at all other times. So I would want to pay for 2 single fares to attract the lower fare on the return journey, will Oyster automatically do this?

Thanks very much for your advice!

Emma.

 

[LexyBoy]

Wow - thanks very much everyone! Having looked on the Oyster website, it seems that a single tube journey 0630 to 0930 is £2.50 then it reduces to £1.90 at all other times. So I would want to pay for 2 single fares to attract the lower fare on the return journey, will Oyster automatically do this?

Yes, it will

 

[EmmaHenry]

I do not know how you get to Cuffley station but if you went to Crews Hill instaed that is within the oyster zone , so would you save you the problem of splitting tickets. The cost of zone1-6 oyster peak time single is £6-50 making a total of £13 per day using oyster.

Thanks so much for the suggestion, however I will be driving and the car park at Crews Hill is more expensive than at Cuffley, so the saving cancels itself out.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Yes, it will

Brill - lovely, so my total fare will be £13.40. Wahoo. Every little helps as they say! Thanks LexyBoy.

 

[island]

Wow - thanks very much everyone! Having looked on the Oyster website, it seems that a single tube journey 0630 to 0930 is £2.50 then it reduces to £1.90 at all other times. So I would want to pay for 2 single fares to attract the lower fare on the return journey, will Oyster automatically do this?

Thanks very much for your advice!

Emma.

It's generally £2.50 from 1600 to 1900 as well, although if you are travelling on a green route and your journey ends in zone 1, then it isn't.

 

[MikeWh]

I agree with this calculation. £14 daily is the best I can find. LexyBoy has pointed out that an Anytime Day Return Cuffley - Highbury & Islington is also £9. This gives you a much better interchange than at Finsbury Park, but its usefulness depends on there being an Oyster validator at platform level there. Could someone please confirm whether this exists?

Yes, there are validators by the walkways between the two platforms at Highbury and Islington.

Wow - thanks very much everyone! Having looked on the Oyster website, it seems that a single tube journey 0630 to 0930 is £2.50 then it reduces to £1.90 at all other times. So I would want to pay for 2 single fares to attract the lower fare on the return journey, will Oyster automatically do this?

Thanks very much for your advice!

Emma.

Zone 2 to Zone 1 TfL journeys are off-peak in the afternoon but the reverse zone 1 to zone 2 journeys are not, sadly. You need to use the single fare finder in each direction to find the correct fares.

 

[John @ home]

Yes, there are validators by the walkways between the two platforms at Highbury and Islington.

Thanks, Mike. I have edited my earlier post.

Zone 2 to Zone 1 TfL journeys are off-peak in the afternoon but the reverse zone 1 to zone 2 journeys are not, sadly. You need to use the single fare finder in each direction to find the correct fares.

Yes, unfortunately Mon-Fri 1600-1900 Highbury and Islington to Victoria is £1.90 but Victoria to Highbury and Islington is £2.50. So we're back to a £14 daily total, I fear.