Guildford to Camden - best/cheapest way

[ABB125]

My brother needs to get from Guildford to Camden on Thursday, arriving a bit before 0800. I think the return time is flexible. He has a 16-25 Railcard, and can (as far as I'm aware) do contactless payment. As I'm not too familiar with the optimisation of fares around London, I thought I'd ask here!
The two options I've come up with are:

• "Faster" via central London and Northern Line to Camden Town
• "Cheaper" avoiding central London, by using London Overground between Clapham Junction and Camden Road

I think the fares are £22.15 for Guildford to Zones 1-2, which covers option 1, or £15 for Guildford to Clapham plus £1.70 (peak, outward) and £1.50 (off-peak, return) for option 2 (total £18.20).

Is this correct? Are there any better ways of doing this journey?

Thanks very much!

 

[JonathanH]

My brother needs to get from Guildford to Camden on Thursday, arriving a bit before 0800. I think the return time is flexible. He has a 16-25 Railcard, and can (as far as I'm aware) do contactless payment. As I'm not too familiar with the optimisation of fares around London, I thought I'd ask here!
The two options I've come up with are:

• "Faster" via central London and Northern Line to Camden Town
• "Cheaper" avoiding central London, by using London Overground between Clapham Junction and Camden Road

I think the fares are £22.15 for Guildford to Zones 1-2, which covers option 1, or £15 for Guildford to Clapham plus £1.70 (peak, outward) and £1.50 (off-peak, return) for option 2 (total £18.20).

Is this correct? Are there any better ways of doing this journey?

Thanks very much!

Anytime day return from Guildford to Camden Road is £20.85 via Central London if that works better than Camden Town (changing from Underground to North London Line at Highbury & Islington is probably easiest). Clearly it is possible to stop short at Euston and walk to Camden on this ticket as well.

 

[ABB125]

Anytime day return from Guildford to Camden Road is £20.85 via Central London if that works better than Camden Town (changing from Underground to North London Line at Highbury & Islington is probably easiest). Clearly it is possible to stop short at Euston and walk to Camden on this ticket as well.

Thanks - I think Camden Road is a bit closer to his final destination, but it's not really that much of a difference. Would the ticket be valid to Camden Town as well?

 

[JonathanH]

Thanks - I think Camden Road is a bit closer to his final destination, but it's not really that much of a difference. Would the ticket be valid to Camden Town as well?

No, not to Camden Town as it isn't a valid interchange for cross London transfer.

I'm not convinced that Waterloo - Kentish Town - West Hampstead Thameslink - West Hampstead - Camden Road is a reasonable underground transfer which is what you would have to argue to make it valid there. Open question as to whether you could validly stop short at Camden Town on a ticket to Kentish Town (same price as Camden Road).

List of London Underground and DLR Stations between which single/return tickets valid for travel ‘via London' may be used - subject to route of the through journey being made

Aldgate Finsbury Park Shepherds Bush
Amersham Greenwich (DLR) outhwark
Baker Street Highbury & Islington Stratford
Balham Kensington Olympia Stratford International (DLR)
Bank Kentish Town Tottenham Hale
Barking Kings Cross / St Pancras Tower Hill
Blackfriars Lancaster Gate Upminster
Blackhorse Road Lewisham (DLR) Vauxhall
Brixton Limehouse Victoria
Canada Water Liverpool Street Walthamstow Central
Cannon Street London Bridge Waterloo
Charing Cross Marylebone West Brompton
Ealing Broadway Moorgate West Ham
Edgware Road Old Street West Hampstead
Elephant & Castle Paddington Whitechapel
Embankment Queens Park Wimbledon
Euston Richmond Woolwich Arsenal (DLR)
Euston Square Seven Sisters
Farringdon Shadwell
Some London termini stations are within easy walking distance of one another and tickets showing the cross-London ‘ ' symbol are valid to make the connection between them at street level.

More about cross-London transfer here https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...ection-7-integrated-fares.70022/#post-1315636

 

[Haywain]

Kentish Town isn’t that far from Camden Road (accepting that this could be a matter of opinion).

 

[ABB125]

No, not to Camden Town as it isn't a valid interchange for cross London transfer.

I'm not convinced that Waterloo - Kentish Town - West Hampstead Thameslink - West Hampstead - Camden Road is a reasonable underground transfer which is what you would have to argue to make it valid there. Open question as to whether you could validly stop short at Camden Town on a ticket to Kentish Town (same price as Camden Road).



More about cross-London transfer here https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...ection-7-integrated-fares.70022/#post-1315636

Thanks again. I'll see what my brother wants to do.

Kentish Town isn’t that far from Camden Road (accepting that this could be a matter of opinion).

That's a fair point; the final destination appears to be roughly half way between the two, so that might be an option.