Using an Oyster Card - Wembley Advice for Non-locals

[UTCIAD 15]

For all the visitors to London who are planning on following the sage advice of purchasing and using an oyster card for their travel around our capital, I have some advice from previous personal experience. Always Tap In & Out even if the gates are open/non-existent.

 

After the game all of the tube stations that serve Wembley will have their gates open to assist the flow of people to the trains. However if you are using an oyster card to travel you should still tap in the card when walking through the open gates. A couple of years ago I did not tap in and when trying to exit a gate at my destination I didn't have enough money on the card to cover the maximum fare that was applied as I had not tapped in & out ..... a lack of staff at that time of evening on a Sunday did not help matters!

[Warren 48]

they will fine you £20 on top of max fare

[Swindon Patriot 57]

This is particularly easy to not do at Wembley Stadium Station. This is a very open station and the card reader is located at the top of the stairs IIRC.

It's easy to miss it, as we did last time and ended up paying a lot for the short journey to Marylebone, because we had to tap out at the other end.

[jcuza 8]

Could anyone tell me the difference between getting a visitor Oyster card and just getting a regular one when we get there? Cheers

[Warren 48]

its easier to get the oyster add cash to it and it will give you the best rate ticket.

 

say you use it multiple times a day it will convert your ticket to a 1 day pass rather than a simple return if that is better.

 

1 day tickets get cheaper after 930am

[Jaco 2]

Can i go to a regular ticket machine at any tube/train stations and buy an Oyster Card?

[Tommo 7]

Can i go to a regular ticket machine at any tube/train stations and buy an Oyster Card?

 

Get it online. thats what I did and took like 2 days

[Buddfox 11]

No you need to go to a manned ticket desk, but there should be one at every station. Not sure about this £20 fine thing, you just get charged the maximum single fare if you don't tap in and then try and tap out.

[Buddfox 11]

Plus as Tommo says you can of course also order it online

[Guest Keithj]

Thanks for mentioning that national railcards can be applied to Oyster cards. Ruth and I both have Senior cards and adding them will save us even more.

 

Keith

[waspie 50]

1 day tickets get cheaper after 930am

 

Monday - Friday. Same price all day at weekends. Note that if you're staying in the suburbs or further out of town, there may also be restrictions on using rush hour trains in the evening (this doesn't apply to the underground).

 

....just realising how ridiculously complex this whole train thing has become!

[Jaco 2]

Thanks guys. I'll order online and hope it gets here by wednesday.

[Count Rushmore 16]

Yep, always tap in and out even if gates are open (or at some railway stations non-existent) and there are no staff around. It immediately works out your cheapest fair and if you don't it will take off the maximum fair at the end of the day if you haven't "finished" your travelling by not tapping out at the end of the day.

 

If you don't tap in at the beginning of a journey you may be fined by an inspector, but they're rare these days, even on the buses.

[Guest dave45]

Yep, always tap in and out even if gates are open (or at some railway stations non-existent) and there are no staff around. It immediately works out your cheapest fair and if you don't it will take off the maximum fair at the end of the day if you haven't "finished" your travelling by not tapping out at the end of the day.

 

If you don't tap in at the beginning of a journey you may be fined by an inspector, but they're rare these days, even on the buses.

Not as rare as you might think, El Russo, especially as some are in plain clothes nowadays. Its probably not worth taking the chance.

[Guest sanj2000]

The Oyster system - just like the Patriots - is not infallible. Today, I touched in and out (travelling only within my travelcard zones) and it still took £2 off! Station staff were useless - just advised me to call Oyster "helpline", who have been anything but helpful in previous calls to them.

 

rant over :-(

[Count Rushmore 16]

Agreed Dave, I just haven't been checked myself in a long while!

[Guest dave45]

Agreed Dave, I just haven't been checked myself in a long while!

Me neither, but I always have my ticket for when I am checked.

[Magoo 2]

The Oyster system - just like the Patriots - is not infallible. Today, I touched in and out (travelling only within my travelcard zones) and it still took £2 off! Station staff were useless - just advised me to call Oyster "helpline", who have been anything but helpful in previous calls to them.

 

rant over :-(

 

You can say that again, in fact my mate's a Tube station supervisor and a Seahawks fan and is coming to the game and the pre game party with me, feel free to other him any abuse you feel he deserves, apparently he may be wearing his "Russell Knows" t-shirt.

He is hoping Pats radio announcer and former QB Scott Zolak is around as he said some not too complimentary things about the Seahawks a fortnight ago.

[stepho1985 1]

I know it's a bit late but I've had the same problem. I tapped out when leaving West Hampstead, yet it still charged me £4.60 for the short journey Wembley Park to West Hampstead, as it hadn't registered despite it being barriered. I only realised this today so have dropped them an email to see if they can refund me some or all of that. Let's see how long it takes them to reply!