PDA

View Full Version : Weekly vs monthly travelcards, London

Jonny69
13-03-2010, 19:34
Ugh, I'm struggling with the TFL website... someone please explain... :D

I'm currently getting a weekly travelcard, commuting for a week, then work from home one day and get another weekly travelcard.

So in a long 31 day month I buy 4 weekly travelcards and roll a day over to the next month, shorter months I roll more days over to the next month.

How do monthly travelcards work with the varying month length? Are they pro-rated or do they just work out more expensive on a shorter month? Or do you get 31 days travel whatever the length of the month?

I'm trying to work out if it would work out more expensive for me to get a monthly, based on working from home one day a week which I don't currently pay to travel on.
Mark
13-03-2010, 19:50
I'd assume they charge a flat rate and ignore the length of the month. People who buy monthly travelcards rarely buy just one, so they can just declare that a month equals 30.4375 days and be done with it.

That said, multiply the monthly price by 12 and the weekly price by about 44 (52 weeks less 6 weeks to allow for your working at home scheme and another few for holidays). Lowest result wins. :)
Moley
13-03-2010, 20:05
A monthly travelcard is a 31-day travel card not matter what length of month you are in.
Blighter
14-03-2010, 00:18
I'd assume they charge a flat rate and ignore the length of the month. People who buy monthly travelcards rarely buy just one, so they can just declare that a month equals 30.4375 days and be done with it.

That said, multiply the monthly price by 12 and the weekly price by about 44 (52 weeks less 6 weeks to allow for your working at home scheme and another few for holidays). Lowest result wins. :)

That's a very good way to look at it!

Also, will it help you outside of work?

When I was working in Bluewater I could have paid £16/week for home -> bluewater for 10 trips (5 days) or £21 for unlimited travel around home town and to Bluewater.. so I chose the later as it saved me money when getting around locally outside of work.
Flibster
14-03-2010, 01:13
If you have to use the underground - look at the price of just getting a weekly or monthly ticket to the station and then using an oyster card around London.

Works out a few hundred quid a year cheaper for the other half.
Dymetrie
14-03-2010, 09:04
A monthly travelcard is a 31-day travel card not matter what length of month you are in.

Incorrect.

A london monthly travelcard is for one calendar month, no matter how long that month is.

Doesn't bother me anymore as I'm working on a yearly travelcard (which is only annoying if you move out to the next zone halfway through the run of the ticket :/) :D
BBx
14-03-2010, 12:07
Its 30 days not 31. I've bought one for 3 years, never buy annually.

BB x
Moley
14-03-2010, 15:18
Incorrect.

A london monthly travelcard is for one calendar month, no matter how long that month is.

Doesn't bother me anymore as I'm working on a yearly travelcard (which is only annoying if you move out to the next zone halfway through the run of the ticket :/) :D

Well thats changed then - when I used to work in Holborn my tickets were 31 days I'm fairly sure.
Admiral Huddy
15-03-2010, 17:51
I do mine annually - although it's National Express rail.. not underground.