Today, our purpose is to be able to pass through these gates and their types.
And our heroic companion for this purpose is the Oyster card.
It is similar to the Istanbulkart and can be used after loading with cash, credit card, or online options.
The Oyster card allows two individuals to share it, which is said to be impossible. This may be due to the need to tap in and out or they might just want to benefit from the deposit more. 😃 Of course, we didn’t take the risk to try it. Everyone should get their own oyster. 😉
Actually, there are 2 types of Oyster cards.
- Oyster card (Standard, the blue one next to it)
- Visitor Oyster card (The colorful one below)
How to Get an Oyster Card
The Visitor Oyster card is ordered online before going to England and is delivered to your home. You need to load a minimum of £10 onto it. The costs include:
- £3 activation fee
- Shipping fee based on transit time
Standard Shipping (12-16 business days): £4.25
Express Shipping (4-5 business days): £12.75
You can complete the process of getting a Visitor Oyster card from this link.
The advantages of this card are;
- Having a card that you can use as soon as you land in England
- No need to wait in line to get the card
- Discounts at various points such as restaurants, shopping, and museums
However, you cannot get back the activation fee you paid for this card.
The Standard Oyster card can be obtained at the airport or from the machines in the subway when you arrive in England. The difference from the Visitor card is that a £5 deposit is charged, but you can get this deposit back later.
Loading Cash onto the Oyster Card
Since I haven’t used a card abroad, especially for cash loading, I will explain this part. But I think the only difference is that you are inserting your card instead of banknotes and coins. 😃
For cash loading, you must go to the devices labeled ‘Notes Accepted’ like the one you see on the left.
Your first step is to tap your card on the yellow circle. After that, you do not need to hold your card in that area.
This means you tap once at the beginning of the transaction and once at the end.
After the first tap, loading amounts will appear on the screen, and if ‘Change Given’ appears, the refund option will come up.
You can choose from standard amounts or select ‘Other’ based on the amount you have for loading.
Remember, if you want to receive a refund, you must do this before heading to the airport.
The amount you get back from the machine must be below £10.
When you get the refund, your card remains in your hands but is no longer active.
Note 1: Pass quickly through the gates in the first picture (the one instead of the metro turnstile). With luggage, you may not be fast enough; you might find your backpack stuck. 😄
Note 2: Yes, transportation is expensive, currently the fare for a single ride is around £2.40, but for the area you will mainly be exploring (Zone 1-2), the maximum drop for a day is £6.50.
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