The cost of the challenge

[geofftech]

So TfL announced their 2015 fares today, the Z1-9 Anytime travelcard will go up 50p to £21.50, the new price of the challenge.

But they continue to whittle down paper tickets now and it did make me wonder - if there were NO paper tickets, and you HAD to use Oyster - what would you do for a tube challenge?

you can't use PAYG because of the timeout, so you'd have to use a Zone 1-9 Oyster Weekly. Next year, that'll cost £83.40 - is that how much it would be? (as Oyster Travelcards don't time out).

Ah, but no! What if instead you (presuming a top left start) did it by buying using Oyster PAYG for the first hour and a bit down to North Harrow, and then used a Zone 1-6 weekly travelcard (which would cover you for the rest of the day). That would be £58.60 for the weekly Zone 6 travelcard plus the cost of your single journies that morning.

Anyone disagree or have a different take on it, or a cheaper way of doing it?

[moley]

I'd by a one day travel card from Great Missenden which is a paper ticket. It will be a long time before paper tickets disappear - even when they do, you will get a ATOC compatible ITSO smart card fare. Currently £23.80.

I would then buy Oyster Chalfton-Chesham (£1.60, Chesham - Watford £1.70 and Watford - Moor Park £1.70).

Total £28.80.

[Sam]

You can also buy a Watford Junction all zones travelcard which would be valid as it includes zones 7,8,9.

[al]

Tickets from stations out to Aylesbury automatically include zones 7 to 9 don't they so you wouldn't have to buy separate tickets for Chesham etc.

Also, you can currently buy a day travelcard from Amersham at any NR station, which is obviously on paper stock, and I can't see that option being withdrawn.

[Sam]

Tickets from stations out to Aylesbury automatically include zones 7 to 9 don't they so you wouldn't have to buy separate tickets for Chesham etc.

Also, you can currently buy a day travelcard from Amersham at any NR station, which is obviously on paper stock, and I can't see that option being withdrawn.

Indeed they do include 7, 8 and 9 as standard. All depends on the booking office clerk knowing what they're doing mind as once I had a hell of a job getting an all zones peak travelcard at Kings Cross St Pancras tube station!

[robertrobinson]

When I did my first Challenge in 1980 it was £6!
Bob Robinson

[DrainBrain]

Is non-Oyster contactless an option?

[mrredrunner100]

Tickets from stations out to Aylesbury automatically include zones 7 to 9 don't they so you wouldn't have to buy separate tickets for Chesham etc.

Also, you can currently buy a day travelcard from Amersham at any NR station, which is obviously on paper stock, and I can't see that option being withdrawn.

Indeed they do include 7, 8 and 9 as standard. All depends on the booking office clerk knowing what they're doing mind as once I had a hell of a job getting an all zones peak travelcard at Kings Cross St Pancras tube station!

couldnt you do it online like that and then pick it up at the station before or on the day?

[Sam]

That's very true

[greatkingrat]

For anyone wanting an off-peak travelcard after January, it will be cheaper to buy a Southern Only travelcard from Epsom at £10.50, than the normal TfL version at £12.00.

However I don't think you can purchase this at a tube station, so you will either need to order it online with enough time for them to post the ticket out, or collect it from an NR station ticket machine.