[Marcusm]

Originally Posted by coylemj

What's the deal with the DLR?

There are no barriers (just like no drivers) so you have to seek out the ticket pad. Lots of people forget and lots of ticket checkers. You also have to fi d it when you leave and in some places (eg middle of Canary Wharf shopping centre) it's easy to miss and/or forget.

There are other places where you can interchange between underground and overground trains without ticket barriers or where you need to click on to avoid paying the zone 1 premium.

Not always easy, not always intuitive.

[coylemj]

Surely all you have to do is follow the locals to the Oyster sensor? You can't be the only person alighting from a train with an Oyster card.

The large yellow disc is usually pretty easy to find though I don't think I've ever been on the DLR so I'll take your word for it.

[Marcusm]

Originally Posted by coylemj

Surely all you have to do is follow the locals to the Oyster sensor? You can't be the only person alighting from a train with an Oyster card.

The large yellow disc is usually pretty easy to find though I don't think I've ever been on the DLR so I'll take your word for it.

Most of the locals on the DLR will either be chancing their arm for a free ride or will have a travelcard attached to the Oyster which they won't tag on and off!! Only a small minority will tag on and off so if you're not thinking, it's easy to miss. Sometimes the large yellow discs can be in hard to see places! More penalty fares that way (or is that cynical). Fail to tag off and it's a £10 std deduction from your Oyster.

[Vic_08]

Originally Posted by coylemj

The same applies to the Irish Rail smartcard and the Dart here in Dublin. If you travel from Dun Laoghaire to Lansdowne Road and don't tag out, you'll pay the fare to Malahide.

There is little comparison between that and the TfL network where a huge % of journeys involve changes and travel through different zones where there are numerous routes that can be taken that can effect the charge for a particular trip.

If you don't mind me saying so, that is a Luddite attitude. The possibility of being penalised for not using the technology in the way it was intended is not a valid excuse to not use it..[/QUOTE]

Actually I do mind you saying so but it does remind me why I rarely bother with this board anymore, if you say anything that impinges on someone elses worldview you can expect a snide retort in order to try to invalidate what was said without actually adressing the point made.

Originally Posted by coylemj

Yes 'it is possible to exit the system or change modes without encountering a barrier', especially on trains coming back from major events such as the last match in Wimbledon but so many people in London use the Oyster card that it's virtually impossible to miss a barrier with the Oyster sensor and the vast majority of commuters exiting the station ahead of you will tag out even if the barriers are open so it's not hard to see where to tag out.

It is not the case that everyone uses oyster and of those that do many use different products loaded onto the card that do not have to be validated in the same way as PAYG.

Originally Posted by coylemj

Correct, I have never used the DLR. Was there the week before last and used the tube for four days with my Oyster card. What's the deal with the DLR?

Most DLR stations are open, no barriers just validators. Interchange stations that contain different modes are a common source of overcharges as people are not always aware where they should validate. some interchanges (such as most of the mainline terminus stations) have barriers on exit from National Rail and on entrance to LU but that is not universal, some are open for NR and barriered for LU and some (such as Stratford) allow free access between multiple modes.

Unclosed journeys are just one example of unintended overcharges, not completing journeys in the alloted time is another as are journeys made by one route but charged by another because of no intermediate validation and.

Occasions where oyster is being part used for a journey to somewhere outside London alogside another ticket can also cause some issues, if a through train is being used Oyster PAYG can require leaving the train to tag off and re-enter with the second ticket, using a paper travelcard instead removes this.

Disruptions to normal service patterns can also throw up situations where unwary PAYG users are overcharged.

As I originally said Oyster is a good system but it is not universally the best for all situations. Other tickets types still exist and are widely used for a reason.

[n97 mini]

Originally Posted by Vic_08

That is unfortunate as it is not the cheapest or best ticket available and as an off-peak walkup fare there is no advantage to buying in advance either. That is unless you used the heavily advertised thetrainline.com website where you will have also been charged a booking fee that train company websites or train station ticket offices and machines do not charge.

A Gatwick Airport Off Peak Day Travelcard route FCC is £12.50.

You're saying I paid 20p too much? That's not so bad. My flight arrives in the evening time so I don't expect to be doing any travelling once I get in from the airport. But good to know, nonetheless.

[bk]

And some people want a zonal system like London introduced here in Dublin!!

As you can see from the above posts, zonal systems can have their own complications.

That is why I've really come around to the Amsterdam system, you pay for exactly the distance you travel.

[coylemj]

Originally Posted by Vic_08

While the general rule that oyster will cap at the rate for the cheapest travelcard for journeys made is correct there are instances where people do get charged more. This is down to people forgetting to touch out or validate oyster at locations where it is possible to exit the system or change modes without encountering a barrier. The system sees an unfinished journey and applies the maximum fare to it when in reality the user has just failed to touch out/transfer. Sometimes less technology can be beneficial.

Originally Posted by coylemj

The same applies to the Irish Rail smartcard and the Dart here in Dublin. If you travel from Dun Laoghaire to Lansdowne Road and don't tag out, you'll pay the fare to Malahide.

Originally Posted by Vic_08

There is little comparison between that and the TfL network where a huge % of journeys involve changes and travel through different zones where there are numerous routes that can be taken that can effect the charge for a particular trip.

You board at station A and tag on, you alight at station B and tag off, same as the Dart system. I agree that the charging system is different but surely the procedure is the same for each journey on either system?

[Terrontress]

Originally Posted by Marcusm

That's why I suggested being careful and stated that it should include that leg, everyone else is advocating acquisition of an oyster card as early as possible for use on the tube. It shouldn't be required until he takes his next journey after arriving at Marylebone.

Meant also to say be careful as the change at Elephant is not particularly intuitive as there are effectively 3 stations and you actually need to fully leave the national rail station to move onto one of the two underground lines (in this case the Bakerloo).

If the OP has any significant luggage (even if wheeled), I'd use LGW-London Bridge followed by Jubilee to Baker St and a very short walk to Marylebone.

This is good advice. For a start there are no lifts at Elephant, you have to go through the shopping centre and the tube station at the shopping centre is the Northern Line. The Bakerloo line is on the other side of the roundabout so you've got to negotiate the underpasses.

If you're not familiar with the area you might find it a little intimidating although I would have no qualms there at any time of the day or night.