Zone 1 to 5 Travelcard Weekly
Here’s the part nobody tells you about until you’re already a convert. That Travelcard works on National Rail trains too, not just the Tube. So if you want to hop on an overground train to Richmond or Windsor (yes, into zone 6 sometimes, but your pass covers up to zone 5 and you can just tap the difference), you’re golden. It’s like getting a bonus round in a video game.
And bus rides? Unlimited. Go ahead, take the 73 from Oxford Street to Stoke Newington just for laughs. The pass doesn’t judge your inefficient routing. It just works.
When should you not get it?
Okay, reality check. If you mostly work from home, this pass is an expensive paperweight. Also, if you only travel within zones 1-2, a shorter zone weekly card is cheaper. Don’t buy a zone 1-5 pass if you never leave zone 2, you beautiful fool. And avoid it if you’re on annual leave for a week. Your wallet will thank you later.
Higher fares across all London transport take effect - BBC News
Another pitfall: you lose it, you lose your money. There’s no replacement for a paper Travelcard unless you buy it on an Oyster card. So maybe don’t store it in your back pocket next to that leaky hand sanitizer. Speaking from experience here.