LHR: Oyster Card

It was raining when my captain and f/o told me to meet them at 'La Tasca', a Spanish Tapas restaurant. The tube now was a great option, and what a great time to learn about the Oyster card.

My only regret is that I did not try this sooner! It probably makes the most sense for someone who frequents London regularly, but since I seem to be getting a lot of LHR's in my line lately, I was probably the perfect candidate.

It was extremely easy to get one. Just walk up to the counter at any Tube station and buy one. The card costs 3, plus whatever amount you wish to initialize the card with. I initialized my card with 10, figuring that would be good for a few days of travel. And that was it!

Now, all you have to do to enter (and exit) the Tube turnstiles is wave your card over the yellow Oyster button and voila! Magic.

Here's some other cool stuff. Apparently, the Oyster system is smart enough to figure out what would have been the most economical fare to purchase based on what you've traveled. You'll only be charged the best price. For example, you travel one way 4 times - twice on the tube and twice by bus. If the all day pass would have been cheaper, then that is all that you'll be charged, rather than the separate one way fares.

It's also good on the London buses. No more fiddling with change and buying tickets...

If your balance ever gets too low, then you will be warned when you swipe. To recharge the card with more money, just go to a ticket machine and put more money on your Oyster card account. I haven't done this yet, but I hear it's pretty easy.

Well, that's it! Happy Oystering!