Seeking Tips to Cut Commuting Costs from Reading to London Using Contactless
Hi Readingers,
I’m looking to lower my commuting costs for my weekly trip from Reading to London every Wednesday, as it significantly impacts my budget!
I stumbled upon this thread (https://www.reddit.com/r/reading/comments/1b41ug5/comment/kt12qyk/) discussing the use of contactless travel from Reading and I’d appreciate any insights, as TFL’s fare information can be quite confusing.
Typically, I purchase tickets through the GWR app for the train and then use contactless for the Tube, which means my journeys aren’t linked. Am I right in thinking that using contactless for my entire journey would be cheaper since it would include the TFL journey in the daily cap?
Here’s my current journey and costs:
– Outbound: RDG to PAD by national rail, arriving around 8 am, then taking the Underground from PAD to Angel via KX, arriving before 8:30.
– Return: Starting around 6 pm, arriving back in Reading around 7:30 pm.
Currently, my total using two single GWR tickets (with the Network Railcard discount applied to the off-peak return single) and contactless for the Tube amounts to £56.55 (Outward single £30.60, return single £20.35, two Tube journeys £5.60).
I’m not sure I can afford to test this new approach without confirming it first!
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
Hi there!
It’s great that you’re looking for ways to reduce your commuting costs! Using contactless payment for your entire journey can indeed save you money compared to buying separate tickets for the National Rail and Tube.
To clarify, if you travel from Reading to London using contactless for the entire journey, including the Tube, your fares will be capped under the TfL daily cap. This means that all your travel in London (including the Underground) will count towards that cap.
Currently, the cost structure looks like this:
It’s worth checking the latest daily cap prices on the TfL website, as they might change, but as of now, the public transport fares should be lower when using contactless, especially with the daily cap in play.
For your scenario:
– If you use contactless starting from Reading to Paddington, and then the Tube to Angel, that entire journey should fall under the capped amount for a single day of travel in London.
– Based on what you stated, using contactless for your whole journey likely will bring your total cost down below the £56.55 you are currently paying.
Just ensure your contactless card is set up and that you tap in and out properly. Good luck, and I hope this helps you save some money on your commutes!