I did try looking on Virgin Trains' website when I was booking the Train tickets, though it was rather confusing for what type I needed. So rather than being ripped off, I'll ask our kind folk at Metropol.

Yes I forgot to say that Travelcards can be used anywher.Isonstine wrote:Oyster is great - especially for travelcard users like me.
If you can't touch in/touch out at a station then you should ask someone at that station to help you out. More often than not you can tell them and they'll make sure you're not charged the wrong pre-pay fee.
But I can understand the problems some users have - especially BR stations not accepting pre-pay (though they will take travelcards whether there are gates or not)
Maryland on GER is fare dodgers paradise, only 2 mins up the road from Stratford so anyone without a valid ticket gets off thereIsonstine wrote:Well Ken Livingstone is pushing for the TOCs to install the barriers at stations as he wants the Oystercard scheme to be greatly expanded.
I know what you mean about the "fare dodging" thing - I was often puzzled why they never got the kind of readers that conductors do on the Routemasters - that way would surely be MUCH better? On the other hand, I've known people to use Oystercards with no money on them and regularly travel for free on South West Trains because the ticket inspector has to give the benefit of the doubt.
Hopefully there will be an increase in barriers - because Oystercards or not...a lot of people STILL travel for free through stations because they don't have to buy a ticket and know the tickets are hardly ever checked on the train.
Can't understand why more stations never got them installed in the first place! Euston doesn't have them on none-Silverlink platforms yet Clapham Junction with no tube connections (East London Line in 2074 doesn't count!) has barriers that takes Oystercards.
Exactly the problem with BR. They don't liek the Travelcard, if they had their own way they wouldn't except it at allIsonstine wrote:My personal favourite is Romford - with their own sort of weird barriers than feel like you'll be castrated if you wait any long than neccessary.
Also the whole experience is made even more wonderful by the incredible braindead staff who wouldn't accept that Romford IS in Zone 6 and my Oystercard IS valid. Instead I had to fork out for a ticket from Stratford to Romford. Suppose I was lucky, could have been lumbered with a penalty fare. But still it's the principle of the thing!