They FINE people for that?! OMG, so ridiculous!

Yup! *nods head* Criminal is one word for it! The only thing is,with petrol being so expensive and the congestion charge for cars in London – they can get away with it! One thing about the ‘getting a ticket that finishes a few stops later because it is cheaper’ trick – it very much depends on the end station and the conductor, sometimes they fine you for not getting off at the stop on the ticket (despite the fact that you are using less of the service!). One guy even went to the papers, and since then, instead of stopping, the practice has become more common! BBC article here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-11420790

The tube and London transportation is even worse. We took the tube for a total of 3 stops once, and it cost $10 USD (and that was with the child discount for Tigger). With an Oyster card in London, one way is usually around $3 USD per person. It’s kind of criminal.

The 2-for-1 tickets are a great deal. They advertise them regularly. I wish I had known about them the first time we were in London!

I’m not sure if the hidden city thing is just for commuter trains. I think the main thing is whenever possible, talk to a ticket agent just in case there is a cheaper or better route because you just never know about some of these things.

One advantage of using the trains in the UK – especially as a tourist – is that some places of interests offer discounts to those who can show their train tickets so it’s always good to ask before you buy any entrance tickets. In London especially, there are plenty tourist spots that offer 2-for-1 tickets to those who can show their train ticket (of the same day) or 1-day travel card that’s bought from a train station (not from a tube station).