(edit title) Travelling by bus with payment card Help - what do I do? Options

[Lingonberry]

Perhaps I am going senile after all. Please help. I paid for a bus card but I didn't follow what the driver did with the card on the little machine. Please can someone enlighten me before I go on a bus tomorrow. Do I do something or do I just give it to the driver? Computers no problem - any other machine arghhh...

[morchad]

what type of card and where? not all the same

[Lingonberry]

Vasttraffik - it's blue - I was advised to get it to save money - apparently it lasts up to 5 years - I think you can add money to it when you want to - might be like an oyster card but I've never used one of those either.

[kaze]

The Uppsala ones have a little console by the driver, you press the number of passengers with the card in your hand and it scans it beeps and deducts money. I've heard people say its like a oyster card (I've never lived in London so I dunno) so it might be similar to yours

[Potrero]

Västtraffik uses RFID cards. Just hold it up against the blue or yellow reader machines until they beep and show you your remaining balance. There's more advanced stuff you can do, but for basic operation that's it. When your balance gets low, go to 7 Eleven or Pressbyrån (or maybe independent convenience stores too) and ask them to add cash to it.

[Willy]

I believe Västtrafik is special in that they have a check in/check out system. So you might need to do something when exiting the bus as well.

[Willy]

Here is a PDF with instructions in English:

http://www.vasttrafik.se/upload/Dokument%2...dning_sprak.pdf

Apparently you only need to worry about the check in/check out stuff if you travel in more than one zone.

[DidiE]

If you are traveling with Västtraffik, it IS a little different. I have bus cards for three places- Linköping, Karlstad, and a super duper one for multiple zones in Västrag-land. Busses and trains, it's the only way to go out here in the West.

On the busses in Sköve, Mariestad, etc, you take your card and lay it on the reader right by the driver's seat. There is a console that reads it directly from your plastic holder thingy- you don't even have to take it out. You will hear a little beep and you know you're good to go. If you have a multiple zones card like me and are going to travel by train, then you show the conductor your card and the receipt you got at the same time, so she or he can see that the card is still valid.

And if anyone gives you guff, just speak to them in very slow Swedish or English. There are very few native English speaking immigrants in Skaraborg, where you are traveling,and people will go out of their way to help you. I'm still in Karlstad today or I might have just gone down to the bus station to help you, but I promise if you ask, just about anyone will give you a hand, if you need it. Good travels, you!

[Lingonberry]

Thank you all so much for your help. Idag åker jag till Mariestad från Lidköping.

[DidiE]

Piece of cake- just swipe the card on that reader and you're set. Have a good trip- there's lots to see. Cows. Cows. Maybe some horses, too, depending on the weather. But also cows, did I mention?

[Bender B Rodriquez]

Just don't forget to also swipe your card when you leave the bus! This is used to calculate the cost and if you do not swipe the card on exit, it will assume that you traveled all the way to the final stop.

[DidiE]

Hmmm- Bender, are you sure this applies to Västtraffik? Cos I've done a gajillion rides and never swipe more than once.
Lingonberry, you're taking a direct bus, right? One swipe should do it. Or, if you transfer, just swipe on each leg. You'll be okay.

[swozzie]

If you are riding a Västraffik bus or tram in Gbg and you dont swipe when you get off you will be charged to the terminus. How else would they know how many zones travelled to deduct from the
card ?

[DidiE]

Right- but, ummm, he is not riding in Göteborg. He is riding the VT busses between Mariestad and Lidköping, thus, the personalised advice for him since he bought his card at my own bus and train station, of which I have the personalised knowledge from which to provide personalised advice. I shall be very clear to state that Göteborg has its own rules, and thus probably deserves its own thread and you can be in charge of that. Now we can all ride happy.

[Fishtank]

Bender is spot on but that is for V-Trafik kort. It is messed up system and only its inventor understands how it works.

I do not know about how it works on long distance. DidiE must be the right one on that part of travel card systems.

In Gbg, if you are pay as you go Vtrafik card, then you must show the card to reader while getting off, else get ready to lose good amount of money.