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London Travelcard

The London Travelcard is a transport pass which entitles you to unlimited travel on London’s public transport. You can use a travelcard to travel on the London Underground, overground, public buses, DLR (docklands light rail), TFL rail and other trains, as long as you travel within London’s travel zones.

It is designed for people who are planning on using London’s public transport a lot when visiting London or for people who commute into London on a daily basis. Still, a London Travelcard may sometimes not be the cheapest option even if does entitle you to unlimited travel.

London Travelcard: What do I need to know before I buy one?

When buying a London Travelcard there are three things that you need to know:

1. The duration of the card:

You can buy a travelcard for one day, 7 days, one month or annual.

2. The travel zones of London that will be using:

When you buy a travelcard you need to choose what travel zones you want use. If you are going to travel between zones 1 and 2, you will need a travelcard that is valid for these two zones, but if you are going to travel between zones 1 and 5 every day, you will need a travelcard that covers zones 1 to 5. This does not apply to travelling by bus, as any travelcard will allow you to travel on buses to and from any zone within London’s travel zones. So for example, if you have a travelcar for zones 1 and 2, you can still use a bus to get to zone 3 or zone 5 with that travelcard at no extra cost.

Most of London’s tourist attractions are located in zone 1, and only a few of the most popular attractions can be found outside zone 1, such as Camden Town Market which is in zone 2. Make sure you know what zone your hotel is in before you buy a travelcard.

3. Off-peak or Anytime

If you are buying a 1 day travelcard  (which we don’t normally recommend as an oyster card has a daily cap that is cheaper than a one day travelcard – see below) you will have to choose if you want it to travel anytime of the day, or just during off-peak times (Monday – Friday from 9.30 am; all day Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays).

This does not affect 1 day travelcards for zones 1 to 4, so if you are visiting London you probably don’t need to worry about this at all as you are unlikely to be travelling to zone 5, 6 or beyond.

Which Travelcard to buy if you are planning a trip to London

1 day travelcard.

The price of the 1 day London travelcard for zones 1, 1-2, 1-3 and 1-4 costs £15.20. We don’t normally recommend using the 1 day travelcard, as it is actually cheaper to use an oyster card, a visitor oyster card, or a contactless card as these payment methods have a daily cap. The daily cap applied to these zones are: £8.10 for travel within zones 1-2; £9.60 for zones 1-3 and £11.70 for zones 1-4. Once you have reached this daily cap you will be able to travel within the same travel zones for free. It is still necessary to tap in and tap out on the yellow reader with your oyster card, visitor oyster card or contactless card when using public transport.

Find out more about choosing between an oyster card, a travelcard or using contactless on London Transport here: Oyster card, Travelcard or Contactless .

7 day Travelcard

The 7 day travelcard for London travel zones 1-2 costs £40.70. When comparing oyster card/visitor oyster card/contactless fares to a 7 day travelcard, I would probably say that it is convenient to get a 7 day travelcard if you are going to be travelling around London for more than 6 days. If you are going to be in London less than 6 days then I would recommend using an oyster card (vistor oyster card or contactless if you are a UK resident).

Where to buy a London travelcard

Buying a London Travelcard at an underground station

It is possible to buy a London travelcard at any underground station in London, by either using a ticket machine at the ticket office or a manned desk in a the ticket office (if available). When you buy a 7 day, monthly or annual London travelcard at an underground station you will normally get an oyster card with the travelcard incorporated in it. So your oyster card will be pre-loaded with the travelcard you have chosen. This way you can also use this oyster card with pay as you go for any trips that are not included in the travelcard.

So, as an example, if you have a 7 day travelcard for zones 1 – 4 in your oyster card, you will be entitles to unlimited journeys within these  travel zones for 7 days, and you can use your oyster as you normally would, by touching in and touching out. But, if one day you need to go to zone 6, you will be able to use the same oyster with pay as you go balance. One example when this might happen, is if you arrive at Heathrow airport (zone 6) but you want to buy a 7 day travelcard for zones 1 – 4. It will be much cheaper to use they oyster card with pay as you go for the journey from Heathrow to central London and the journey from central London to Heathrow Airport on your last day and adding a 7 travelcard for zones 1 – 4, than using a 7 day travelcard for zones 1 – 6.

Buying a London Travelcard at a train station

It is possible to buy a London travelcard at any train station located inside London’s Travel Zones . When you buy a travelcard at a train station, you will normally get a paper travelcard and not an oyster card.

Stansted, Luton or Gatwick airports are all outside London’s Travel Zones so these stations won’t normally sell London travelcards.

Buy a London Travelcard online

One of the easiest ways to buy a London travelcard is by buying it online. The price is exactly the same as what it would cost you to buy it in London but you will pay a little extra for delivery.

Buy a London travelcard at Heathrow airport

London travelcard fares from 5th march 2023, travelcard for children.

Children under the age of 11 travel free within London travel zones. Children over 11 can also benefit from reduced fares; you can learn more about this in our article: Travelling in London with kids .

Find out more

For more information, visit London’s official transport website: Transport For London

Related Posts

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• Corporate news

Group travel in London becomes easier with Group Day Travelcards now availble online

Visitors traveling on London's transport network in groups can now enjoy a seamless travel experience by buying Transport for London's (TfL) Group Day Travelcards online before they arrive in London.

Group Day Travelcards are available for groups of 10 or more people. They offer the opportunity to use a variety of different modes of transport when traveling in London and are available online for the first time.

By buying online from the TfL Visitor Shop , which VisitBritain operates on behalf of TfL, visitors traveling in groups can get their cards before their trip and start using them as soon as they arrive in London. The cost-efficient Group Day Travelcards are also available to buy from ticket machines at Tube stations across London. Travel trade partners can also purchase these discounted tickets directly on the website.

VisitBritain Commercial Director Carol Dray said:

"Navigating a new city can be stressful, especially when you're traveling in a large group, so we're thrilled to be making this process easier by giving visitors the option to purchase their Group Day Travelcards online and begin exploring London's fantastic sights from the moment they arrive.

"The Group Day Travelcard is a ‘must have' pass for any large group traveling on London's extensive transport network, which not only offers easy access to many of the city's attractions but also puts the rest of Britain within easy reach."

Transport for London Director of Marketing Chris MacLeod said:

"London is a fantastic place to visit any time of the year. Our partnership with VisitBritain will ensure customers traveling to London can now buy Group Day Travelcards online in advance, allowing them to start exploring all that the Capital has to offer more quickly."

Group Day Travelcards can be used after 9.30am weekdays as well as anytime at weekends and national holidays at the cheaper price of £8 per adult and £4 per child. This compares with £12.10 and £6 for individual adults and children with a standard Day Travelcard. Groups must travel together when using the Group Day Travelcard.

Group Day Travelcards are valid on Tube, DLR, London Overground, TfL Rail and most National Rail services within London fare zones 1 to 6. They can also be used on all London Bus services and on trams.

Group Day Travelcards are available to buy online exclusively from the TfL Visitor Shop .

For more information or to purchase Group Day Travelcards: https://visitorshop.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/group-day-london-travelcard/

For more information contact:

VisitBritain Media Team

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Anytime tickets

Keep your options open with Anytime, a flexible ticket that’s valid all day.

Anytime Tickets – Travel Anywhere, Any Time

If you want the ultimate flexibility, then opt for an Anytime train ticket. Whether you’ve got an important meeting to attend at London St Pancras International or a trip to Gatwick for a business flight, an Anytime train ticket gives you the most flexibility.

Because sometimes we just don’t know exactly what time we’ll need to travel.

When are Anytime Single and Anytime Return tickets valid?

Anytime! When you buy an Anytime train ticket, you can travel at any time of day, in both Peak and Off-Peak times. There are a few different options to choose from.

Anytime Day Single When you buy an Anytime Day single, you can get from A to B on the date shown on the ticket.

Anytime Single An Anytime single gives you a little more flexibility. You can use this within two days of the date on the ticket. The latest time you can use it is until 04.29 after the last valid day.

Anytime Day Return An Anytime Day return ticket lets you complete both parts of your journey, there and back, on the same day. This is the date that’s shown on your ticket.

Anytime Return Our Anytime return tickets give you the biggest freedom. Set off within 5 days of the date on your ticket and return within one calendar month.

Anytime Day Travelcard Want to explore the sights in London? Then an Anytime Day Travelcard might be for you. Get into London on the train, then take advantage of unlimited travel in London Zones 1-6. It’s valid on the Tube, London buses, London Overground, Trams, Docklands Light Railway and National Rail services. Just make sure you return on the same day.

City Thameslink to Luton Airport

Anytime day single, bedford to london, anytime day travelcard, gatwick airport to london blackfriars, anytime return, why choose anytime tickets.

The great thing about Anytime tickets is that they are completely flexible, with no time restrictions. You can:

• Buy on the day or in advance
• Receive a 50% discount for children aged 5-10
• Travel with two free children under 5 (with a paying adult)
• Certain Railcard holders can save 1/3

How do I buy Anytime tickets?

Anytime train tickets can be bought in advance or just before travel, it’s completely up to you. Here are some of the ways you can get your tickets:

• Book Online – they can be delivered First Class or collected at the station
• Through our On Track app ( iOS and Android ) and printed at the station
• Using a ticket machine inside the station
• At station ticket offices (during opening hours)

Terms and conditions

For more details of when you can use Anytime tickets, read the  terms and conditions .

No booking fees and collect from any station in the UK

Buy online and get the best deals

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