single travel card london

Getting around London: Pay as you go and Travelcard prices

London is big. We get it. So working out how to get from A to B can be slightly intimidating.

To help you with your travel planning and budgeting, we've laid out the best ticket options (and how much they cost*) for your time in London. Pay daily or buy a weekly London Travel card - it's up to you.

Daily Travel Card Prices

If you only need to use public transport for a day or two of your trip, TFL's (Transport for London) day pass with a price cap is all you need to know about. It's priced as a London day travel - one day travel pass. Tap in using your bank card as much as you wish throughout the day and you'll never be charged more than the daily London tube prices cap and they can be used for bus travel as well.   

Weekly Travel Card Prices

If you have a week in the city and you know you're going to be bouncing between the London Underground and those iconic red buses, purchasing a weekly London ticket could save you a few pennies. 

*The above prices are controlled by TFL and are subject to change.

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London Travelcard Prices 2024 - One Day, Weekly & Monthly Pass

• Adult travelcards
• Child travelcards

What is a travelcard?

How long does a travelcard last.

• Anytime and off-peak
• Where to buy travelcards
• Are travelcards the cheapest way to travel?
• Where to use travelcards
• Using travelcards on the bus
• Using travelcards on the train
• Which is best: travelcards or Oyster?

Travelcard prices for children

London travelcards come in two different types. The cheapest version just covers buses and trams, whilst the more expensive one includes the trains as well.

Travelcards bought at a National Rail station (the big overground hubs like Waterloo , shown with a symbol on the London underground map ) are printed on orange paper. Travelcards bought at an underground station are printed on pink paper. Other than the colour of the paper, there is no difference between the two. It’s also possible to load a travel card onto a blue Oyster card . (Note: It is not possible to load them onto a Visitor Oyster card or contactless card .)

If you buy a pass that includes the trains then you will also have to choose which fare zones you want it to cover. If you buy a one day travelcard then you’ll only have three options: zones 1-4, zones 1-6 or zones 1-9. If you buy a weekly, monthly or annual travelcard then you can choose a combination of different zones between 1-9.

Important note: there are no trams in central London, only in zone 3 and beyond (in places like Beckenham, Croydon and Wimbledon). So if you buy a zone 1-2 travelcard then you won’t find any trams to travel on.

What are the benefits of a travelcard?

• London travelcards can cover one day, one week, one month or one year, depending on how long you’re staying in London
• They’re very easy for tourists to understand: you simply choose the zones and dates you want it to cover, pay once, and then you can make an unlimited number of journeys between those dates
• Depending on which one you buy, travelcards can be valid on the tram, bus , Docklands Light Railway, London Underground , London Overground, TFL Rail and National Rail
• You can also benefit from a discounted fare on the cable car and Thames Clipper riverboat

What are the downsides of a travelcard?

• Depending on how many journeys you make, you might find that Oyster prices and contactless prices are cheaper than travelcard prices
• You’re only allowed to travel in the fare zones you chose at the start. If you later decide to travel outside the zones then you’ll have to buy a completely separate ticket
• Two people are not allowed to share one travelcard
• If you lose a paper travelcard then there’s no way of replacing it, or getting your money back

A travelcard lasts for one day , one week , one month or one year , and you choose which one you want when you buy it. You can then travel as many times as you like during that period.

You always have to choose a start date when you buy it. The date can be in the future, but it’s not possible to buy a dateless card.

One Day Travelcards (Anytime) – Valid for the date shown on the ticket, plus any journeys that start before 4.30 AM the next morning

One Day Travelcards (Off-peak) – Valid for the date shown on the ticket, but only after 9.30 AM on Mon-Fri, plus any journeys that start before 4.30 AM the next morning

Weekly, Monthly & Annual Travelcards – Valid between the start date and end date shown on the ticket. And they all have to be consecutive days (it’s not possible to buy a 7 day travel card that skips a day in the middle, for example).

Can two people share one travelcard?

No . Two people are not allowed to share one travelcard between them. And you can’t share an Oyster card that has a travelcard loaded on to it either.

What time is Anytime and Off-Peak?

Anytime – Anytime is valid for the dates shown on the ticket, and up to 4.30 AM the following morning. (So if your travelcard expires on the 10th, you can actually travel up to 4.30 AM on the 11th.)

Off-Peak – Off-Peak travelcard holders are restricted to travelling after 9:30 AM on Mon-Fri, but can travel at anytime during the weekend or on a public holiday.

Is it cheaper to use a travelcard?

Travelcards are not always the cheapest way to travel in London.

1-Day Travelcards – The Oyster daily cap and contactless daily cap are always cheaper than a one day travelcard (by around two-thirds).

Weekly Travelcards – Weekly travelcards are always cheaper than buying seven one day travel cards, but whether it works out cheaper than the Oyster card weekly cap depends on how many journeys you make. If you make two or more journeys on each of the seven days, or three or more journeys on six of the days, then a weekly travelcard is likely cheaper. But the only way of knowing for sure is to add up all your journeys on a calculator (sorry!).

Monthly Travelcards – Monthly travelcards are always cheaper than buying four weekly travel cards.

Annual Travelcards – Annnual passes give you 12 months travel for the price of ten and a half.

Where can you use a travelcard?

Buses – All travelcards are valid on TFL buses , regardless of which zones they cover. That’s because buses don’t have zones. So if you buy a zone 1-4 travelcard then you can ride the trams and trains in zones 1-4, but you can ride the buses all the way out to zone 6.

Trams – Bus & Tram travelcards don’t have zones, so they’re valid on all the buses, and all the trams. But Train, Bus & Tram travelcards are only valid on the trams if they cover zones 3 and beyond, because there aren’t any trams in zones 1-2.

London Underground, London Overground, Docklands Light Railway, TFL Rail, National Rail – A Train, Bus & Tram travelcard is valid on all of these trains as long as it covers the right zones (you choose which zones you want when you buy it). The exceptions are the Heathrow Express, Gatwick Express and Stansted Express, Heathrow Connect to Hayes and Harlington, and high-speed Southeastern services between St. Pancras and Stratford .

IFS Cloud Cable Car – You can’t actually use your travelcard to ride the cable car , but if you present it at the ticket window you’ll get a 25% discount off the price.

Thames Clipper – You can’t use it on the Thames Clipper river boat service either, but if you show it at the window you’ll get a 33% discount off some of the fares.

Where can you buy a travelcard?

Day Travelcards (for Bus & Tram only) – It’s not possible to buy a day travelcard for the Bus & Tram from the TFL website. It’s not possible to buy one in advance either. You can only purchase them on the day of travel from a train station or London Visitor Centre.

There are seven Visitor Centres in London: Euston station , King’s Cross , Liverpool Street , Paddington , Piccadilly Circus , Victoria and Heathrow airport.

These will always come as a paper ticket.

You can also buy a Bus & Tram pass from an Oyster Ticket Stop, but these ones will be put onto an Oyster card instead. Oyster Ticket Stops are just normal shops (usually newsagents) which have a blue Oyster sticker in their window. (Note: The usual £7 deposit will apply if you need to buy a new Oyster card, which will come on top of the day travelcard price. It is not possible to load a travelcard onto a London Visitor Oyster Card .)

Day travelcards do not require a photocard.

Day Travelcards (for Bus, Tram & Train) – Paper tickets for the Bus, Tram & Train are available to buy online from the TFL website and from train stations and Visitor Centres.

Group Day Travelcards – Group Day Travelcards can be ordered from the TFL website . They only last for one day and you need to be travelling in a group of at least ten people during off-peak hours (after 9:30 AM Mon-Fri, or any time during the weekend).

Weekly Travelcards – Weekly Travelcards can be bought online at TFL’s Visitor Shop , You can also have it loaded onto your Oyster card at a train station, Oyster Ticket Stop, London Visitor Centre or TFL’s Oyster website (but you need to set up an Oyster account with them first).

Weekly travelcards do not require a photocard.

Monthly Travelcards – Monthly Travelcards can be loaded onto your Oyster card at train stations, Oyster Ticket Stops, London Visitor Centres and TFL’s Oyster website .

Annual Travelcards – Annual travelcards can be loaded onto your London Oyster card at TFL’s Oyster website , and most London Overground, TFL Rail and National Rail stations… but not London Underground stations, London Visitor Centres or Oyster Ticket Stops.

What zone travelcard do you need?

Most tourists will choose a travelcard that covers zones 1-2, which covers the touristy heart of London.

Zone 3 is for places like Highgate Cemetery , Kew Gardens , Wimbledon and London City Airport . Zone 4 will take you to Wembley Stadium . And if you’re flying into Heathrow then you might need a zone 1-6 travelcard.

How do you use a travelcard on a bus?

Using a travelcard on a London bus is easy. If you have a paper travelcard then just show it to the driver as you board the bus.

If you have an Oyster travelcard then touch it against the big round yellow reader by the front door (some buses also have Oyster readers by the middle door and back door). There’s no need to touch the travel card down again when you leave the bus – you only have to do that for trains.

How do you use a travelcard on a train?

Using a travelcard on the London Underground is easy. If you have a paper travelcard then just insert it face-up into the slot at the front of the barrier. The same ticket will then pop out of the slot on the top. The gate won’t open until you remove your travelcard from that slot.

If you have an Oyster travelcard then all you have to do is wave it in front of the big round yellow reader and the gate will open automatically.

Which is better: Travelcards or Oyster?

TFL travelcards are very easy to understand – you simply choose the starting date, the duration, which zones you need (probably just zones 1-2 if you’re here on holiday), and then you pay just once and can make an unlimited number of journeys until the travel card expires.

The downside is that travelcards are only available for fixed periods – either one day, one week, one month or one year – so if you’re visiting for a different number of days then you’re better off buying an Oyster card .

Train travelcards are also limited to the zones you buy it for, so if you decide to make an extra journey out of the blue then you’ll have to buy a completely different ticket, whereas the pay-as-you-go credit on an Oyster card can be used in all zones.

Your comments and questions

CC Hi, I want to know if I buy the one day card does it means it lasts 24 hrs? Or just till midnight of the day I purchase it?

Staff Hi CC. It actually lasts until 4.30 AM the next morning. So if it's dated for the 1st, it will last until 4.30 AM on the 2nd.

Leanne Hi there, I am travelling to London with 3 children aged 8, 10 & 11 and will need a travelcard that will cover us all. We have a few things planned but im not sure of which travelcards I need and for which zones? We will need to travel from Paddington station to Waterloo, and will be visiting the Cambridge Theatre and also Knightsbridge. Is it possible to buy a 3 day ticket that will cover those areas? Ive not been to London before so would like to plan as much as I can in advance. Thank you

Staff Hi Leanne. It's not possible to buy a 3-day card unfortunately - they only come as 1-day or weekly cards (or monthly). And the only travelcard that covers multiple people is the Group Day Travelcard, but that's for a minimum of ten people. The good news is that your 8 and 10 year old will travel for free on the tube, so I recommend that you use your contactless bank card, and you get an Oyster card for your 11 year old. That's because contactless and oyster fares are cheaper. The most you will pay each day is the 'daily cap' for zone 1, which is less than the cost of a 1-day travelcard (all of the places you mentioned are inside zone 1). Unfortunately you will also have to pay a £5 deposit the first time you buy a new Oyster card - but you can claim that back at the self-service ticket machine at the end if you want.

Leanne Thank you very much, that's very helpful

Csaba Is it possible to buy a new Oystercard and put a 7-day Travelcard on it at the newsagents generally? Do I have to have a minimum pay-as-you-go balance on it if using a Travelcard loaded onto my Oystercard?

Staff Hi Csaba. You can just have the travelcard on your Oyster card if you want. There's no need to have any pay-as-you-go credit on there as well, but you can do that as well if you want. You should be able to do it at any newsagent displaying the Oyster symbol in their window - not all of them have it.

Lafont If I have a travelcard on my Oyster card for zones 1 and 2, and I want to visit Hampton Court, how to proceed.

Staff Hi Lafont. Hampton Court is in zone 6, so you just need to add some pay-as-you-credit onto the same card to cover zones 2-6. You can see that fare here - city-guide.london/​transport/​adult-train-fares.php . When you tap it down on the gate the computer will recognise that the travelcard already covers zones 1&2 and just use the credit for the extra bit.

Pamela Laurie I need only a paper 1 day Oyster ticket, is it over 24 hours from when you buy it? ie. 12am one day till 12 am next day ?

Staff Hi Pamela. You buy it for a particular date. It will then last for the whole of that date, and up to 4.30 AM the next morning.

Ch What time can you use your travelcard from on a Sunday?

Staff Hi Ch. If it's a 1-day card then it's all day Sunday, right up to 4.30 AM Monday morning. If it was a midweek one then it would be different, because there are two cards available midweek: anytime and off-peak. The off-peak ones wouldn't start until 9.30 AM

Awi If I buy a zone 1-6 travelcard from Vauxhall rail station will that entitle me to the National Rail 2for1 promotion? Thanks

Staff Hi Awi. You have to be careful because you need a National Rail paper ticket for the 2for1 offer. Don't buy it from the underground station because then it will be a TFL ticket. That won't be valid. Buy it upstairs from the National Rail windows, and make sure they give you a paper ticket rather than putting it on an Oyster card, because that won't be valid either.

Diane Can you use a one day travelcard on any of the London tour buses?

Staff Hi Diane. No, sightseeing tour buses have got nothing to do with normal buses, so you'll have to buy a ticket from them.

Cathy If I buy a weekly travelcard from a train station, will the start day to use to card be the day I buy it? Or can I tell the counter staff which day I would like to start to use the travelcard? For example, I want to buy the paper travelcard at London Paddington Station on July 1st and I would like to start using it on July 6th. Is it possible? Thanks for your help.

Staff Hi Cathy. Sure. You can tell them which date you want it to start. It doesn't have to be the same day that you buy it. Paper tickets will then have the start date printed on the front.

Elle Hi, With weekly travelcards, do I need to get an identity card to go with it? Thanks

Staff Hi Elle. Not if you're an adult, no. You only need to provide a passport photo for monthly and annual travelcards, but not weekly ones. And a child would need a photocard

Ray Does the one day travelcard include journeys to Heathrow? Thank you Ray.

Staff Hi Ray. You have to choose the zones when you buy it. If you choose the one that covers zones 1-6 (or 1-9) then it will.

Cozzieanne Hi there, I'm soon going to be travelling four times a week from Ealing Broadway to Leytonstone station on the Central Line. If I buy an annual Zones 2-9 travelcard, does that mean that I can get on and off at literally any stop, on any line, at any time, as long as I'm within those zones? And does it include buses? Thank you! Cozzieanne

Staff Hi Cozzieanna. A zone 2-9 travelcard won't get you from Ealing Broadway to Leytonstone on the central line, because that journey goes straight through zone 1, so you'll need a zone 1-9 instead (actually, you only really need a 1-3 for that journey, unless you've got some other plans out to zone 9 that you haven't mentioned). A zone 1-9 travelcard will let you get on and off at any stop within zones 1-9, at any time, as many times as you like. And you can use it on the bus as well.

Graham Can a London Travelcard be used on both the Underground and on Network Rail trains? I'm planning to travel from Baker Street to Monument on the Circle Line, then from London Bridge to Waterloo East on normal Network Rail. Is the Travelcard valid for both journeys?

Staff Hi Graham, It works on both the underground and National Rail trains within the zones you buy it for. So assuming your travelcard covers zone 1 (which all those journeys are in), then it will be fine

Harmeen I just want to know that if I opt for a weekly travelcard for Zone 1 and 2, how many trips am I allowed in a week?

Staff Hi Harmeen. As many as you like. There's no limit with travelcards

Lailiyah McInnes Can I buy weekly travel card to London zone 1-2 and5? And how much the cost weekly and monthly .I just from Bromley south to Victoria to Fulham

Staff Hi Lailiyah. You can buy one for zones 1to5 (price is in the table above), but not zones 1,2+5. They don't sell one for just zone 5 on its own either. If you really wanted to then you could put a zone 1-2 travelcard on your oyster card, and then top it up with some pay-as-you-go credit as well. Then every time you tap it down on the gate the computer will recognise that you have a travelcard for zones 1-2, and only take the fare for zones 2-5 from the pay-as-you-go credit

Heather Is there a student discount on Oyster cards.

Staff Hi Heather. There is a discount, but you have to apply for an 18+ Student Oyster photocard to get them. All the details are here - tfl.gov.uk/​fares/​free-and-discounted-travel/18-plus-student-oyster-photocard

amar Can I use oyster card on traine

Staff Hi Amar. You can, yes. But it depends what train you’re talking about. It has to be within the Oyster zones. If you're talking about putting a travelcard onto an oyster card, then the train will have to be in the zones you buy the travelcard for

Jerry I need Travelcard from zone 2 to 8. How can I get one?

Staff Hi Jerry. It sounds a bit bonkers, but they don't sell travelcards for zones 2-8. You can get one for zones 1-8, or zones 2-9 instead which is a bit cheaper

Jerry I don`t understand why I have to pay more for something what we don`t need.

Staff Maybe you could try using a contactless card instead, because there's a cap for zones 2-8 on that. But if you want the weekly cap then it only works from Mon-Sun (not Tue-Mon, or any other combination of 7 days) - city-guide.london/​transport/​contactless-cards.php

Bob Scrivener Where do you find a zone map?

Staff Hi Bob. Here's one - content.tfl.gov.uk/standard-tube-map.pdf

Nigel Hi, I plan to come to London in the Autumn. It looks as if I’ll need to travel in zones 1-3 between my University and accommodation. Can you advise what the weekly cost is for a travel card

Staff Hi Nigel. All the prices are shown in the table above - at the moment it's £43:50 for zones 1-3

Karen Wilce Are there any concessions

Staff Hi Karen. If you mean senior concessions then you can get something called a Freedom Pass or a 60+ Oyster card, but you need to live in a London borough to qualify. If you live outside London then you can get a Senior Railcard. There are more details here - city-guide.london/​transport/​senior-train-fares.php

Theresa I have a monthly travel card zones 1 to 4, but i need to get to zone 6, what do i need to do.

Staff Hi Theresa. Assuming that it’s on an Oyster card, all you have to do is go up to a ticket machine and load some pay-as-you-go credit on to it. When you tap down on the gate the computer will recognise that the travelcard already covers zones 1-4 and just charge for the extra zones. You can see the price on our Oyster card page - city-guide.london/​transport/​oyster-cards.php

Anita Ganea My daughter is a 2nd year university student living in London, travelling to university and also to her place of work. She has now got a student oyster card and also has a 1/3 16-25 railcard. Does she have to link these to get the full benefits of the oyster card. I said that her travel will be a 1/3 cheaper if she gets the oyster card but obviously if she uses it as a pay as you go it is still the same, why is this?

Staff Hi Anita. She needs to get the railcard loaded onto her Oyster card, then she can use the Oyster card like normal and it will charge the discounted fares. She needs to take both cards to a London Underground station and then ask a member of TFL staff to load it on. You can usually find one standing behind the ticket barriers. Bear in mind that she doesn't get a discount on all Oyster fares, just off-peak ones, and zone 1-9 travelcards (if bought together with another National Rail ticket) - full details here 16-25railcard.co.uk/​using-your-railcard/​travel-times-tickets/

Steven Gatting Hi folks,,, returning uk resident arriving with Family from US for 7 day visit covering all areas on tube. Kis are 10. 14 and 16 . Shall I just get 7 day travel cards.Will be making plenty travel around the tube on all days. Thanks Steve Gatting

Staff Hi Steven, if you’re staying seven days then a weekly travelcard usually works out cheapest if you’re making at least two or more journeys on each of the seven days, or three or more journeys on six days, but it depends what zones you buy (most people only need zones 1-2). Your 10 year old will travel for free, but bear in mind your 14 and 16 year olds will have to pay for adult passes because it won’t be worth paying out extra for photocards to qualify for the kid prices.

Michael Just to make sure it will work: I want to buy a weekly 1-2 zones paper travel card at Paddington railway station. All I need is to bring £37 and paper-sized photo, right? No need to buy Oyster card or something like that?

Staff Hi Michael. You can only get a paper travelcard if it’s a 1-day travelcard. Weekly ones will go onto an Oyster card. If you don’t have an Oyster card you’ll have to go to an Oyster Ticket stop shop (newsagent) in the National Rail part of Paddington (and pay £5 deposit for a new card on top). The underground bit only has self-service machines. If you do have an Oyster card then you can load it on at a self-service machine. You don’t need a photo

Selina Rahman Hi, If I want to travel from Woodford to Bermondsey by train and then bus from Bermondsey to Bricklayer's Arms by bus, can I buy a weekly oyster card from zone 2-4? If not, please suggest how I can make this journey with the most economical option? Thanks,

Staff Hi Selina. Thats okay for Woodfood to Bermondsey (assuming you don't choose a route that passes through zone 1). theres more than one bricklayers arm’s in london so we don't know which one you're talking about, but it should be alright because buses don’t have zones. all travelcards are valid for bus travel in zones 1-6, regardless of which zones they cover

Polya Genova Why when I transfer via Wimbledon from Streatham to Fulham Broadway I am overcharged for zone 1.??? I notice 3 times on my way going but mot charge in my way back. The pink rider was no clear sound.

Staff Hi Polya. You're only supposed to tap down on the pink readers if your journey would normally take you across London through zone 1, and you're changing trains to bypass zone 1. But the journey you're doing wouldn't normally go through zone 1 anyway, so I would stop tapping down on the pink reader and see if that helps - just tap down at the beginning and end of your journey instead

Lorraine I am travelling to london from Leigh on sea going to Wood Green station / Shepherd’s Bush there are 6 of us all together 2 adults 4 chikdren under 11 years we have bought the Kidszania tickets What would be the cheapest fares to travel on the tube

Staff Hi Lorraine. your national rail tickets would be separate, but if all four kids are under 11 then they travel for free on the tube, and the adults should just use their contactless cards to pay (oyster is the same price as contactless, but you have to pay a £7 deposit to get hold of the cards)

MR JOHN ROZNOWSKI Is there any discount for ENCTS pass holders who live outside London?

Staff Hi John. Not if you want to buy a travelcard, but you should be able to use it to travel for free on TFL buses (with time restrictions) if it has the red rose symbol on it. Theres some more information here - city-guide.london/​transport/​senior-bus-fares.php

Engrid Hello, Do children travel for free with a parent who purchases a travel card?

Staff Hi Engrid. Only if they’re under 11. They travel for free with a fare paying adult - city-guide.london/​transport/​child-train-fares.php

Pauline My partner and myself are travelling on Avanti train from Lancaster for the day.Can we buy I day travel cards when we buy our train tickets in Lancaster. Thankyou

Staff Hi Pauline, we cant really help with what’s for sale in Lancaster, but we doubt that the train company will sell them. But you’d be better off just using your contactless card to pay anyway (assuming that you both have one), because the ‘daily cap’ for contactless is half the price of a 1-day travelcard - city-guide.london/​transport/​adult-train-fares.php

John Evans RAIL CARDS OR SENIOR BUS PASS Are they valid with one day travel card off peak

Staff Hi John. A senior bus pass with the red rose symbol lets you travel for free on TFL buses, with time restrictions, but you cant use them to buy a travelcard, A Senior Railcard will give you a discount on “Anytime Day Travelcard Zones 1-9 when bought as part of ticket to London from outside London (subject to minimum fare)” - city-guide.london/​transport/​senior-train-fares.php

James allison Is their a pensioner discount

Staff Hi James. Not for travelcards, no, unless you have a senior railcard as mentioned in the comment above. But you can travel for free on the buses and trains if you have a freedom pass or 60+ oyster card (with time restrictions). More info here - city-guide.london/​transport/​senior-train-fares.php

Paul Hoelzley Good afternoon, We are Canadian seniors (82 & 76) and will be in London for 5 days early January 2023. Could you kindly help us and advise us on what is the cheapest card to use during our stay. There seem to be so many different choices and fares and this is very confusing to us. Thank you for taking the time to answer our question (s). Regards, Paul H.

Staff Hi Paul. A Visitor Oyster card will be the cheapest, and you can buy it online before you go and have it delivered to you in Canada - more information about that here: city-guide.london/​transport/​visitor-oyster-cards.php . You’ll have to choose how much credit you want on it, so just work out which fare zones you’ll be travelling through each day (most tourists just need zone 1), and look at the ‘daily cap’ for that zone in the fares chart. That will be the maximum you will be charged that day. Add up all the daily caps for the five days, and thats how much credit you’ll need. Alternatively… you can just buy a weekly travelcard when you arrive in London. You’ll lose a little bit of money, but its a lot less complicated because you can make unlimited journeys for the whole week

Mark Hi, we will be travelling to London from Melbourne in September. Four adults For five full days. We are flying into Gatewick. What is the best way to get to accommodation near Hyde park and where should we get recommended pass?

Staff Hi Mark. I would buy tickets for the Gatwick Express into Victoria on their website, and then get Visitor Oyster Cards for everyone and have them delivered to Australia before I travel. Oyster cards have the cheapest fares, and you can use them on the tube to wherever it is you're staying around Hyde Park. Info about where to get Visitor Oyster cards here - city-guide.london/​transport/​visitor-oyster-cards.php

Ali Need a travel pass ticket in London for tube and buss

Staff Hi Ali. We've explained how you can get one on this page

Jordi Hello, I'm going to travel to London for a 7 days in July. 2 adults and 1 of 14 years. We move for zones 1-3. Wich is the best option? and Where can I buy better?

Staff Hi Jordi. It depends how many journeys you're making. If you make two or more journeys on each of the seven days, or three or more journeys on six of the days, then a weekly travelcard should be cheaper. Otherwise the adults should use their contactless cards if they're from the UK, or Oyster cards if they're from abroad (which have the same fares as contactless, but you have to pay a £5 deposit on top). The 14-year old should get an Oyster card and have the 'Young Visitor Discount' applied to it, as explained on this page - city-guide.london/​transport/​child-train-fares.php

Keith Morgan How much will a 1-6 zone one day travelcard for 2 adults and two children with a family railcard

Staff Hi Keith. You dont get a discount if you buy the travelcard on its own. You need to be coming into London on another train. According to their terms: “With your Railcard you can get 1/3 off Anytime Day Travelcard when bought as part of your journey to London from outside London Zones 1-9 (subject to a minimum fare which is currently £20,30)” - familyandfriends-railcard.co.uk/​help/​faqs/

DEREK SPELLER Good afternoon.......we are travelling into Heathrow from Canada in August and staying in Paddington. The London Transport Travelcard will allow us onto the Tube at Heathrow but NOT the Heathrow to Paddington Airport Train.....am I correct?

Staff Hi Derek. That's correct, yes. You can use an Oyster card on the Heathrow Express, but not a travelcard. If you want to use a travelcard on the tube from heathrow to paddington then you'll have to get one covering zones 1-6

Muraleedharan vp Which are the places covered by differrnt zones?

Staff Zone 1-2 covers the central touristy part of London, which is good enough for 99% of tourists. but maybe you'll want zone 3 for kew, and zone 6 for heathrow

Reda Weekly travel card zone 2 to zone 4. Travelling from zone 4 to zone 4 without crossing zone 1 , why I got charged £2.50 at the end of the day.

Staff Hi Reda. Is the travelcard loaded onto an Oyster card? £2.50 is a zone 1 fare, so the only thing I can think of is that you didn’t tap out at the end.

B Walker Can I purchase a weekly anytime travel card as ticket? Not plastic oyster

Staff Hi B Walker. Only if you buy it online from the TFL shop - visitorshop.tfl.gov.uk/​en/​london-travelcard . If you buy it anywhere in London then it will be loaded onto an Oyster card.

Veronica We are a family of five traveling into London Kings Cross on 7th Oct children are aged 15,15,14, We are staying for 9 nights at Twickenham and will be travelling in/out London and going to attractions. What would be the best travel option?

Staff Hi Veronica. We always recommend that adults use their contactless bank card. (oyster cards have the same fares, but you have to pay a deposit on top.) and then get oyster cards for the kids. but get the ‘young visitor discount’ applied to the oyster cards when you arrive in London, which is explained here - city-guide.london/​transport/​child-train-fares.php

Veronica Which zone is Twickenham in. Should I order the child oyster card before we arrive and do they require a photo

Staff Its in zone 5. you can order it in advance if you want to, they don’t require a photo. its all explained on our oyster card page - city-guide.london/​transport/​oyster-cards.php

PEDRO Do foreign children between 11 and 15 have a discount with the one-day travelcard? I think no...

Staff Hi Pedro. They can do, but only if you get them an Oyster Zip photocard as well. But you have to pay extra for those, which will wipe out any savings you make. So we dont recommend getting one if its just a one-off visit - city-guide.london/​transport/​child-train-fares.php

Alex If I buy a travelcard at Heathrow and need to travel to Hammersmith but only on the next day do I need to make another journey (in zones 1 and 2), can I buy a 7 day travelcard at the same time as buying some PAYG but somehow POST-DATE the 7 day travelcard so it is only active from the NEXT day?

Staff Hi Alex. You can do. You always have to choose the start date when you buy a travelcard so i would do that first, then load some credit on after. Another way is to just buy a zone 1-2 travelcard at heathrow, from the first day, and load some extra credit on to cover the zones 2-6 bit

Alex Hello again. Travelling from Buckhurst Hill to Hampton Wick with a Zone 1-2 Travelcard and PAYG. I see this necessitates a National Rail Journey from Zone 1 to 6. Will it cost a Zone 1 to 6 fare from PAYG despite the travelcard because it's National Rail and not Overground/Underground? Does one have to check in/check out at a station on the border of zones 2-3? Pink card reader or something?

Staff As long as the National Rail station is within the oyster zones (which your stations are) then you can pay with a travelcard and oyster - theres no difference. you dont have to tap down on a pink reader. you only use those if you're making a detour to avoid zone 1, on a journey that would normally go through zone 1. you just have to tap down at the beginning and end of your journey like normal

ELHAMUDDIN ZAHID Hello I am student and have class two days a week and live in zone 5 which option will be cheap for me. Many thanks

Staff Hi Elhamuddin. The easiest and cheapest thing to do is to just use your contactless card - city-guide.london/​transport/​contactless-cards.php

Alex Hi. I just phoned up TFL and got my PAYG balance refunded (£8:70) from my oyster into bank account. I'm no longer on London and couldn't do it at machine in London as I still had a valid travelcard on my last day! Now the oyster card has been removed from the app! Is the card still valid should I return to London in the future? Or did refunding the PAYG balance cancel the card? I paid £7 for the card. Perhaps they canceled the card and refunded the £7 as well as the £8:70?

Staff Hi Alex. The card gets voided at the same time as the refund, so you wont be able to use it anymore. The deposit would have been converted into PAYG credit after 12 months, but if you've had it less than that then you don't get it back.

JOHN Hello everyone, I have a crucial to me question that puzzles me when I try to buy online a London weekly anytime travelcard for my planned trip to London next month, i.e. November 2022, landing at Heathrow airport. As far as I understand, a 7-Days (weekly) London anytime travelcard does not have a peak, or, off-peak option (As 1-day travelcards do). They are valid throughout the whole day (And, if I am not mistaken valid until 04:30 am of the next day after their expiry). I am trying to buy the card from abroad (within EU) prior my arrival & ordering it to be mailed to my home country. I choose adult, Ticket Duration = 7 Day (only option), Ticket Zone = Zones 1-6, Then it requires me to choose (Under: “Admission)” an option, BUT, the only option available in the: “Peak”. Then date of first use which I provide and then the total price is £70.30. Question is, in the field entitled: “Admission” the only option being: “Peak”, What do they mean by the word: Peak ? If I choose Peak (the only option available) will I purchase a weekly anytime travelcard that I will be able to use throughout the whole day, OR, will I be able to ONLY use it during Peak hours (i.e. prior 09:30 am) which does NOT make any sense as a 7-Days (weekly) anytime travelcard (As the name clearly states) is valid throughout the whole day ? I am at a loss. What do they mean by the option: Peak ? Can somebody please help me ? Many thanks in advance for your time & effort. Looking forward to your reply/assistance. Many thanks & Best Regards

Staff Hi John. The way they've worded it does look a bit confusing (they should have called it 'anytime') but it will definitely be valid for an entire week, both off-peak and peak hours. That's the only version you can buy for a weekly travelcard.

JOHN Many thanks for your reply ref London weekly anytime travelcard. Much appreciated. If I land to Heathrow during weekend will I be able to buy a London weekly anytime travelcard from Heathrow Visitor Center, OR, from a Heathrow ticket machine ? In this case do I need an oyster card ? Can I use the very same card to travel (By tube and/or overground rail) from, AND, to Heathrow airport (E.g. Heathrow to Waterloo)? In the latter case, are there any specific tube/overground trains I cannot use, i.e. express ? Many thanks in advance for your time & effort. Looking forward to your reply/assistance. Many thanks & Best Regards

Staff You won't be able to buy a paper travelcard at Heathrow, but you will be able to get one loaded onto an Oyster card. Assuming that you haven't got an Oyster card already, that will add another £7 deposit on top. But if you do get an Oyster card then you may as well forget the travelcard and load some credit onto it instead, and pay normal Oyster fares, which might work out cheaper depending on how many days you're staying. Oyster credit can be used on buses and trains in all the zones, including Heathrow. But if you catch the Heathrow Express then the credit will be used to pay the normal Heathrow Express fare instead (rather than a cheaper Oyster fare - you'd have to catch the tube for that). More info about all that here - city-guide.london/​transport/​oyster-cards.php - If you want a paper travelcard then your only option is to get it from the TFL site and have it posted to you.

Matt Greer Are weekly travelcards discontinuing in January 2023? If so, what is replacing it for tourist weekly travel?

Staff Hi Matt. There was talk about scrapping them last year as well, but nothing has happened so far. If they do disappear then people will have to use the weekly cap on Oyster and contactless instead (which is the same price as a weekly travelcard). So tourists will have to buy an Oyster card.

Eva Ticket type Hi, I found Super Off-Peak Day Travelcardincludes London Travelcard with Travel conditions Same day return off-peak travel including unlimited bus, tube, tram and DLR journeys around London. I would like to use with the 2 for 1 promotion wisiting London Eye. I would like to be sure that this train ticket is accepted by them. thank you

Staff Hi Eva. It has to be from a National Rail station rather than an underground station (so it has to be printed on orange paper), and you have to book the London Eye in advance rather than turn up on the day. You can check the ticket here - daysoutguide.co.uk/​travel-by-train/​is-my-ticket-valid-for-2for1-and-other-offers

Muhammad Athar Masood I am coming to London on March 29 and shall stay here upto April 11. During my stay, I intend to travel in almost all zones of the city using bus, tube, tram or train whichever convenient. Please guide me if should buy a Travle Card or an Oyester Card.

Staff Hi Muhammad. Price-wise you're probably going to be better off with an Oyster card rather than a travelcard, but there are advantages and disadvantages to each. Have a read of this page which explains them all - city-guide.london/​transport/​oyster-contactless-travelcard-comparison.php

Sandr Hi, Me and my husband are coming to London with our kids age 8,15,16.We will be there one week.Is the seven days travelcard best options for us?

Staff Hi Sandr. Travelcards usually work out cheaper if you make 2 or more journeys on each of the 7 days, or three or more on 6 of the days. Otherwise you’ll be better off with Oyster cards (unless you have UK bank cards, then you can just use contactless instead)

Sandra Thank you very much for your answer.We surely will be using it more than 2 times a day.And my daughter age 8 doesn't have to have a travelcard?My daughter age 15 has a child travelcard?Does it have to be with a photo? Thanks for your help.

Staff You can only get a child travelcard if you have a child photocard, but you have to pay extra money for those which means you’d wipe out all the savings. So its not worth it. Your 8 year old travels for free. Its all explained on our child fares page - city-guide.london/​transport/​child-train-fares.php

Kathe Conway Hello, riding here i am curious, i will be in london for seven days thinking it is best to get a travel card, can you buy this at Heathrow ? Also if for one day I am traveling to zone four does it make more sense just to buy a single trip that day? sorry so confusing :)

Staff Hi Kathe. You can get it loaded on to an oyster card, but youll need the oyster card first. You can have a paper one posted to you if you order it online (even abroad - its all described in the ‘Where can you buy a travelcard?’ section above). If you want to use it from heathrow into central london that would be zones 1-6, which would also cover zone 4. You wouldnt be travelling zones 1-6 all week though, so it would be a bit of a waste of money. I would probably recommend getting an oyster card instead, which you can get from heathrow - city-guide.london/​transport/​oyster-cards.php

Giuluano Hi there, how much cost me a travel card zone 1to 6 on Sunday?

Staff Hi Giuluano. Sunday is off-peak so get the off-peak one - 15,20

Richard Can I buy the 1 day Travelcard at any national trainstation (planning for Knockholt)? As this is a requirement for 2for1

Staff Hi. Richard. You can, yes (assuming you mean one of the stations in London). But you have to get it from the windows/machines upstairs, in the National Rail part of the station. If you go downstairs to the London Underground part then it will be printed on different paper, which is no good for the offer.

Richard Thanks. Indeed we drive from SevenOaks to Knockholt national railstation, with our Diesel from the Netherlands, which I want to leave outside LEZ. Thus parking in Knockholt (which is in Zone 6) and then use for the Saturday and Sunday the 2 day paper travelcard. This should allow our group of 6 to have the cheapest means of transportation into London, benefitting from 2FOR1, as long as we purchase the cards at Knockholt national Railwaystation (Can we purchase them at this station!? ). Can you confirm this is the best strategy? Thx

Staff Knockholt is in zone 6, so they should sell them. Its not the cheapest way of travelling (using contactless/oyster would be cheaper) but you’d make all the money back and more from doing the 2-for-1 offer, so it sounds like a good plan. You can buy the off-peak ones if youre travelling at the weekend. And its definitely a lot cheaper than driving into london. If youre talking about this saturday and sunday remember the coronation is on, so everywhere will likely be packed

JOSE CARVALHO If I have a travelcard card for zones 1 and 2, and I want to go Canning Town (zone 2/3) and return, how to proceed.

Staff Hi Jose. if you coming from the direction of zone 1 or 2, and get off at Canning Town, then you're fine, your travelcard will cover the whole journey. If you’re going into zone 3 and your travelcard is on an oyster card, then you can just load on some extra pay-as-you-go credit to cover the fare for zone 2-3 (which can be seen here - city-guide.london/​transport/​adult-train-fares.php )

Lynn I am arriving in London from overseas and need just one train ticket from Paddington Station to Kings Cross Station. What is the best way to pay for this trip please

Staff Hi lynn. If it's just a one-off then I would buy a single ticket from the self-service machine in the station

Derek Scriven Is there still a concession on 1 day travelcards with a senior railcard?

Staff H Derek. There is, but only this specific one - "Anytime Day Travelcard Zones 1-9 when bought as part of ticket to London from outside London" - senior-railcard.co.uk/​using-your-railcard/​travel-times-tickets/

Richard I want to find out about the cheapest weekly cost for travel card from Brockley station to Reading.

Lala If I want to travel to London zones 1-6 and I need the weekly travel cards, how much is it and how do I buy it? I also have a 16-25 Railcard, can it be applied when buying?

Staff Hi Lala. the prices for zone 1-6 are all shown in the table at the top. The different ways to buy it are described under ‘Where can you buy travelcards’. The railcard wont get you a discount on a weekly travelcard. The only travelcard you can get a discount on is a “one day travelcard, zones 1-9, when bought together with a National Rail ticket to London (when coming from outside London)”

ALAN Can I use a Rail Travel Voucher issued by Transport for Wales for a cancelled journey to buy a TFL Travelcard?

Staff Hi Alan. I wouldn't imagine so, but it's probably best to ask Transport for Wales - tfw.wales/​help-and-contact/​rail/contact-us

Edward Gould Do I need a photo for an annual season travel card

Staff Hi Edward. You’ll need to get an oyster card and register it on the TFL website. You’ll then be able to buy the annual travelcard through that website and load it straight onto your card

Malcolm Oates What is price of off-peak one day travelcard zones 1-6 for a senior railcard holder. it was 34% off.

Staff Hi Malcom. The normal price is £15,20 and the discount would only apply if you bought the ticket as part of a longer National Rail journey from outside zones 1-9 - senior-railcard.co.uk/​about-the-railcard/​using-your-railcard/

Tahira If I bought a Train, Bus & Tram Travelcard covering zones 5-6, what buses would be covered? Will it always be buses up to zone 6? Or is my case different?

Staff Hi Tahira. Buses don't have zones, so whichever train travelcard you buy it will always cover buses in train zones 1-6

Steve Hi, I’m traveling to Leicester square on the Friday bank holiday from Bedford with two adults and two 15 year olds just for the day. Do we just get the one day travel card or is there a better option. Tia

Staff HI Steve. The fares will be cheaper if you just use your contactless card. But you’ll have to have one card each. if your kids don’t have one then I would get them one day travelcards - city-guide.london/​transport/​oyster-contactless-travelcard-comparison.php

Steve Thank you for your help

Ron Travelling from Richmond to Stratford using Overground line Do I need to use pink reader anywhere to get cheaper fare using contactless? Thanks

Staff Hi Ron. You need to avoid zone 1, so it will make the journey a lot longer. If you want to do it then you could change onto the Overground at Gunnersbury and tap the pink reader there (don't go through any ticket barriers, because that would end your journey)

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London Travelcard prices for public transport pass in 2024

Transport pass for 1 day, 7 days, 1 month or much longer for buses, trains & underground.

The London Travelcard is the original pass for public transport in London. It is very simple to understand. You pay up front for a ticket which gives you unlimited rides for a stated number of calendar days. These days are consecutive, the pass ends 7 days after the first journey.

You can currently buy Travelcards for periods of 1 day, 7 days, 1 month or 1 year.

Unless you are going to make just one single journey on public transport in London then you should really be looking to either purchase an Oyster card , contactless payment card or a London Travelcard transport pass, and not pay for single tickets.

For example, paying cash for a single Underground journey in central London is more than double the price of the same journey with an Oyster Card.

Where can you use Travelcards   Fare zones   Peak & off-peak   Where to buy   Prices 2024   Benefits   Concessions   Child fares   Groups

Where you can use a Travelcard

The Travelcard pass covers:

- The London Underground network

- The London red local bus network

- The railway network in Greater London

- Docklands Light Railway, TFL Railway and Overground Railway

- 33% discount on many scheduled river services .

You cannot use your Travelcard on the Heathrow Express train as the group are not part of the Transport for London network.

You can use your Travelcard on the London Underground, TFL Rail Heathrow and London red bus services from Heathrow.

Other airports

Gatwick, Southend, Stansted and Luton airports are outside London beyond the scope of London public transport so the buses and trains from these airports are not covered by Travelcard (though you can use Oyster cards from Gatwick & on Heathrow Express. City Airport is serviced by the Docklands Light railway (DLR) and is covered.

The London public transport system is divided up into zones that radiate from the centre. Nearly all the hotels and the main sights are in Zone 1.

Heathrow Airport is in Zone 6 and the furthest zone out is Zone 9.

For the vast majority of visitors you will only travel in the two most central zones 1 and 2. The Underground map (link below) has the stations and their zones marked.

Some stations like Turnham Green are in two zones. You use whichever zone for these stations is most beneficial in working out your fare.

Although with a Travelcard you have unlimited journeys for a flat fee, the price you pay for your Travelcard is determined by the fare zones you want to travel in. The more fare zones you want covered, the more expensive the Travelcard.

London's red buses do not have zones. In fact with a Travelcard if you have a Travelcard for zones 1 and 2 you can travel in all the other zones as well using London's red buses.

London Underground Map & Rail Network Map with price zones (PDF)

Use our links below to see the London price zone maps for both the Underground and Rail network. You will be able to clearly see the zones marked across the map and then look where your station of interest sits within which zone. This is an easy way to work out the potential price of travel in London, by looking at the places you want to visit and seeing which London zone they sit within.

Most major attractions sit within zone 1-2 but there are other attractions further out from central London you may want to visit, as an example Hampton Court (zone 6) or Wimbledon (zone 3).

Peak & off peak travel for 1-day Travelcards

A 1 day Travelcard comes in a choice of peak and off peak variants, the price differential is substantial.

The peak travel period is if you travel between 4.30am and 9.29am Monday to Friday.

For a 1 day Travelcard only, if you want to travel during this time you need to purchase the 'Peak' period 1 day Travelcard product, otherwise the much cheaper off peak Travelcard will do.

Note: For 1 day, an Oyster card is often much cheaper than a 1 day Travelcard, never more expensive.

Travelcards for 7 days or longer are valid at all times.

Travelcards are valid for calendar days, not 24 hours from when you first use. However you can use your Travelcard the day after the last day if your journey departs before 4.30am.

Where you buy, photo ID & varying formats of Travelcards

If you buy Travelcards from a railway ticket office (not Underground) they come on card and will have a rail logo on (just like the image at the top of the page). If you buy a 7 Day Travelcard (child or adult) or a longer duration Travelcard you will need a rail photocard. This is made up on the spot and is free of charge, but you have to bring your own passport size photo. You cannot use the rail photocard as ID at non-rail ticket outlets.

If you buy Travelcards in advance online from TfL (see banner link below) the Travelcards also come as card tickets but you do not need photo ID both for children and adults.

If you buy Travelcards from anywhere else, including Underground and DLR stations, 1 day Travelcards come on a card, but all other Travelcards come loaded on an Oyster card. Children between 11 and 17 years require an Oyster ID Photocard to buy Travelcards at concession fare rates for 7 day durations or longer. Adults do not need photo ID.

Best place to buy Travelcards

The most convenient place to buy Travelcards for visitors are Underground stations, including Heathrow Airport. You can pay cash or credit card.

However there are no longer manned ticket offices at Underground and DLR stations. You have to buy from a ticket machine.

If you prefer a person to serve you there are also many Oyster Ticket Stops all over London in neighbourhood stores, newsagents etc that display a sign in their window or stations run by the railways (not the London Overground, Underground or TFL Rail Stations).

If you feel nervous purchasing a public transport pass from a ticket machine after entering a strange country, you can buy Travelcards online from TfL (see link below) and have them delivered to your home address internationally.

BUY VISITOR OYSTER CARD & TRAVELCARD FOR LONDON

Visiting London? Save time and money on London public transport

• Visitor Oyster Card • Travelcard for 1 day anytime / off-peak or 7 days anytime • Group day travelcards available

London Travelcard Prices from 3 March 2024 - March 2025

London travelcard vs oystercard - what is the difference.

Travelcards are a flat rate travel pass where you have unlimited rides in the selected zones for the time period purchased. You can use your travelcard across the London Network (with a few exceptions), so the travelcard covers your complete travel for a set time period and for a set fee paid up front.

Oyster / Contactless payment cards are charged on a per journey basis but there is a daily maximum you can be charged. This is called the price cap. Once you hit this 'price cap' through all the individual fares adding up, you are no longer charged for any subsequent journeys made that day.

A good example is the daily Oyster/Contactless payment cards price cap is less than the cost of a 1 day Travelcard, so travel over one day is cheaper. Over longer periods Travelcards can work out cheaper depending on your travel. For instance a 7 Day Travelcard is less expensive than an Oyster or Contactless payment card if you travel 3 or more times each day for 6 days or more in a 7 day calendar period.

This is a detailed area and can be confusing, so we created a dedicated page Comparing Travelcards and Oystercards , this page looks in detail at the difference between a travelcard, Oystercard and contactless payment cards to help you find the best fit for your visit.

Benefits of using Travelcards with Oyster card

Most visitors will just travel in the central zones 1 and 2. If you are staying more than 5 days in Central London then a 7 day Travelcard zone 1-2 is probably going to be cheaper than just an Oyster card. However a Travelcard on its own with fixed travel zones is not very flexible for the occasional trip outside these zones.

7 day Travelcards can be loaded onto your Oyster card and be used in combination with Oyster on a Pay As You Go basis for a single journey.

Note this flexibility is not available on Visitors Oyster cards or contactless payment cards and is not available for Travelcards purchased from railway stations and online.

A typical example is someone arriving and departing at Heathrow Airport in zone 6 and spending say 6 days in the centre of London (zones 1-2) before flying out.

By purchasing an Oyster card at Heathrow Airport Underground Station and buying a 7 day Travelcard zone 1-2 (electronically loaded onto the Oyster by the ticket machine) plus a minimal amount of Oyster cash both Oyster card and Travelcard will will work seamlessly together.

The 7 day Travelcard zone 1-2 will cover all travel in the central zones 1 and 2. Then on the Underground airport transfer journeys the Travelcard still covers the section of the journey in zones 1 and 2 but the Oyster will kick in automatically to cover the section of the journey in zones 3 to 6 at the lowest cost using the cash on the Oyster. You do not physically have to do anything it is all automatic.

Similarly, if you are staying in London for 9 days you might buy an Oyster card and use it on a PAYG basis for 2 days and have a 7 day Travelcard loaded and use that for the remaining 7 days.

Seniors concessions

There are no seniors fares for visitors. If you reside in London and are of pensionable age you can get a Freedom pass giving free travel. If you are 60+ and live in London the Seniors Oyster ID Card that makes free bus travel available. You can apply online or get a form from your local Post Office.

Anybody with an English National Concessionary bus pass can use that on London's red buses too and travel free of charge.

If you have a railways Seniors Railcard you can get your 1/3 discount on off-peak Oyster fares. You have to ask a member of staff to load the concession onto a standard Oyster card (note, not a Visitors Oysters card) at an Underground station after showing your Seniors Card.

If you have a railways Seniors Railcard you can also buy 1 day off-peak zone 1-6 Travelcards at with the discount applied.

Child concessions

This is a very complex subject and is covered in detail in the table below.

In crude terms a child is defined as under 16 years old, but in the last couple of years it has been possible to get child fares after jumping through a few hoops up to the age of 17.

Children under 11 can travel free on the London Underground, DLR and buses without a ticket. If a child is between 11 and 15 years old you require an Oyster 11-15 Photocard (which has a fee see below). This allows 11 to 15 year olds to travel at child fares on the Underground, DLR, Overground and some trains, free on the buses.

A child is defined as under 16 years old, but in the last couple of years it has been possible to get child fares after jumping through a few hoops up to the age of 17.

You can only buy child Travelcards on-demand universally for 1 day Travelcards. You cannot load child Travelcards onto an Oyster without an Oyster ID card. You can buy 7 day child Travelcards at the Visit Britain online shop, TFL's online shop , and at railway stations (who require a passport photo).

If you are a short term visitor (in London for up to 14 days) with kids between 11-15 you can take advantage of the Young Visitor Discount. This means you can get half price fares on an Oyster card on a temporary basis for your child without going through the hoops and expense of getting an Oyster ID card. You do need to read carefully the rules of this scheme though.

Children's Fare Concessions

Group tickets - 1-day group travelcard for groups of 10 or more.

This in scope is the same as a 1-day off-peak Travelcard for zones 1-6 and 1-9 providing unlimited travel on all services after 9.30am Monday to Friday and all day Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays.

The pricing is particularly attractive if you have kids in the group and those staying in one of the outer zones, however if you are staying in the centre of London zones 1 to 3 it will be cheaper to purchase individual Oyster cards.

If you are a group of 10 or more then do check out this product. Click through on the blog link right for more details.

Qualifying for the Railways 2 for 1 promotion by using Travelcards

The railways sponsor a hugely popular and long running promotion that allows those people using the train to visit leading attractions to get two people admitted for the price of one.

When visiting London you can you can get 2 for 1 admission to many of London's major sights including the Tower of London. The full list is very long and covers all of Great Britain. If you have train tickets to London and you are doing some sightseeing its a very worthwhile promotion to look into.

If, like many visitors, you are not using the national train services to get to London but are using a Travelcard to ride the London Underground to get around then there is a loophole in the scheme whereby if you buy your Travelcard from a railway station ticket office you qualify for the 2 for 1 promotion. There are a few further hoops to jump through, but the rewards can be significant, so its worth checking out.

Railways 2 for 1 promotion more details

Using your travelcard to gain access to trains

To gain access to the trains of all types, and again to exit a station you have to pass through automatic barriers (pictured right). There is always one wide ticket barrier for wheelchairs, pushchairs and people with large suitcases.

If you have a card Travelcard you insert the Travelcard into the ticket slot, the barrier will check that your Travelcard is valid for both date and zones travelled and then return it to you and open the barrier.

If you have a Travelcard loaded onto an Oyster card you swipe the Oyster card over a bright yellow pad, the barrier will check validity and then open the barrier. This process is repeated at the destination station.

On buses there are no ticket barriers. Inspectors may check the validity of your Travelcard at any time.

• Transportation

Travel Cards and Tariffs

Is it cheaper to buy a London travel card? Learn how to save money when using the public transport network in London.

Public transport in London is particularly expensive. For example, a single tube ticket costs  £ 4.90 ( US$ 6.20) . While in other cities tourists may need to compare the cost of a travel card and single tickets, in London this decision is made easy as it's cheaper to buy a day pass than two single tickets.

The two most relevant and well-known travel cards are:

Oyster Card

You may also be interested in.

Although London is very spread out and the weather isn't normally very inviting, many locals prefer cycling rather than the public transport or moving around by car.

The Travelcard is a paper ticket that gives you unlimited access to London’s public transport for a limited amount of time, being the best option for the majority of tourists.

Oyster card or Travelcard in London: How to choose

When planning a trip to London, you need to think houw you’re going to get around and what tickets you’ll need to pay for public transport.

Buying single tickets is simply not recommended, as it works much cheaper to use a transport card or contactless payment. The transport cards that you will need to look into are basically the oyster card and the travelcard. Using contactless payment works out exactly the same as using an oyster card.

However, deciding what works best for you can be a little daunting, so we will explain the main differences and hopefully help you make that decision.

London Oyster card, Travelcard or Contactless payment

One important thing to remember is that every person needs their own card. Unless you are just using buses, in which case, more than one person can use the same card. But for trains, underground, overground, trams, riverboat services or anything else you need one card per person.

London Oyster Card: What is it

The London Oyster Card is a pay-as-you-go plastic card, the size of a credit card. In order to get one you need to pay £7, and you can top it up as many times as you need and use it again and again. It’s valid for travel on the Underground, overground, DLR (docklands light rail), TFL rail, Emirates airline, and some trains. It’s also valid for travel within any of London’s Travel Zones , so you don’t need to choose what zones you will need it for when buying one. Every time you use it, the fare will be calculated depending on the travel zones that you have travelled to and from, and the time of the day you have made the journey (peak / off-peak).

It is the best option if you are visiting London and going to use London’s public transport a few times a day, for example, if you need to travel to get to central London from your hotel, then to get to a different place in London and then back to the hotel.

With an oyster card, you will pay for each journey you make, and there is a maximum daily cap. Once you have reached this daily cap, you will not get charged any more for extra journeys.

⇒ Read More about London Oyster Card

Contactless Payment on London Transport

This is slowly becoming the most popular option for paying for London’s public transport. Contactless payments work exactly the same as the oyster card, with exactly the same fares, and it saves you having to spend £7 on an Oyster Card.

A few things to have in mind if you are travelling to London from abroad are transaction fees and exchange rates. But in this case, you’ll find that nowadays, cards such as Revolut have made travelling much easier.

⇒ Read more about contactless payments on London Transport

London Travelcard

The London travelcard entitles you to unlimited travel for a set number of days within the London Travel Zones chosen.

This card that can be purchased for 1 day, 1 week, 1 month or 1 year, and with it, you have unlimited travel for the London transport zones you have chosen.

Generally speaking, a one-day London travelcard is something I don’t usually recommend as the oyster card’s daily cap is cheaper than the one day travelcard. A 7-day travelcard is helpful if you are going to use London’s public transport a lot (which doesn’t need to be the case if you plan your trip well), if you are going to be travelling outside of zones 1 – 4 every day or if you go are going to spend more than five days in London.

⇒ Read more about the London Travelcard

How to choose between Oyster Card, Contactless or Travelcard

To choose between an oyster card or travelcard to save as much money as possible when planning a trip to London, there are two things that we must take into account: The number of days that you are going to be in London and the travel zones that you are going to travel to and from:

Number of days

As a general rule, after comparing prices, I usually recommend a London Oyster Card or Contactless payment method if you are going to be in London for less than five days. If you are staying in London for more than 5 days, it’s probably worth getting a 7-day travelcard.

Travel zones

If you are buying a travelcard, you need to know what zones you’ll be using. London’s most popular attractions are mostly in zone 1. Some tourist attractions can be found in zone 2, such as Camden Town Market. But you also need to have in mind where your hotel is.

⇒ Read more about London Travel Zones

Oyster Card Daily Capping: Something to keep in mind when choosing between Oyster Card, Contactless or Travelcard

I must mention that the oyster card has a daily cap, and once this daily cap has been reached for certain travel zones, you can travel for free within the same travel zones. You still need to use your oyster card as you normally would, but you won’t be charged.

The cheapest one-day travelcard for costs £15.20. This is the price of the 1-day travel card for zone 1, zones 1-2, 1-3 and 1-4. The maximum daily cap when using an oyster in zones 1 and 2 of London is £8.10, £9.60 for zones 1-3 and £11.70 for zones 1-4. So, if you use an oyster card and travel in zones 1 and 2, once you have reached £8.10 you can travel free within zones 1 and 2.

2023 Fares Comparison: Daily Oyster Card Cap – 1 Day Travelcard – 7 Day Travelcard.

What’s cheaper according to number of days and travel zones, taking into account 2023 fares, what you should never do if you land at heathrow airport.

If you are thinking about buying a London travelcard for your stay in London if you are going to be in London for more than 5 days, and you arrive at Heathrow airport, we wouldn’t recommend that you buy a 7-day travelcard for zones 1 – 6 at Heathrow underground station to use during your whole stay as you will be paying too much.

I would recommend that you buy an oyster card at Heathrow underground station, and add a zone 1-4 travelcard onto it (if you are going to be in London more than 5 days), but use it with pay-as-you-go credit to get to central London on the first day and then again when you return to Heathrow airport.

Transport passes for children in London

Children under the age of 11 travel free within London travel zones. Children over 11 can also benefit from reduced fares; you can find out 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

London underground, london travel zones, travelling in london with kids, contactless payment on london transport.

What is your recommendation for buying a ticket for an 11 day stay in London (2 adults and children 16 and 13 years old). Hotel accommodation in Sutton with daily travel to and from the city centre, travel within zone 1-2 during the day + a day visit to the Harry Potter Studio. Thank you very much.

Hi Jan, Personally I wouldn’t recommend Sutton if you are going to travel to Central London every day as you would need to combine Underground with trains. We know some people that live near Sutton and most of the times the trains have delays or cancellations. The Harry Potter Studios are located in North London, while Sutton is in the South, so that day you would need around 2 hours to go there and another 2 hours to come back…

Also, depending on the airport that you would be arriving to, I would recommend a different area to find accommodation.

Hope it helps. If you have any questions about any other areas let us know.

Have a nice day!

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What is a London Travelcard?

A London Travelcard gives you unlimited travel within zones 1-4 or 1-6 on the Underground, Overground, TfL Rail, Docklands Light Railway, buses, trams, and most National Rail services in London.

You can also use your London Travelcard to get discounted fares on the Emirates Air Line and a third off River Boat fares on selected services.

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Which London Travelcard is right for me?

 one day london travelcard.

Anytime Day Travelcards can be used on the date shown on the ticket and for journeys starting before 04:30 the following day. Off-peak Day Travelcards can be used from 09:30 (Monday to Friday), at any time on weekends or bank holidays for the date on the ticket, and for journeys starting before 04:30 the next day.

London Weekly Travelcard

The London Weekly Travelcard offers seven days of travel for the price of five.

Monthly London Travelcard

Monthly Travelcards are typically more cost-effective than purchasing four consecutive 7-day Travelcards. They offer a saving of 11% compared to the continued use of 7-day Travelcards.

Group One Day London Travelcard

Travelling as a group of 10 or more? Get a Group One Day London Travelcard valid for the day from 09:30 (Monday to Friday), anytime on weekends or public holidays right up until 04:30 the next day.

London Travelcard season tickets

Your Travelcard season ticket can start any day of the week and you can travel right up until 04:30 on the day after your Travelcard expires.

Choose a seven-day, monthly, three-month, 6-month, custom or annual Travelcard season ticket.

How do I get a London Travelcard?

Travelcards can be sold with an Anytime , Off-Peak , Super Off-Peak , Advance  or season  (except Flexi Season ) train ticket to London on our website, app or at your local station.

You can add London Travelcards to your SWR touch smartcard , making it easier for you to tap in and out across the capital.

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London Travel Guide

Travel passes, cards and tariffs

The differences between Travelcards, Oyster cards, and contactless payment methods can seem confusing. Here you will find the advantages and disadvantages of each, as well as comparisons to determine the most convenient option for you.

There main travel pass options when using London public transport are the Travelcard , the Oyster card , and contactless payment methods . The difference between them is quite straightforward.

Travelcards are unlimited transport passes for public transport . This subscription comes in different duration options (1 day, 7 days, 1 month, or 1 year). Depending on the zone validity of the pass you get, the Travelcard includes all London transport for those zones - London Underground, Tube, DLR, Overground , and buses .

The Travelcard you are most likely to use is the 7-day Travelcard for zones 1-2, since this is where you’ll be spending the majority of your time as a tourist.

Oyster cards, on the other hand, are simply physical supports for travel credit . You can load as much credit as you want on an Oyster card and use it either for pay-as-you-go travelling (all London public transport) or to pay for a Travelcard subscription.

Finally, a contactless payment method is simply a bank card (debit or credit) or mobile device that supports contactless payment (like an Apple Watch or similar). A contactless method can only be used to pay as you go for your journeys on all London public transport.

It’s also essential to know that for the purposes of ticket validity, each day is considered to start at 4:30 am and end at 4:29 am the following day. This means that a weekly ticket from Monday to Sunday will actually be valid from Monday morning at 4:30 am to the following Monday at 4:29 am (the night going from Sunday to Monday).

Zone system and peak/off-peak hours in London

For the purposes of public transport pricing, two factors are considered in London: the zones and peak/off-peak hours.

There are a total of 9 concentric zones throughout which transport operates. The areas where you will spend the majority of your time as a tourist are zones 1 and 2, the most central ones . This is also where you can find the majority of London’s attractions and monuments . Nevertheless, there are some important sites you can find outside zones 1 and 2.

• Heathrow Airport - Zone 6
• Gatwick Airport - Zone 6
• Wembley Stadium - Zone 4
• Wimbledon (All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club) - Zone 3
• Hampton Court - Zone 6

Now, while the zone system serves to price tickets and passes for the entire London Rails and Underground network (which includes the Tube, the DLR, and Overground), London buses do not respond to this zone system in terms of pricing .

All bus fares in London are priced as if you were travelling only in zones 1-2. This means that even though London buses operate throughout the 9 zones, bus journeys always cost the same. It also means that if you have a pass or ticket valid for zones 1-2, you can take a bus no matter where you are in London.

As for peak and off-peak hours, some public transport journeys in London cost more during peak hours and less during off-peak hours . Peak hours are Monday to Friday between 6:30 am and 9:30 am, and between 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm. Off-peak hours are all other times. Additionally, if you travel from a station outside Zone 1 to a station within Zone 1, between 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm (even Monday to Friday), that is also considered off-peak.

How much do Travelcards cost?

The cost of a Travelcard is determined by its duration and zone validity. The available Travelcard durations are 1 day, 7 days, 1 month, or 1 year. The available Travelcard zones are anywhere from zones 1-2 to zones 1-9.

The 1-day Travelcard is the only one to be printed on a paper ticket , while all other Travelcards (weekly, monthly, and annual) need to be loaded on an Oyster card , which costs £7.00 (non-refundable). There is no printing cost other than the cost of the subscription itself for 1-day Travelcards.

It’s also important to note that there is no real 1-day Travelcard for zones 1-2 (or 1-3, for that matter). To cover those areas with a daily Travelcard you need to buy a zone 1-4 Travelcard , which costs £15.20. Similarly, zones 1-5 do not have a daily Travelcard of their own, but there is a daily zone 1-6 Travelcard, which costs £21.50 for anytime travel or £15.20 for off-peak-only journeys.

However, as a visitor, the most useful Travelcard is the 7-day Travelcard, which costs £40.70 for zones 1-2 (where you are most likely to spend your time). Remember that a 7-day Travelcard (or a monthly or annual one) needs to be loaded on an Oyster card, which costs £7.00.

There is normally no need to extend your weekly Travelcard over zones 1-2 unless your accommodation is outside the city centre and you have to make the commute every day. If you need to make only one or two journeys outside of zones 1-2, we recommend you just pay for them individually with the pay-as-you-go method, since Travelcards become more expensive the more zones are added. For example, a zone 1-6 weekly Travelcard cost £74.40.

In the following table, you can see Travelcard prices for the inner city (zones 1-2).

If you want to know more about London Travelcards, read our dedicated article.

Pay-as-you-go fares and caps on Oyster and contactless

Aside from Travelcards, the other way to pay for transport in London is to pay for your journeys as you go by using Oyster cards and contactless payment methods . Oyster cards and contactless payment methods share the same pay-as-you-go journey fares . For the entire Underground network (Tube, DLR, Overground), the prices are calculated on the basis of peak/off-peak hour usage and zone coverage.

On the Underground network, the pay-as-you-go fares for an Oyster card or contactless payment method in zone 1 are £2.80 (peak hours) and £2.70 (off-peak). If you travel between zone 1 and zone 2, the cost will be £3.40 (at peak hours) and £2.80 (off-peak hours).

This system does not apply to bus journeys, which always cost £1.75 each. You can see a summary of the most common single journey costs in the following table.

Additionally, both Oyster cards and contactless payment methods have a price cap when it comes to pay-as-you-go travelling. This means that no matter how many journeys on transport you take during a specific period of time, you will never be charged over the set price cap.

The Oyster card and contactless payment methods both have a daily cap . Only contactless payment methods have a weekly cap . This is because if you have an Oyster, you can simply get a weekly Travelcards, which costs the same as the weekly cap on contactless methods (£40.70 for zones 1-2).

As a tourist, you are likely to only travel in zones 1-2, so your Oyster/contactless daily cap will be £8.10. If you travel exclusively by bus (anywhere in London), your daily cap will be £5.25. You can see the most common daily and weekly caps summarised in the following table.

If you want to know more about Oyster cards and contactless payment methods, you will find all the information you need in our dedicated article.

Which London travel pass is more convenient?

This depends on how long you are staying and on the kind of bank card you are using.

For instance, if your bank card was issued outside of the UK , it is possible that you will be charged high conversion rates from your currency to British pound. If this is the case in your experience, we recommend not using contactless payment methods.

Instead, if you are in London for 5 days or less , you can use an Oyster card for pay-as-you-go travelling. If you are staying for 6 days or more , then a 7-day Travelcard is absolutely worth it.

If you are sure you won’t incur extra fees for the currency exchange, then using a contactless payment method is the easiest option for a stay of 1-5 days in London. If you are staying for 6-7 days, you will need to consider the exact time of your visit.

This is because the weekly cap on contactless applies strictly from Monday to Sunday, while the 7-day Travelcard is valid over the course of whichever 7 consecutive days (like Wednesday-Tuesday or Friday-Thursday, for example).

Therefore, if you are in London during the course of a calendar week, use a contactless payment method. If you are staying between calendar weeks, a 7-day Travelcard is the way to go.

Finally, due to its elevated price, a 1-day Travelcard is never worth its cost. Below you can find a comparison table of Travelcards and pay-as-you-go travelling.

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London travelcard cost for each zone and fare caps for individual journeys in 2023

Fares rose by 5.9 per cent back in March

• 12:37, 17 APR 2023

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Back in March 2023, London travelcard prices and rail fares saw a staggering 5.9 per cent increase - the biggest rise in over a decade. Fares across the country have seen hundreds of pounds added to the cost of many annual season tickets, and individual journeys or day travelcards now cost significantly more.

In London, TfL prices all went up with pay-as-you-go fares rising by an increase of 10p to 30p. The price increase also impacted bus and tram fares, daily and weekly caps, daily and weekly travelcards, river bus services and the IFS cloud cable car. The adult peak pay-as-you-go fare for a journey in Zone 1 is now £2.80, while for off-peak it is £2.70.

Before March 2023, a pay-as-you-go single fare was £1.65 on buses, now it is £1.95. The daily cap for zones 1 & 2 used to be £7.70 and a weekly cap of £38.50. Now, it is £8.10 daily and £ 40.70 weekly. In case you've lost track of the new costs, we've compiled a list of the cost of every single travel card in each TFL Zone as well as the maximum fares for a single journey.

READ MORE: Drivers warned of '20p hack' which could save you from being slapped with huge £10k fine

For a one-day anytime or one day off-peak journey it would cost you a maximum of £8.10. For a Monday to Sunday 7-day travelcard, it would cost £40.70 A one-day anytime travelcard would cost £15.20, the same for off-peak journeys. While a 7-day travelcard would cost £40.70, monthly it is £156.30 and annually it is £1,628.

Zone 1 and 2

A Zone 1 & 2 one day anytime journey costs a maximum of £8.10, the same as off-peak. It costs the same amount for a Zone 1 & 2 travelcard as it would for one covering just those individual zones, so £40.70 weekly, £156.30 monthly and £1,628 annually.

Zone 1, 2 and 3

In Zones 1-3 it costs a maximum of £9.60 for a one-day anytime and off-peak journey as if you are travelling within those three zones. It is £47.90 for a 7-day Monday to Sunday ticket. One day anytime or off-peak travelcards cost £15.20, or they are £47.90 for a 7-day, £184 monthly and £1,916 annually.

Zone 1, 2, 4 and 4

A one-day anytime ticket costs a maximum of £11.70, the same as off-peak. A 7-day Monday to Sunday travelcard costs £58.50. One day anytime or off-peak travelcards cost £15.20, or they are £224.70 monthly and £2,340 annually.

Zone 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

One day anytime journeys cost a maximum of £13.90, the same as off-peak and for a 7-day Monday to Sunday ticket it's £69.60. A one-day anytime travelcard costs £21.50 while an off-peak costs £15.20. While a 7-day costs £69.60, monthly it's £267.30 and annually it's £2,784.

Zone 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6

One day anytime costs a maximum of £14.90, the same for off-peak journeys. Monday to Sunday 7-day travelcards cost £74.90. A one-day anytime travelcard costs £21.50, while off-peak costs £15.20. A monthly travelcard is £285.70 and annually it's £2,976.

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Winterville

Get Unlimited Travel With A London Travel Card (Zones, Prices and More)

September 19, 2022

Winterville Staff

Unlimited travels sound great, especially when you’re in London, the Home of Big Ben.

Traveling through London’s convenient transport system is the best way to explore the sights and tastes of the city.

On one side, you’ll take a bus , then on the other, you’ll take a tube .

The perfect way to navigate and wander around the city is by using one single paper ticket – a Travelcard.

It is truly a travel necessity, so you don’t need to take out cash and count the money when you ride a bus or tube . Just insert or swipe the Travelcard and ride with ease.

So if you are coming to London, don’t forget to get a Travelcard, one of the best options to help you save money and travel stress-free.

You can find all the information you need on Travelcards in this Travelcard guide. Learn about the prices, how to buy, validity, and many more.

Want to find out which payment is more suitable for London transport? I suggest reading Visitor Oyster Card Vs Oyster Card Vs Travel Card Vs Contactless Card  to help you decide which card is best for you.

• 1 What is a London Travelcard?
• 2.1 Travelcard season tickets
• 2.2 Day Travelcard
• 2.3 Group Day Travelcard
• 3.1 Adult Travelcard Prices
• 3.2 Children Aged 11-15 Travelcard Prices
• 3.3 16 Years Old and above Travelcard Prices
• 3.4 Students above 18 Years Old Travelcard Prices
• 3.5 Disabled Persons Travelcard Prices
• 4 Where to Buy Travelcards
• 5.1 Is Anytime Travelcard better than Off-peak Travelcard?
• 5.2 How long will it take for my Travelcard to be delivered if I order it online?
• 5.3 Which zones should I choose when purchasing a Travelcard?
• 6 Ready to See London?

What is a London Travelcard?

A Travelcard is a type of contactless electronic smart card used to get unlimited travel through a variety of transportation options .

It is usually a small paper ticket with a magnetic stripe used across selected valid zones shown on the ticket. If you already have an Oyster card , you can request to add a Travelcard to it.

With a Travelcard, you can travel any time from one place to another, no matter how many times you use it.

Travelcards make traveling around London much more convenient since you can use them for all types of transportation . Here’s where you can use a Travelcard:

• London Underground (Tube)
• London Overground
• All buses in London
• Docklands Light Railway ( DLR )
• Elizabeth Line
• National Rail
• River Boat (gives you a 33% discount)
• Emirates Air Line (gives you a 25% discount)

*Travelcards cannot be used for Heathrow Express services and High Speed 1.

Types of Travelcards

Choose the type of Travelcard that suits your needs, whether you need a ticket for one day, week, month, or year.

You can select the duration, start and end date, and the zones you wish to travel to.

The Transport for London (TFL) provides three types of Travelcards: Travelcard season tickets, Day Travelcard, and Group Day Travelcard.

Travelcard season tickets

Travelcard season tickets are best for long-term travels to help you save more money. If you plan to stay for one week, a London 7 Day Travel Card is the optimal choice.

You can travel for seven days and pay for the ticket at a discounted price worth five days.

If you are staying for a month, you can save more when you purchase a Monthly Travel card, instead of a 7 Day Travelcard.

You can get about an 11% discount with a Monthly Travelcard, which is cheaper than buying four 7 Day Travelcards.

Alternatively, the best option for a longer stay is the Annual Travelcard, which gives you at least a 13% discounted price compared to 12 Monthly Travelcards.

Enjoy unlimited travel for 12 months and pay for the price of 10 and a half months of Travelcards.

If you compare it to a 7 Day Travelcard, you get a 23% discount, which gives you more savings than purchasing 52 7 Day Travelcards.

Take advantage of a 52-week unlimited journey and pay for the price of 40 weeks.

Not yet sure how long you plan to travel? Not a problem! You can also choose your first and last day of usage, which can be from 1.5 to 10.5 months.

Day Travelcard

Need a Travelcard for just one day? Opt for the Day Travelcard and choose between Anytime Day and Off-peak Day Travelcards.

An Anytime Day Travelcard can only be used on the date written on the ticket and is valid until 4:29 am the next day. Generally, you can use it from 00:01 to 4:29 the next morning.

Off-peak Day Travelcards are valid from Monday to Friday between 9:30 am and 4:30 am the next day. It can also be used on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays .

However, if you are only going to ride a few times in the day, an Oyster card may be the cheaper option than a Day Travelcard.

Group Day Travelcard

If you are traveling with a group of 10 or more people, choose the Group Day Travelcard and use it from 9:30 am to 4:30 am the next morning.

It is valid from Monday to Friday, as well as on weekends and public holidays . Below is a table of the Group Day Travelcard price list for adults and children under 16 years old.

How much does a travel card cost?

Travelcard offers a flat fee for unlimited travel. However, prices vary per age group, peak or off-peak, ticket type, and zones you are going to . The more zones you wish to travel to, the higher the price.

For instance, a monthly Zone 1 3 Travelcard for adults costs £173.60, whereas a Zone 1-4 Travelcard costs more at £212.00.

If you want more coverage such as a Zone 1-6 Travelcard Monthly, you will have to pay £270.00.

Children between 5 to 10 years old can travel for free with a Zip Oyster photocard , and children under 5 years old can travel for free as long as they are traveling with a paying adult.

Below is a table of Travelcard Prices listed at Tube and rail fares according to age group.

Adult Travelcard Prices

Children aged 11-15 travelcard prices.

To obtain the discounted rates below, the child should have an Oyster 11-15 Photocard.

16 Years Old and above Travelcard Prices

To obtain the discounted rates below, the child should have an Oyster 16+ Photocard.

Students above 18 Years Old Travelcard Prices

Disabled persons travelcard prices, where to buy travelcards.

A Travelcard can be purchased in several ways, regardless of whether you live within the UK or abroad.

You can buy from physical stores in the UK or online via Transport for London Visitor Shop .

If you live outside the UK, you can have the Travelcard delivered to your home, so you are all set to travel as soon as you arrive in the UK.

Aside from the Visitor Shop, there are several other places to buy a ticket in advance, including VisitBritain and The London Pass , or at airports such as Gatwick Airport and Stansted Airport.

Wherever you are in the world, you can easily buy tickets from your country with TFL’s many partnered stores.

To purchase a Day Travelcard, go to ticket machines or ticket offices at the stations. Alternatively, you can also buy it at Visitor Centres or at the Tramlink Shop in Croydon.

If you have an Oyster card already, you can add a Travelcard to it through:

• Ticket machines at the station
• Visitor Centres
• Oyster Ticket Stops
• Online (for those with a contactless and Oyster account )
• TfL Oyster and contactless app

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Anytime Travelcard better than Off-peak Travelcard?

Determining which is better depends on your planned travel time. An Anytime Travelcard is more suitable if you wish to travel at any time without considering the peak hours.

However, if you don’t mind traveling after 9:30 am, an Off-peak Travelcard is the cheaper option.

How long will it take for my Travelcard to be delivered if I order it online?

After placing your order, the Travelcard will be delivered within 24 hours on business days.

The delivery time depends on the country and delivery method you selected upon checkout.

Which zones should I choose when purchasing a Travelcard?

The specific zones depend on where you want to go. Most of the places you’d want to visit in London are in Zones 1 to 6, of which Zones 1 and 2 have the most major tourist landmarks.

Check the tube map to see the list of zones per station.

Ready to See London?

If affordability and convenience are what you are after, you should get a Travelcard each time you come to London.

Whether you are traveling by bus , tube , or tram , you are ready to pay fast with your all-in-one single paper ticket.

Travelcards are good for solo travelers, families, and groups, helping you save more and travel better.

Do you already have a Travelcard? Share your tips on how to get one and how to use it by writing in the comments section below. Don’t forget to share this helpful guide with those who need to buy a Travelcard.

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• Where to Stay

Local London Train Tickets

London has a huge train network which covers a much larger area than the underground. The Pay as you go Oyster card, contactless cards/devices and One Day, Weekly & Monthly Travelcards can be used to pay for London’s local trains.

London single train tickets

Single fares on suburban trains in London vary according to the zone .

The Pay as you go Oyster card or contactless debit or credit card  are the cheapest ways to pay for single journeys on all trains within the London area. Fares are the same with both payment methods.

To find single train fares, see TfL’s single fare finder .

To find the zone of a train station, view the rail zone map (pdf) .

One day pass for London trains

If you make several train journeys a day, you have two options:

• Use a Pay as you go Oyster card or a contactless card and the daily cap will apply. This is the maximum amount deducted for one day travel in London.
• If you don’t have an Oyster or contactless card, buy the more expensive One Day Travelcard .

Top Tip: If you’re visiting London and planning to do some sightseeing, a train ticket or One Day Travelcard bought at a train station entitles you to 2 for 1 discounts at major London attractions — a huge money-saving deal.

London weekly train fares

• Travelcards

If you’re staying in London for 6-7 days, and plan to use the trains every day, as well as the underground or buses, buy a weekly Travelcard . This is loaded onto an Oyster card, weekly ‘paper’ Travelcards are no longer available.

If you don’t think you’ll be using the trains (or underground) every day paying with a Pay as you go Oyster card/Contactless card will be cheaper.

If you’re staying longer, monthly Travelcards are available.

Season Tickets

If your stay in London is for a week or longer and you need to use the train to travel to central London, but don’t need to use the bus or underground at the start or end of your journey, then a Season ticket is cheaper than a Travelcard .

Season tickets are available from the train station ticket office.

Check the Season Ticket calculator to find the cost.

London airport trains

Travelcards and Pay as you go Oyster cards are not valid on the Heathrow Express train or between West Drayton and Heathrow on the Elizabeth Line.

Luton airport

Luton airport is outside London’s transport zone area. Travelcards and Pay as you go Oyster cards are not valid on trains to these airports. However, you can use a contactless card to pay for the train to/from Luton Parkway, and again on the connecting DART train to/from the airport.

Stansted airport

Travelcards, Pay as you go Oyster cards or contactless cards are not valid on trains to/from Stansted airport

Gatwick airport

You can use a Pay as you go Oyster card or contactless debit or credit card on the trains between London and Gatwick airport. See our guide to travel to/from Gatwick airport .

Related pages

• Visitors guide to London transport tickets & passes
• Getting around London by train
• Oyster cards
• Contactless cards
• London Transport zones

Last updated: 6 October 2023

Transport tickets & passes

• Guide to London's transport tickets
• One day & weekly Travelcards
• Zone 2–6 weekly Travelcards
• Bus tickets & passes
• Oyster card
• Oyster single tickets
• Oyster card refunds
• Child tickets & passes
• Local train tickets

Useful information

• Plan your journey
• London transport zones

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More From Forbes

The top whiskies and spirits from the 2024 london spirits competition.

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Dun Cana Sherry Quarter Cask Release is a limited-edition single malt Scotch whisky from the Isle of ... [+] Raasay Distillery

The London Spirits Competition (LSC) has announced the results of its 2024 competition. A Cuban rum took Spirit of the Year and one of Scotland’s newest and remotest distilleries was the Single Malt Scotch of the Year.

According to Sid Patel, the LSC's founder, some of Great Britain’s top bartenders and spirits buyers gathered on March 20-22 in London’s Marylebone district, “sniffing, swirling, and spitting their way through a vast array of gins, vodkas, and whiskies, as well as a range of more esoteric spirits.”

The LSC judges entries based on three criteria: quality, value, and packaging. Medal winners must achieve a high rating across all three criteria.

Over 2000 spirit brands, a record number of entrants from more than 80 countries, ranging from the UK and the US to Croatia and India, vied for medals in this year’s competition. The top categories by entries were Gin, Rum, Whisky, Liqueurs, Vodka, Brandy, and Tequila. Five hundred and twenty gin submissions made it the largest category, followed by rum and whisky.

According to Patel:

The London Spirits Competition is becoming more widely known in the trade with each passing year. As a result, we are receiving an increased number of entries. … Rise of the non-alcoholic drink category, Mezcal, and Tequila clearly shows these three categories are our fastest-growing categories.

Tyriq Pitts, a long-time judge at the LSC and a bartender at the Coral Bar at the Bloomsbury Hotel, noted the quality of this year’s entries and the additional judging criteria of packaging, design, and commercial viability.

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“These factors are really important,” said Pitts. “It’s easy to just focus on the taste and flavor, but at the end of the day, if it doesn’t appeal to consumers and doesn’t sell, it’s pointless.”

While this additional information and feedback are invaluable to buyers trying to make sense of the category, they’re also massively helpful to the brands themselves entering the competition. They benefit from the wisdom of the expert panel, something that would otherwise be hard to come by—not to mention very costly.

“One great benefit is that brands are able to advertise themselves to some top industry experts and get their name known,” continued Pitts. “A lot of these guys have a big following on social media, which can really help a brand gain recognition.”

As for packaging and design, Tavares, who has been a judge at the LSC for the past five years, said its importance should not be underestimated:

It’s pretty key as people buy with their eyes, and the more appealing the packaging, the more likely they are to invest in it.

A judging session at the 2024 LSC

2024 London Spirits Competition Winners:

Spirit of the Year: Eminente Gran Reserva Edition No.1

Eminente Gran Reserva Edition No.1 is a premium rum produced by Eminente, a renowned Cuban rum brand. This particular rum is part of their “Gran Reserva” series, indicating a high level of quality and aging.

Edition No.1 is crafted from a blend of aged rums, with the youngest rum in the blend being at least seven years old. The aging process takes place in the tropical climate of Cuba, which accelerates the maturation process and contributes to the rum’s rich and complex flavors.

Eminente Gran Reserva Edition No.1 is characterized by its smooth and balanced profile, with notes of tropical fruits, vanilla, caramel, and oak. It is a well-regarded rum that showcases the expertise and tradition of Cuban rum-making. This expression is not available in the US but can be purchased from UK mail order firms.

Distillery of the Year: Isle of Raasay Distillery

The Isle of Raasay Distillery is a relatively new distillery located on the Isle of Raasay in Scotland. Established in 2017, it is one of the newest distilleries in Scotland and the first legal distillery on the island.

The distillery is known for its innovative approach to whisky making. Its focus is on creating unique and distinctive spirits that reflect the island’s terroir. The distillery produces both whisky and gin, using locally sourced ingredients and traditional distilling methods.

Whiskies figured prominently in this year’s LSC competition.

The Whisky of the Year: Dun Cana Sherry Quarter Cask Release

Dun Cana Sherry Quarter Cask Release is a limited-edition single malt Scotch whisky from the Isle of Raasay Distillery. Named after the highest point on the island, Dun Cana, this release is a tribute to the island’s rugged landscape and rich history.

This whisky is aged in quarter casks that previously held Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso Sherry, imparting rich and complex flavors to the spirit. The small cask size accelerates the maturation process, allowing the whisky to develop depth and character more quickly.

The Dun Cana Sherry Quarter Cask Release is known for its rich and sweet profile, with notes of dried fruits, chocolate, and spices.

Other whisky winners are:

American Whiskeys

American Straight Rye Whiskey of the Year: Uncle Nearest Uncut & Unfiltered Straight Rye Whiskey – Batch 005

Single Barrel American Whiskey of the Year: Uncle Nearest Single Barrel Rye – Batch 009

Small Batch Bourbon of the Year: Bluegrass Distillers/Toasted Oak Kentucky Straight Bourbon

Straight Bourbon of the Year: Charles Goodnight Bourbon

Tennessee Whiskey of the Year: Uncle Nearest 1856 Premium Aged Whiskey

Corn Whiskey of the Year: Black Whiskey Single Barrel

Small Batch Rye of the Year: Green Monkey – Rye Whiskey

Irish Whiskeys

Blended Irish Whiskey of the Year: Natterjack Cask Strength

Single Malt Irish Whiskey of the Year: The Taoscan

Other Whiskies

Blended Japanese Malt Whisky of the Year: Kanosuke Double Distillery

Single Malt Whiskey of the Year: Godawan Century (India)

Top Ranked Spirits

Vodka of the Year: Ramsbury Single Estate Vodka

Tequila of the Year: Cierto Tequila Reserve Collection Anejo.

Gin of the Year: Ukiyo Japanese Yuzu Gin

Brandy of the Year: Koya Brandy XO 15 Years

Liqueur of the Year: Aura Teranino

Mezcal of the Year: Ronda de Amas

RTD of the Year: Sabatini Negroni RTD.

Fruit Spirit of the Year: At Walgauer Edelbrand – Alte Birne

Vermouth of the Year: Civico 10 Vermouth de Torino Rosso

Pisco of the Year: Pisco Cofradia de Bou Barroeta

Bitters and Mixers of the Year: Casoni Aperitivo 1814

The 2024 LSC highlighted a range of spirit brands. Some, like Uncle Nearest, are now perennial medalists in international spirit competitions; others, like Blue Grass Distillers or Green Monkey, are little known outside the spirits trade and well worth exploring.

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Zendaya strikes another perfect note with Wimbledon-themed tennis look at London ‘Challengers’ premiere

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Zendaya continues to smash it on the red carpet.

She kept the tenniscore outfits coming on the global press tour for her forthcoming movie “Challengers” in London, England, with the superstar sporting a Wimbledon-inspired Thom Browne sequined gown at the premiere.

The “Dune” star, 27, strutted the red carpet in a floor length gown that featured an open back, drop waist, and pleated skirt with thigh-high slit.

The halter neck gown featured a prim collar, buttoning down to a bow around the waist and the entire design was ornamented with tiny tennis racquets — in the shape of the Wimbledon logo — embroidered into the material.

The skirt also featured netting all over, which has been a motif in her recent looks for the Luca Guadagnino-directed flick; She previously sported a white netted two-piece ensemble by Lacoste in Sydney, Australia, over

The bottom of the skirt was adorned with Them Browne’s iconic red, white, and blue logo. The “Euphoria” star completed her look with a big white bow in her newly blonde hair , which was tied into a high, braided ponytail.

She added bold red lipstick, white pumps, a diamond bracelet and stud earrings.

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The white ensemble is only the latest in tennis-inspired red carpet looks she and stylist Law Roach have cooked up for her newest project.

The singer previously debuted custom Lowe heels featured actual tennis balls attached to the heel while promoting “Challengers” in Rome, Italy, and she kicked off the tour last month in a sparkling green gown featuring a tennis player graphic.

She’s even roped boyfriend Tom Holland into the sport, taking him to the BNP Paribas Open last month.

We can only wonder what other styles the fashionista still has in store before the movie hits theaters on April 26.

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