weekly travel card zone 1 2

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

Travelcard prices for children

What is a travelcard.

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

How long does a travelcard last?

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.

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What’s a London Travelcard?

A London Travelcard is a ticket type that allows unlimited travel for a certain amount of time on:

• The London Underground within zones 1-4 or 1-6
• Docklands Light Railway
• Most National Rail Services in London

It also offers discounts on Emirates flights and a third off River Boat fares on selected services.

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Which London Travelcard is right for me?

One day london travelcards.

There are two types of One Day London Travel cards:

Anytime Day Travelcards: you can use these anytime on the date shown on your ticket, until 4:30 am the following day.

Off-Peak Day Travelcards: you can use these from 9:30 am Monday – Friday and at any time on weekends and bank holidays on the date on your ticket, until 4:30 am the following day.

London Weekly Travelcard

The London Weekly Travelcard offers 7 days of travel for the price of 5.

Monthly London Travelcard

Monthly Travelcards are typically more cost-effective than buying consecutive 7-day ones. You’ll save 11% on your journeys if you go for the monthly option.

Weekend London Travelcard

The Weekend Travelcard is valid for 2 consecutive weekend days (Saturday, Sunday, or a bank holiday). You can make a return journey from the start station to the Travelcard zones on each of the 2 days, and get unlimited travel in London Zones 1-6 on the eligible days.

Group One Day London Travelcard

Travelling as a group of 10 or more? Get a Group One Day London Travelcard. It’s valid for the day from 9:30 am (Monday to Friday), anytime on weekends or public holidays right up until 4:30 am the next day.

London Travelcard season tickets

We have various London Travelcard Season Ticket options, including:

Your Travelcard season ticket can start on any day of the week, and you can travel right up until 4:30 am on the day after your travelcard expires.

How do I get a London Travelcard?

You can get a travelcard when you buy an Anytime , Off-Peak , Super Off Peak , Advance or season (except Flexi Season ) train ticket to London on our website, SWR 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.

Travelling outside the area covered by your Travelcard

If you have a Travelcard, then you are permitted to use any services within its Zones (subject to the time restrictions of the Travelcard). If you wish to travel beyond the Zones permitted by your Travelcard, then you can purchase a Boundary Zone ticket to or from the station outside of those Zones.

For example, if you have a 7-Day Zones 1 to 3 Travelcard and wanted to travel to Shepperton, you can buy a Boundary Zone 3 to Shepperton Day Return ticket from any staffed ticket office or from our self-service ticket machines. The train you are on does not need to call at a station within Zone 3 to be valid. Boundary Zone tickets can also be sold in the opposite direction (e.g. Shepperton to Boundary Zone 3).

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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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Weekly Travel Card (Zone 1-2) - London Forum

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Weekly Travel Card (Zone 1-2)

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I am now heading to London again. Surprised that I haven’t read anything about the Weekly Travel Card being removed.. What’s the truth? Good if we can still buy it since we want to avail ourselves to the 2FOR1 Railways promo.

33 replies to this topic

Yes the paper 7 day and longer travelcards were discontinued last year

Railway stations should be able to still provide them but now they are loaded onto the railway companies smartcards which are free to issue.

Or you can add them onto the oysters cards if you got them.

Travelcards have been on their last legs for some years now and generally priced to be less attractive than any other means of payment.

I don't know if TFL have set a date for withdrawal but they gave a clear indication that it won't be that much longer about a gear ago.

“were you considering the 2for1 offers at some attractions with the rail tickets? If so there is the option to use dummy tickets, let us lnow more about your plans” - YES!! Pls tell me about the dummy tickets!! 🙏🙏🙏

We have Oyster Cards. We won’t be using contactless cards or mobile.

There's currently a post on dummy/decoy tickets on the forum.

These are tickets that you use to get the offers and not to travel with. You buy tickets dated for day 1 from Clapham Junction or Queenstown Road Station to Vauxhall Station, same price for either, for each person.

Then dated for your last day for the reverse journey Vauxhall to Clapham Junction/Queenstown Road.

You use these tickets to show along with the vouchers to get the 2for1 offers.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g186338-i17-k14258771-Decoy_2for1_tickets-London_England.html

Not planning to visit Kew Garden.

Re the Clapham Junction <=> Queenstown Road Station tickets, I read that our Britrail tickets should be logical, some people will reject the tickets if that route is far off from the attraction..? This is an obvious decoy how sure they will be accepted?

The weekly travelcard for Zones 1 -2 is £38.40, which is the same as the weekly Pay As You Go cap for contactless cards.

However the big difference is that a weekly travelcard for 7 days can start on any day of the week, whereas the pay as you go contactless capping period starts at 04:30 Monday.

If you look at the ratio of the cost of a weekly travelcard to the pay as you go cap, it is just under 5. So far anyone who already has an Oyster card and is travelling for 6 days or more, it is cheaper to load a weekly travelcard onto Oyster. If you don't already have an Oyster card, then you have to factor in the cost of the non refundable deposit, which is £7.

For regular commuters, a monthly travelcard for Zones 1 - 2 is £147.50, which is just over 19 times the daily cap of £7.70. Holders of monthly or longer period season tickets would be very annoyed if these were abolished and they suddenly had to pay just the daily cap every time they wanted to travel.

Where travelcards are more or less obsolete is for occasional travellers, who are in London for 5 days or less. Contactless travel is more cost effective in these circumstances, as you don't need to purchase on Oyster card, or queue at the ticket machines on arrival.

Question - can I load the weekly travel card in advance? Let’s say if I want to use it for the 1 week period between Apr 10 to 17, can I load the travel card with this validity on Apr 7? Or once we load it start running on that day?

'can I load the weekly travel card in advance? Let’s say if I want to use it for the 1 week period between Apr 10 to 17, can I load the travel card with this validity on Apr 7? Or once we load it start running on that day?' Yes, and not necessarily.

I usually start a Travelcard's validity a day or two after purchase, but if memory serves when buying at a Tube ticket machine you'll be shown a seven day range from which to start the Travelcard's validity - as you say, buy the card on 7 April to start on 10 April.

I think Travelcards are the business and would be disappointed should TfL withdraw them from sale. The weekly cap option is fine for those who use PAYG occasionally, but I'm not keen on the Monday through Sunday parameter as opposed to any start day for Travelcards.

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Oyster Fares Central

Daily Caps and Travelcards (2021)

This page details all the London wide caps and travelcards which apply to rail travel. These caps apply to all modes: National Rail, Underground, Overground, TfL Rail and DLR. The only rail services within zones 1-9 which are not covered are the Heathrow Express services between Paddington and the Airport; and Southeastern high-speed between St Pancras International and Stratford International; where Oyster and contactless can be used, but fares charged are additional to any caps. Travelcards are only valid to/from Stratford International if marked Plus HS1.

The first table lists all the daily caps. All Railcards refers to those that can be added to Oyster: 16-25, 26-30, Senior, Forces, Disabled and Annual Gold cards. Most refers to the same list apart from Disabled.

The second table lists all the paper travelcards. Note that there is no off-peak zone 1-4, use the zone 1-6 instead.

The third table lists the different season ticket prices. There are no single zone travelcard seasons. If the required combination isn’t shown (eg 5-7) then the price is the same for a larger zonal coverage (in this case 4-7). If only zone 2 is required then choose 2-3, for only zone 6 it is 5-6. Adult and Child (5-15) travelcards can be bought on paper. 16+, Jobcentre, Apprentice and Student 18+ travelcards all require the appropriate Oyster photocard to be held.

* Annual seasons are not available on Jobcentre Oyster cards.

+wj Travelcard seasons for zones 2-9 and 4-9 also include Watford Junction.

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Child Fares on London Transport

Last updated: 23 February 2024 Discounts for children on London transport are straightforward for children aged 10 and under. For children aged 11-15 it’s slightly more complicated.

Children under 5

Children under-5 travel free on all types of transport in London when travelling with an adult.

• up to 4 children are allowed per adult on London buses, the underground (tube), DLR and London Overground.
• up to 2 children under-5 travel free per adult on National Rail (trains)

Children aged 5-10

All children aged 5-10 travel for free on:

• the underground (tube), DLR, London Overground and some National Rail services within London as long as an adult accompanies them. Up to 4 children can travel per adult
• London’s buses with or without an adult

Children aged 11-15

Children aged 11-15 travel for free on London’s buses and at child-rate Pay as you go Oyster fares on the underground (tube), DLR, London Overground and most National Rail services if they have an 11-15 Zip Oyster photocard.

The child-rate single fare with an 11-15 Zip Oyster is 95p (peak) or 85p (off-peak) for zones 1-6.

Like the ordinary adult Oyster card, there’s a daily cap – the maximum amount deducted from the card in one day. It’s £4.25 peak and £1.80 off-peak for zones 1-2.

This is the cheapest deal for 11-15 year olds. The card is not available from underground stations, although you can apply online . It is available to non-UK residents but you’ll need to apply at least 3-4 weeks in advance. There’s also a non-refundable £15 administrative charge.

Travel in London without an 11-15 Zip Oyster

Applying for a 11-15 Zip Oyster is not worth the trouble unless you’re a resident or frequent visitor.

There are a few other options for young visitors that will save money:

• Young Visitor Discount on an Oyster card
• Child-rate One Day Travelcard (from an underground or train station)
• Pay the child full-fare (underground only, not bus)

Bus-only travel for 11-15 year olds

If an 11-15 year old does not have an 11-15 Zip Oyster, Visitor Oyster Discount or child-rate Travelcard the best option is to let them use your contactless debit/credit card and pay the adult-rate bus fare of  £1.75. (NB only one card can be charged per passenger) or buy a £5.90 adult-rate one day bus pass . See London bus tickets & passes for details.

Young visitor Oyster discount

If you don’t want to apply for an 11-15 Zip Oyster, the cheapest way for 11-15 year old visitors to travel is the Young Visitor Oyster Discount. This is a special discount added to an ordinary Oyster card. It’s valid for 14 days. After 14 days, the discount automatically expires and the card can be used as a ordinary adult Oyster card.

There’s a £7 fee for the Oyster card (non-refundable). Single fares and the daily cap for the underground and buses-only are 50% cheaper than adult fares.

For example:

• Unlimited travel by underground in zone 1-2 is  £4.25 per day
• Unlimited travel by bus is  £2.65 per day, for the whole of London

It’s available from:

• Underground station ticket machines: you need to buy an Oyster card (£7) or use a Visitor Oyster Card. Ask a member of staff to apply the discount to the card via the ticket machine.
• Transport for London Visitor Centres
• Victoria train station ticket office

Children aged 16-17

Children aged 16-17 can apply for the 16+ Zip Oyster Photocard . With this they:

• pay Oyster Pay as you go fares at half the adult rate on the bus, tube and most National Rail services in London. (Children resident in London with a 16+ Zip travel free on the buses)
• can buy a child-rate weekly or monthly Travelcard.

You must apply online. There’s a non-refundable £20 administrative charge for the 16+ Zip Oyster. If you live outside the UK, you must apply for your card at least 4 weeks before arrival in London.

Without a 16+ Zip Oyster, a 16 or 17 year old is classed as an adult and must either:

• pay the adult fare
• buy an adult-priced Travelcard, bus pass
• use an ordinary Pay as you go Oyster card with an Oyster or Contactless payment.

18+ Students

Students aged 18+ resident in London during term-time can apply for an 18+ Student Oyster photocard. It might also be possible to apply for a 16+ Zip Oyster .

There are no other discounts for students not studying and living in London.

Child ticket prices (11-15 years)

11-15 zip oyster pay as you go single fares (payg) 2024, 11-15 zip oyster daily cap prices from 3 march 2024, child one day travelcard from 3 march 2024.

These are the prices for the Child One Day Travelcard.

Off Peak : Valid for travel after 09:30 Monday–Friday and all day Saturday, Sunday & Public Holidays. Anytime : Valid for travel before 09:30 Monday–Friday.

See London’s Transport Zones if you’re not familiar with the zones and the areas they cover.

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