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Visitor Guide to London Transport Tickets and Passes

Public transport in London is not cheap. If you are on a budget, it’s worth spending time to make sure you buy the cheapest ticket or pass for your visit.

You should never pay the full cash fare for tickets on any form of transport in London. The full cash fare means buying a single paper ticket from an underground station ticket machine, either with cash or coins or with a debit/credit card.

It’s always cheaper to Pay as you go with a contactless debit/credit card or Oyster card or to buy a Travelcard or bus pass.

London Transport ticket/payment options

There are four main options to choose from and they all save you money compared to paying the full fare:

Pay as you go Oyster card

This is a card that you ‘top up’ with money and use to pay for cheaper single tickets and discounted rates for unlimited travel for the whole day (the ‘daily cap’). The Oyster card costs £7 .

Contactless debit or credit card

Instead of an Oyster card, you can use a contactless debit or credit card . Fares are the same as the Pay as you go Oyster. You do not need to register your card to use it.

One day or weekly bus pass

Bus passes are available for 1 day or 7 days for unlimited travel for the whole of London.

One day, weekly or monthly Travelcards

Travelcards are travel passes for unlimited travel within certain zones .

Travelcards, Pay as you go Oyster cards and contactless debit/credit cards are valid on all types of transport in London:

• Underground (the tube)
• Local suburban trains
• London Overground
• The Elizabeth line
• Docklands Light Railway (DLR)

Please note: The ticket prices listed below are for visitors staying in zone 1 (central London) and zone 2. The information is still relevant if you stay outside zone 1-2, but the prices will be higher (apart from bus fares). Full prices for all zones are on the ticket type pages.

Best transport ticket or pass for 1,2,3, 4 or 5 day visits to London

For short trips to London paying with a contactless debit/credit card/device is the cheapest ways to pay for transport. The fares are the same with an Oyster card, but the card now costs £7 (and is not refundable).

If you use the underground for 3 or more journeys during the day, there’s a ‘daily cap’ — the maximum amount deducted from your card.

For travel in zone 1-2:

• Single tickets on the underground cost  £2.80 with an Oyster card/contactless card. If you buy a ticket from a ticket machine, the full cash fare is £6.70.
• If you use your card to pay for transport in central London for the whole day, the ‘daily cap’ – the maximum amount deducted is  £8.50.

The next best option, if you don’t have an Oyster or a contactless card, is a One Day Travelcard. It’s  £15.90 for zones 1-4, but you still save money if you use it for 3 or more trips on the underground.

Is there anything cheaper?

Yes, don’t use the underground or trains and only use the buses. The ‘daily bus cap’ with a Pay as you go Oyster card or contactless card is the cheapest way to travel around London for the day.

For all zones:

• A bus fare is  £1.75 for unlimited bus journeys within one hour if you use an Oyster/contactless card. (Cash is not accepted on London buses)
• If you use an Oyster/contactless card to pay for bus travel for the whole day, the maximum amount deducted from your card is  £5.25 .

If you don’t have an Oyster or a contactless card, a paper One Day Bus pass costs  £5.90.

• Read more about the Pay as you go Oyster card
• Read more about contactless cards
• Read more about bus tickets and passes
• Read more about One Day Travelcards

Best transport ticket or pass for 6 or 7 day visits to London

A 7 day weekly Travelcard is cheaper than paying for 6 ‘daily caps’ with a Pay as you go Oyster/contactless card.

• Zone 1-2 weekly Travelcard costs  £42.70.

If you think there will be a few days when you won’t be using public transport, use a Pay as you go Oyster card or contactless card instead.

Read more about Weekly Travelcards

Again, if want to save money, make sure you only travel by bus; a Weekly Bus Pass (starts any day) or the Oyster/contactless weekly bus cap (Monday-Sunday) is  £24.70.

Related pages

• London transport zones
• Oyster cards
• Travelcards
• Contactless cards
• Bus tickets & passes
• Child tickets & passes

Last updated: 22 February 2024

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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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• Travelcards

Giving you unlimited travel on all National Rail services in London, London Underground, London Buses and more

Travelcards explained

A Travelcard gives you unlimited travel (in the zones it’s valid for) on all National Rail services in London, including Southeastern  (except highspeed services unless combined with a rail ticket which states ‘plus highspeed’), as well as Transport for London (TfL) London Underground, DLR, London Overground, Elizabeth line, all London Buses and, if valid in zones 3, 4, 5 or 6, on all London Trams. 

When can I use a Travelcard? 

Travelcards can start on any day of the week and can bought for 1 day, 7 days, 1 month and any period between 1 month and 1 year. The One Day Travelcard can be printed on a paper ticket or added to our contactless smartcard, The Key (you may also want to consider using pay as you go (PAYG) on Oyster or Contactless instead, with daily capping that can work out cheaper.) Travelcards for 7 days or longer can only be added to The Key or to your TfL Oyster card. Season Travelcards and Anytime Day Travelcards can be used at any time, whilst Off-Peak Travelcards can only be used at certain times in the day. Find out more on the National Rail Oyster Card page

What if I want to travel beyond the zones permitted on my Travelcard? 

You will need to purchase a Boundary Zone ticket to or from stations outside of London. For example, if you have a 7 Day Zones 1 to 3 Travelcard and wanted to travel to Dover Priory, you can buy a London Boundary Zone 3 to Dover Priory Day Return from a ticket office or ticket vending machine. The train you are on does not need to call at a station within Zone 3 to be valid. Find out more on the National Rail Travel Information page

Can I combine a Travelcard with my rail ticket to or from London? 

Yes. If you are travelling on one of our services between Kent or East Sussex and London, you may be able to buy a rail ticket which also includes a One Day Travelcard. Check our Journey Planner to see if this option is available.

I’ve heard that One Day Travelcards were due to be scrapped – is this true?

In April 2023, the Mayor of London proposed to withdraw One Day Travelcards. In October 2023, the Department for Transport, TfL and rail operators including Southeastern struck a deal to save the Travelcard. This was subject to a one-off price increase of 3% on One Day Travelcards for travel from stations outside Zones 1 – 6 as part of a rail ticket from March 2024, which is in addition to the Department for Transport’s announced regulated fares increase of 4.9%. Unfortunately, this additional price increase means that the One Day Travelcard as part of a rail ticket may not always be the best value, depending on the number of journeys you intend to make within London. It may cheaper to buy your ticket from stations outside Zones 1 - 6 separately and then use PAYG contactless or Oyster to travel within these zones.

How can I get the best value when buying my ticket?

You can check individual journeys and compare both options by using our Journey Planner as well as the TfL Single fare finder . As an example, if you buy an Off-Peak Day Return from Dover Priory to London St. Pancras International valid on highspeed services  for £54.40 and used PAYG contactless or Oyster twice within Zones 1 – 6, you will save £1.50 compared to buying a One Day Travelcard for the same journey for £61.30.

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• Freedom Pass

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• Using the pass

Freedom Pass travel map

Download the image (PDF) of this map

Please note that the Freedom Pass map is a simplified version and some lines and stations have been removed to make it clearer.  Detailed travel maps can be found here . 

Elizabeth line

Freedom Passes will be valid to use on all of the Elizabeth line including stops outside of London.   

Changes to Freedom Pass Travel Times

From Wednesday 18 January 2023, the temporary suspension of free travel for Older Person's Freedom Pass and 60+ London Oyster photocard holders between 04:30 and 09:00 on weekdays, which was put in place during the pandemic, will become permanent.

For more information and why the decision was made can be found  here

Disabled Persons Freedom Pass holders are not   affected by this change.

Israel-Gaza latest: Hamas responds to ceasefire proposal - as Netanyahu casts doubt on deal

Joe Biden announced a surprise plan with three phases: the first would be a six-week ceasefire, the second the return of remaining hostages, and the third a reconstruction plan for Gaza. We'll be bringing you all the reaction to this throughout the day.

Sunday 2 June 2024 07:16, UK

• Israel-Hamas war

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• US President Joe Biden announces new ceasefire and hostage deal proposal
• Hamas views latest proposed deal 'positively'
• Israel's conditions for ending the war have not changed, Netanyahu's office says
• Chances of ceasefire 'not that realistic', expert says  
• Egypt making 'intensive efforts' to resume negotiations - report
• Israeli opposition leader urges Netanyahu to take deal - and says he will prop up government
• Explained: What is in Biden's three-phase plan?
• Analysis: Israel seemed blindsided by Biden announcement
• Live reporting by Emily Mee

We will be focusing on our general election coverage tomorrow, but we'll be back with more live updates on the Israel-Hamas war next week. 

Models Bella and Gigi Hadid are collectively donating one million dollars (£785,000) to support relief efforts, according to their agent. 

The money will go to Heal Palestine, Palestine Children's Relief Fund (PCRF), World Central Kitchen (WCK), and United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).

The sisters have frequently been vocal in their support for Gaza, and their father Mohamed Anwar Hadid is himself Palestinian. 

After Hamas's 7 October attack on Israel, Gigi, 29, offered her condolences to those affected.

"My thoughts are with all those affected by this unjustifiable tragedy, and every day that innocent lives are taken by this conflict - too many of which are children," she wrote on Instagram.

"I have deep empathy and heartbreak for the Palestinian struggle and life under occupation, it's a responsibility I hold daily."

She added: "While I have hopes and dreams for Palestinians, none of them include the harm of a Jewish person."

Bella, 27, said in May that she was "devastated at the loss of the Palestinian people and the lack of empathy coming from the government systems worldwide".

The United Nations food agency has said it is unable to feed most civilians in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. 

Only 27,000 people in Rafah are currently being reached by the World Food Programme (WFP), according to its local director Matthew Hollingworth. 

Roughly one million Palestinians are living in the area, many of them displaced from other parts of Gaza. 

"The sounds, the smells, the everyday life are horrific and apocalyptic," Mr Hollingworth told journalists. 

"People sleep to the sounds of bombing, they sleep to the sounds of drones, they sleep to the sounds of war, as now tanks roll into parts of central Rafah, which is only kilometers away. And they wake to the same sounds." 

A ceasefire proposal consisting of three phases has been outlined by Joe Biden. 

What do those phases entail, what have Israel and Hamas said about the plan and how does it compare to the last proposal?

Read more below...

The French president has backed the ceasefire proposal set out by Joe Biden last night. 

Emmanuel Macron said he supported the proposal for "a durable peace" and that the war "must end". 

France is also working with partners in the region on "peace and security for all", he said. 

A high-level official has said Egypt is undertaking "intensive efforts" to "resume negotiations" for a ceasefire and hostage deal, according to a report. 

The official, quoted by Al-Qahera TV, said this was "in light of the recent American proposition". 

Last night, Joe Biden detailed a ceasefire and hostage deal proposal that he said Israel had put to Hamas. 

However, Israeli officials have told our correspondents they were "blindsided" by the announcement. 

If it works, then this will be a smart and cunning diplomatic move.

If it doesn't then President Joe Biden will look foolish.

He knows the huge risk of once again being taken for a ride by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Few knew that he was due to make this announcement.

Read more from our US correspondent Mark Stone below...

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) has said 33 of its employees have been killed in Gaza since the war began. 

Of those, it said 19 were killed "while performing their humanitarian duties". 

The organisation today buried Mohammed Jihad Abed, an employee in the disaster risk management department. 

He was killed in an Israeli attack on his home in Rafah last night. 

American, Egyptian and Israeli officials will be meeting tomorrow in Cairo to discuss the reopening of Gaza's Rafah crossing, according to a report. 

Egypt is insisting that Israel withdraw its forces from the crossing, a high-level source told Egypt's state-linked Al Qahera TV. 

Israel seized the Gaza side of the crossing last month during its offensive in the city of Rafah. 

Earlier this week, a member of Egypt's security forces was killed in a shooting incident near the Rafah crossing.

An Egyptian soldier stationed on a watchtower had reacted to seeing an armoured vehicle carrying Israeli troops cross a boundary line near the border while the soldiers pursued and killed several Palestinians, two Egyptian security sources told Reuters news agency. 

The soldier opened fire and Israeli forces fired back, killing him, the sources said, sparking an exchange of gunfire between the two sides. 

The British prime minister has praised the proposed ceasefire deal set out by Joe Biden, saying it is "welcome news". 

Rishi Sunak said he hopes Hamas "takes this opportunity to take this deal that is on the table, [and] that would ensure hostages can be released and be back with their families". 

He also expressed hopes to "flood Gaza with far more aid than has been getting in" and to "use that pause in the fighting to build a sustainable and lasting peace". 

Mr Sunak joins a growing group of world leaders expressing support for the deal, which will only put more pressure on Israel and Hamas. 

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