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London Oyster card 2024

Transport pass for buses, trains & underground in london.

The majority of Londoners currently use an Oyster card routinely to pay for all their public transport needs.

However, many are fast migrating away from Oyster cards to contactless payment cards , typically the Visa, MasterCard or American Express cards they use for everyday expenditure.

For short-term visitors to London it's not as clear cut and the Oyster card continues to dominate as the preferred option for public transport around London. The Visitor Oyster card is a popular choice.

What is an Oyster Card?   Where can you use   Visitor Oyster Card   Returning your Oyster Card   Sharing   Where to buy   Fare zones   Daily price cap   Oyster fares compared   Groups   Concessions   Child fares

Why visitors mostly use Oyster cards and not Contactless payment cards

For an overseas visitor to London, your credit or debit card that supports contactless payment will probably incur significant foreign exchange charges as fares are converted from pounds sterling to your local currency.

Overseas transaction fees or charges can often apply for non-UK cards. This will be one charge per day, not each time you travel, depending on your card issuer.

This is compounded by the nature of continuous small daily debits on your account that is the nature of contactless payment.

Like Oyster card you need a contactless card for each person travelling and you cannot use contactless payment for child fares.

If you are staying 5 or more days in London with an Oyster you can load a 7 day or monthly Travelcards electronically on to the Oyster card which has the potential to make significant cash savings - this is not available with contactless cards or Visitor Oyster Cards.

Contactless payment cards - more details

What is an Oyster card? And why few people buy single tickets

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

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

The Oyster card is a permanent reusable electronic ticket of credit card size (see image above) which is topped up from time to time by its owner with cash that is used to pay the fares. You can top it up at ticket machines or for standard Oyster cards if you register the card.

After each journey the fare is taken from the cash on your Oyster card. This is called Pay As You Go.

Key Point : The Oyster fare for any individual journey is the lowest fare available (contactless card fares are identical to Oyster). For each calendar day there is a fare cap (the maximum you can pay in a single day on public transport) and this is always less than the alternative 1 day Travelcard. Oyster fare caps are explained in more detail further down the page.

The alternative travel pass called Travelcard is a much more simple product. You buy it for durations of 1 day, 7 days, 1 month or one year and it gives you unlimited travel in those days for a set fee paid upfront. We have a dedicated page for the London Travelcard .

Key Point : If you use an Oyster card for 5 or more days in any 7 calendar days, a 7 Day Travelcard will normally be cheaper than using Oyster on a Pay As You Go basis every day.

Oyster cards (but not Visitor Oyster cards) have the flexibility to load a 7 day Travelcard electronically on to the Oyster and you can use both Oyster Pay As You Go and a 7 day Travelcard seamlessly together. So if you are in London for 10 days, you can use Oyster for 3 days and the 7 day Travelcard for the other 7.

Where you can use an Oyster card

The Travelcard pass covers:

- The London Underground network

- The London red local bus network

- The railway network in Greater London

- Docklands Light Railway (DLR), TfL Rail Services and Overground Railway

- Heathrow Express - from 19 Feb 2019, Oyster cards can be used on the Heathrow Express for the first time.

- TFL railway services including the TFL Heathrow Airport train

- 33% discount on many scheduled river services

- Train services between London and Gatwick Airport.

Oyster cards & Heathrow/Gatwick trains

You can now use London's Oyster cards and contactless payment options to pay for fares on the Gatwick Express, Thameslink and Southern Trains services between London and Gatwick Airport.

Using Oyster and Travelcards on the Heathrow Express and other Heathrow services

From 19 February 2019, Oyster cards, contactless bank cards and mobile devices have been accepted on the Heathrow Express. This will speed up the process of ticketing for this train for customers who can now enter with just a tap of your card on the ticket barrier. Prices are the same as buying your ticket at the station, with a single peak charged at £25 and off peak £22. You can save money by booking your tickets online in advance or in advance using the Heathrow Express app. Children aged 15 and under can use a Zip Oyster card to travel free on the service.

You can also use Oyster cards on the TFL Rail service from Heathrow to Paddington in addition to the London Underground.

Using Oyster and Travelcards to and from Gatwick Airport

For the Gatwick Express train service the cheapest fares are obtained direct from Gatwick Express and not using an Oyster, so do look at the Gatwick Express page.

Thameslink and Southern trains

For Thameslink and Southern Trains the Oyster is a cheaper for a single journey using Oyster but for return journeys and visitors arriving then departing at Gatwick there are good reasons to buy train tickets instead.

Oyster cards & Visitor Oyster cards

There are two types of Oyster card. If you buy in London you get the standard Oyster card, if you buy outside London including airport trains and National Express coaches, overseas agents and you will get a Visitor Oyster card.

Oyster & Visitor Oyster card differences - the key facts

Oyster fares and caps are the same whether you use a standard Oyster or a Visitor Oyster, a common misconception.

Visitor Oyster cards you pay an activation fee (£5 in 2024) which is non-refundable. If you buy a standard Oyster card in London or online after 4 September 2022 you now have to pay £7 for the card. This is not a credit to be used against travel, it's the cost of the card now. If you already have an Oyster card from before 23 February 2020, you can still get your original £5 deposit refunded. Cards purchased between these two dates now add the £5 deposit as credit towards travel.

You cannot load 7 day Travelcards on Visitor Oyster cards only standard Oyster cards. If you are in London for 5 plus days having a 7 day Travelcard loaded on your Oyster can save you significant cash. For 5 days daily travel in London, Oysters and 7 day Travelcards for most visitors will be almost identical in price. For 6 or 7 days the sixth and seventh days are effectively free for a 7 day Travelcard compared to the Oyster total price.

At the end of your trip with both Visitor Oyster cards and standard Oyster cards you can cancel at ticket machines or at a Visitor Centre and get any cash left on the Oyster refunded (in cash/coins). However, at the time of writing there is no such facility at Gatwick Airport to get refunds. You can also get your refund by phone or post, handy if you have left the country and discover the card in your wallet when you get home. The refund will be in British pounds though in the form a cheque.

A standard Oyster card you can if you wish register, Visitor Oyster cards you cannot. The main advantages of being registered is that if you lose your Oyster you can stop its use, you can get a good audit trail of your journeys and you can request a refund of cash left on your Oyster direct into your bank account.

Visitor Oyster cards have “special offers” made available to purchasers, normally discounts on anything from food to theatre tickets relevant to visitors. Whether you would make use of any of these offers is another thing and the specifics of offers are often not clear.

BUY VISITOR OYSTER CARD FOR LONDON

Visiting London? Buy your Visitor Oyster Card here

Valid on bus, Tube, tram, DLR, London Overground, Tfl Rail and most National Rail services in London

Returning your Oyster card at end of your trip

If you plan on returning to London at some time in the future then you can retain your Oyster and use it again on your return, however far in the future.

If you do not intend to return for some time or at all, you can claim back any unspent amounts on the Oyster. You can no longer claim back the deposit paid when you purchased the Oyster in the first place. You can claim back unspent funds using any ticket machine. The machine will return any unspent money on your Oyster.

If you forget to get the refund while in London you can post the Oyster card back to TFL customer services requesting the refund. For overseas visitors the big disadvantage is that the refund will be in the form of a cheque in British pounds.

This procedure is the same for both Oyster cards and Visitor Oyster cards.

Can I share Oyster cards? Do I need photo ID?

Only one person can travel with an Oyster card at any time. If 2 people are travelling together they need 2 Oyster cards. However another person can use your Oyster card when you are not travelling.

No photo is required for an Oyster and your name is not stamped on the card. You can register the Oyster card if you want but that is entirely voluntary.

For concessions, principally child fares, a separate Oyster Photo ID card is required (see bottom of the page). For short term visitors of less than 2 weeks, there is a facility called the Young Persons Discount that enables child fares for a short period without photo ID - see bottom of page.

Where is best place to buy an Oyster card?

The most convenient place to buy Oyster cards 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 human 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.

If you feel nervous purchasing a public transport pass from a ticket machine after entering a strange country you can buy Visitor Oyster cards from Transport for London (see link below) and have them delivered to your home address internationally. See section above for differences between the Oysters bought in London and Visitor Oysters.

Using your Oyster Card

You can use Oyster Cards in two ways:

Oyster 'Pay As You Go' mode

You purchase say £10 to be loaded on to your card. Every time you make a journey the appropriate fare is deducted automatically from your original £10 on the card. The fare deducted is far cheaper than if you purchased tickets individually.

You then top up the Oyster card with further amounts as required. A key point is that there is a daily price cap (see section further down the page) where however much you travel in a day your total outlay never goes above this price cap.

Fixed duration, flat fee with unlimited travel

You can buy Travelcards and electronically load them onto your Oyster (but not 1 day Travelcards and you cannot load any Travelcard onto a Visitors Oyster card). This gives you a fixed cost for unlimited travel for a set time period 7 days, 1 month or one year. If you travel less than 5 days in any 7 then the Oyster Pay as You Go option will almost certainly be cheaper. This way of combining Oyster cards and Travelcards is covered in more detail on our London Travelcard page .

Gaining 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. There is always one wide ticket barrier for wheelchairs, pushchair's and people with large suitcases.

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 and the fare is calculated and deducted from your Oyster.

On buses you swipe the Oyster over the same yellow pad. That's it, you don't swipe again on exit.

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

For the vast majority of visitors you will only travel in the two most central zones 1 and 2, though many may make an odd trip to places like Heathrow Airport or the Harry Potter Film Studios in the outer zones.

The Underground map (link right) 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.

The fare you pay is set by which zones your departure and destination stations are in. Your journey starts when you go through the ticket barrier of the station entrance you depart from and finishes when you pass through the ticket barrier at the exit of your destination.

You cannot break a journey on a single fare - once you go though the exit barrier of a station that is journey completed. At London Underground and DLR interchange stations you do not normally go through a ticket barrier to switch train and your fare is calculated as one journey, the exit barrier at your ultimate destination being the end point of your journey.

At major railway stations like Victoria and Euston, where you may interchange between a commuter train and the London Underground, you will normally have to go through ticket barriers to make the interchange. At these stations you are given a short time period (15-30 minutes) to make the interchange - have a coffee or take a longer break and you will be charged for 2 separate journeys.

London's red buses do not have zones. With Oyster, a flat fee per bus journey is charged wherever and whenever you ride.

Fare zone maps (PDF)

The oyster daily price cap.

Price caps are the maximum you will pay in a day, a price ceiling. No matter how many individual trips you make in any 24 hour period between 4.30am and 4.30am you will not be charged more than the price cap amount. This price cap spreads across all modes of transport, so if you mix bus, underground and DLR in one day the same price cap applies.

Price caps for Oyster & contactless card payments, compared to Travelcard prices

From 3 march 2024 - march 2025.

* Travelcard peak fares apply for any travel made Monday to Friday before 9.30am. All other travel is off-peak.

** Prices for a 7 day Travelcard. Also the 7 day cap for contactless payment cards between Monday to Sunday - not available on Oyster.

SPECIAL CAP FOR BUS TRAVEL ONLY: £5.25 (When you only travel on London's buses on 1 day).

CHILDREN'S OYSTER CAPS: Off-peak: £1.80 (zones 1-9). Peak: approx half of adult cap.

Oyster & Contactless Payment card fares

Every time you make a journey on London's public transport your Oyster card is charged a fare. Once you reach the daily cap (see above) in a day no more fares are deducted from your Oyster card.

Oyster Card & Contactless Payment Card Fares - Compared to Single Cash Fares from 3 March 2024 - March 2025

No return fares.

ANY BUS JOURNEY: £1.75 (no fare zones)

* Peak fares apply Monday to Friday between 6.30am and 9.30am and 4pm to 7pm except public holidays

Should your journey not use TFL services (London buses/trams, Underground, Overground, DLR and TFL Rail), completely, for example part of your journey is via a different operator, most likely a railway company, then the standard Oyster/Contactless single fare based on zones may not be followed.

Children travel free if under 11 year old or are between 11 and 15 years with an Oyster 11-15 Photocard. On services operated by the railways such as Gatwick trains for example, only children under 5 travel free, child rate fares are available with the appropriate age Oyster Zip card.

Children's fares (11-15 yrs old) with an Oyster 11-15 Photocard on Oyster for any trip within zones 1 to 6 is £0.85 off peak, £0.90 peak

Group Tickets - 1 Day Group Travelcard for Groups of 10 or more

This ticket is for groups of 10 or more travelling together.

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 and read more on our page below.

Group Travelcards - more info

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 Oyster 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 at the foot of the page.

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.

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.

Child fares - more details

Children's Fare Concessions

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

A Complete Guide to the London Pass | What it is, What’s Included and Whether it’s Worth Buying

By: Author Tracy Collins

Posted on Last updated: June 27, 2024

It’s no secret that London is an expensive city to spend time in. If you want to visit many of the attractions of this exciting city, then it may well be worth buying the London Pass to use throughout your stay. 

This London city pass gives you entry to more than 90 of the city’s top attractions. A hop-on, hop-off bus tour is also thrown in. As the pass isn’t activated until you first use it, you also get maximum mileage from it. 

But of course, you’ll need to know more than that about what the London Pass attractions are before buying. As well as how many days it lasts for, how to get hold of one – and perhaps the most important question of all. Is the London Pass really worth it? 

In fact, since this article was originally written, the London Pass has become even better. Previously, the London Eye – the UK’s number one paid attraction – wasn’t covered by the pass, but the great news is that it now is! Other recent additions include the mega-popular Madame Tussauds waxwork museum.

This guide covers the answers to all these questions – and more. We’ll show you what the pass for London is really like, so you can make an informed choice about whether or not it’s right for you. 

Continue reading to find out all about the London sightseeing pass you (might) really need. Including what the options are, what attractions you can enter as a pass holder, how it works and the key features. 

Ready to buy? Click here to purchase your London Pass

Historical sites

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Our favourite London sightseeing pass is The London Pass

We love the London Pass because it’s easy to use, gets you into almost everywhere you want to go and saves you time and money. The list of activities and attractions included is also second-to-none. It is, in short, the London Pass!

⭐️ Click here to buy your London Pass – Enter code UKLP5 at checkout for an exclusive 5% discount off the cost of your pass

What is the London Pass?

• 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 10 days
• Entry to 90+ attractions and activities
• See big city sights or uncover hidden gems
• Saves time and helps you budget for your stay

The London Pass is a sightseeing pass for visitors to London. Each pass lasts for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 10 days. Once you’ve paid for the pass, you can enter London’s top attractions for that duration without paying at the gate. 

People buy the London Pass because it’s a simple way to see the best of the UK capital. It’s cost-effective and saves time, and covers more than 90 of the city’s leading attractions. Once you’ve paid for the pass, you don’t need to set aside money for entry fees – which in a costly location can be a real bonus!

Big sights like the Tower of London , the View from the Shard, London Zoo, Westminster Abbey , the London Eye and St Paul’s Cathedral are covered by the pass. But it can also introduce you to lesser-known London gems like insider tours of famous football stadiums, a boat trip on Regent’s Canal or the ArcelorMittal Orbit as seen during the 2012 Olympic Games. 

Whether you want a whistle-stop tour of the highlights or want to delve deeper on a second, fifth or tenth visit to the city, buying a London Pass could mean having it all at your fingertips. (Quite literally, as it’s stored digitally on your smartphone.)

If you want to buy the pass at the last minute, don’t despair. It can be sent to your smartphone instantly, and the London Pass app makes it easy to manage your time. 

The London Pass attractions

So what attractions does the London Pass cover? Though it’s often sold as offering entry to 80+ attractions, the truth is that more have been added, and now it’s over 90. (Who knows, by the time you travel they may even have hit the magic 100 mark, but we can’t make any promises.)

Direct from the London Pass website, here’s an up-to-date list of some of the star attractions you can visit with the London Pass. Don’t forget – this list is not exhaustive! It covers just 35 – well under half – of the 90+ attractions that the pass includes. 

• The Tower of London
• Tower Bridge
• The Old Royal Naval College (Greenwich)
• The Royal Observatory (Greenwich)
• The Cutty Sark (Greenwich)
• The Golden Hinde
• Great Fire of London monument
• Household Cavalry Museum
• London Transport Museum
• Charles Dickens Museum
• Florence Nightingale Museum
• The Garden Museum

• The Royal Mews (Buckingham Palace)
• The King’s’s Gallery  (Buckingham Palace)
• Kensington Palace
• Hampton Court Palace
• Windsor Castle

• Westminster Abbey
• St Paul’s Cathedral 
• Southwark Cathedral
• The London Eye
• Madame Tussauds
• The London Bridge Experience
• The View from the Shard
• The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
• Curzon Cinemas
• Shakespeare’s Globe theatre tour
• Royal Albert Hall tour
• Wembley stadium tour
• London bicycle tour
• Fuller’s Brewery tour

• 1 day hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus tour
• Thames Clippers Uber boats
• Jason’s Original canal coat trip
• London bicycle hire

The London Pass price

The London Pass price is calculated according to how many days you buy it for. The shortest option is one day, and the longest 10 days. Do note that the pass includes a one day hop-on, hop off bus tour of London, so you may like to allow time to use that. 

At the time of updating (June 2024) , the London day pass costs £104 for adults and £69 for children (more on that below). At the other end of the scale, a 10 day London Pass is £244 for adults and £129 for kids aged 15 or under. These prices are given for guidance only, and are subject to change at any time.

As you can see from these figures alone, the pass becomes better value when you buy it for longer. Our top tip is to plan your London itinerary carefully before travelling – and purchasing your pass. You don’t want to waste money on unused days, so don’t forget to remove days for any trips you’ll take from London. 

For all the days you will spend in the city, though, we’ve found that the pass is the best way to budget for your stay. When you have the London Pass at your fingertips, there’s always lots to do. As well as some less famous sites and experiences to discover!

Click here to check the current London pass price

If you’re travelling with kids in tow, then the London Pass discount for kids is really good news. Anyone under 15 pays less than an adult. 

Children aged up to four years don’t require a pass at all, for starters. For their older siblings, child discounts apply to ages five to 15. So even when you have teens to entertain the pass can come in handy (though we cannot help with those hormonal mood swings, sorry!)

We highly recommend buying your London Pass via Go City using the code UKLP5 at checkout for an exclusive 5% discount off the cost of your pass

You can buy your London Pass by clicking here . This takes you straight to the listing for the London Pass on the Go City website. 

Once there, you can skip the blurb as we’ve told you all you need to know about the pass 😉 You can then choose the duration of the pass that you’d like. Don’t forget to exclude any days that you’ll leave London, such as for full day trips. 

The pass does offer better value for money when you buy more days, however. Purchasing that extra day could mean uncovering a secret London gem that turns out to be the highlight of your trip. Who knew about that side of city life you can see by taking a boat trip on Regent’s Canal, for instance, or what a major football club keeps in their dressing room? 

In many cases, you don’t have to pre-book with the London Pass. But reservations are advised for some of the most popular attractions. This applies to tours in particular. 

London Pass provides a complete and up-to-date list of which tours and attractions require pre-booking here . Popular activities which do require a reservation, for example, are the London Eye and The View from the Shard.

With other popular places, booking can be wise, especially at peak times. For the Tower of London, for example, reservations aren’t necessary, but you might have to wait for an available time slot when it’s especially busy there. If in doubt, check the individual attraction page on the London Pass website. 

If you’re visiting in summer, close to Christmas or on a weekend, we’d always advise pre-booking your slot at any popular London attraction. The same applies when you’re on a tight schedule.

7 benefits of the London Pass

So the London pass reviews are positive. It can also show you more of the city while saving you time and money. What other London Pass advantages might there be? 

Though third parties list 80+ attractions, it’s now over 90. We got that from the horse’s mouth – and new attractions can be added all the time. 

You can buy a pass for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 10 days. This gives you plenty of time to explore London fully. 

Your pass includes a sightseeing bus tour of London that you can use for a full day. Jump on at Tower Bridge or Trafalgar Square, and off at Buckingham Palace or Piccadilly Circus. With this kind of ticket you’re free to explore each area for as long or as little as you please!

If you’ve booked your flights and hotel and want to pay upfront for visiting London attractions, then paying for the pass before you travel is the ideal way to budget.

Remember, you’ll need far less spending money when all your activities are covered! As the pass is activated by the first use, you have nothing to lose by buying ahead of time. 

Because the London Pass is digital, you can buy and download it instantly. Imagine standing in the queue to get in, and buying it right there before you pay the entry fee. It really is that quick and easy. 

All the big name attractions are included. From royal palaces and ancient churches to all the sights of Greenwich or super fun activities, everything you want to do in London should be covered by this London visitor pass. 

Famous London tourist attractions aren’t the be all and end all, especially perhaps for repeat visitors. If you want to discover new things about London, see somewhere you’ve never been or are even stuck for ideas, this is the London sightseeing pass to go for.

No one can surely tick off over 90 in 10 days, but choosing which to visit is all part of the fun!

London Pass FAQs

The London Pass can save you time and money and is also a great way to budget for your trip to the big city. 

Once you have a pass, you can access so many of London’s top attractions, including the likes of The View from The Shard, the London Eye, London Zoo and the Tower of London. Over 90 attractions are covered, including some incredible lesser-known experiences too.

A London Pass primarily works like a ticket to London attractions and activities, while an Oyster Card is used to pay for journeys made by London Transport. 

Though some transport options like boats, bikes and a hop-on, hop-off bus tour may be covered by the London Pass, you may well need to use public transport to visit the attractions spread across the city. 

Though it wasn’t in the past, the London Eye is now included with the London Pass! With tickets normally costing around £45 per person, there is a big saving to be made. Reservations are required for your ride on the London Eye.

How much could you save with a London Pass?

If you visited the following 10 central London attractions over 3 days, you could save over £250 by buying a London Pass!

TOTAL SAVING £251!

Entry to all of the attractions listed above is also available with the Go City Explorer Pass.

The London Pass is the best choice when you want to see a lot in a short space of time, such as if you’re a first-time visitor, as passes last for a consecutive number of days. 

The Go City Explorer is number one for those who want to visit between two and seven attractions over a longer period. You pick your number of attractions, then have 60 days to use the pass. 

Both passes are owned and operated by Go City, so the list of attractions is very similar. It’s really all about the number of attractions versus the duration you want.

So when all’s said and done – is the London Pass worth it? There are certainly advantages but we do recommend doing the maths to make sure it is the right option for your needs.

Paying for all your London attractions tickets in advance in this way really helps you to budget for your trip . There’s less spending money to worry about when you’ve already paid for something to do each day. 

The fact that it’s digital and activated by the first use also makes it a doddle to get to grips with. Whether you opt for a 1 day London sightseeing pass or a longer duration, the London Pass can save you time as well as money.

London Travel Guide & Itinerary Planner Ebook (+ 4 BONUS ebooks)

• Places to Visit
• Sightseeing
• Practical Tips
• Where to Stay

London Underground Tickets & Travelcards

The Travelcard is a transport pass for London that gives you unlimited travel in London within certain zones . The prices vary according to the number of zones you need to travel through. Central London is in zone 1.

Travelcards are valid for 1 day, 7 days, 1 month or 1 year.

The passes are valid for travel on all types of transport in London including:

• the Underground (the tube)
• the local suburban trains within London
• the Elizabeth Line (not west of West Drayton)
• the Docklands Light Railway (DLR)
• the London Overground
• the buses all over London. A Travelcard for any zone allows you to use the buses in all zones (zones 1-6)

The 3 Day Travelcard, weekend Travelcard, Zone 1-2 & 2-6 One Day Travelcards are no longer available.

Visiting London for 1-7 days? See our guide to London’s transport tickets & passes . The Travelcard may not be the best ticket for your stay.

Single Underground Tickets

Single paper tickets on the London underground are expensive if you buy them from a tube station ticket machine:

• £6.70 for one journey in zone 1 (central London) and between zone 1 and zones 2 to 6
• See single ticket prices for all zones .

One Day Travelcards: 2024 prices

Using a Pay as you go Oyster card or a contactless card are the cheapest ways to pay for travel if you’re in London for 1-5 days. The daily cap is £8.50 per day for zones 1-2

If you really don’t want to use an Oyster card or don’t have a contactless card, the One Day Travelcard is the next best money-saving pass.

The paper Off peak One Day Travelcard for zone 1-6 is  £15.90. This is expensive, but still cheaper than paying the full cash fare for 3 underground trips in central London (3 x £6.70 = £20.10 ).

One Day Travelcard fares 2024

Peak v anytime travelcards.

One Day Travelcard prices are different if you travel during peak or off-peak times:

Anytime Travelcard Valid for travel at anytime. Off-Peak Travelcard For travel after 9.30am Monday–Friday and all day Saturday, Sunday and public holidays.

Top Tip: An Off-Peak One Day Travelcard for zones 1–6 costs  £10.40 with a Railcard .

Weekly Travelcards: 2024 prices

If you stay in London for 6–7 days and use the underground, trains, and buses every day, the weekly Travelcard is the most cost-effective travel pass.

The one-week pass including central London (zones 1-2) is  £42.70.

• It can start on any day of the week
• It’s valid for travel at anytime; there is no peak or off-peak rate.

Most places sell weekly Travelcards loaded onto a plastic Oyster card. There’s a £7 fee for the Oyster card.

Your fare on an Oyster card will automatically cap at the weekly Travelcard fare (this is already available on contactless cards). The cap starts on Monday and ends Sunday, so it mainly benefits Londoners or those working in London.

Weekly Travelcard fares 2024

• See weekly Travelcards prices for all other zones (2, 3, 4, 5 and 6)

Monthly Travelcards: 2024 prices

For longer stays in London, monthly Travelcards are available. You won’t save much compared to buying 4 x weekly Travelcards – but you’ll save time renewing it. Like the weekly Travelcard, it can start on any day of the week and is valid for travel at any time. See monthly Travelcard prices for all other zones (2, 3, 4, 5 and 6)

Monthly Travelcards 2024

Where to buy travelcards.

One day, weekly and monthly Travelcards are available from:

Underground stations

Travelcards are available from all underground station ticket machines (there are no longer any underground tickets offices). The busier stations in central London have staff to help you use the machines.

Local shops and newsagents

Travelcards are also available from Oyster ticket stops . These are newsagents and local shops licensed to sell London transport tickets and Oyster cards. One Day Travelcards are not available from Oyster ticket stops.

London train stations

One Day Travelcards are available from all London train station ticket offices and ticket macines. Paper weekly and monthly Travelcards are no longer available from train stations . They are available to buy, but they are loaded onto an Oyster card and may only be available from ticket machines, not ticket offices.

London Transport Visitor Centres

TfL Visitor Centres at Victoria train station, Kings Cross/St Pancras International station, Heathrow Terminal 2 & 3 tube staion, Liverpool St station & Piccadilly Circus tube station.

How to use a Travelcard

On the underground.

If you have a paper One Day Travelcard or single ticket from a ticket machine, insert the card into the slot on the front of the ticket barrier. The barrier opens when you take the ticket from behind the yellow reader, on the top.

If you have a paper One Day Travelcard, just show it to the driver when boarding the bus.

See How to use an Oyster card if you have a weekly Travelcard on an Oyster card.

Top Tip: Do you want a cheaper way to travel around central London? If you only travel by bus , it costs £5.25 per day or £24.70 per week.

Related pages

• Guide to London’s transport tickets
• Weekly and monthly Travelcards for zones 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6
• Oyster card
• How to use a contactless card to pay for transport
• Bus tickets & passes
• London Transport zones

Last updated: 22 February 2024

Transport tickets & passes

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

Useful information

• Plan your journey
• London transport zones

Popular pages

• Left luggage offices
• Congestion Charge
• 2 for 1 discounts at London attractions
• Oyster cards
• Top free museums & galleries
• Cheap eating tips
• Heathrow to London by underground

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London's Best Attraction Passes

Want to visit London and see several top attractions, take a sightseeing tour, join guided city walks and also go boating on the Thames?

Then a London City Pass is just the thing for you!

On this page we present you the most important London Passes with which you can visit many sights for free. If you buy a London City Pass through our partner links, we receive a commission from the provider.

You can find the following information on our website:

• The best London City Passes
• Top attractions with the passes
• Public transport

How the London Passes work

London city pass: prices, which city pass is the best, questions & answers, the best london city passes.

There are several good London Passes that can be of interest to visitors:

• The London Pass ( Read our analysis )
• London Explorer Pass ( Read our analysis )
• Big City Saver Pass ( Read our analysis )
• London Turbopass ( Read our analysis )

We focus on the first two City Passes as they are by far the most attractive for most visitors to London. The London Pass and the London Explorer Pass contain similar attractions but work quite differently.

Here is a first overview:

The London Pass

You can visit as many sights as you can manage in the time available.

The following services are included in the London Pass:

• Around 90 attractions free of charge
• incl. The Shard, London Eye, Madame Tussauds, Tower of London, Windsor Castle, St Paul's Cathedral, Westminster Abbey
• incl. hop-on/hop-off bus, boat trip, city tours

The London Pass is a digital product. You can simply download it to your phone or print it out. Once you use the London Pass for the first time, it will be activated.

Once activated, the London Pass is valid for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 10 consecutive calendar days. The longer the pass is valid, the better the value for money.

Exclusive offer: 5% Discount with discount code LONDONCP05LP

Read here our detailed analysis on the London Pass .

London Explorer Pass

The London Explorer Pass is another product from Go City. This pass is suitable for travellers who want to visit fewer sights.

With the Explorer Pass you can visit 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 attractions. The choice is almost as wide as the London Pass.

• Around 80 attractions to choose from
• incl. The Shard, Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, London Eye, London Dungeon, St Paul's Cathedral
• incl. hop-on/hop-off bus + boat trip on the Thames

The London Explorer Pass is a digital product. Simply download the pass to your phone or print it out. It will be activated as soon as you use the Explorer Pass for the first time.

Use the free Go City app to get information on all participating attractions.

After activation, the Explorer Pass is valid for 60 days.

Exclusive offer: 5% Discount with discount code LONDONCP05

Read here our detailed analysis on the London Explorer Pass .

Big City Saver Pass

The Big City Saver Pass is also known as the Merlin Pass. It is several combined tickets. The product can contain 2, 3, 4 or 5 attractions:

Overview of the Big City Saver Pass:

• Visit 2 - 5 attractions
• incl. Madame Tussauds, London Eye, Tower of London
• incl. London Dungeon + SEA LIFE + Shrek's Adventures
• Validity: 90 days
• Digital tickets: Available immediately

Get digital tickets for all attractions. Book your dates for each visit online.

After activation, the Big City Saver Pass is valid for 90 days.

Read here our detailed analysis on the London City Saver Pass .

London Turbopass

The London Turbopass is similar in function to the London Pass, but contains fewer attractions.

Overview of the London Turbopass:

• Around 15 attractions to choose from
• incl. Madame Tussauds, Tower of London, Kensington Palace
• incl. hop-on/hop-off, river cruise and guided tours
• Optional: London Eye

The London Turbopass is a digital product. You can simply download the tickets to your phone or print them out.

After activation, the London Pass is valid for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 consecutive calendar days. The price-performance ratio is best with a validity of three or four days.

Read here our detailed analysis on the London Turbopass .

London City Pass: What's included?

With the two best London Passes, you can visit many of London's top attractions. Just show your digital pass at the ticket office and you'll get a free ticket.

There is also the London Turbopass and the Big City Saver Pass. These two passes only include a limited number of attractions.

In the table below you will find many of London's top attractions that you can visit for free with at least one of the London Passes featured here.

The table contains many of the most important sights and tourist services. In addition, you can visit other sights for free. In particular, the London Pass and the London Explorer Pass contain many more offers.

Here you will find all the attractions included in the London City Passes:

• All attractions with London Pass
• All attractions with Explorer Pass
• All attractions with Big City Saver
• All attractions with Turbopass

The Big City Saver Pass is flexible. You can visit up to five attractions, but also fewer. Then the pass is cheaper.

London City Pass & Public Transport

London is a huge city and most of the sights are spread over many parts of the city. The best way to get around London is by public transport.

The London Underground in particular is a very efficient means of transport.

Unfortunately, no London Pass includes public transport. However, you can buy a Visitor Oyster Card on the internet. You will receive this by post before your trip.

The Visitor Oyster Card applies to the following means of transport:

• London Underground
• Public buses
• Local trains
• Docklands Light Railway (DLR)
• River Boats (River Taxis)

Basically, each journey is paid for individually. However, the Visitor Oyster Card is loaded with credit that should be enough for your trip to London if you travel in the city centre (zones 1 + 2).

The amount of credit is at your own discretion (£10 - £50). A portion of the credit is deducted on each trip. However, there is a daily limit which is usually reached after the third journey. Further journeys on the same day will not be charged. When the credit is used up, you can top it up yourself at a ticket machine.

Delivery by post: The Visitor Oyster Card is not an electronic product. You will receive the card by post before you travel. You should place the order at least two weeks before the trip.

In this section you will learn how London Passes work from purchase to use.

1. The London Pass

The London Pass is a digital product. After purchase, you will receive the London Pass by email. You can either import it into the free London Pass app or print it out. Once in London, show the digital pass at participating attractions to get your free ticket.

Once activated, the London Pass is valid for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 10 consecutive calendar days. We recommend you start your sightseeing tour in the morning to make the most of each day. Visit as many sights as you can in the limited time. Please note that pre-booking is required for some offers.

Tip: Read our detailed analysis on the London Pass .

2. London Explorer Pass

The London Explorer Pass is also a purely digital product. You will receive the Explorer Pass by email after purchase. You can either import it into the free Go City app or print it out.

Once in London, show your digital pass at participating attractions to get your free ticket. Visit between two and seven attractions with your Explorer Pass. Please note that some attractions require prior booking.

The pass is valid for 60 days from the first use.

Tip: Read our detailed analysis on the London Explorer Pass .

3. Big City Saver Pass

The Big City Saver Pass is a special product. It is actually several combined tickets. The product can contain 2, 3 or 5 attractions:

• London Dungeon
• Madame Tussauds
• Tower of London
• Shrek's Adventures
• City tour with Big Bus

When you buy the pass, you choose the date to visit the first attraction. From this date you have 90 days to visit the other attractions. You can book the dates yourself online.

Tip: Read our detailed analysis on the London Saver Pass .

4. London Turbopass

London Turbopass includes some interesting benefits. Some of the best attractions include:

• Kensington Palace
• London Eye (optional)
• Hampton Court Palace

You will receive a digital ticket for each attraction after purchase. Print your tickets or save them on your phone. Show your ticket at participating attractions in London. Please note that you must book your tickets online in advance.

Once you use the Turbopass for the first time, it is valid for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 consecutive calendar days. The Turbopass is cheapest for three or four days.

Tip: Read our detailed analysis on the London Turbopass .

Prices vary according to the period of validity or the number of attractions you can visit with a London City Pass. Please note that you get different benefits. This means that a City Pass is not better just because it is cheaper.

All prices apply to persons aged 16 and over. There are reduced prices for children.

Tip: The London Pass and the London Explorer Pass are rarely sold at full price. Most of the time, the prices are reduced. Sometimes discount vouchers are also displayed in the webshop.

London Pass

• 114 (1 day)
• 159 (2 days)
• 179 (3 days)
• 204 (4 days)
• 219 (5 days)
• 229 (6 days)
• 244 (7 days)
• 269 (10 days)

Explorer Pass

• 74 (2 attractions)
• 104 (3 attractions)
• 129 (4 attractions)
• 159 (5 attractions)
• 189 (6 attractions)
• 204 (7 attractions)
• 129.90 € (1 day)
• 159.90 € (2 days)
• 179.90 € (3 days)
• 199.90 € (4 days)
• 229.90 € (5 days)
• 249.90 € (6 days)
• 279.90 € (7 days)

The price of the Big City Saver Pass depends on the number of attractions visited and the season:

• 2 attractions: from £50.00 = £25.00 per attraction
• 3 attractions: from £70.00 = £23.33 per attraction
• 5 attractions: from £100.00 = £20.00 per attraction

Basically, we recommend the London Pass and the London Explorer Pass. These two products are of interest to most visitors to London and are frequently purchased.

But which City Pass is worthwhile for whom and are the other London Passes also worth considering? These questions are answered in this section. Choose which of the following statements applies to you.

I would like to visit many sights

If you want to do a lot of sightseeing, we recommend the London Pass. The more attractions you visit, the cheaper the pass becomes. The London Turbopass may also be suitable if you want to visit many attractions.

I would like to visit only a few sights

If you only want to visit a few attractions, we recommend the London Explorer Pass. You can decide how many attractions you would like to visit (2 - 7) at the time of purchase. There are more than 80 attractions to choose from.

I want to decide spontaneously which sights I want to visit.

For spontaneous sightseeing without much planning, the London Pass is best. Although you need to make a reservation for some attractions, you can visit most of them spontaneously. Explore the city at your own pace and visit sights you hadn't planned before.

I would like to use public transport

Unfortunately, no London City Pass includes public transport. However, you can buy a Visitor Oyster Card on the internet before your trip: Visit Britain Shop .

I'm only in London for two days

For a short stay in London, the London Explorer Pass is suitable. You can visit two to seven sights. Just the thing for two days in London.

I am in London for four days or more

If you have plenty of time, you can try out many tourist attractions. The London Pass with around 90 attractions is ideal for this. Book the London Pass, which is valid for the entire duration of your stay, and explore some of London's sights every day.

I would like to buy a London City Pass spontaneously

You can buy all London Passes spontaneously if you are already in London. Please note that you need to book in advance for some attractions. This applies in particular to guided city tours.

The following London Passes can be purchased at short notice: London Pass, London Explorer Pass, London Turbopass and Big City Saver Pass.

I am in London with children

The Big City Saver is particularly suitable for parents with children. With this pass you can visit attractions that are also interesting for children: London Eye, Madame Tussauds, London Dungeon, SEA LIFE and Shrek's Adventures. The same attractions are also included in the London Turbopass.

London Explorer Pass can also be suitable for families if you limit yourself to a few attractions that are interesting for all family members.

Is a London City Pass worth it?

A London City Pass is worthwhile for many travellers, but not for everyone. If you are in London for the first time and want to visit many of the top attractions, the London Pass is definitely worthwhile. However, you should use two or three offers per day.

If you only want to visit a few sights, you may not need a London City Pass. But even in this case, the Explorer Pass can be worthwhile.

Can I use public transport?

How much does a London City Pass cost?

This depends on the product. If you only want to use a few services, you can buy a City Pass for as little as £50.00. However, if you want to visit many sights and use the London City Pass on several days, you should expect to pay more than £150.00.

Do I get priority admission with a City Pass?

No, no London City Pass gives priority entry at participating attractions. In some cases you can book an appointment in advance, but at most attractions you will get your free ticket at the box office.

Do I have to pick up a City Pass in the city?

No, you do not need to collect your London City Pass. All London Passes are digital products that you can save on your phone or print out.

Can I cancel the purchase free of charge?

Yes, most purchases can be cancelled before your trip begins. Go City's London Pass and London Explorer Pass have a 90-day money-back guarantee as long as the pass has not yet been activated.

London Turbopass can be cancelled up to one day before departure. However, a cancellation fee of €30 per pass will be charged.

The Big City Saver Pass cannot be cancelled unless you have booked it through GetYourGuide. There you can cancel any purchase free of charge up to 24 hours before departure.