What is an Oyster Card?

Oyster is London’s ticketing and revenue system. At its heart is the Oyster card, a ‘smartcard’ which makes buying and using tickets easier.

An Oyster card can store up to £90 of cash which can be used to pay as you go, plus your Travelcard or Bus Pass.

It can be used on the Tube, trams, buses, DLR, London Overground and some National Rail services in London.

Pay as you go has several advantages over paper tickets:

• Oyster single fares are generally cheaper
• Credit can be used as you need it and doesn’t expire
• Daily price capping automatically calculates the cheapest fare for the journeys you make in a single day

Our aim is to ensure that Oyster always charges the lowest fare. Where it doesn’t, we will refund the difference.

Auto top-up

Auto top-up ensures you never run out of pay as you go credit by automatically topping up your Oyster card whenever your balance falls below £5.

How do I get an Oyster card?

You can get one:

• At the Oyster website
• At most Tube station ticket offices
• At over 2,200 Oyster Ticket Stops across London
• At London Overground station ticket offices
• At some National Rail ticket offices
• At eight London Travel Information Centres
• By phone on 0845 330 9876

When you first get your Oyster card, you will need to pay a refundable £3 deposit if you are only adding cash to pay as you go.

Oyster photocards enable students and under-18s to travel free or at reduced rates. Discounted travel is also available to London residents on Income Support and customers who hold a New Deal photocard.

Tube and Train Travelcards

If you are planning to travel to multiple destinations and want to take advantage of the city’s public transport system, you should opt for a Travelcard.

Not only will you save money but you will be able to enjoy total freedom to hop on and off any form of public transport for the whole day on just the one ticket.

Travelcards can be added to Oyster cards – an electronic smart card that replaces paper tickets. Oyster is almost always the best option, offering cheaper, hassle-free travel across the transport network.

Visitor Oyster cards are available to all residents of the UK, cost £12 and come fully charged with £10 credit.

Travelcards Offer Flexibility

Travelcards give you complete flexibility when using public transport in London. There is no queuing for tickets and no need to have the correct money with you. You get unlimited travel on the Tube, trams, Docklands Light Railway (DLR), most local trains, across the entire London bus network and also a third off riverboat services.

There is a wide range of Travelcards available. They can be brought for any duration from just one day, three days, seven days or longer periods.

International Visitors to London

VisitBritain sells Oyster cards for international visitors online, making it easy to get out and about from the moment you arrive in London. You charge up the card with money and pay as you go. Oyster’s built-in price capping means you will never pay more than the cost of a Travelcard for a day’s travel. You can also buy the Oyster Card for Visitors at Gatwick Express ticket offices at Gatwick Airport.

Travelcard Areas – Zones

Travelcards cover different areas of the capital. The city is split into 6 zones, with Zones 1 and 2 in Central London and Zone 6 covering the outer edge of the capital. The cost of your Travelcard will depend on which Zones you need to travel through. Make sure that you purchase the right ticket for your journey to avoid a fine.

Travelcard Prices

Once you have decided which Zones you are planning to visit, select the time you will want to commence your journey. Any travel before 9.30am (Mon-Fri) will require a Peak Travelcard. For journeys begun after this time, an Off-peak Travelcard works out slightly cheaper.

Here are some examples of what you might expect to pay:

Off-Peak One-day Travelcard

Valid from 9.30am Monday to Friday and all day (12.01am to 4.30am the following day) at weekends and public holidays:

• Zones 1 and 2 – adult £5.10
• Zones 1–4 – adult £5.70
• Zones 1–6 – adult £6.70

Peak One-day Travelcard

Valid for travel until 4.30am the following morning:

• Zones 1 and 2 – adult £6.60
• Zones 1–4 – adult £9
• Zones 1–6 – adult £13.20

The Three-day Travelcard is also available in Peak and Off-Peak versions.

Concessions

Children under five can travel free at any time when accompanied by an adult with a valid ticket. A range of discounts is available for older children and students. Freedom Passes entitle older and disabled London residents to free travel. See the Transport for London website for information on how to apply.

Where to Purchase a Travelcard

Travelcards can be purchased online and delivered to your home address at no additional cost.

Alternatively, Travelcards can be bought all over the city: Tube station ticket offices, London Travel Information Centres and National Rail stations. Some London newsagents also sell Travelcards. At Underground stations self-service ticket machines are now available in five languages and these can save time queuing for the ticket office.

Not only will you save money but you will be able to enjoy total freedom to hop on and off any form of transport for the whole day on just the one ticket.