Visitor Oyster Card

The Visitor Oyster Card comes pre-loaded with £20, £30, £40 or £50 credit. Once your credit runs out, you can easily top up with any amount at over 3,000 outlets around London.

The Oyster Card incurs a £3 activation fee which will show in your shopping basket.

Child Policy

• Children aged 10 years and under can travel free at any time on the London Underground, buses, trams and Dockland Light Railway (DLR), as long as they are accompanied by an adult with a valid ticket/Visitor Oyster Card. Ask a member of staff to let your child through the gate.
• Children 11 years and over need to purchase a standard adult Oyster Card. There are no child versions of the Visitor Oyster Card.

Buy your Visitor Oyster Card from VisitBritain and avoid the £5 deposit if you buy on arrival.

The Oyster card Similar to a pay as you go mobile phone, you simply top it up with the desired amount of credit and it never expires.

Each time you make a journey the cost is deducted from your Visitor Oyster Card. If you use your Visitor Oyster Card many times on the same day,  you will pay no more than the cost of a Travelcard.

Unsure of how much money to load?

This will really depend on how long you will be spending in London and where your entry point is. £20 is recommended for a three day stay in London.

The amount you pay for a single journey depends on the zones that you are travelling through.

London Underground Zones

London is divided into nine zones going out in rings from the city centre.

Zone 1: Most of Central London - Covent Garden, Leicester Square, Piccadilly, Kings Cross, Euston, Victoria, Kensington

Zone 2: Camden Town, Brixton, Islington

Zone 4: Richmond

Zone 6: Heathrow Airport

Click here for a London Underground map with zones.

How you could save with a Visitor Oyster Card

	Single ticket price	Oyster price - peak*	Oyster price - off-peak
Zone 1 only	£4.30	£2.00	£2.00
Zone 1 - 2	£4.30	£2.70	£2.00
Zone 1 - 3	£4.30	£3.10	£2.60
Zone 1 - 4	£5.30	£3.60	£2.60
Zone 1 - 6	£5.30	£4.80	£2.90

*Peak times are 06.30am – 9.30am and 4.00pm – 7.00pm Monday to Friday, excluding weekends and Bank Holidays

Watch the video for information on how to use your Oyster Card

Does my Visitor Oyster Card expire?
No, your Oyster Card and any balance on it do not expire. If you have any money left on your Oyster Card then you can use this on your next trip.

What is the difference between the Visitor Oyster Card and a London Travelcard?
The Visitor Oyster Card is a 'smartcard' storing credit to pay for journeys. It is valid across all travel zones and automatically calculates the cheapest fare for all the journeys you make in a single day.
Travelcards are paper tickets available for 1 or 7 days of travel in London, and in various combinations of travel zones

Where can you use the Visitor Oyster Card?
Oyster Cards can be used on buses, Tube, tram, DLR, London Overground and National Rail (Excluding Heathrow Connect services between Hayes & Harlington and Heathrow, on Heathrow Express and on Southeastern High speed services between St Pancras International and Stratford International)

Can I use the Visitor Oyster Card as soon as I buy it?
Yes, once you have received your Oyster Card it is ready to use.

Are there any time restrictions when using the Visitor Oyster Card?
You can use the Visitor Oyster Card at any time. Please note that prices vary depending on what time you travel. Travelling during rush hour tend to cost a little bit more than travelling off-peak. Rush hour is Monday to Friday between 06.30 to 09.30 and 16.00 to 19.00. Off peak is all other times including public holidays.

Do I need to provide a passport photo to buy a Visitor Oyster Card?
If you purchase a Visitor Oyster Card from our website, you do not need to provide a passport photo.

Can I top up my Visitor Oyster Card through the VisitBritain Online Shop?
At present you cannot top up your Oyster Card through the VisitBritain Online Shop, however, you can top up your Oyster card at Tube stations, at almost 4000 Oyster Ticket Stops throughout London, and at London Travel Information Centres.

Is the Visitor Oyster Card valid from Heathrow?
Yes, Heathrow Airport is in Zone 6 and you can use your Oyster Card on the Tube (by taking the Piccadilly Line) into central London

I bought a Visitor Oyster Card a couple of years ago, can I still use this when I come to London?
Yes, this will still be valid for you to use - You can top this up when you get to London at one of almost 4000 Oyster Ticket Stops throughout London. You can also top your Oyster Card up at ticket machines and ticket offices at Tube and London Overground stations.

We are a family of 6. Can we all use the same Visitor Oyster Card?
No, each person must have their own Oyster Card to swipe in and out with.

Can I register my Visitor Oyster Card against loss or theft?
It is not possible to register a Visitor oyster card

Can I use my Visitor Oyster Card on the Heathrow/Gatwick/Stansted Express?
You cannot use your Oyster Card on the Airport Express Trains but you can purchase tickets for them from our website.

How do I get a refund on the remaining balance left on my Visitor Oyster Card?
You will need to return your card to Transport for London at the below address:
Oyster Ticketing and Refunds
55 Broadway
London
SW1H 0BD
The card will be cancelled and you will be sent a refund by Sterling cheque.

Do you offer Travelcards and Visitor Oyster Cards as vouchers?
No, both Oyster Cards and TravelCards are physical tickets that we mail out to you. They are not e-vouchers

What zones are included in the London Travelcard?
This depends on what parts of London you intend to travel around. If you are staying primarily in central London, then a zone 1-2 Travelcard is most appropriate. If you intend to travel to the outskirts of London, a zones 1-6 Travelcard is the better option. Heathrow Airport is in zone 6.

Can I purchase a Visitor Oyster Card or Travelcard at Heathrow Airport?
Yes, you can purchase the Oyster Card/Travelcard at any of the three London Underground train stations located at Heathrow Airport.

How long is the underground journey from Heathrow Airport to the centre of London?
The journey time from Heathrow Airport into central London takes around 45 – 50 minutes.

Can I purchase a Visitor Oyster Card or Travelcard at Gatwick Airport?
No, Gatwick Airport is not connected to London by Underground. The Gatwick Express is the fastest rail link between the airport and central London. You can buy tickets on our website.

Can I purchase a Visitor Oyster Card or Travelcard at Stansted Airport?
No, Stansted Airport is not connected to London by Underground. However, you can take the Stansted Express which is the quickest way into London from the airport. You can get your Standsted Express tickets from our website.

What is cheaper for my upcoming trip to London, the Visitor Oyster Card or the London Travelcard?
It really depends on how long you plan to be in London for and how frequently you plan to use public transport. If you are in London for 6 or 7 days and plan to use the tube and buses on a daily basis then a 7 day Travelcard might be the most cost effective option. If you plan to stay in London for a shorter time an Oyster Card might be preferable.

Is there a family Travelcard available?
No, family travelcards do not exist. However, you can buy both adult and child travelcards from our website.

It says on my London Travelcard that it is “valid only when shown with a photo card”. What is this and where do I get one from?
You can now ignore this, this is an old ruling on visitor travelcards, and you no longer need the accompanying photo ID.

I want to order a London Travelcard but the box is greyed out. How can I order a Travelcard?
Please bear with us, we are currently out of stock of this product but we will be adding new stock shortly.

My London Travelcards have arrived but are stamped with the wrong date, what should I do?
Please let us know as soon as possible by sending an email with your order reference number using the Contact Us form on the homepage (Useful Links). We can then try and arrange to have replacement cards sent out to you.