London Travelcard

This is a selection of the most common London Travelcard FAQs. For further information, please click on the blue box on the right-hand side.

Should I get a London Travelcard or Oyster card?

• The Visitor Oyster card is a contactless smartcard that carries credit which you can use to pay for journeys on all public transport on the Transport for London (TfL) network. It is valid in all travel zones and automatically calculates the cheapest total fare for all the journeys you make in a single day.

• The Travelcard is a paper London travel pass which is valid for either a single day or seven days, and is available for certain combinations of travel zones. It is also valid on all public transport on the TfL network.

• Whether you should get the Travelcard or Oyster card depends on how long you’re staying in London and how frequently you’ll be using public transport.

• If you are in London for a week and plan to use only the central London Travelcard zones 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 or want to travel to the outskirts of the city, the pay-as-you-go Oyster card cost might be cheaper.
• For more detailed advice on which travel pass is right for you, please visit our read our guide to London transport tickets

Can families or groups all use the same Travelcard?

• No, each person must have their own London Travelcard, except under 11s who travel free with a paying adult.

What are the different London Travelcard prices?

• Travelcard prices start at £13.10 for a central London 1 day Travelcard and go up to £64.20 for a 7 day Travelcard covering zones 1-6.

• Child Travelcards are approximately half these prices.

Where can I buy a London Travelcard? Can I buy a London Travelcard online?

• Buy your London Travelcard from the VisitBritain Shop and it will be mailed to you at your home address, ready to use for when you arrive in London.

• Yes, so long as your Travelcard is valid on the day of travel and covers zones 1-6.

• Heathrow Airport is on the Piccadilly Line in London travel zone 6, so Travelcards covering only zones 1-4 will not be valid.

• Travelcards can only be used for travel to and from Heathrow via the London Underground; they are not valid for travel on Heathrow Express or Heathrow Connect rail services.

How long does the Tube from Heathrow to London take, or from London to Heathrow?

• The journey time between Heathrow Airport and central London is around 45 – 50 minutes.
• Is my Travelcard valid for trains to Gatwick Airport?

• No, as Gatwick Airport is not connected to the Transport for London network.

• The fastest way to travel from Gatwick to London or from London to Gatwick is the Gatwick Express train. Gatwick Express tickets are available from the VisitBritain Shop.

Is my Travelcard valid for trains to Stansted Airport?

• No, as Stansted Airport is not connected to the Transport for London network.

• The fastest way to travel from Stansted to London or from London to Stansted is the Stansted Express train. Stansted Express tickets are available from the VisitBritain Shop.

Is my Travelcard valid for trains to Luton Airport?

• No, as Luton Airport is not connected to the Transport for London network.

• The fastest way to travel from Luton to London or from London to Luton is by train. Luton to London train tickets are available from the VisitBritain Shop.

Can I use my Travelcard on National Rail services in London?

• Yes, you can use your Travelcard on most National Rail services within the zones you have purchased it for, except for:
  • Heathrow Connect services between Hayes & Harlington and Heathrow
  • Heathrow Express services
  • Southeastern High-Speed services between St Pancras International and Stratford International
     
• Children under 11 years of age may travel for free without their own Travelcard on London buses and the Tube, but they need their own ticket to travel on any National Rail service.

I’m going to Watford Junction. Which ticket do I need?

• You can’t use a Travelcard from our shop to travel to Watford Junction station. Watford Junction is in Zone 9, so you’ll need a separate ticket, or you can buy a Visitor Oyster card from the VisitBritain Shop instead.

• You can buy a return train ticket to Watford Junction from National Rail stations, such as Euston

• Alternatively, you can buy a Travelcard covering zone 9 to travel to Watford Junction. A Zone 9 Travelcard can be bought from tube station ticket offices in London.

• You can also travel with a Visitor Oyster card, which can be preloaded with credit to cover your journey to Watford Junction. Visitor Oyster cards are available from the VisitBritain shop and will automatically calculate the correct fare for your journey.

Do London Travelcards included buses?

• Yes, your Travelcard can be used on any regular London bus operated by TfL, regardless of which zones you are travelling through

• Travelcards are not valid on London Sightseeing buses or buses operated by companies other than TfL

Consecutive 2 and 3 day Travelcards are available however, you may need multiple one day Travelcards (for non-consecutive dates) in this case please see the below guidance for adding multiple Travelcards to your order:

When purchasing multiple one day Travelcards (For non-consecutive dates) cards please follow the below steps:

• Under Start date, select the first day you wish to use your Travelcards on and the quantity of cards (Number of travellers) required for this date and add this to the basket
• Then click “add more” and select the next date that you wish to purchase a 1 day Travelcard for
• Follow the above step for each date that you wish to purchase a 1 day Travelcard for

Once your order is completed, you will receive by post a separate Travelcard for each of the dates that you have selected

When purchasing consecutive 2 or 3 day Travelcards please follow the below steps:

• Under Start date, select the first day you wish to use your Travelcards on 
• Choose the type and quantity you wish to purchase (e.g. 2 x 2 day Travelcards starting on 01.01.2019) then click ‘Add to basket’

Please note: Once your order is completed, you will receive by post a single travelcard for each day of travel (E.g: If you purchase 2x 3 day travelcards starting on 01/01/2019 you will receive 6 one day cards in total - two cards for each travel date from the start date selected)

• If you need to add additional consecutive date travelcards for other dates then click “add more” and follow the process again selecting the correct date and quantity for your next dates of travel
• Once you have added all dates required to your basket you can either continue shopping or proceed to payment

PLEASE NOTE: Once an order is placed you cannot change the chosen date(s) for use.

Should I buy an Anytime Travelcard or an Off Peak Travelcard?

It depends what time of day you will be travelling:

• Anytime Travelcards can be used at any time.
• Off Peak Travelcards are cheaper, but cannot be used Monday to Friday before 9.30am.

Which zones do I need a Travelcard for?

The centre of London, including most major attractions, is in Zones 1-2. Most suburban areas of London, including Wembley Stadium and Wimbledon Tennis Club, are within Zones 1-4.

Almost the whole of London, including both Heathrow and London City airports, are in Zones 1-6.

To check which zones the areas you want to visit are in, see the full map of the London transport network.

London Travelcards can be used on:

• London Underground (the Tube)
• Overground and National Rail trains in London
• London buses (in any Zone, irrespective of the zones shown on the ticket)
• Trams in South London
• Docklands Light Railway (DLR)

You can also get a 33% discount on river boats and a 25% discount on the Emirates Air Line cable car. 

Please note: You cannot buy a paper 7 Day Travelcard once you get to London. If you buy a 7 Day Travelcard in London, it will be loaded onto an Oyster card instead. An additional £5 deposit will apply.