Visitor Oyster Card London

• Children under 11 travel free on buses and trams.
• Children under 11 travel free on Tube, DLR, London Overground, Elizabeth line and some National Rail services when accompanied by a fare-paying adult, with a maximum of four children per adult.

• Children aged 11-15 can enjoy half-price journeys with their Visitor Oyster Card.
• Once you’ve arrived in London, ask a member of staff at a Visitor Centre to add a Young Visitor discount to your card. This can also be done at most staffed Tube stations. The child must be present when adding this discount.

• You can find information about London Transport accessibility in our getting around London guide.
• For the smoothest experience when travelling on TfL tube and rail services, contact both stations at the start and end of your journey to request assistance in advance.

• For a single journey on either the Gatwick Express or Heathrow Express, the recommended amount is £25.
• A day of unlimited travel in central London within zones 1-2 is currently capped at £8.90. A £30 card will cover 3 days of travel in zones 1-2.

There are several ways to check what your Visitor Oyster Card balance is, including: 

• Every London station has ticket machines. Simply touch your Visitor Oyster Card on the yellow reader. Your balance will be there on the screen
• See your balance every time you tap out. You’ll see it on the turnstile’s exit window screen

No, each person must have their own Visitor Oyster card, except children under 11 who travel free with a paying adult (up to 4 children per adult).

Travelling as a group of 10? You may want to explore our Group Travelcard option.
 

• You can use your Visitor Oyster card to travel to and from Heathrow Airport, London City Airport (using DLR) and Gatwick Airport.

Visitor Oyster cards from us cost from £17 to £57.

These prices include a £7 activation fee, and the rest is credit that is pre-loaded onto your card. So if you buy a card for £57, for example, your card will have £50 credit on it.

If you run out of credit, you can top up your card at any station or at thousands of shops throughout London. You can also make one bus journey without any credit. The cost of the journey will be deducted when you next top up your Visitor Oyster card.
 

There are three ways for you to obtain a refund on a Visitor Oyster card:

• Underground station ticket machine
• Refunds at Visitor Centres, including Heathrow Visitor Centre and Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3 Tube Station (Monday - Friday, 9:00 am - 4:30 pm)
• Refunds by post

Please note, you will not be able to use the card again once the credit has been refunded. For more details, consult our Help page.
 

• As per Transport for London’s terms and conditions, the £10 activation fee is a non-refundable fee required to purchase a Visitor Oyster card.

• London Underground (the Tube) 
• London Overground
• Most National Rail services in London
• London buses
• South London trams
• Docklands Light Railway (DLR)
• Elizabeth Line
• IFS Cloud Cable Car
• Gatwick Express
• Heathrow Express
• Thames Clippers River Bus services

Using a Visitor Oyster Card presents several advantages over using a contactless card for overseas visitors:

• You can avoid paying bank fees or exchange rate fees that might be incurred when using your card abroad
• You don’t need to keep getting your bank card out when you travel on TfL services
• You can set a clear budget for your travel in London, and only go over it if you choose to top up your card further)
• You can take advantage of many special offers and discounts around London with your Visitor Oyster Card
• You can keep your card after you leave as a souvenir of your trip to London
• You can ‘buy before you fly’ - it’s shipped to your selected address and ready to use when you arrive in London
   

There are many differences between these payment options, the most significant being that Visitor Oyster cards offer 50% trip discounts for those aged 11-15, and includes access to exclusive discounts at attractions, restaurants and shops. Read our detailed guide to the differences between contactless and Visitor Oyster card. 

Oyster cards are designed for locals to use on London’s public transport network, whereas the Visitor Oyster card is designed for visitors. We post out your Visitor Oyster card in advance so it’s ready to use as soon as you touch down in London.

No, each person aged 11 or over needs their own individual Visitor Oyster card.

No, Visitor Oyster cards are only available as physical plastic cards, that must be ordered in advance of your trip to London. They make a great souvenir of your London trip!

Visitor Oyster card holders get discounts at Hard Rock Café, Royal Albert Hall, Tate Britain, Madame Tussauds, and many restaurants and shops. Download the discount booklet here.

At any Tube station ticket machine, TfL Visitor Centres, or at staffed ticket offices using cash or card.

£8.90 for zones 1-2. Once you reach the daily cap, additional journeys are free.

You can download the discount booklet here.

The Visitor Oyster card covers all London zones 1-9, which covers the entire TfL network including Tube, buses, trams, DLR, and most National Rail services within London.

Touch your card on any yellow Oyster card reader at stations, or ask at any ticket office.