With so much to see and do in every corner of the city, transportation is an essential part of your London adventure. One of the easiest and cheapest ways to travel is with an Oyster card, which can be used on buses, trams and the metro in the capital. Oyster cards can also be used to pay for trips on the DLR, London Overground, TfL Rail, Emirates Air Line, River Bus, and most National Rail services within the city. In short, an Oyster card gives you full access to all of London’s various public transport options.
What is an Oyster card?
An Oyster card is a plastic electronic smart card that can be loaded with pay-as-you-go transportation credit. There are two options available to tourists: the regular Oyster card used by natives of London and the Visitor Oyster card, which is specially designed for use on one-time trips. Both cards work in conjunction with the yellow card readers installed at all transport stations, calculate the cheapest possible fare for each trip and offer a limited daily rate that makes unlimited travel affordable.
Both versions of the Oyster card are significantly cheaper than traditional paper travel cards. For example, travel within transport zones 1 and 2 is limited to a daily maximum of £ 6.60 with an Oyster card, while a day travel card for the same zones costs £ 12.30. At the end of your trip, you can request a refund of any unused credit, or give your Oyster card to a friend or family member. The pay-as-you-go credit on both cards is fully transferable and never expires.
Visitor Oyster Cards
If you are traveling to London for a short visit, a Visitor Oyster card is probably the most convenient option. You can order one online before your trip and have it delivered to your home so that when you arrive in London, you don’t have to waste time queuing to buy a regular Oyster card. This is especially useful if your flight arrives at Gatwick Airport, as all Oyster cards can be used on trains from the airport to central London. Oyster visitor cards cost £ 5 (plus postage) and can be preloaded with credit options ranging from £ 10 to £ 50.
If you run out of credit during your visit, you can load more money onto your Oyster at any Oyster Ticket Shop (of which there are over 4,000 in London) or at the TfL Visitor Center. It is also possible to load credit at any tube station, London Overground or TfL Rail, and at various National Rail stations. Oyster visitor cards are only compatible with pay-as-you-go credit and cannot be loaded with travel cards or multi-day passes in the same way as regular Oyster cards. However, one of the main benefits of this card is the special offers and discounts it offers at select restaurants, shops, galleries and entertainment venues.
Regular oyster cards
For long-term visitors, a regular Oyster card might be the most profitable option. These cards can only be purchased upon arrival, at Oyster Ticket Shops, TfL Visitor Centers, and most London Underground and Rail stations. They cost £ 5 (refundable at the end of your trip) and can be loaded with any amount of pay-as-you-go credit. Unlike Visitor Oyster cards, this option can also be loaded with multi-day travel cards that offer even cheaper rates for long stays; or with discount cards that include bus and tram passes and national train cards.
Remember that only pay-as-you-go credit can be used by someone else after you leave.
Regular Oyster cards are compatible with the TFL Oyster app and can be registered with a contactless and Oyster account. The latter allows you to easily see how much credit you have left, view your travel history, and request refunds online.
Alternative options
If none of the Oyster card options seem right for you, there are alternative ways to pay for transport in London. Although they don’t offer the same discounts, paper day travel cards can appeal to those who prefer to keep things traditional. This ticket allows unlimited travel within a 24 hour period by bus, tube, DLR, tram, London Overground, and most National Rail services within London. Discounts are also available to Day Travelcard holders who wish to use the Thames Clippers River Bus and the Emirates Air Line cable car.
For the more tech-savvy, contactless cards allow you to pay for trips of £ 30 or less by tapping the card with the same yellow card readers used for Oyster payments. The benefits of contactless payments on Oyster cards include not having to worry about running out of credit or queuing to recharge your Oyster when your credit is running low. Contactless payments on the same card are automatically limited daily and weekly, so you still benefit from reduced fees.
However, if your card is issued outside of the UK, you may have to pay overseas bank charges. Similarly, although American Express contactless cards and almost all Mastercard or Maestro cards are accepted, some other foreign cards may not work on the London transit system. The same issues apply to those who intend to use Apple Pay. Check with your card issuer in advance to find out if your card is compatible and what fees you may incur when using your card abroad.
