Underground



General Information

London's public transport network, locally called the London Tube, is divided into nine travel zones. Zone 1 is in Central London and zones 6 to 9 are all on the outskirts of the city. An adult fare on the London underground for a single journey in zone 1 is £6.60. The same Tube fare with Visitor Oyster card, Oyster card or contactless payment card is £2.40. Underground's Piccadilly Line provides the most cost-effective rail route between Heathrow and the capital and you shouldn’t have to wait longer than 10 minutes for a train, even off-peak.

OYSTER CARD

The oyster card is a smartcard that can hold pay as you go credit, weekly, monthly or yearly travel cards and bus and tram passes.
You can buy a regular oyster card or a visitor oyster card at the airport tube station.

VISITOR OYSTER CARD

Visitor oyster cards are smartcards that can be used on busses, tubes, trams, DLR, London Overground, TFL Rail, River Bus, and some national rail services. You can also use it to pay as you go.
Pay as you go fares are cheaper than buying a single paper ticket. Your visitor oyster card offers daily capping. This means you can travel as much as you like in a single day and the amount you pay for your travel is limited to a certain amount. In comparison, day travel cards are more expensive and will cost you £12.30.
Visitor oyster cards cost £5 (plus postage) and are pre-loaded with pay as you go credit to spend on traveling. You can choose to add to your card an amount from £10 to £50.
You can buy a visitor oyster card and paper tickets in advance from the oyster visitor shop, overseas travel agents, and VisitBritain online shops. You can also get visitor oyster cards in advance from Heathrow airport, Gatwick airport or Stansted airport.
We recommend: If your visiting London for two days then start with £15 credit and if you’re visiting for 4 days then start with £30 credit.

TRAVEL CARD

You can buy Day Travel Cards (paper ticket zone 1 - 4 £12.30) from:
- Ticket machines at Tube, DLR, London Overground, TfL Rail and National Rail stations
- Ticket offices at London Overground, TfL Rail and National Rail stations
- Visitor centres
The easiest way to buy a 7 day; monthly; or annual Travelcard for your oyster is online, but you can also buy it from the same places where you would purchase your oyster card (as listed above).

WHEN TO USE THE UNDERGROUND?

When you are travelling light and don’t have a lot of luggage.
You want a cheap mode of transport into London and don’t mind the 1-hour journey (may be less, may be more depending on delays).
You want to experience the famous underground network and hear the infamous “Mind the Gap”.
We recommend: try to avoid traveling during the London peak hours which applies from 06:30 to 09:29 and from 16:00 to 18:59 Monday to Friday.

HOW TO TOP UP & USE YOUR OYSTER CARD?

You can top up your oyster card at any oyster ticket shop (check with individual traders as local arrangements apply and each shop will be marked with the oyster ticket stop logo), and also at ticket machines at Tube, DLR, London Overground, TFL Rail and National Rail Stations.
To top up your oyster card in the Tube station, you must find the ticket machine inside and complete the following:
(Choose what language you would like the top up instructions to be displayed in)

STEP 1

Tap your oyster on the yellow card reader.

STEP 1

STEP 2

Your current balance will appear, and then choose the amount you wish to top up. If the amount isn’t on the screen press on ‘other amount’, then you can insert however much you wish.

STEP 2

STEP 3

You can pay via debit or credit card (using the card machine); or insert notes or coins at the side of the machine.

STEP 3

STEP 4

Finally, you will be asked to tap your oyster card one last time on the yellow card reader and the new amount should appear on the screen.

STEP 4

OTHER INFORMATION

Via the machines you are able to: top up your current oyster card, get new cards, buy tickets according to your destination, purchase one day tickets, group or family & children tickets and you are also able to get travel card extensions.
With an online account you can: check how much you have on your oyster card; top up your pay as you go credit and add or renew travel cards; set up auto top-up; protect your oyster card; see your oyster card journey history; and also apply for a refund for incomplete journeys.
Once you have topped up to enter the London underground, you must tap your oyster card on the yellow card reader and the grey gates will open up. You must proceed through the gates in order to enter the tube station.
If you are travelling with children, a pushchair, luggage, or you are a wheelchair user, then there are wider gates, which are usually on either side for you to use in the same way and it will enable enough space for you to get through without any trouble.
Once you have entered the tube station, there will be signs guiding you to your platform. Simply follow the signs and wait for your train on the platform.
Group Day London Travelcard

Group Day London Travelcard


Price £8.30

The Group Day Travelcard allows unlimited travel anywhere within zones 1 to 6, on all public transport after 9:30 am, but you must be travelling in a group of at least 10 people at all times and can be purchased for both, adults and children.

Read More
London Travelcard

London Travelcard


From £12.70

This London underground travel card is a paper ticket that provides you with unlimited access on all of London’s public transport such as trains, busses, Thames Riverboats, Emirates Airlines and so on.

Read More
Visitor Oyster Card London

Visitor Oyster Card London


From £20.00

The visitor oyster card is a smartcard that operates on a pay-as-you-go service. It can be used for all London public transports such as the tube, overground, London busses, South London trams, Emirates Airlines, and so on. You can travel throughout central London as much as you wish to but the costs of it will never be more than £6.80 per day.

Read More