How Much Does a London Travel Card Cost

The cost of a London Travelcard depends on the zones you have permission to travel in and the duration of the card. You can buy a Travelcard valid for one week or periods between one month and one year. For example, an adult, a one week Travelcard for Zones 1 through 6 costs £64.10. An annual Travelcard for the same stations would cost £3,264 - that's equivalent to £63 per week, which means there is virtually no discount for Travelcards with a longer duration.

How Much Does a One Day, All Day Travel Card Cost?

A 1 day travel card covering central London (Zone 1) through Zone 4 is £16.60; to get a peak ticket covering Zones 1 - 6 (a larger area), it would cost £23.60.

A Visitor Oyster card, popular with tourists visiting the capital, starts from £17. Note, there is a £7 activation fee that is non-refundable fee yet to purchase a Visitor Oyster card. For example, if you buy the cheapest £17 Visitor Oyster card, £7 of this goes towards activation and the remaining £10 is for your fares.

A day of unlimited travel in central London within Zones 1-2 remains capped at £8.90. While single pay-as-you-go (PAYG) fares are scheduled to increase by an average of 5.8% (or roughly 10p–20p per journey) starting March 1 2026, the daily and weekly caps have been frozen until 2027. This policy ensures that passengers using contactless or Oyster cards will continue to have their daily spend limited at the same 2025 rates.

A £30 card should cover 3 days of travel in zones 1-2, excluding travel to and from airports.

Peak times are more expensive than off-peak times. Peak times are Monday to Friday, 06:30 am - 09:30 am and 04:00 pm - 07:00 pm. All other times are off-peak.

How Much Does a Weekly Travel Card Cost?

A weekly Travelcard valid in central London remains £44.70 for Zones 1-2. Travelcards covering more zones can go up in price to £138.90 for a week. Mayor Sadiq Khan has confirmed that Travelcard prices are frozen until March 2027, providing a degree of price stability for frequent commuters despite a general rise in single Tube fares.

A one-week Travelcard covering Zone 1 through 9 + Watford Junction (to get to Warner Bros. Harry Potter studio tour) would cost £117. If you'll be in central London for a week and plan to spend one day at the Harry Potter studio tour in Watford, it's cheaper to buy a weekly Zone 1 to 2 Travelcard for £44.70 and then spend £30.90 during peak hours or £23.00 off-peak using Oyster card pay as you go getting from central London to Watford Junction separately (plus the return leg).

How Much Does an Annual Travel Card Cost?

Annual Travelcards for commuters remain frozen at £1,788 per year for travel within central London (Zones 1-2).

Travelcards covering Zone 1 through Zone 9 + Watford Junction + Hertford East + Shenfield pay a whopping £5,556 per year.

Purchasing an annual pass currently offers the best value for daily commuters, as it effectively provides 52 weeks of travel for the price of 40 weekly Travelcards.

Those who don't need a Travelcard valid for Zone 1 will pay at 30% - 42% less, depending on valid travel routes. Here are prices for Annual Travelcards covering travel from Zone 1 and Zone 2 to the rest of the network.

How Much Does a Child Travel Card Cost?

Depending on the age of your child and your own travel ticket, your child may travel for free (up to four children per adult). Children aged 5 to 10 travel free on Tube, DLR, London Overground and TfL Rail services if they:

• Have a 5-10 Zip Oyster photocard, or

• Are travelling with an adult who is using pay as you go, or

• Are travelling with an adult who has a valid ticket (excluding Group Day Travelcards), a Freedom Pass or an Oyster photocard

Once a child turns 11 they no longer travel for free on the tube. The child fare for those aged 11 to 15 with an 11-15 Zip Oyster photocard is half the adult fare.

What is a Travel Card Oyster Card?

A Travelcard gives you unlimited travel on buses, Tube, Tram, DLR, London Overground, TfL Rail and most National Rail services in London, for the zones you have paid for.

Peak times are more expensive than off-peak times. Peak times are Monday to Friday, 06:30 am - 09:30 am and 04:00 pm - 07:00 pm. All other times are off-peak.

Where to Buy Travelcards: For Visitors

One day and weekly paper ticket Travelcards can be purchased online at the TfL's Visitor Shop. If you'd prefer to buy them in person, you can do so once you get to London at tube stations (from a ticket machine or ticket office, where available) and visitor centres. In that case, you can either buy a one day paper ticket or have a weekly Travelcard put on an Oyster card, which requires a £5 deposit.

Where to Buy Travelcards: For Commuters

Regular travellers can buy Travelcards on Oyster in a variety of ways:

What Zones Do I Need for London?

Most major tourist attractions are in Zones 1 and 2. See our table below to get an idea of zones for popular destinations. Remember also to check the zone of where you're staying, to be sure your travel card covers that zone as well. Use this TfL map to find the zone of the tube stop nearest your accommodation (you can find that using Google maps and turning on "public transport").

Note: You can use a Travelcard that is valid through Zone 6 to get to and from Heathrow on the Picadilly line. You cannot use a Travelcard to get to Heathrow on the Heathrow Express. You also cannot use a Travelcard to travel between central London and Gatwick Airport (you can use an Oyster card to get to Gatwick, however).