Are London Red buses free?

Children under 11 travel free on red London buses (and the Underground) at all times. Child fares are available for those under 16 but it is very complex. It is possible to get discounted fares if you are under 18 or studying in London with an Oyster ID card. There are no seniors fares for visitors.



People Also Ask

London buses are all cashless, so you need an Oyster card, Travelcard or contactless payment card to ride. Bus fare is £1.75, and a day of bus-only travel will cost a maximum of £5.25. You can transfer to other buses or trams for free an unlimited number of times within one hour of touching in for your first journey.

MORE DETAILS

Children aged under five can travel free at any time on all TfL services (buses, Tube, DLR, London Overground and TfL Rail) as long as they are accompanied by an adult with a validated Oyster/contactless card or a valid ticket. No child ticket is required.

MORE DETAILS

In summary, this change would see bus and tram single fares to increase by 10p to £1.75, and the daily bus and tram cap raised to £5.25. The Bus & Tram Pass season price is increased to £24.70 for a 7 Day ticket. The free Hopper transfer within one hour will remain unchanged.

MORE DETAILS

London buses are card only, so you cannot buy a ticket with cash. Use a Visitor Oyster card*, an Oyster card, a Travelcard or a contactless payment card to pay your fare. Unlike the Tube zone fare system, a single London bus journey costs £1.75 no matter how far you go.

MORE DETAILS

Always touch in on a yellow card reader at the start of your journey and touch out at the end to pay the right fare. (On a bus or tram you only need to touch in.)

MORE DETAILS

From Sunday 6 July passengers boarding buses need to be in possession of a prepaid or concessionary ticket, Oyster or contactless payment card.

MORE DETAILS

Pay as you go You don't have to work out the cost of your journey in advance. You can pay as you go using contactless (card or device), an Oyster card or a Visitor Oyster card. It also offers great value as pay as you go is cheaper than buying single tickets and you get daily and weekly capping.

MORE DETAILS

London buses are all cashless, so you need an Oyster card, Travelcard or contactless payment card to ride. Bus fare is £1.75, and a day of bus-only travel will cost a maximum of £5.25. You can transfer to other buses or trams for free an unlimited number of times within one hour of touching in for your first journey.

MORE DETAILS

You can get an older person's bus pass when you reach State Pension age, which is currently 66 for both women and men. If you're 60 or over and live in London, then you can get free travel on buses, trains and other modes of transport in and around London with a 60+ London Oyster photocard.

MORE DETAILS

When the LGOC took over Vanguard in 1908, the red livery, the 'General' fleet name and the wheel symbol came together to form a powerful brand. Red has been the colour of London buses ever since, becoming famous around the world.

MORE DETAILS

Double-decker buses weren't always red To stand out from its competitors, the London General Omnibus Company decided to paint its entire fleet red. When the public London Transport took over, it chose to keep the same iconic color.

MORE DETAILS

The reason behind their colour dates to the early 1900s, when the transport system was operated by different rival companies. London General Omnibus Company (or L.G.O.C.) owned most of the buses and in 1907 painted its entire fleet red to stand out from competitors.

MORE DETAILS

London buses have a single, universal flat fare for adults of £1.55 (about US$2.00 at 2021 prices). You pay this same fare regardless of distance travelled or where you get off the bus. So you only tap the yellow reader - once - as you board the bus.

MORE DETAILS

If you don't touch in and out, we can't tell where you've travelled from or to, so your journey will be incomplete. Maximum fares don't count towards capping. If you don't touch in, you may be charged a penalty fare.

MORE DETAILS

Pay as you go at adult rate on buses and trams and our Hopper fare gives you unlimited journeys for £1.75, made within one hour of touching in. Hopper fare also applies to discounted rate travel. Touch in using the same card or device on all journeys and you get our Hopper fare automatically.

MORE DETAILS

What is the Hopper? Any second bus or tram journey made within one hour of the start of your first journey will be free, if you're using contactless or Oyster pay-as-you-go.

MORE DETAILS

Pay your fare on cash-free London buses You can even take multiple buses within one hour at no extra charge thanks to the Hopper fare. No matter how many buses or trams you take in a day, it will never cost you more than £5.25 total – just make sure you use the same payment card for every journey.

MORE DETAILS

If you live in London, you can travel free on buses, tubes and other transport when you're 60, but only within London.

MORE DETAILS