Contactless and Oyster can be used to travel with Heathrow Express. Simply touch in at the start of your journey and out at your destination and you will be automatically charged for the journey you make.
Is it cheaper to use Oyster or contactless? As both cards use the same Pay As You Go system and are compatible with the TfL Oyster & Contactless app, the costs are comparable. As a tourist in London, it can be worth getting an Oyster Card as part of the London Pass.
If you do not tap out your Oyster card, you will be charged the maximum fare for that journey. This this because most fares are based on zone, distance and time of travel.
Touch your Oyster card in at the start of your journey and touch out at the end on yellow card readers to pay the right fare. Only touch in on buses and trams.
It is significantly cheaper to travel in London using an Oyster card than it is to purchase individual tickets for each trip. The only reason you would want to just buy individual tickets is if you are only using public transportation once or twice during your stay.
Daily cappingOnce you have made three bus or tram journeys in a day using your Oyster/contactless card you will pay no more and can travel for free the rest of the day.
Ticket and faresTravel on the Elizabeth line costs £12.80 at all times of the day, for a journey to or from Heathrow airport, where that journey starts, ends or goes through Zone 1. Single journey tickets and Zones 1-6 Travelcards can be purchased from airport station ticket machines.
Supports cash: If you want to pay for your transport in London using cash, you can buy and top up an Oyster card with cash. This is normally a lot more cost effective than paying for a cash ticket, with the rare exception of a one-off single journey as you have to consider the cost of the Oyster card.
Missed Tap Off CostIf you don't have a default set on your card and you forget to tap off at the end of your trip, you'll be charged the fare to the last stop on the train line or bus route and with your fare type and any applicable loyalty discounts applied.
Can I pay for more than one person with my contactless Barclays card on Transport for London (TfL) services? No, you can only pay for one person per journey with a single contactless card, just like with an Oyster card. Find out more about TfL's contactless card service.
The Tube is the realistic cheapest method. If you go from Paddington, I like Heathrow Connect since it strikes a good balance between comfort, cost and time. Trains run every half hour and the ride takes about 30 minutes. For £3.90 more, it's a much better choice than The Tube.
Contactless payment cards are accepted at all stations on the Elizabeth line, or if you use an Oyster card, you can buy a paper ticket if you're travelling beyond West Drayton.