How can I reduce my travel costs in London?

Here are some key things to remember, whether you're a visitor or a commuter looking for cheap London travel:
  1. Never buy a paper ticket.
  2. Add your rail card to your Oyster card (if you have one)
  3. Avoid travelling to zone 1 by tube.
  4. Switch the tube for the bus to make a saving.




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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.

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As a general rule a Travelcard is more expensive than an Oyster card or Contactless payment card. The exception is if you make 3 or more journeys for 6 days or more within a 7 day period. In this case a 7 day Travelcard works out cheaper than an Oyster or Contactless payment card.

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Travelcard prices start at £15.20 for a central London 1 day Travelcard (zones 1-4). Child Travelcards prices start at £7.60 (zonnes 1-4).

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It's more than 50% cheaper than buying a paper Travelcard or single tickets with cash. Oyster cards have a daily price cap – once you reach this limit, you won't pay for any additional journeys (excluding Thames Clippers River Bus where there is no capping).

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Cons: A £7 cost applies when you get a standard or visitor card. You'll need to top it up in advance of travel. You can't use an Oyster card at any station between Reading and Iver.

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If you stay in London for 6–7 days and use the underground, trains, and buses every day, the weekly Travelcard is the most cost-effective travel pass. The one-week pass including central London (zones 1-2) is £40.70. It's valid for travel at anytime; there is no peak or off-peak rate.

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How to find the cheapest train tickets to London
  1. Get a Railcard: Save up to 1/3 for a whole year.
  2. Book tickets to London in advance: UK train companies including Avanti West Coast, LNER, GWR, East Midlands Railway usually release tickets 12 weeks in advance.


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If you plan to stay in London for a couple of days and make two to four journeys a day, or want to travel to the outskirts of the city, then a Visitor Oyster card* may be the cheapest option. It is delivered to your home by post before you arrive in London, saving you time when you arrive.

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A wonderful way to save money on the tube is by travelling at off-peak times usually after 9.30am and before 4pm on weekdays. In the morning and after work hours is when the tube becomes very busy and tourists will want to avoid the rush of commuters. If you travel outside of peak times you will be charged less.

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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.

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However, the average visitor will use public transportation multiple times each day and the Oyster card can save both time and money. As an example, traveling offpeak from Zone 1 to Zone 2 on the Tube will cost you (as of April 2023) £2.70 using an Oyster card versus £6.70 if you buy a single ticket.

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Within London, all London Underground, National Rail, London Overground, TfL Rail and Docklands Light Railway stations are assigned to six fare zones. Fare zone 1 covers the central area and fare zones 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 form concentric rings around it.

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There is no price difference between the Oyster card and contactless card. What is this? Every time you travel on London's public transport, your contactless payment card is charged the same fare as your Oyster, including cap prices (the maximum amount you'll pay daily and weekly to travel throughout London).

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You can buy Day Travelcards (paper ticket): From ticket machines at Tube, DLR, London Overground, Elizabeth line and National Rail stations. From ticket offices at London Overground, Elizabeth line and National Rail stations. At Visitor Centres.

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