The Tube, London’s Underground, is the fastest way around the capital, and working out how to pay for it is simpler than it looks. This guide explains how London Underground tickets and passes work: the zone system, the different ways to pay, how fare capping saves you money, and what children pay. Because Transport for London (TfL) revises its fares every year, this page focuses on how the system works rather than exact prices, which you can always check on the official TfL website.
London Underground Pass: Prices & Guide
How the zones work
London is divided into nine concentric travel zones. Zone 1 is the centre, where most sights are, and the zones radiate outwards, with Heathrow Airport in Zone 6. What you pay depends on how many zones you travel through and the time of day, as fares are higher during the morning and evening peak on weekdays and cheaper off-peak. Most visitors spend nearly all their time in Zones 1 and 2.
The ways to pay
There are four main options, and they all work across the Tube and the rest of London's transport.
| Methode | Was es ist | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Contactless card | Contactless card or phone; fares are the same as Oyster, with capping applied automatically. | Most visitors, especially short stays |
| Oyster card | A reloadable TfL smartcard for pay as you go, with a small refundable deposit. | Anyone without contactless, or who wants a travel card to keep |
| Visitor Oyster | Visitor Oyster can be bought before you travel. | Visitors who want to arrange their travel card before arriving |
| Mobile payment / contactless card | Apple Pay or Google Pay on a phone or watch, working exactly like a contactless card. | Convenience, no extra card needed |
| Travelcard | A pass for unlimited travel within set zones for a day, week, month or year, on paper or loaded onto an Oyster. | Heavy daily travel within fixed zones |
For most short visits, a contactless card or phone is the easiest choice: there is nothing to buy or top up, and it caps your fares automatically.
Pay as you go and fare capping
With pay as you go, you tap in at the start and out at the end of each journey, and the system charges the right fare. The key benefit is capping. With contactless or Oyster, once your day's travel reaches the cost of an equivalent Day Travelcard, you are not charged any more that day, so you can travel freely. Contactless goes further with an automatic weekly cap from Monday to Sunday, after which further travel that week is free within those zones. Oyster gives the daily cap automatically; for a full week on Oyster you would load a 7 Day Travelcard. Always tap both in and out on the Tube, or you may be charged a higher fare.
What your ticket covers
One card or pass works across almost all of London's public transport: the Tube, buses, the DLR, the London Overground, the Elizabeth line, trams and most National Rail services within London. Buses and trams do not accept cash; you must use contactless or Oyster, and they charge a single flat fare with a Hopper feature that lets you change buses or trams as often as you like within one hour at no extra cost. The same contactless card or Oyster also covers the train links from the airports.
Children and young visitors
Children under 11 travel free on the Tube, DLR and buses when with a paying adult, and under-5s are always free. Those aged 11 to 15 pay reduced fares: visitors can add a Young Visitor discount to an Oyster card for a set period, while young residents use a Zip Oyster photocard. Because the exact age bands and discounts can change, check the current rules on the TfL website before you travel.
Tips for visitors
A few things make paying painless. For a short trip, use one contactless card or phone and tap the same one every time, keeping it apart from other contactless cards in your wallet to avoid a card clash at the gate. If you prefer a physical card or do not have contactless, buy an Oyster and keep a little credit on it. Travel outside the weekday peak hours where you can, as off-peak fares are lower, and check TfL for the current fares and caps, since they are revised each year.
Summary
London Underground tickets are built around travel zones (most visitors stay in Zones 1 and 2) and pay-as-you-go fares that cap daily, and weekly on contactless, so you never overpay. Tap a contactless card, phone or an Oyster in and out; the same card covers the Tube, buses, DLR, Overground, Elizabeth line and most London rail. Children under 11 travel free with an adult. For current prices, check TfL, and to use it all for real, study English in London with SPRACHCAFFE.
FAQ
London is divided into nine concentric zones. Zone 1 is the centre, where most sights are, and fares rise the more zones your journey crosses.
Contactless card or an Oyster card, tapping in and out. Both are cheaper than paper tickets and benefit from daily fare capping, so you never pay more than a set amount.
Once your day's tap-in fares reach the price of a day travelcard for those zones, the rest of your journeys that day are free. It happens automatically with Oyster or contactless.
Under-11s travel free with a paying adult, and reduced fares apply for older children with the right photocard. Exact rules are on the Transport for London website.
An English course in London puts the city, and its transport, at your fingertips.
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