All systems By city Transport for London
Heavy metro, light metro, suburban rail
London Underground, DLR, Overground & Elizabeth line
The largest and oldest network in the country, and the only one where the ticketing genuinely rewards doing your homework. The Underground is joined by the DLR, the Overground, the Elizabeth line and the trams at Croydon, all on one fare system split into nine concentric zones.
Which ticket should you buy?
Photo: mattbuck (category) · CC BY-SA 4.0
Ticket options
Contactless pay as you go
£2.90 peak / £2.80 off-peak (Zone 1)
Best for Almost everyone
Tap in and out. Fares are automatically capped daily and weekly (Mon–Sun), so you never pay more than the equivalent Travelcard. This is the cheapest option for the vast majority of visitors.
Daily cap, Zones 1–2
£8.90
Best for A full day of central sightseeing
Reached automatically with contactless or Oyster. No need to buy anything up front.
Daily cap, Zones 1–6
£15.90
Best for A day trip out to Heathrow, Richmond or Upminster
Also automatic. Heathrow journeys are the usual reason people hit this cap.
7 Day Travelcard, Zones 1–2
£44.70
Best for Stays of five days or more
Only beats the weekly contactless cap if your week does not line up with Monday–Sunday. Check the dates before buying.
Visitor Oyster card
£5 non-refundable + credit
Best for Souvenir hunters
Same fares as ordinary contactless, plus some retail discounts. Financially it is worse than simply tapping a bank card.
Fares checked May 2026. Confirm on the operator’s own fares page before you buy.
Where you tap
Tap in and tap out. Forgetting to tap out means the journey is recorded as incomplete and charged at the maximum fare for where you started.
Is the day ticket worth it?
Comparing the Contactless pay as you go at £2.90 (the peak rate) with the Daily cap, Zones 1–2 at £8.90, travelling within Zones 1 and 2. The day ticket becomes the cheaper choice from your fourth journey onwards.
| Journeys in a day | Singles cost | Against the day ticket |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | £2.90 | £6.00 cheaper |
| 2 | £5.80 | £3.10 cheaper |
| 3 | £8.70 | 20p cheaper |
| 4 | £11.60 | £2.70 more |
| 5 | £14.50 | £5.60 more |
How to pay
- Contactless bank card or phone (best default for visitors)
- Oyster card (£7 refundable deposit, worth it only for longer stays)
- Paper single tickets (roughly double the contactless fare — avoid)
- Travelcard loaded on Oyster, or paper for rail add-ons
Concessions
- Under 11s travel free with a fare-paying adult.
- 11–15 Zip Oyster photocard gives child rates; visitors can ask staff for a Young Visitor discount at a ticket window.
- 60+ London Oyster and Freedom Passes are for residents only.
Worth knowing
- Always tap out. An incomplete journey is charged the maximum fare for that entry point.
- Do not tap a contactless card and an Oyster from the same wallet on the same journey — the readers can pick up the wrong one.
- Off-peak is before 06:30, 09:30–16:00 and after 19:00 on weekdays, and all day at weekends.
- The Elizabeth line to Heathrow is far cheaper than the Heathrow Express and only about 15 minutes slower.
Photos
Common questions
- How much is a single on Transport for London?
- The cheapest single listed is £2.90 (Contactless pay as you go), at the peak rate.
- Is a day ticket worth it on Transport for London?
- It pays for itself on your fourth journey. The Daily cap, Zones 1–2 costs £8.90 and the Contactless pay as you go £2.90, so 4 singles come to £11.60.
- Do I need to tap out on Transport for London?
- Tap in and tap out. Forgetting to tap out means the journey is recorded as incomplete and charged at the maximum fare for where you started.
- Can I pay with a contactless card on Transport for London?
- Yes. Contactless bank card or phone (best default for visitors).
- What do children pay on Transport for London?
- Under 11s travel free with a fare-paying adult.