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How Much Does a Travel Card Cost?

Daily and weekly London Travelcards valid in central London cost anywhere from £13.10 to £92, depending on where else you want to travel. Annual Travelcards valid in central London start from £1,404. Read below to find out how daily, weekly and annual Travelcard prices change depending on where you're going.

How Much Does a London Travel Card Cost

The cost of a London Travelcard depends on the zones you have permission to travel in and the duration of the card. You can buy a Travelcard valid for one day, one week or periods between one month and one year. For example, an adult, one day Travelcard for Zones 1 through 4 costs £13.10. Weekly Travelcards valid in central London start from £35.10 and Annual Travelcards from £1,404.

How Much Does a One Day, All Day Travel Card Cost?

A 1 day travel card covering central London and beyond (Zones 1 to 4) starts from £13.10. Those visiting central London for a day don't need to worry about what time of day they'll be travelling as there's no price difference for Anytime vs. Off-peak travel for a Travelcard valid in Zones 1 through 4. Below are the costs for the different types of one day Travelcards that are available.

One Day Travel Card CostsDay AnytimeDay Off-peak
Valid for Zones 1, 2, 3, 4£13.10£13.10
Valid for Zones 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6£18.60£13.10
Valid for Zones 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9£23.50£13.90

Note: one day cards are paper tickets (not Oyster).

How Much Does a Weekly Travel Card Cost?

A weekly travel card valid in central London starts from £35.10 for Zone 1 and 2. Travelcards covering more zones can go up in price to £92 for a week. For example, a Travelcard covering Zone 1 through 9 + Watford Junction (to get to Warner Bros. Harry Potter studio tour) would cost £92.

If you'll be in central London for a week and plan to spend one day at the Harry Potter studio tour in Watford, it's cheaper to buy a weekly Zone 1 to 2 Travelcard for £35.10 and then spend £10.20 using Oyster card pay as you go getting from central London to Watford Junction separately (plus the £10.20 return leg).

7 Day Weekly Travel Card Costs
Valid for Zones 1, 2£35.10
Valid for Zones 1, 2, 3£41.20
Valid for Zones 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6£50.50
Valid for Zones 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9£91.50
Valid for Zones 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 + Watford Junction£92

How Much Does an Annual Travel Card Cost?

Annual Travelcards for commuters start from £1,404 per year including travel in central London. Travelcards covering Zone 1 through Zone 9 + Shenfield pay a whopping £4,364 per year. That said, Annual Travelcards give you 12 months of travel for the price of 10.5 months—a savings of 12.5%. Those who don't need a Travelcard valid for Zone 1 will pay at least 30% less, depending on valid travel routes. Here are prices for Annual Travelcards covering travel from Zone 1 and Zone 2 to the rest of the network.

Cost of Annual TravelcardsFrom Zone 1 ThroughFrom Zone 2 Through
Zone 2£1,404£1,052
Zone 3£1,648£1,052
Zone 4£2,020£1,164
Zone 5£2,400£1,396
Zone 6£2,568£1,756
Zone 7£2,792£1,824
Zone 8£3,300£2,480
Zone 9£3,660£2,480
Zone 9 + Watford Junction£3,680£2,480
Zone 9 + Shenfield£4,364£3,312

How Much Does a Child Travel Card Cost?

Depending on the age of your child and your own travel ticket, your child may travel for free (up to four children per adult). Children aged 5 to 10 travel free on Tube, DLR, London Overground and TfL Rail services if they:

  • Have a 5-10 Zip Oyster photocard, or
  • Are travelling with an adult who is using pay as you go, or
  • Are travelling with an adult who has a valid ticket (excluding Group Day Travelcards), a Freedom Pass or an Oyster photocard

Once a child turns 11 they no longer travel for free. Here are Travelcard prices for a sample of Zone combinations for those aged 11 to 15 with an 11-15 Zip Oyster photocard:

Cost of 11-15 Child TravelcardsZones 1 and 2Zone 1 to 3Zones 1 to 4Zones 2 to 4
Day Anytime£6.50£6.50£6.50£6.50
Day Off-peak£6.50£6.50£6.50£6.50
7 Day£17.60£20.60£25.30£14.60
Monthly£67.60£79.20£97.20£56.10
Annual£704.00£824.00£1,012.00£584.00

What is a Travel Card Oyster Card?

A Travelcard gives you unlimited travel on buses, Tube, Tram, DLR, London Overground, TfL Rail and most National Rail services in London, for the zones you have paid for.

Off-peak Travelcards are valid from 09:30 (Monday to Friday), anytime on weekends or bank holidays for the date on the ticket and for journeys starting before 04:30 the next day.

Where to Buy Travelcards: For Visitors

One day and weekly paper ticket Travelcards can be purchased online at the TfL's Visitor Shop. If you'd prefer to buy them in person, you can do so once you get to London at tube stations (from a ticket machine or ticket office, where available) and visitor centres. In that case, you can either buy a one day paper ticket or have a weekly Travelcard put on an Oyster card, which requires a £5 deposit.

Where to Buy Travelcards: For Commuters

Regular travellers can buy Travelcards on Oyster in a variety of ways:

Where to buy a Travelcard on Oyster
Online with a contactless and Oyster account, if you have a UK bank account7 Day, Monthly, 3 month, 6 month or odd period and Annual Travelcard
Via the TfL Oyster and contactless app7 Day, Monthly and 3 or 6 month Travelcard
At Oyster Ticket Stops in many newsagents across London7 Day and Monthly Travelcards
At ticket offices at London Overground, TfL Rail and National Rail stations7 Day, Monthly, 3 month, 6 month or odd period Travelcard
At ticket machines at Tube, London Overground, TfL Rail and National Rail stations7 Day or Monthly Travelcard
At Visitor Centres7 Day, Monthly, 3 month, 6 month or odd period Travelcard

What Zones Do I Need for London?

Most major tourist attractions are in Zones 1 and 2. See our table below to get an idea of zones for popular destinations. Remember also to check the zone of where you're staying, to be sure your travel card covers that zone as well. Use this TfL map to find the zone of the tube stop nearest your accommodation (you can find that using Google maps and turning on "public transport").

Tourist AttractionNearest StationLinesZone
Big BenWestminsterCircle, District and Jubilee1
Buckingham PalaceGreen Park (or St. James's Park)Jubilee, Picadilly and Victoria (or Circle and District)1
Churchill War RoomsWestminsterCircle, District and Jubilee1
Cutty SarkGreenwichDLR (Thameslink and Southeastern)2/3
Hampton Court PalaceHampton CourtSouth Western Railway6
Heathrow AirportHeathrow TerminalsPicadilly6
HMS BelfastLondon BridgeJubilee and Northern1
Kensington PalaceHigh Street Kensingtonn (or Queensway)Circle and District (or Central)1
Kew GardensKew GardensOverground4
London DungeonWaterloo (or Embankment)Bakerloo, Northern, Jubilee and Waterloo & City1
London ZooCamden Town (or Regent's Park)Northern (or Bakerloo)2
Madame TussaudsBaker StreetBakerloo, Circle, Jubilee, Metropolitan and Hammersmith & City1
National GalleryCharing CrossBakerloo and Northern1
National Portrait GalleryCharing CrossBakerloo and Northern1
Royal Albert HallSouth KensingtonCircle, District and Picadilly1
Royal ObservatoryGreenwichDLR (Thameslink and Southeastern)2/3
Shakespeare's GlobeCannon Street (or London Bridge)Circle and District (or Jubilee and Northern)1
St. Paul's CathedralMansion HouseCircle and District1
Tate ModernCannon Street (or London Bridge)Circle and District (or Jubilee and Northern)1
The London EyeWaterloo (or Embankment)Bakerloo, Northern, Jubilee and Waterloo & City (or Bakerloo, Circle, District and Northern)1
The ShardLondon BridgeJubilee and Northern1
Tower BridgeTower HillCircle and District1
Tower of LondonTower HillCircle and District1
Warner Bros. Studio Tour London - The Making of Harry PotterWatford Junction9 + Watford Junction
Wembley StadiumWembley StadiumJubilee and Metropolitan3
Westminster AbbeyWestminsterCircle, District and Jubilee1
WimbledonWimbledonDistrict4

Note: You can use a Travelcard that is valid through Zone 6 to get to and from Heathrow on the Picadilly line. You cannot use a Travelcard to get to Heathrow on the Heathrow Express. You also cannot use a Travelcard to travel between central London and Gatwick Airport (you can use an Oyster card to get to Gatwick, however).

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The guidance on this site is based on our own analysis and is meant to help you identify options and narrow down your choices. We do not advise or tell you which product to buy; undertake your own due diligence before entering into any agreement. Read our full disclosure here.

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