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The Daily Insight

How much does a tube journey cost with an Oyster card?

Author

Sarah Cherry

Updated on April 15, 2026

London Underground Fares 2020
Zones Travelled Single Journey Ticket Oyster / Contactless Payment Card~
Zone 1 to 3 £4.90 £3.30
Zone 1 to 4 £5.90 £3.90
Zone 1 to 5 £5.90 £4.70
Zone 1 to 6 £6.00 £5.10

Regarding this, how much does oyster charge per journey?

Fare 1 Journey
Across Zones Zone 1 to 2 £2.90
Zone 1 to 3 £3.30
Zone 1 to 4 £3.90
Zone 1 to 5 £4.70

Beside above, can I use an Oyster card on the tube? Oyster cards

You can pay as you go to travel on bus, Tube, tram, DLR, London Overground, most TfL Rail, Emirates Air Line and Thames Clippers River Bus services. You can also travel on most National Rail services in London and some outside London.

Just so, is it cheaper to travel with an Oyster card or contactless?

It's publicised that if you use contactless to pay for travel in London, it's the same price as using an Oyster card. Of course, if you have a railcard discount (or similar) applied to your Oyster, that will always be cheaper than contactless. Discounts cannot be applied to contactless payment cards.

What is the cheapest way to travel by Tube in London?

The cheapest way to travel is with an Oyster card. An Oyster card allows you to travel between all parts of London on the Underground, Trams (DLR), Overground, some river boats, Emirates Air Line, and the iconic red London buses.

Related Question Answers

Is Oyster card free?

A 60+ London Oyster photocard allows you to travel free on public transport in London from the age of 60 until you qualify for a Freedom Pass. To be eligible for a 60+ London Oyster photocard, you must: Live in a London borough. Be aged 60 or over.

How much is an Oyster card per month?

Travelcards are valid for 1 day, 7 days or 1 month. The passes are valid for travel on all types of transport in London including: the Underground (the tube)

Monthly Travelcards: 2020/21 prices.

Monthly Travelcards 2020/21
Zones 1–3 £162.90
Zones 1–4 £199.30
Zones 1–5 £237.00
Zones 1–6 £253.50

How much is a day Oyster card?

Oyster Card Capped Prices
Select type Day Anytime Price Off Peak Day Price
Adult Zones 1-2 £7.00 £7.00
Adult Zones 1-4 £10.10 £10.10
Adult Zones 1-6 £12.80 £12.80

How much is a year Oyster card?

Daily Caps and Travelcards (2019)
Adult
Zones Weekly Annual
1-5 £60.00 £2,400
1-6 £64.20 £2,568
1-7 £69.80 £2,792

Do Oyster cards have a daily cap?

Oyster card caps

If you use an Oyster card, you get a daily cap and can travel as much as you like in one day across all our transport services. You also get a weekly cap for bus and tram journeys only, so you can travel as much as you like in one week. Oyster cards aren't accepted on TfL Rail between Reading and Iver.

How much is a Oyster card?

A Visitor Oyster card costs £5 (plus postage) and is pre-loaded with pay as you go credit for you to spend on travel. You can choose how much credit to add to your card: £10, £15, £20, £25, £30, £35, £40 or £50. The credit on your card never expires - it stays there until you use it.

How much is a single journey on the tube?

London Underground Fares 2020
Zones Travelled Single Journey Ticket Oyster / Contactless Payment Card~
Zone 1 £4.90 £2.40
Zone 1 & 2 £4.90 £2.90
Zone 1 to 3 £4.90 £3.30
Zone 1 to 4 £5.90 £3.90

What is the maximum daily charge on an Oyster card?

Visitor Oyster card maximum daily cost for unlimited journeys for adults, after 9:30am Monday to Friday: Zones 1 and 2 – £7.20. Zones 1 to 4 – £10.40. Zones 1 to 6 – £13.20.

Can I use my debit card on the tube?

You no longer need a paper ticket or Oyster card to travel on the capital's underground, trams, DLR and overground trains. As of today, you can board buses and tube trains in London by simply swiping your credit or debit card.

Is Oyster better than contactless?

Supports travelcards: One of the main advantages of the Oyster card is that it supports travelcards. If you are in London for seven days starting anytime outside of that Monday – Sunday period, and will be travelling enough to make the travel card worth it, then it will be better value than a contactless card.

Can I use my contactless card on the tube?

Anyone with a contactless debit or credit card can use it to pay for travel in London. It's ideal if you don't have or want an Oyster card. Your card is used the same way as an Oyster card – you tap in and out at the tube or train station ticket barriers or tap the yellow card reader when you get on a bus.

Is it cheaper to use contactless on the tube?

Both offer cheaper fares than buying a paper ticket - but there is an extra trick contactless delivers. If you use a contactless card you benefit not just from a daily cap, but also from a Monday to Sunday weekly cap that means you won't pay more than a weekly travelcard. This is a major benefit to the scheme.

Is it worth getting a travel card?

It's always worth having a few different forms of foreign currency if you're travelling abroad, and travel money cards can be a great alternative. Make sure you read the small print about the card you're considering, and in particular watch out for extra fees hidden in a poor exchange rate.

Is an Oyster card worth it?

It is really worth getting an Oystercard if you are in London for more than one day and you don't already have a contactless card - you can ride the Tube and buses all day to your heart's content.

How much does contactless cost on bus?

A pay as you go adult fare is £1.50 with a contactless payment, Oyster, or Visitor Oyster card. If you make another bus or tram journey within an hour of touching in on a bus or tram, your second journey will be free. UK issued contactless payment cards are accepted, just look out for the contactless symbol.

Is using an Oyster card cheaper?

The Oyster Card is a magnetic rechargeable plastic card valid for all of London's public transport. It not only simplifies the payment system, but it is also cheaper than paying for a single journey ticket every time you ride the Underground, bus, DLR or Overground.

What is the difference between an Oyster card and a Visitor Oyster card?

There are 2 different types of Oyster Cards: a Visitor Oyster Card and a Regular Oyster Card. They function in essentially the same way, but with a few key differences. For example, both cards operate on a pay-as-you-go basis, but only the Regular Oyster Card can also load travelcards, which are 1 or 7 day passes.

How much does a student Oyster card cost?

You pay an administration fee of £20 using a credit or debit card. You can get a photocard valid for up to three years of your course. We'll post your 18+ Student Oyster photocard to you once your school, college or university has approved your application.

What zones do Oyster cards cover?

The fare is automatically deducted from your card. You can use Oyster card on all Southern trains within the London Fare Zones (zones 1-6) – as well as on buses, Tubes, Trams, the Docklands Light Railway, London Overground and most National Rail services in London.

How long does an oyster card last?

24 months

Why is it called an Oyster card?

because of the metaphorical implications of security and value in the hard bivalve shell and the concealed pearl. Its associations with London through Thames estuary oyster beds and the major relevance of the popular idiom "the world is your oyster" were also significant factors in its selection".

Which Oyster card should I buy?

An Oyster card may be the most cost-effective option if you are only visiting for a few days. A 7 Day Travelcard is a good option if you are visiting for a week and only plan to visit central London. You can also use contactless payment, which has both a daily and weekly fare cap.

Is Grays on Oyster card?

Grays railway station is on the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway line serving the town of Grays, Essex. The station and all trains serving it are currently operated by c2c. Although outside the London fare zones, the station became part of the Oyster card pay-as-you-go network in 2010.

How do you pay for a tube ticket?

Travelcards
  1. Online from the TfL Visitor Shop or from VisitBritain shops before you arrive in London.
  2. From Tube station ticket machines.
  3. At London Overground and TfL Rail station ticket offices.
  4. Most National Rail stations.
  5. TfL Visitor Centres.

Is there an Oyster card app?

Now, free app TfL Oyster (available on Apple and Android) allows you top up your Oyster card on your phone, and collect the top-up from any tube or rail station, tram stop or river bus pier as little as 30 minutes later. (Future versions of the app will allow you to collect the top-up on buses too.)

Why is the tube so expensive?

But one of the main reasons the tube is so expensive is that tube tickets are effectively subsidising road maintenance, ferries, tunnels, and a wealth of other things that should be paid for by the taxpayer.

Is bus cheaper than tube in London?

Bus transport in London is cheaper than Underground travel, and the bus network is very extensive. It is cheaper than those sightseeing buses – and there's no annoying commentary! In central London, there is only one fare for bus travel: any journey costs either £1.40 with an Oyster card, or £2.40 as a cash fare.

Can I use my train ticket on the tube?

Only if you have a connection from one London mainline station to another and you need to use the underground to get from, for example, Kings Cross to Paddington. If you normally buy your tickets to "London" (may appear on the ticket as "London terminals") then the tickets are not valid for travel on he underground.

What age do you pay for a child on the London Underground?

Children aged five to 10 can travel free at any time by Tube, DLR, London Overground and some National Rail services in London (where pay as you go is accepted), as long as they travel with an adult who has a valid ticket (up to four children can travel free with one adult) or if they have a 5-10 Zip Oyster photocard.

What are Zones 1 to 6 in London?

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.

Can you get a 2 day Travelcard for London?

You can travel as often as you like on bus, Tube, tram, DLR, London Overground, TfL Rail and most National Rail services within the London travel fare zones with a Travelcard. They are valid for one day, 2 or 3 consecutive days or 7 days and are issued as paper tickets from the Visitor shop.