| Children's
Fares (Children Less than 16 Years Old) |
|
Free
Travel For Children On Buses & Underground And The Need For Photocards
Under-5s
Children under five can travel free at any time on the Tube, DLR, buses
and trams as long as they are accompanied by an adult with a valid ticket.
Children in this category do not need Photocards.
Children 5-10
Under-11s can travel free at any time on buses and trams without the need
for a Photocard.
They can also travel free at any time on the Tube and DLR when they are
travelling with an adult who has a valid ticket. Up to 4 children under
11 years old accompanied by a paying adult travel free on the London Underground.
Under-11s
travelling with an adult will not be issued with tickets but will be allowed
to pass through the ticket gates at stations. Again no Photocard is required
for children travelling with adults.
Unaccompanied children between 5 and 10 must have a valid Photocard.
11-15s
Children aged 11-15 travel free at any time across the bus network,
but must have a Photocard.
11-15 year olds have a £1 daily cap and £0.55 single journey
fare with Oyster Card on the Tube but must have a Photocard.
Obtaining a Photocard
Visitors to London can order a Photocard in advance for their children
and collect on arrival.
Note you must apply at least three weeks in advance of your visit.
Advance
application for Child Photocard
Child Discounts Without Photocards
Child Travelcards
For visitors with accompanied children of 11-15 years old you can avoid
the whole photocard issue by simply purchasing a child Travelcard.
There are children's Travelcards available where no photocard is required,
Accompanied Child Day Travelcard £1
Adults with valid Travelcards can buy child rate Off-Peak Day Travelcards
(valid in all zones) at a reduced price of £1 for up to 4 children
(aged 5-15 years inclusive). The adult must accompany these children at
all times. These £1 Travelcards are only valid at off peak times,
so if you want to travel at peak times you need a 'standard' child's Travelcard
that is more expensive.
No Photocard is required for an accompanied Child Day Travelcard.
Underground Child Fares
There is a cash child flat fare of £2 per journey on the London
Underground. No Photocard is required.
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Where
To Purchase Your Ticket
In
most of Central London you have to pre-purchase your ticket. Outside
Central London it is still possible to pay the driver.
The whole idea is to make boarding of passengers faster and journey
times quicker.
You can pre-purchase your tickets from: |
 |
- A
ticket machine by the bus stop like that pictured left. The machines
currently only take coins and give no change. The machines sell
1 day bus passes as well as individual tickets
- Underground
/ Tube stations and London Travel Information Centres
- Over
3,000 ticket outlets including newsagents with a prominent sign
displayed in their window
- Using
a travel pass like London Day Bus Pass, Travelcard
or Oystercard Smartcard,
the preferred option
|
The
London Travelcard is
a transport pass which includes London Underground, Rail and some
river services in addition to the buses.
London is divided into transport zones which radiate from the centre.
The more zones yo want to cover, the more you pay.
Most visitors will only ever travel in zones 1 and 2, though Heathrow
Airport is in zone 6. |
| London
Travelcard Fares 2009 |
|
The London
Travelcard was the original London public transport pass and comes as
a ticket on card which you dispose off when finished with.
In
2003, the Oyster Card was introduced. This is a smart card electronic
device. The Oyster Card is very flexible and is the lowest cost way of
travelling in London. Nearly all Londoners have Oyster Cards. However
Travelcard still has its place, especially for short term visitors.
We have a dedicated page addressing the Oyster
Card v Travelcard what is best for you debate. For short term visitors
to London, the Travelcard is still often the optimum solution.
The Travelcard allows unlimited travel on the Underground (Metro), buses
and trains in the London urban area. You also get a discount on many of
London's scheduled river services too. London public transport is divided
up into six circular zones radiating out from the centre. You pay more,
the more zones you need. Most visitors will only need Zones 1/2 where
all the attractions are. (Heathrow Airport though is in Zone 6)
|
| London
Travelcard Prices Purchased in London (from 2 Jan 2009 ) |
|
Zones
|
Day
|
Day
(Off Peak*)
|
3
Day
|
3
Day
(Off Peak*)
|
7
Day
|
|
1-2
|
£7.20
(£3.60)
|
£5.60
|
£18.40
(£9.20)
|
-
|
£25.80
(£12.90)
|
|
1-4
|
£10.00
(£5.00)
|
£6.30
|
-
|
-
|
£36.80
(£18.40)
|
|
1-6
|
£14.80
(£7.40)
|
£7.50
(£2.00)
|
£42.40
(£21.20)
|
£21.20
(£6.00)
|
£47.60
(£23.80)
|
*
Off peak = after 09:30 Monday to Friday, all day Saturdays, Sundays and
Holidays.
(£?.??) = Child under 16 years old
fare. (Free travel available, see child fares) |
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