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Visitor Oyster Card

Visitor Oyster cards are plastic smartcards you can use instead of the classic paper-based Travelcards. It is the cheapest way to pay for single journeys on bus, Tube, tram, DLR, London Overground, Elizabeth line, and most National Rail services in London. Also, you can use them without fares capping in the IFS Cloud Cable Car and Thames Clippers River Bus services.

Physical Product

Description

Accepted everywhere

Use on most London public transport, including Tube, buses, tram, DLR, Overground and National Rail services in London.

Flexible and reusable

Choose the credit you need. Use it again on your next trip to London or pass it on to friends or family.

Save Money

Save up to 50% on your travels.

Save Time

Your card is ready to use as soon you arrive in London. Simply touch in and go.

Buy with confidence

This is the Transport for London Visitor Shop, managed by VisitBritain Shop.

The easy way to travel around London

Visitor Oyster cards are plastic smartcards you can use instead of paper tickets. Put on pay as you go credit which you use when you travel. It is the cheapest way to pay for single journeys on bus, Tube, tram, DLR, London Overground, Elizabeth Line and most National Rail services in London.

It is now possible to use the Visitor Oyster card to/from Heathrow, Gatwick and London City Airport. Simply touch in and out using the card readers at the start and end of your journey.

Find out more about Visitor Oyster cards

Benefits

  • Price capping – travel as much as you like; your card will automatically cap at the best daily fare, allowing you to travel stress-free across the capital. 
  • Use your card at Heathrow, Gatwick and London City Airport - Simply use your Visitor Oyster card to get from these airports to central London and back.
  • Night Tube: Current services are running on Friday and Saturday nights on the Central, Jubilee, Northern, Piccadilly and Victoria lines.
  • Get up to 26% discount on the IFS Cloud Cable Car and 10% off Thames Clipper River Bus services. 

More information

How to use your Visitor Oyster card

  • Touch your card on the yellow card reader on the ticket gates or validators at the start and end of your journey on the Tube, DLR, London Overground, Elizabeth Line, National Rail, Thames Clippers River Bus or IFS Cloud Cable Car. Touch in only on buses and trams.
  • If you run out of credit, top-up at any tube station or at thousands of shops across London.
  • Please note: Included in your Visitor Oyster card price is a £5 non-refundable fee required for the card first activation.

How much credit will I need?

  • Travelling from Heathrow Airport and continuing your day in central London? A £20 Visitor Oyster card will cover the full day of your travel from the airport to central London by tube or TfL Rail (doesn’t apply on the Heathrow Express).
  • Travelling from Gatwick Airport instead? You can now use your Visitor Oyster card to pay for a single journey on both the Gatwick Express or National Rail services. Recommended card option for this is a £25 Visitor Oyster card.
  • Travelling in central London for 1-2 days? Choose a £20 Visitor Oyster card which will usually cover a full day of unlimited travel in zone 1-2.
  • Travelling in central London for 3 days? Choose a £25 Visitor Oyster card for unlimited travel in zone 1-2.
  • Here for a week? If you will be travelling frequently every day, a £50 card is a good option. 
  • Want to spend 3 days in London and travel by regular Double-Decker bus? Buy a £20 Visitor Oyster card and save on an iconic London bus journey: £1.75 for a single journey, with £5.25 as a daily cap! Note that the fare allows unlimited bus journeys within an hour.
  • Prices vary according to the time of day and which zones you travel in. See a chart of all the journey prices here and a map of travel zones here. For more information about prices, see the Frequently Asked Questions tab.

    Visitor Oyster Cards can be used on:

    • London Underground (the Tube) 
    • London Overground and National Rail trains in London
    • London buses
    • South London trams
    • Docklands Light Railway (DLR)
    • IFS Cloud Cable Car
    • Gatwick Express
    • Heathrow Express and Elizabeth Line 
    • Thames Clippers River Bus services

    Frequently Asked Questions

    This is a selection of the most common FAQs. For further information, please click on the box on the right-hand side.

    • Should I get a London Travelcard or Visitor Oyster card?

      • The Visitor Oyster Card is a contactless smartcard that carries credit which you can use to pay for journeys on all public transport on the Transport for London (TfL) network. It is valid in all travel zones and automatically calculates the cheapest total fare for all the journeys you make in a single day.
      • The Travelcard is a paper ticket valid 24 hours that allows you unlimited travel on all London public Transport services. It is available for certain combinations of travel zones.
      • Whether you should get the Travelcard or Oyster card depends on how long you’re staying in London and how frequently you’ll be using public transport.
    • How much does it cost to travel with an Oyster card?

      • Visitor Oyster cards deduct credit every time you make a journey. After you make several journeys in one day, you will reach a daily limit, and the rest of the journeys on that day will be free.
      • Different journeys cost different amounts, depending on which zones you travel in and what time of day you travel. Daily limits (‘caps’) also vary according to these factors.  
      • Travelling in peak times is more expensive than travelling off-peak. See a chart of all the journey prices here.
      • Peak times are Monday to Friday, 6:30am - 9:30am and 4:00pm - 7:00pm. All other times are off-peak. 
      • Travelling through more zones is more expensive. To check which zones the areas you want to visit are in, see the full map of the London transport network here.
    • How does the zones system work in London?

      • London’s public transport network covers both the centre of London and the wider surrounding areas of Greater London. The network is split into 9 different zones, named Zone 1 to Zone 9.  
      • The centre of London, including most major attractions, is in Zones 1-2.
      • Most suburban areas of London, and famous sights including Wembley Stadium and Wimbledon Tennis Club, are within Zones 1-4.
      • Almost the whole of London, including Heathrow airport and London City airport, are in Zones 1-6.
    • Can families or groups all use the same Oyster card?

      • No, each person must have their own Oyster Card, except under 11s who travel free with a paying adult on Tube, DLR, London Overground, Elizabeth Line, and some National Rail services - up to 4 children per adult.
      • However, children under 11yo do not travel free on most National Rail services unless they have a 5-10 Oyster photocard.
    • What are the different Oyster card prices?

      • Visitor Oyster cards from us cost from £15 to £55.
      • This price includes a £5 card fee, and the rest is credit that is pre-loaded onto your card. So if you buy a card for £55, for example, your card will have £50 credit on it.
    • How do I get an Oyster card? Can I buy an Oyster card online?

      • Buy your Oyster card from the VisitBritain Shop and it will be mailed to you at your home address, fully activated and ready to use for when you arrive in London.
    • Can I travel with an Oyster card to Heathrow Airport?

      • You can now use your Visitor Oyster card to pay for Heathrow Express, Elizabeth Line or TfL Rail journeys simply by touching in and out using the card readers on newly installed ticket gates at London Paddington and Heathrow Airport.
      • Adult pay as you go with a Visitor Oyster card on TfL Rail costs for a single journey is £5.60 Peak/Off-Peak. 
      • Travel on Heathrow Express costs the same as a Peak or Off-Peak Express Single (£25 any-time). Please note that Heathrow Express fares are charged separately and do not count towards daily capping.
      • Please note that paper Travelcards are not valid on Heathrow Express.
    • How long does the Tube from Heathrow to London take, or from London to Heathrow?

      • The journey time between Heathrow Airport and central London is around 45 – 50 minutes.
    • Can I travel with an Oyster card to Gatwick Airport?

      • Yes, you can use a Visitor Oyster Card to travel between Gatwick Airport and Central London on National Rail Services and Gatwick Express trains. Simply remember to have enough credit on your card to allow the journey, and remember to touch in and out at the gates.

      The following cost will be deducted from your Visitor Oyster Card credit:

      • National Rail Services (single journey): £20.30 Peak/£12.20 Off-Peak 
      • Gatwick Express trains (single journey): £21.80 Peak and Off-Peak
      • Please note these fares are charged separately and do not count towards daily capping.
    • Can I use it for travel to Stansted Airport?

      • No, as Stansted Airport is not connected to the Transport for London network.
      • The fastest way to travel from Stansted to London or from London to Stansted is the Stansted Express train.
    • Is it valid for trains to Luton Airport?

      • No, as Luton Airport is not connected to the Transport for London network.
      • The fastest way to travel from Luton to London or from London to Luton is by train.
    • What if I run out of credit on my Visitor Oyster card?

      • If you run out of credit, you can top up your card at any station or at thousands of shops throughout London. You can also make one bus journey without any credit. The cost of the journey will be deducted when you next top up your Oyster card.
    • Can I get a refund on my leftover credit?

      There are three ways for you to obtain a refund on a Visitor Oyster card:

      Refunds at Tube station ticket machines

      • You can get up to £10 refunded from your Visitor Oyster card at Tube station ticket machines. 
      • Touch your card on the yellow card reader on the ticket machine, select ‘Oyster refund’ and follow the on-screen instructions (available in different languages). You’ll be shown the amount of the refund due, which will be paid back in cash dispensed from the ticket machine. 
      • Your Visitor Oyster Card will be cancelled. This means that you won’t be able to use it for future travel. You can still use the card to take advantage of the special offers and discounts available with the card. 

      Refunds at Visitor Centres

      If your remaining credit is £20 or less, you may be able to get a refund at a Visitor Centre. This can only be refunded to a debit/credit card. Your Visitor Oyster Card will be returned to you, but cancelled. This means that you won’t be able to use it for future travel. You can still use the card to take advantage of the special offers and discounts available with the card.

      Refunds by post

      To get a refund by post, you can send your Visitor Oyster card with a letter explaining why you’re returning it to:

      TfL Customer Services - 5 Endeavour Square, 9th Floor, London E20 1JN, United Kingdom.

      If you provide a phone number or email address, we will contact you to arrange a bank transfer, otherwise, your credit will be refunded by cheque in GBP. Your card will not be returned to you.

    Select options for prices

    From: £15.00

    All Visitor Oyster cards include a non-refundable £5 card fee

    From
    £15.00