Visitor Oyster Card

Travel like a local across London with this smart and ready-to-use travel ticket

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.

Benefits

  • Your Visitor Oyster will cap your costs at the best daily fare, allowing unlimited travel. 
  • Use your Visitor Oyster to get to or from Heathrow, Gatwick and London City airports.
  • Access to all night tube service -Victoria, Jubilee, Central, Northern and Piccadilly lines- on Friday and Saturday.
  • Get a same-day dispatch when ordering on a weekday before 09:00 am (UK time).
  • Access to exclusive discounts travelling in London:
    • 10% off on Thames Clippers River Bus services
    • 10% off on River Tours on the Thames River and Circular Cruise services operating from all London Piers.

Using your Visitor Oyster

  • Simply place your Visitor Oyster card on the yellow card readers located at the gates or near the platforms:
  • Start and end of your journey: for Tube, London Overground and National Rail services.
  • Start of your journey only: buses and trams.
What can I do if…

  • I am travelling from Gatwick to Central London

    • Ensure you purchase a card with at least £30 added credit (total price of the card check before ordering).
    • Check from which platform Gatwick Express trains to Victoria depart on the services screens.
    • Tap your Visitor Oyster card on the turnstiles’ card readers at Gatwick Airport Train Station and go to the relevant platform.
    • Board the train and travel to Victoria where you need to tap again before leaving the platform.

  • We are a family travelling from Heathrow Airport?

    Depends on the number of people travelling together. Let’s say that you are a family of four including two children aged 13 and 4:

    • The little one travels for free
    • The teenager needs a Visitor Oyster. Upon arrival check on the staffed tube terminal to apply the Youth Discount.
    • All Visitor Oyster card holders can use the Heathrow Express services as well as the Underground. For the Express trains you must purchase a card with at least £30 added credit as the railway service rate will apply.
    • Express trains are convenient for a smoothest commute to Paddington.

  • One member of my party has reduced mobility

    • Your friend or relative must hold a Visitor Oyster card.
    • For the smoothest experience when travelling from any airport to Central London, contact both train stations’ - start and end of your journey- accessibility scheme.
    • You can check more details about London Transport accessibility in our Getting around London guide.

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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.
    Free travel areas without oyster adult accompanying map.pdf
    31.18 KB, PDF

  • Which airports can I travel to using a Visitor Oyster card?

    • You can use your Visitor Oyster card to travel to and from Heathrow Airport, London City Airport (using DLR) and Gatwick Airport.

  • 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 much credit will I need?

    • A £20 card will cover a full day of travel from Heathrow Airport to central London by tube or the Elizabeth Line (doesn’t apply on the Heathrow Express). 
    • For a single journey on both the Gatwick Express or National Rail services, the recommended amount is a £25 Visitor Oyster card. 
    • A £10 Visitor Oyster card covers a full day of unlimited travel in central London within zones 1-2, as the travel price is currently capped at £8.10. 
    • A £25 card is ideal for 3 days’ travel in zones 1-2. 
    • A weekend in central London, plus return travel to Heathrow Airport, will likely suit a £40 card and a £50 card will likely cover the same but with return travel to Gatwick Airport.
    • If you will be travelling frequently every day for 7 days or more, a £50 card is likely your best option.

  • 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 unused credit on a card I have used?

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

    • Underground station ticket machine.
    • Refunds at Visitor Centres, including Heathrow Visitor Centre (Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3 Tube station, from Monday - Friday 9:00 am - 4:30 pm).
    • Refunds by post.

  • Is the £5 activation fee refundable?

    • As per Transport for London’s terms and conditions, the £5 activation fee is a non-refundable fee required to purchase a Visitor Oyster card. 
    • The activation fee for a regular Oyster Card, however, is now £7 meaning you can save £2 when purchasing a Visitor Oyster Card.

  • Which London transport services can I access with my Visitor Oyster?

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

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

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