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London Underground Tickets & Travelcards
The Travelcard is a transport pass for London that gives you unlimited travel in London within certain zones . The prices vary according to the number of zones you need to travel through. Central London is in zone 1.
Travelcards are valid for 1 day, 7 days, 1 month or 1 year.
The passes are valid for travel on all types of transport in London including:
- the Underground (the tube)
- the local suburban trains within London
- the Elizabeth Line (not west of West Drayton)
- the Docklands Light Railway (DLR)
- the London Overground
- the buses all over London. A Travelcard for any zone allows you to use the buses in all zones (zones 1-6)
The 3 Day Travelcard, weekend Travelcard, Zone 1-2 & 2-6 One Day Travelcards are no longer available.
Visiting London for 1-7 days? See our guide to London’s transport tickets & passes . The Travelcard may not be the best ticket for your stay.
Single Underground Tickets
Single paper tickets on the London underground are expensive if you buy them from a tube station ticket machine:
- £6.70 for one journey in zone 1 (central London) and between zone 1 and zones 2 to 6
- See single ticket prices for all zones .
One Day Travelcards: 2024 prices
Using a Pay as you go Oyster card or a contactless card are the cheapest ways to pay for travel if you’re in London for 1-5 days. The daily cap is £8.50 per day for zones 1-2
If you really don’t want to use an Oyster card or don’t have a contactless card, the One Day Travelcard is the next best money-saving pass.
The paper Off peak One Day Travelcard for zone 1-6 is £15.90. This is expensive, but still cheaper than paying the full cash fare for 3 underground trips in central London (3 x £6.70 = £20.10 ).
One Day Travelcard fares 2024
Peak v anytime travelcards.
One Day Travelcard prices are different if you travel during peak or off-peak times:
Anytime Travelcard Valid for travel at anytime. Off-Peak Travelcard For travel after 9.30am Monday–Friday and all day Saturday, Sunday and public holidays.
Top Tip: An Off-Peak One Day Travelcard for zones 1–6 costs £10.40 with a Railcard .
Weekly Travelcards: 2024 prices
If you stay in London for 6–7 days and use the underground, trains, and buses every day, the weekly Travelcard is the most cost-effective travel pass.
The one-week pass including central London (zones 1-2) is £42.70.
- It can start on any day of the week
- It’s valid for travel at anytime; there is no peak or off-peak rate.
Most places sell weekly Travelcards loaded onto a plastic Oyster card. There’s a £7 fee for the Oyster card.
Your fare on an Oyster card will automatically cap at the weekly Travelcard fare (this is already available on contactless cards). The cap starts on Monday and ends Sunday, so it mainly benefits Londoners or those working in London.
Weekly Travelcard fares 2024
- See weekly Travelcards prices for all other zones (2, 3, 4, 5 and 6)
Monthly Travelcards: 2024 prices
For longer stays in London, monthly Travelcards are available. You won’t save much compared to buying 4 x weekly Travelcards – but you’ll save time renewing it. Like the weekly Travelcard, it can start on any day of the week and is valid for travel at any time. See monthly Travelcard prices for all other zones (2, 3, 4, 5 and 6)
Monthly Travelcards 2024
Where to buy travelcards.
One day, weekly and monthly Travelcards are available from:
Underground stations
Travelcards are available from all underground station ticket machines (there are no longer any underground tickets offices). The busier stations in central London have staff to help you use the machines.
Local shops and newsagents
Travelcards are also available from Oyster ticket stops . These are newsagents and local shops licensed to sell London transport tickets and Oyster cards. One Day Travelcards are not available from Oyster ticket stops.
London train stations
One Day Travelcards are available from all London train station ticket offices and ticket macines. Paper weekly and monthly Travelcards are no longer available from train stations . They are available to buy, but they are loaded onto an Oyster card and may only be available from ticket machines, not ticket offices.
London Transport Visitor Centres
TfL Visitor Centres at Victoria train station, Kings Cross/St Pancras International station, Heathrow Terminal 2 & 3 tube staion, Liverpool St station & Piccadilly Circus tube station.
How to use a Travelcard
On the underground.
If you have a paper One Day Travelcard or single ticket from a ticket machine, insert the card into the slot on the front of the ticket barrier. The barrier opens when you take the ticket from behind the yellow reader, on the top.
If you have a paper One Day Travelcard, just show it to the driver when boarding the bus.
See How to use an Oyster card if you have a weekly Travelcard on an Oyster card.
Top Tip: Do you want a cheaper way to travel around central London? If you only travel by bus , it costs £5.25 per day or £24.70 per week.
Related pages
- Guide to London’s transport tickets
- Weekly and monthly Travelcards for zones 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6
- Oyster card
- How to use a contactless card to pay for transport
- Bus tickets & passes
- London Transport zones
Last updated: 22 February 2024
Transport tickets & passes
- Guide to London's transport tickets
- One day & weekly Travelcards
- Zone 2–6 weekly Travelcards
- Bus tickets & passes
- Oyster single tickets
- Oyster card refunds
- Contactless cards
- Child tickets & passes
- Local train tickets
Useful information
- Plan your journey
- London transport zones
Popular pages
- Left luggage offices
- Congestion Charge
- 2 for 1 discounts at London attractions
- Oyster cards
- Top free museums & galleries
- Cheap eating tips
- Heathrow to London by underground
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London Underground - 2024 fares and how to use them
Be informed and in control using london's underground / metro system.
![zone one travel cost Earls Court Underground Station London](https://www.londontoolkit.com/hotelimages/kensington_earls_court_underground_platforms.jpg)
For the visitor to London the Underground or Tube will probably be the transport of choice to get around town. The Underground is normally the fastest way to get around town, often much faster than any taxi.
There is invariably an underground station nearby where you want to go and also your hotel and finding your way around the system is very easy.
There are currently 13 Underground lines, with the Elizabeth Line the latest, which opened in May 2022.
Journey planner Map DLR, overground & TfL Oyster card, contactless & Travelcards Night service Fares Concessions Child fares Group tickets Purchasing tickets Access
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Key points about the London Underground
It is still encouraged to wear a facemask when using public transport in London, but it is no longer mandatory.
The authorities penalise you heavily for buying single journey tickets. In the centre you can pay more than double the price than if you used an Oyster Card for example.
A single journey on the London Underground can involve 1 or 2 changes of train. Your journey starts when you go through the ticket barrier of the station entrance you depart from and finishes when you pass through the ticket barrier at the exit of your destination. You cannot break a journey on a single fare, once you go though an exit barrier of a station that is journey completed.
The buses, Underground, DLR and London suburban trains are managed by a central government body called Transport for London (TfL) chaired by the Mayor of London. The transport passes that nearly everyone uses, Oyster and Travelcard, allow you to travel seamlessly across all modes of transport, bus, Underground, train and DLR using the same ticket/pass.
Children under 11 travel free on the London Underground and DLR (Docklands Light Railway) at all times. Child fares are available for those under 16 and it is possible to get discounted fares if you are under 18 or studying in London with an ID card.
There are no seniors fares for visitors. If you reside in London and are over 60 you can get a pass that makes free bus and Underground travel available. If you have an English National Concessionary bus pass you cannot use it on the London Underground (but you can use it on London's red buses).
The London Underground is closed from around midnight until around 5am, getting started a little later on Sundays. However on Friday and Saturday nights, much of the Underground runs through the night. In Central London there is a very good night bus network when the Underground is closed.
You will rarely have to wait more than 5 minutes for an Underground train at any time of the day.
London Journey Planner - for all types of transport across London
Use the TfL (Transport for London) journey planner to plan your travel. The journey planner covers all public transport.
TFL Journey planner
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London Underground map
The London Underground map is a classic design that when first launched was immediately taken up worldwide for similar systems. The clarity, simplicity and ease of use compromises strict geographical accuracy.
The Circle line doesn't really go around in a squashed circle and it is not apparent for instance that Bayswater Underground is only 100 yards from Queensway.
In 2016 the Night Tube was introduced. On Friday and Saturday nights only Underground trains run through the night. For lines that operate a night service see the Night Tube map linked below or on the right-menu.
In May 2022 the long awaited Elizabeth Line opened its first section. The Elizabeth Line provides a route connecting East and West London. Find out more about the new Elizabeth Line .
Underground map Tube & rail map Night tube map
Docklands Light Railway (DLR), overground and TfL rail trains
To the east of London in the Docklands region you will see a region covered by something called the DLR (Docklands Light Railway). You can treat this network as just another Underground line.
Not in the centre of London, but in the suburbs you will find a train network called the Overground which can also be thought of as being part of the Underground for ticketing purposes.
Commuter trains into the suburbs are very confusing for the visitor. You can still use Oysters and Travelcards on these but those lines run by the national railways only give free travel to children under 5.
In the north and east of London most of these services are now run by TfL Rail or the Overground so free travel is available to children under 11, but to the south and west of London, services are still dominated by national railways companies.
The Tube and rail map usefully shows which railway stations are in which travel zones. Travel zones are the basis for fare charges on London's railways and Underground system.
London Underground Night Service - the Night Tube
In 2016 the London Underground began to introduce a full 24/7 service on Friday and Saturday nights only. Introduction has been on a phased basis.
Night Tube services are now running on the Central, Victoria, Jubilee line, Northern line (Charing Cross branch) and Piccadilly line (but not Acton to Uxbridge branch). The Night Tube will offer a 24-hour service on Fridays and Saturdays. Standard off-peak fares are levied for travelling on the Night Tube using Oyster and Contactless cards.
Travelcards are valid from the first day of issue (using the date printed on the card), and for journeys starting before 4.30am the following day. For example, if you buy a 1-day Travelcard at 11am on Friday, you can use it until 4.29 on the following Saturday.
Night Tube map - current lines operated
London Underground fares
The London public transport system is divided up into zones that radiate from the centre. Nearly all the hotels and the main sights are in Zone 1. Heathrow Airport is in Zone 6 and the furthest zone out is Zone 9.
The majority of visitors will only travel in the two most central zones 1 and 2. The Underground Map (link above) has the stations and their zones marked.
Some stations, such as Turnham Green, are in two zones. You use whichever zone for these stations is most beneficial in working out your fare.
Underground fares
You can see from the table below there is big financial incentive not to purchase individual tickets and use an Oyster card or Contactless payment card .
The other main way of paying is purchasing a Travelcard , which is a pass giving you unlimited travel for a set time period. The cost goes up with the coverage of zones required. The more zones you require the more expensive the Travelcard.
London Underground Fares from 3 March 2024 - March 2025
Oyster cards, contactless payment cards & travelcards.
As you can see from the above fare structure the authorities do not want you to buy single tickets, they want you to purchase one of the three payment options, Oyster cards, Contactless payment cards or Travelcards.
The Oyster card is a permanent reusable electronic ticket which is topped up from time to time by its owner. Londoners also have their season tickets loaded onto Oyster cards as well and there are passes for one weekly and monthly durations. All can be loaded onto the one electronic Oyster card.
Contactless cards are standard credit or debit cards that support the contactless payment technology, the total cost of all the journeys that you make in one day is calculated at the end of the day and a single charge is made to your Contactless payment card account.
Unlike the Oyster card the contactless facility has a 7-day cap as well as the Oyster daily cap used by Oyster.
You can use Oyster cards on all of London's public transport, not just the Underground, but buses, overground, DLR, suburban rail services and some river services.
Travelcards are another alternatives. Travelcards are valid on the same modes of transport but are unlimited travel passes for a fixed flat fee. Travelcards are available for 1 and 7 days, 1 month and 1 year durations.
You can purchase and subsequently top up Oyster cards and Travelcards from Underground stations and a wide variety of other outlets throughout London including neighbourhood stores, but not Contactless payment cards.
Oyster cards - more details
Contactless payment cards - more details
Travelcards - more details
![zone one travel cost Understand the differences between Travelcard, Oyster Card and contactlessd card. Ask bob if still confused.](https://www.londontoolkit.com/Images/ask-bob-travelcard-oyster.jpg)
Seniors concessions
There are no seniors fares for visitors. If you reside in London and are of pensionable age you can get a Freedom pass giving free travel. If you are 60+ and live in London the Seniors Oyster ID Card that makes free bus travel available. You can apply online or get a form from your local Post Office.
Anybody with an English National Concessionary bus pass can use that on London's red buses too and travel free of charge.
If you have a Senior Railcard you can get your 1/3 discount on off-peak Oyster fares. You have to ask a member of staff to load the concession on to a standard Oyster card (note, not a Visitor Oyster card) at an Underground station after showing your Seniors Card.
If you have a Senior Railcard you can also buy a 1 day off-peak zone 1-6 Travelcard at the discount applied.
Child concessions
This is a very complex subject and is covered in detail in the table below. Generally, a child is defined as under 16 years old, but in the last couple of years it has been possible to get child fares after jumping through a few hoops up to the age of 17.
Children under 11 can travel free on the London Underground, DLR and buses without a ticket. If a child is between 11 and 15 years old, you require an Oyster 11-15 Photocard (which has a fee, see below). This allows 11 to 15 year olds to travel at child fares on the Underground, DLR, Overground and some trains, free on the buses.
If you are a short-term visitor (in London for up to 14 days) with kids between 11-15 you can take advantage of the Young Visitor Discount. This means you can get half price fares on an Oyster card on a temporary basis for your child without going through the hoops and expense of getting an Oyster ID card. You do need to read carefully the rules of this scheme though.
Children's Fare Concessions
Group tickets - 1-day group travelcard for groups of 10 or more.
This ticket is for groups of 10 or more travelling together.
This in scope is the same as a 1-day off-peak Travelcard for zones 1-6 and 1-9 providing unlimited travel on all services after 9.30am Monday to Friday and all day Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays.
The pricing is particularly attractive if you have kids in the group and those staying in one of the outer zones, however if you are staying in the centre of London zones 1 to 3 it will be cheaper to purchase individual Oyster cards.
If you are a group of 10 or more then do check out this product.
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Purchasing tickets & fares levied
There are no longer manned ticket offices at Underground and DLR stations. All tickets are dispensed by ticket machines in the ticket hall and there will be a member of staff hanging around these.
The same machines will allow you to top up your Oyster cards or see what the balance is on your Oyster card and they will also allow you to cancel your Oyster card and get your deposit and any cash left on the Oyster refunded.
If you prefer talking to people selling the tickets there are Oyster ticket stops. These are many of these and typically are convenience stores or news-stands that sell public transport tickets as a sideline. These outlets will have a sign in their front window.
The fare you pay is set by which zone your departure and destination stations are in. Your journey starts when you go through the ticket barrier of the station entrance you depart from and finishes when you pass through the ticket barrier at the exit of your destination. You cannot break a journey on a single fare, once you go though an exit barrier of a station that is your journey completed.
Access to platform & luggage
To gain access to the platforms, and again to exit a station you have to pass through automatic barriers (pictured). There is always one wide ticket barrier for wheelchairs, pushchairs and people with large suitcases.
If you have a single ticket, the barrier at your destination will not return your ticket. There is a manned side gate by the barriers. If you have a Travelcard you insert the Travelcard into the same slot as for the single tickets, the barrier will check that your Travelcard is valid for both date and zones travelled.
If you have an Oyster card or Contactless payment card you swipe the card over a bright yellow pad, the barrier will check validity and will record the station you have started your journey before opening the barrier. The barrier may display the balance on your Oyster too.
At your destination station, exiting through the barrier in effect tells the system you have ended your journey and it works out the fare to be deducted from your card.
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BUY VISITOR OYSTER CARD & TRAVELCARD FOR LONDON
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Visiting London? Save time and money on London public transport
• Visitor Oyster Card • Travelcard for 1 day anytime / off-peak or 7 days anytime • Group day travelcards available
LONDON TUBE MAPS (PDF)
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Trip Planner
How to use the live map.
At a glance: See train locations, direction of travel (red arrow) and service type by color (gray, yellow, red). Stations are in white boxes.
Click on a station to go to the station page, which provides next train info, transfers and other helpful info.
Click on a train icon to see a pop-up with service type, train number and upcoming stops.
Zoom: Use the +/- buttons in the top left corner to zoom in and out. Can pinch-zoom on mobile devices.
Star Button in the top right corner accesses your location and locates the map to your position.
Fullscreen Mode (desktop only): Click the square button in the top right corner to see the map full screen. Use ESC to return to browser.
Service Alerts
Alerts on twitter.
Get Real-time 24/7 delay information with Caltrain's Text/Email Alerts
Find real-time data by selecting a Station below or the Live Map tab .
- Special Service 6/25 (PDF)
- Printer-friendly PDF Schedules
- Visit BART's Millbrae Transfer page
- Visit the Caltrain Holiday Service page for holiday service information.
Subscribe to Alerts
You can plan your trip by choosing your starting point and destination from the options below. You can also select the schedule for weekdays or weekends by using the dropdown menu.
Passengers must have a valid ticket before boarding the train or they will be subject to citation and fine.
Proposed Youth Fare Change - Sept. 1., 2024
And, for a limited time, take advantage of discounted fares !
- Digitally, Add a Clipper card to your mobile wallet (using Apple Pay or Google Pay) or pay using the Caltrain Mobile app to tap on with ease.
- Purchase physical passes and promotional paper passes at any Caltrain station ticket machine. Additionally, you can purchase Adult Clipper cards or load cash value or other transit agency products to your existing Adult, Senior, RTC or Youth Clipper card.
- Purchase Caltrain Monthly Parking permits at the tickets machines or Caltrain headquarters. Daily parking is only available through the ticket machine or Caltrain Mobile app.
- Find your Fare: View the fare charts to select your trip cost based on zones traveled and type of ticket that works for you. View the fare descriptions and ticket types.
- Enjoy the Ride: Additional tips and tricks .
Caltrain fares are based on the number of zones that a passenger travels through.
For example, if you travel from SF to Palo Alto station, you’ve traveled three zones.
Public Hearing & Meeting Notice
2023 Proposed Fare Changes 2023 Proposed Fare Changes (Spanish) 2023 Proposed Fare Changes (Chinese) Caltrain 2024-2028 Title VI Fare Equity Analysis
New Fares Promotion!
Adult Full Fare
(19-64 years old)
*VTA-Caltrain Day Pass - Available on the Caltrain Mobile app the Caltrain portion is valid to Zone 3 and costs an additional $7.50 compared to a Caltrain Day Pass. The joint pass is valid on Caltrain through the last train of the night, and on VTA buses and light rail until 3 a.m. ** Customers with a two-zone or greater Caltrain Monthly Pass get free local rides or free local ride credits on SamTrans. Visit the Visit the SamTrans Inter-Agency Transfers page for details. VTA (Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority) offers Caltrain customers with a two-zone or greater Caltrain Monthly Pass free transfers to VTA local, limited stop bus, bus rapid transit and light rail. For more information visit the VTA Caltrain Fares page .
Eligible Discount Fare Chart (Senior / Disabled / Youth / Medicare Cardholder)
Senior / Disabled / Youth / Medicare Cardholder Definitions
Eligible Discount Fare **+ *TA-Caltrain Day Pass - The Caltrain portion is valid to Zone 3 and costs an additional $7.50 compared to a Caltrain Day Pass. The joint pass is valid on Caltrain through the last train of the night, and on VTA buses and light rail until 3 a.m.
![title= zone one travel cost](https://www.caltrain.com/files/styles/large_thumbnail/public/images/2022-05/74.jpg?itok=IhCmFdD7)
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IMAGES
COMMENTS
Peak fares - Monday to Friday (not on public holidays) between 06:30 and 09:30, and between 16:00 and 19:00. Off-peak fares - at all other times and if you travel from a station outside Zone...
If you stay in London for 6–7 days and use the underground, trains, and buses every day, the weekly Travelcard is the most cost-effective travel pass. The one-week pass including central London (zones 1-2) is £42.70.
Caps and Travelcard prices. Compare caps and Travelcard prices for your travel. The zones you choose must include all the zones you'll travel through. For a specific journey use. Zone...
Adult rate prices 2024. The caps below apply to all Tube, DLR, Elizabeth line and London Overground services, and most National Rail services in Zones 1-9*.
London Underground - 2024 fares and how to use them. Be informed and in control using London's Underground / Metro system. Earl's Court: Underground Station. For the visitor to London the Underground or Tube will probably be the transport of choice to get around town.
Adult Full Fare. (19-64 years old) *VTA-Caltrain Day Pass - Available on the Caltrain Mobile app the Caltrain portion is valid to Zone 3 and costs an additional $7.50 compared to a Caltrain Day Pass. The joint pass is valid on Caltrain through the last train of the night, and on VTA buses and light rail until 3 a.m.