The cheapest way to travel in London
The Oyster card is a form of electronic ticketing used on public transport services within the Greater London area of the United Kingdom. It is promoted by Transport for London. Oyster card is the best way to get around London's public transport network.
Oyster card provides access to the majority of London’s transport
services. Ride the Tube, Dock lands Light Railway, bus and tram, and some National Rail
services all with a single card. It hs no date restrictions, you simply need to refill the amount you will need to use. It is also a reusable card, so you simply add value to your card the next time you visit London. And transferable, which you can pass your card on to friends or family who visit London next time (the one which does not contain a photograph).
The Oyster Card is valid while the card has credits on it. When the card reaches 0 credits you may pay to
add more credits. It is valid on a number of different travel systems including the London Underground, the Docklands Light Railway (DLR), London Overground, trams and some National Rail services.
A single adult bus fare with Oyster is just 90p in comparsion to a cash fare of £2.
Use of an Oyster Card
An Oyster Card reader on a London Underground ticket barrier.Travellers touch the card on a distinctive yellow circular reader on the automated barriers at London Underground stations to 'touch in' and 'touch out' at the start and end of a journey (contact is not necessary). Tram stops and buses also have readers, on the driver/conductor's ticket machine or, in the case of articulated buses, near the other entrance doors. Oyster cards can be used to store both period travelcards and bus passes (of one week or more), and a Pay as you go balance.
Not only does an Oyster Card give you cheaper travel it can be used to save money on attractions in London, including West End shows, museums, and some restaurants.
Save Time with Oyster
Yo can pre-loaded an Oyster Card with £15 of pay as you go value. It is now ready to use, so there is no need for you to queue
up at airports or a station. Oyster is an electronic smartcard. It doesn't need to be removed from purses or wallets; instead you need to touch your card on the yellow reader to get through the Tube gates or board other services. Travel on buses and trams is free for all under-16s and for full time students aged 18 and under.
You must buy an adult ticket if you are 18 years old or over. You can pay a lower child fare if you are between the ages of 5 and 15 (you will need an Under 16 Oyster photocard) and there is also a special fare if you are 16-17 (you will need a 16-17 Oyster photocard). Children under 5 can travel free. If you are a student and are studying in London you may be able to get a discount if you apply for a special student photocard.
A single Tube ticket will allow you to make one journey on the underground, changing as many times as you need. If you are using a paper ticket this will normally be kept by the gate when you leave the underground.
A travelcard allows you to use Tube, DLR, Tramlink and rail services (excluding the Heathrow Express) in the chosen zones, as well as all buses throughout London.
A one-day travelcard is valid only on the day you buy it. The cards are cheaper if you travel off-peak (after 9:30am on weekdays, but any time at the weekend or on a public holiday), or if you do not travel in zone 1. The cost depends on the number of zones you want to travel through..
A period travelcard is a season ticket which allows you to travel at any time of day for a week or a month or longer. It is cheaper than buying separate one-day travelcards tickets every day, and there are no restrictions about the time of day when you travel.
Freedom Pass
Freedom Passes allow older and eligible disabled people who live in a London borough to travel free on London's public transport network. The pass is paid for by your local London borough council and is available from either your local Post Office or town hall.
You can travel free at any time within London. When travelling on the Tube, DLR or London Overground, you can also take up to four under-11s with you for free. Most non-TfL local bus services operating in London now accept Freedom Passes on their services from 09:30-23:00 on weekdays and any time on weekends and public holidays.
Freedom pass holders can travel free at any time on London Overground services. Freedom Passes are only valid on London Overground services between Harrow & Wealdstone and Watford Junction. On Southern services, holders of disabled freedom passes can travel free at any time; holders of older persons freedom passes can travel free after 09:00 on weekdays and at any time on weekends and public holidays. They are not valid on London Midland or Southern services between these stations.
Freedom Passes are not valid on train services operated by National Express East Coast, Midland Mainline, Virgin Trains, Gatwick Express, Heathrow Express, Heathrow Connect between Hayes & Harlington and Heathrow, or for first class travel.
Kids go free
London is leading the way in providing free and cheap transport for children. Up to four children aged under 11 can also travel free all day, every day on the Tube and on the Docklands Light Railway when accompanied by a fare-paying adult.
Students over 18
Student Oyster photocards, valid for one year and giving 30% discount on period tickets, are available to full-time students over 18 at registered institutions within the area of the M25 motorway, an area slightly larger than Greater London, at a cost of £5. There is no discount for Pay as you go, although many students hold the National Rail 16-25 Railcard, which can be presented at a Tube ticket office to have a similar discount applied for Pay as you go. A small selection of universities outside London have also registered on the scheme.
A replacement for lost/stolen cards cost £5 and involves a new application with a photo. The funds/remaining travel is non-transferable to a new student Oyster and is refundable instead. The refund of a lost/stolen Oyster card is based on the original pro-rata daily rate. Thus if you lose an annual student Oyster, the refund will not cover the remainder of the year due to the higher monthly/weekly pro-rata charges for the remainder of the year. This can leave students at a considerable disadvantage (adults receive replacement card and existing travel).
Half price fares for people on income support
Londoners on income support can get a Bus and Tram Discount Card. This card lets you pay half the price of a single Oyster fare on buses and trams. To avail of this facility just fill the form and take it to a post office along with ID and proof that you are on income support. Proof of ID could be a passport, driving licence, bank card or a Post Office Card Account card, birth or marriage certificates, NHS medical cards and recent utility bills in your name. Helpline: 0800 731 4564
Applicants must live in a London borough, be between 18 and 59 and not be receiving any other discounted travel concession.
You can register your Oyster card online to benefit from quick and easy renewals and refunds for lost or stolen cards. You can also update your Oyster at newer ticket machines, thus avoiding queues for ticket offices. A refundable deposit is required to obtain an Oyster card.
You can get one:
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At most Tube station ticket offices
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At over 2,200 Oyster Ticket Stops across London
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At London Overground station ticket offices
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At some National Rail ticket offices
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At eight London Travel Information Centres
From 1 June, all youngsters between 11 to 18 will need to use a photocard when they board buses and trams. When asked they will also have to show it to drivers and inspectors. Existing Oyster photcards will be valid until their expiry date.
To apply for an Oyster photocard complete the form available from any London post office and return it with a passport-sized photo and a valid passport, ID card or birth certificate.
Validity on National Rail
Because the validity of PAYG is not consistent across different modes of transport within London, this can give rise to problems for Oyster PAYG users. Validity of Pay as you go fares on National Rail routes has been a source of confusion since the launch of Oyster, with passengers frequently being caught out trying to use Pay as you go on rail routes where it is not valid.
On some National Rail routes which are on the PAYG rail network, Oyster PAYG users are not permitted to board or alight at intermediate stations, due to the fact that Oyster readers have not been installed at these stations; consequently PAYG users are unable touch in or out. Passengers who attempt to use PAYG for all or part of their journey on these lines may be charged a penalty fare or be liable for prosecution.
National Rail services in London with the Oyster Card:
· Amersham to Marylebone
· Finsbury Park to King's Cross/Moorgate
· Watford Junction to Euston
· Watford Junction to Clapham Junction (Southern services)
· West Hampstead to Moorgate/Elephant & Castle/London Bridge
· Liverpool Street to Walthamstow Central/Tottenham Hale/Seven Sisters (but not
at intermediate stations)
· Stratford to Liverpool Street
· Stratford to Tottenham Hale/Seven Sisters
· Upminster to Fenchurch Street/Liverpool Street via Barking (but not at Forest
Gate/Maryland)
· West Ruislip/South Ruislip to Marylebone (but not at intermediate stations)
London Overground services available with the Oyster Card:
· Euston and Watford Junction
· Richmond to Stratford via Willesden Junction
· Barking to Gospel Oak
· Willesden Junction to Clapham Junction
Fares and tickets ( Read More  )
Registration and protection
Oyster cards can be registered or protected for loss or theft. Full registration of a card must be done in person at a London Underground station, Oyster ticket stop (shop) or a Travel Information Centre. To do this, an Oyster registration form must be filled in (either at time of purchase or at any time in the future). Registration in this way allows the customer to buy any product for the card, allows them to have an after sales service, and protects against theft or loss. The customer needs to supply a Security Answer which is either their mother's maiden name, a memorable place or a memorable date.
Oyster cards cannot be fully registered online. However, a customer can protect their card online by setting up a personal account and recording their card to that account. This allows for an after sales service and protection against theft or loss, but the customer will be prevented from purchasing Travelcards lasting a month or longer for an unregistered card.
An Oyster online account enables Oyster products to be purchased online for any Oyster card for which the card number is supplied. This facility offers no protection for the card. If a card is not protected, the website gives a warning and provides the opportunity to protect the card online.
REFUNDS: Should a customer wish to surrender their Oyster card for visitors and obtain a refund
of any pay as you go value that remains on the card, a Tube station will refund
immediately amounts up to £5 on presentation/cancellation of the card.
If the balance on the card is in excess of this amount, the Tube station ticket office will
supply a refund form which must be completed and handed in with the card. A sterling
cheque will be posted to the customer, who will be responsible for paying any exchange
rate fees.
FEES AND CHARGES: A charge of £2 will be made for each card at time of purchase.
LOST TICKETS: Cards will not be replaced if lost or stolen.
Trams
As London's trams operate on the same fare structure as buses, the rules are similar and users with pre-pay must touch the Oyster card only once at the point of boarding (users with Travelcards valid for the Tramlink zones need not touch in).
Customers alighting at Wimbledon must touch in at the start of their journey. This is because the tram stop is within the gated area of Wimbledon station. Touching out ensures users do not get charged the full London Underground fare for their journey.
Similarly passengers entering the station for the tram are advised to touch in at the main gates, then touch again on the Tramlink platform. Users changing from London Underground to Tramlink should touch out at the District Line platorms, then touch in again at the Tramlink platform.
Buses
Users must touch the Oyster card only once at the point of boarding. Because London buses have a single flat fare, there is no need to calculate an end point of the journey. Oyster validators are placed at the entrance on every London buse.
Some London bus routes cross outside the Greater London boundary before reaching their terminus. Pay as you go users are permitted to travel the full length of these route on buses operated as part of the London Bus network, even to destinations some distance outside Greater London.
For routes operated under 'London Local Service Agreements', travel is possible using PAYG on route 84 as far as Potters Bar, and route 614 within Greater London. On other LLSA routes, a reduced cash fare of 90p within Greater London applies when an Oystercard is shown.
Recharging
When the balance runs low, Oyster card can be topped up at the normal sales points or ticket machines at London Underground or London Overground stations, Oyster Ticket Stop agents, or some National Rail stations.
PAYG funds can also be added online via the Oystercard website, or by telephone sales from TfL; users must then nominate a Tube station where they will swipe their card in order to charge up the card with the funds purchased. If the customer is purchasing pay as you go, the top up will be at the gates of their nominated station, or Tramlink stop the next day (ready for first train, so long as they made the purchase before 11pm the previous night). It will remain at the gates for 7 further days before dropping off the system. If the customer purchases a season ticket, it will 'arrive' at the gates, up to 5 days before the start date of the ticket and will remain there until 2 days after the ticket has started. If the customer does not make their pick up, it will take a further 14 days to refund automatically to the bank card they made the purchase with. Top-ups of this type cannot be added from a reader on a bus.
Oyster Card Auto top-up
Auto top-up ensures you never run out of pay as you go credit by automatically topping up your Oyster card whenever your balance falls below £5.
You can choose your Auto top-up amount to be either £20 or £40. This will be added to your Oyster card when you touch it on any card reader, including those on buses, as part of a normal journey whenever your balance falls below £5.
To set up Auto top-up you must have an online account. Via your online account, select a top up amount and choose a Tube, DLR or London Overground station or tram stop at which to activate your Auto top-up request.
To do this you must touch your Oyster card on a card reader as part of a normal journey.Once activated, there is no need to return to your nominated station - top up will occur automatically as you travel.
Penalty
Your bus, Tube, Tramlink, DLR and London Overground ticket must cover your entire journey and all the zones in which you wish to travel.
You must buy a ticket before you travel which is valid for your whole journey, or you will have to pay a penalty. If you have a travelcard which only covers travel in certain zones, you need to buy a ticket extension before travelling (otherwise you will need to pay a fine). For example, the Tube stations at Heathrow are in zone 6, so if you have a zones 1-4 travelcard you will also need to buy a single ticket for travel through two zones (zones 5 and 6).
A Penalty Fare will cost you £50 on all buses. Fare evaders on buses are likely to be hit with a £1,000 fine and a criminal record, even if it is their first offence.
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