London Travel Forum

Hi
We will visit London (10 days) next month and we had buy 6 Day London Pass with travel. I'm thinking to buy on line a visitor Oyster card for the days out (one before, 2 after )but I don't know what I must buy for a 12 years old. We need to use the tube (Zone 1- 2).
Thanks for your help.

The easiest way, I think, is just to buy a day travelcard for the child at 3.40GBP.

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/faresandtickets/oneand3daytickets/2905.aspx

and

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/faresandtickets/1055.aspx

For info about child Oyster travel:

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/faresandtickets/1063.aspx

and

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/faresandtickets/1020.aspx

Children need photocards if they are to travel using Oyster. This is, imo, not really worth the hassle for the time you will be travelling.

Leics, agree that your suggestion is the best but does this mean the child will only be able to travel after 9.30am. Just interested.

There isn't an off-peak zones 1-2 day travelcard option for children.

Oddly.

So he/she can travel at any time.

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/faresandtickets/oneand3daytickets/2905.aspx

Mind you, that's only for the Tube/DLR/overground (or so it seems).

Whole TFL site is a confusing nightmare in this regard, imo.

Best just ask someone at the ticket office on the day, I think.

Thanks Leics for clearing that up for me.

I'm just wondering why you don't just buy an Oyster card for yourselves for all your travel? Doubtless someone will tell me that the 6 day London Pass includes all sorts of entrance fees, etc. or reduced admission or spectacular deals but just for the travelling within London, the Oyster Card is the cheapest way to go. I seem to remember a London Pass being discussed in previous forums and the conclusion was that it wasn't worth the expense. But, my little grey cells are probably confused..... I wouldn't buy the Oyster Card online but would buy it at the station. You will have to pay £3 for each card but it will be refunded plus any unused amount at the end of your trip; whereas, the £2 for a Visitor's Card is not refundable. I shall now go and research the London Pass and be suitably chastened!

Nononono.....I think you are abolutely right!

But I took the OP to mean that she had already bought the London pass(es).

OP: If you haven't already bought the London passes, then I/we suggest you don't. Just get Oyster cards for the adults, and travelcards for the child (too much hassle to get a photocard beforehand for a child Oyster, imo).

Thanks for your helpful answers. Probably I was wrong buying travel with our London Pass but, as Leics says, TFL site is a confusing nightmare and ...I went for the easiest way ,not the cheapest....

Someone on another board told me that kids (11-15) travel for £1 with an adult holding a travelcard which is what you should have with the London Pass deal. I believe they said you just buy the child's travelcard on the day of travel but I'll go see if I can find a little more info, I'm taking kids to London for the first time this summer. I'm not sure if that's true for just non peak or peak and non peak but I'm pretty sure that it is £1 for the whole day, not per ride.

On page 25 (look for the number in the corner of the page, not the number of the PDF page) of this link says that "Up to 4 children pay £1 each when accompanied by any adult-rate Travelcard holder."

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/guide-to-fares-and-tickets-08-01-02.pdf

Hmm, I just saw something that implied that the £1 fare for kids was being phased out (and it looks like it might only be non peak anyway), I think your best bet is just to go ask when you get into London, I've found that most of the people working there know what they are talking about. You may have to just get the child's travelcard.

I think the people who write the fare guide for TFL also wrote the US tax code, you need to hire a professional to understand either one ;-)

I think they are bringing in a child oyster card (with photo), so that's probably why the £1 fares are being phased out.