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The London Underground Including Fares, Maps & Travel Zones
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Oyster Card or Travelcard ?
For the visitor to London the underground or Tube will probably be the transport of choice.

There is invariably an underground station nearby where you want to go, (there are currently 12 underground lines) and finding yourself around the system really is very easy.		 London Underground

Underground
Map
The fare is dependent on how many zones you travel across.

The easiest way to approximate where the zones are, is to check out the London Underground Map . You may come across the DLR (Docklands Light Railway) that runs to the east of the centre to places like Greenwich, Canary Wharf and City Airport. Although run independently, for the purposes of the visitor it can be treated as part of the Underground network.

Most visitors will only be travelling in Zone 1, the central zone. For most its worthwhile purchasing a Travelcard (see below) or an Oyster Card.

Which pass is better for you, Travelcard or Oyster is complicated.
If you read our Travelcard v Oyster Card page you will be able to work out which is best for you.
Zones
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.
On the London Underground there is currently a flat fare structure for cash single journeys whether your journey is one station or the other side of London including connections.
Most people use one of the travel passes, Oyster or Travelcard. With these the more zones you travel, or the more zones that your pass covers the more you pay. For most visitors they only require a pass that covers Zone 1, the central area.
Rail & Underground Zonal Map

London Underground Cash Fares (from 2 Jan 2009 )
Zones
Adult
Child*
 Oyster Card PAYG
Peak Off Peak
1
£4.00
£2.00
 £1.60 £1.60
1-2
£4.00
£2.00
 £2.20 £1.60
1-4
£4.00
£2.00
 £2.80 £2.20
1-6
£4.00
£2.00
 £3.80 £2.20
* Childrens Fares

Children under 11 can travel free (see below), 11-15 years can pay £0.50 with an Oyster Card.

Free Travel For Children On Buses & Underground

Under-5s
Children under five can travel free at any time on the Tube, DLR, buses and trams as long as they are accompanied by an adult with a valid ticket. Children in this category do not need Photocards.

Children 5-10
Under-11s can travel free at any time on buses and trams without the need for a Photocard.
They can also travel free at any time on the Tube and DLR when they are travelling with an adult who has a valid ticket. Up to 4 children under 11 years old accompanied by a paying adult travel free on the London Underground. Under-11s travelling with an adult will not be issued with tickets but will be allowed to pass through the ticket gates at stations. Again no Photocard is required for children travelling with adults.
Unaccompanied children between 5 and 10 must have a valid Photocard.

11-15s
Children aged 11-15 travel free at any time across the bus network, but must have a Photocard.
11-15 year olds have a £1 daily cap and £0.55 single journey fare with Oyster Card on the Tube but must have a Photocard.

Obtaining a Photocard
Visitors to London can order a Photocard in advance for their children and collect on arrival.
Note you must apply at least three weeks in advance of your visit.
Advance application for Child Photocard

Child Discounts Without Photocards
Child Travelcards
For visitors with accompanied children of 11-15 years old you can avoid the whole photocard issue by simply purchasing a child Travelcard. There are children's Travelcards available where no photocard is required,

Accompanied Child Day Travelcard £1
Adults with valid Travelcards can buy child rate Off-Peak Day Travelcards (valid in all zones) at a reduced price of £1 for up to 4 children (aged 5-15 years inclusive). The adult must accompany these children at all times. These £1 Travelcards are only valid at off peak times, so if you want to travel at peak times you need a 'standard' child's Travelcard that is more expensive. No Photocard is required for an accompanied Child Day Travelcard.

Underground Child Fares
There is a cash child flat fare of £2 per journey on the London Underground. No Photocard is required.
Using the Underground
There is a manned ticket office at all stations. The ticket offices accept credit and debit cards and also sell the Travelcard travel pass and Oyster Cards.

Next to the manned ticket offices are always at least one bank of automatic ticket machines (see picture left).

These can you save you a lot of time if there are queues at the manned ticket office. They take credit and debit cards as well as cash.
To gain access to the platforms, and to exit a station you have to pass through automatic barriers, (pictured left). You are allowed through by inserting your ticket into a slot in the barrier, or if you have an Oyster Card swiping it over the yellow pad.
If you have a single ticket, the barrier at your destination will not return your ticket. There is usually a manned side gate by the barriers.

All Underground trains run at about 1-5 minute intervals between around 05:00 and 24:00. On Sundays, trains will start later.
London Travelcard Fares 2009

The London Travelcard is the original London public transport pass and comes as a ticket on card which you dispose off when finished with.

In 2003, the Oyster Card was introduced. This is a smart card electronic device. The Oyster Card is very flexible and is the lowest cost way of travelling in London. Nearly all Londoners have Oyster Cards.
We have a dedicated page addressing the Oyster Card v Travelcard what is best for you debate. For short term visitors to London, the Travelcard is still often the optimum solution to travel needs in London.

The Travelcard allows unlimited travel on the Underground (Metro), buses and trains in the London urban area. You also get a discount on many of London's scheduled river services too. London public transport is divided up into six circular zones radiating out from the centre. You pay more, the more zones you need. Most visitors will only need Zones 1/2 where all the attractions are. (Heathrow Airport though is in Zone 6)
London Travelcard Prices Purchased in London (from 2 Jan 2009 )
Zones
Day
(Peak)*
Day
(Off Peak)
3 Day
(Peak)
3 Day
(Off Peak)
7 Day
1-2
£7.20
(£3.60)
£5.60
£18.40
(£9.20)
-
£25.80
(£12.90)
1-4
£10.00
(£5.00)
£6.30
-
-
£36.80
(£18.40)
1-6
£14.80
(£7.40)
£7.50
(£2.00)
£42.40
(£21.20)
£21.20
(£6.00)
£47.60
(£23.80)
* Off peak hours are after 9 30.a.m. Monday to Friday, all day Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays.
(£?.??) = Child under 16 years old fare. (free travel available, see child fares section. )
London Travelcard Purchased In Advance
You can purchase London Travelcards in advance if you wish to have everything sorted and paid for in advance.
The Travelcards are dispatched by post to your home address and there are supplements for carriage.

Prices are not always the same as purchasing in London either.

There is also a card called the London Pass which includes admission to many attractions in London in addition to the Travelcard public transport pass.
Children (Under 16)
5-10 Years Old
If your child is aged 5-10 years they can travel free accompanied with an adult. Children unaccompanied will need a 5-10 Oyster photocard to travel free at any time.

11-15 Years Old
A photocard is not needed for single journey tickets for the Tube. The child single journey fare is currently £2.
By obtaining an Oyster Card with a photocard a 11-15 year old can travel for £0.55 per journey with a daily cap of £1.00.
The child photocard typically takes 3 weeks to process so short term visitors with children may well look at using Travelcards.
Children's (11-15 Years) Oyster Single Fares (from 2nd January 2009)
  Cash Oyster
Savings  
Zone 1-6 £2.00 £0.55 £1.45  
Zone 2-6 £1.60 £0.55 £1.05  
Daily Price Cap All Zones  
£1.00
  
Price caps are the maximum you will pay, a price ceiling. No matter how many individual trips you make in any 24 hour period between 04:30 and 04:30 you will not be charged more than the price cap amount.