I am often asked if your child needs theOyster Card in London.
In this article, I come back to you on how to pay for your children's transport in London.
Oyster Card for children : article summary
- Oyster Card for children: do they have to pay to use public transport in London?
- For children under five
- Oyster Card for children: ages five to ten
- For children aged 11 to 15
- Oyster Card for children: for older children aged 16 and over
- How can children under 11 use public transport?
- Do adults need Oyster cards to travel in London?
Oyster Card for children: do they have to pay to use public transport in London??
Fares and means of payment available for your children on public transport in London depend mainly on their age.
For children under five
If your child is under 5, he or she can travel for free on London's transport system.
This covers :
- Visit bus
- Visit London Overground
- Visit metro
- Visit Uber boats
- Visit cable car
However, they can only travel free of charge if accompanied by a paying adult.
Oyster Card for children: ages five to ten
Once again, children aged 6 and 10 can travel free of charge on London's various public transport systems, as long as they travel with a paying adult.
They don't need an Oyster card and up to four children are welcome. can travel at any time with a paying adult.
However, if you want to see London from above with the cable car, children aged between 5 and 15 will only have to pay the children's fare.
If you are planning to travel Uber Boat at least twice a day, it's best to buy a Family River Roamer ticket, where you can hop on and off an unlimited number of times.
This is valid for two adults and three children aged 5 to 15.
For children aged 11 to 15
Children aged 11 to 15 must pay for transport, but they can benefit from a reduction of 50 % on their rates thanks to the discount for young visitors.
To get it, you'll need to buy an Oyster card, a travel card that costs £7 (non-refundable), and can be topped up at stations with credit that allows you to travel.
Once you have your card, ask a member of staff to any train or metro station to add the Young Visitor discount.
Just make sure you have your child with you when you apply.
Oyster Card for children: for older children aged 16 and over
It works in the same way as any regular paying adult. However, if they don't have a contactless card, it's best to buy them one. an Oyster card which they can then recharge.
How to use public transport for children under the age of 11?
At all stations, there will be a row of narrow barriers where you can enter and exit using your contactless card, Oyster card or paper ticket.
Alongside these narrow barriers, there will always be wide barriers (usually two) at the ends of the rows, designed for people traveling with suitcases, children, dogs and larger objects.
These are designed to help people break through barriers without getting accidentally trapped along the way.
For the bus, simply take the kids, pay your fare and find a seat.
Do adults need Oyster cards to travel in London??
There are three main ways for adults to pay for public transport in London:
- The Oyster card
- Debit or credit card
- Apple or Google Pay
Oyster Cards are not required to use the city's transport system, but there are a few things you'll need to familiarize yourself with before visiting. I recommend to read the article I wrote on the Oyster Card.