Help! Coming to London today with 4 teens. Cheapest way to travel?

[Blarneybear]

I can use contactless I think on the tube? If I get them to pay contactless how much will it be travelling a few times zone 1 and 2? I can't make head not tail of the website thanks

Contactless is more expensive than an Oyster card. However your too late to get a visitor oystercard so I would suggest you get the teenagers a day travel card for zone 1&2 which is £6.30 however they need to be under 17 to be eligible for a children price. The question is do you really need one, can you use buses instead and walk as it’s easy to get round. A bus is £2 per journey if using contactless

I am not sure they all have contactless which makes it more complicated. Can I get them a travel card at the tube station?

We need to get from sheprds Bush to Covent garden and back

Yep pick up a travel card at any station. Just ask what’s best and cheapest option for them

If they are 11-15 you can ask the station staff to set up a Young Visitor discount on the Oystercard - you need the child with you to do this

tfl.gov.uk/fares-and-payments/travel-for-under-18s/travelling-with-children?intcmp=25255

To benefit from the under 18 travel as outlined by the PP you would need to buy each child an Oyster card and then ask the station staff to add the child discount.

I think oyster cards cost 5 each so not an option. It's mad that it's so complicated!

The oyster is a £5 deposit so you get it back when you return it. They may of course have their own.

The easiest way would be to get one day childs travel card at the station. Ask them to bring ID if they can

Station staff will add a discount to an oyster for the teens. Hand it back and get a refund on remaining credit and card deposit before you leave

I thought contactless cost the same as oyster?

Contactless and Oyster charge the same adult fare
You cannot get a young person discount on contactless

Both Oyster and Contactless have a daily cap at just over £6 - so once you've spent that amount, the rest of your day's travel is free. Worthwhile for an adult where a travelcard is £12.

For teens, they're best off with a daily travel card or a day return if they're not making multiple stops. Not much saving on a return tbh if they can get the child's rate travelcard.

Oyster is all well and good for the regular london traveller, but not worth the hassle for the one-off

I thought that was the case. Someone upthread said otherwise, I was worried it had changed and I was obliviously paying more!

That was me davisday my OH has been quite adamant that the daily cap was different when I started using contactless and not oyster. So I am glad I have joined this thread as I know he is talking rubbish now!

@rogueone daily capping is the same but weekly capping is different - TfL only apply a weekly cap on contactless cards tfl.gov.uk/fares-and-payments/what-are-ca

This link explains everything.

www.londontoolkit.com/briefing/london_transport_child_fares.htm

Basically - get an oyster each, load it wiht the young persons discount. Hand back the oyster at the end of your visit to get the deposit back. Sorted.

Contactless is more expensive than an Oyster card.
Not true for adults, same single fares and same daily capping.

We just use Oyster cards - keep them from one trip to another. Otherwise get a return ticket/one day travel card at the station

You need to wait 48 hours before refunding oyster cards now

A bus is £2 per journey if using contactless

Aren't you quite the font of incorrect facts eh?

It is £1.50 for an adult bus fare using contactless/oyster/travelcard with a £4.50 daily cap if you only use buses no tubes.

Winterfellismyhome oh that is a bit annoying then

If they have android pay or apple pay
(I think) they can use that in the same way as a contactless card.

sushi I think you are a little behind in the thread. I have already accepted I made an error

As someone stated- it is not £6 capping on oyster or contactless.If using buses only its £4.50 if using the tube /bus through zone 1 etc could be up to £11.60.

£1.50p per bus journey but there is the hopper fare too, so touch in on first bus and all other buses you jump on in under 1 hr are free(still make sure you touch in though)
Anyone between 11-16 yrs old is classed as a child, over 16 it’s as an adult.

Contactless the way forward really as adult visitors to London ,no more oysters languishing at bottom of drawer with money on it, contactless you just pay for what you use.

There are one day bus and tram passes for £5. The journey you suggest can be made with a couple of buses and a bit of walking I think, which they will enjoy more than sitting on the Central line.

Three of them didn't have contactless so our return journey from sheprds Bush to Covent garden cost about 40! Should have got a taxi!