Oyster card help for a tourist please!

[Macaroonmayhem]

I consider myself reasonably intelligent but I cannot for the life of me work this out so I throw it over to the Mumsnet experts.

Family trip to London booked. I have worked out I need to get the two adults an Oyster card each and I can pre-purchase a pre-loaded visitors version and have them sent to my house before I leave. So far, so good. (I think?)

Now the kids - a 12yo and a 10yo. Am I right in thinking that the 10yo needs nothing and gets free travel simply by being with an adult?

The 12 yo, what do I do for them? The only options I can see are to get him a zip photo card to get himhalf price travel, but it’s £15 before adding any travel or just buy him daily travel cards! Is that right?

I realise these are probably idiotic questions with a simple answer but the 12yo’s one has me stumped!

The two adults don’t even need an Oyster card, you can jst use your contactless cards, there’s no difference in price either, I found a good website when we visited recently, I’ll see if I can find it.....

Sorry don't know about the children. But for the adults why not just use a contactless card. Saves any hassle and fares paid will be the same.

www.visitlondon.com/traveller-information/getting-around-london/do-kids-need-an-oyster-card

This has links to the relevant info as well, it looks like both children will need a zip card but the ten year old will still travel free, I think

Do you and your other adult have contactless credit or debit cards? One each? Then don't bother with Oysters and use those instead. After 3-4 journeys it stops charging and is capped for the day. Central London is Zone 1 and 2, and the capping rate is £7 a day.

Your 10 year old is free.

Your 12 year old will need an Oyster card. Ask staff at the Tube station fo help you buy one, and ask them to add a Young Visitor discount. Your 12 year pays 50% the adult fare. (Zone 1&2 capping rate is £3.50) Please bring with you proof of age like a passport. When you have finished using the Oyster return it to any Tube station and staff can help you get the deposit back (£5).

Please don't buy Visitor Oysters, or paper tickets. Visitor Oysters charge a fee, not a deposit, so you pay the same as a regular Oyster but don't get the £5 back.

Don't buy paper tickets they are an absolute con and so expensive.

I'm a station staff employee on the Tube btw.

Adults can use contact less credit/debit cards so you don’t have to bother getting Oyster cards.

Although, you might need to get one so that you can add the 12 year old for “visitor discount”

tfl.gov.uk/fares/free-and-discounted-travel/11-15-zip-oyster-photocard#on-this-page-5

It depends on how much travelling you plan to do. If it’s just one day, then contactless and kids travelcards might be the way to go. But if over a few days you might be better getting an oyster and adding a child visitor.

Using your contactless card is much easier for the adults.

If you're thick so am I!

My 12yo and I are going in June and in confused about this too.

Contactless Daily fare capping includes tube, bus, DLR & overground. It works brilliantly and you feel like a proper sophisticated Londoner rather than just another tourist

Fudge, that’s perfect - can’t get a better source than an employee! Thanks very much.

We find that using contactless works brilliantly and fares are capped to the daily max so you won’t pay anymore than the cost of a travel card.

We travelled all over zone 1&2 for 3 days and when I checked my bank it had charged me just over £15 for the three days, that was using contactless cards

What Fudge said!

Definitely don't bother with an Oyster Card for adults, just tap in and out with a contactless debit/credit card.

Your 12 year old needs a card - as Fudge said.

10 year old - go through the wide gates, let them through in front of you. Don't try and go through the normal gates, you will get stuck, and it hurts!

Definitely contactless for the adults. I live in London and stopped using my Oyster a few years back; it's so much easier not having to top up.

Can I do a slight hijack OP?

The last time we visited London I used my contactless, but DD used Oyster as she had a disabled persons railcard so the station staff said the railcard could be linked? Is that still the case?

Although I've now just realised I've forgotten the Ouster card so will either have to buy a new one just to get (if there is a) discount or use contactless there as well. Just planning for 1-2 days. It's so confusing!

Oh, and I also have a 12 year old, whom most people think is 9-10 as she's tiny, Oyster for her?

Don't buy paper tickets they are an absolute con and so expensive

I honestly wish I'd known this last Thursday when we went for the day. I paid almost £40 for 3 people for a paper ticket, over £13 each. The staff man I asked at Kings Cross told me to get that one...

Hijack away Teslagirls (great name!) - we have a F and F railcard, can I use it too?

Some bus drivers at times might insist on oyster card for 10yr. I would order oyster card for both children, if you going to stay more than a week. If less just get an adult oyster card. You could use contact less bank card for the adults if you got it.

She is a very tall 10....

This was us recently! Me & DH used contactless and we went to kings cross ticket office and got a travel card for our 13yr old it was £6 something per day ( we were there for 2 days) used on a bus too.