Please help me understand travelling with children in London

[WineLife]

Sorry, this is probably a really stupid question but I haven’t been to London for years and this is the first time I’m taking children with me.

I’ve tried making sense of all the different ways you can pay to travel across London and it seems our best option would be to pay as we go using a contactless payment. It says just tap in and tap out at the end of each journey and it works out a daily cap for you automatically, all fine and good but I cannot for the life of me work out how I pay for the children travelling with me to receive the discounted price for them? I’m sure it’s really obvious and I’m just missing it but please could someone explain this to me? They’re all 11-15. I know there’s some sort of Oyster card they could have but I don’t have one, do I need one? Do they? If I tap my debit/credit card to pay for them how does it know I’m paying for a child?! Any very simple explanation of this would be very much appreciated, I’m not sure why I can’t seem to work it out myself!

See the Young Visitor section here.

Young Visitor discount
If you don't live in London and you're visiting with children who don't have an 11-15 Zip Oyster photocard, they can get discounted travel for up to 14 days with the Young Visitor discount:
• 50% off adult-rate pay as you go fares and daily caps on bus, Tube, tram, DLR, London Overground, TfL Rail and most National Rail services
• 50% off adult rate tickets on the Emirates Air Linee and Thames Clippers River Bus servicess
The discount can be added to a standard Oyster card or Visitor Oyster cardd_ by a member of staff at:
• Any Tube, London Overground or TfL Rail station
• Visitor Centress_ (except Gatwick Airport)
The children must be with you when you ask for the Young Visitor discount.

Or just get them a zip card 🤷‍♀️

You can only tap your card for 1 person to go through - I think you would need to get each child a visitor Oyster card and then load it with funds. Then they tap their visitor Oyster card each time they go through - but it would only deduct the reduced fare each time.

I’d buy a Visitor Oyster card before you leave home and, when you arrive in London, you can ask a member of staff at most stations to add a Young Visitor discount to it. They’ll then be allowed to travel at half adult fare for 14 days. The children must be with you when you ask for the Young Visitor discount.

@Orangedaisy it takes about a week to get the zip card and I am assuming OP wants to travel next week in half term?

You get a member of staff to apply a visitor discount to an OU ester card which you too up and the kids tap at the gate

Oyster card!

Don't bother with a zip, you don't need it

Thanks for the replies, yes we are travelling next week in half term so you’re right I don’t think I’ve got time to sort a zip card. I’m not sure but it seemed to be saying it would be cheaper for me to pay as I go with a contactless card than with an Oyster card or is it the same? And if I buy myself an Oyster card and then when we get there ask if they can apply the young discount how does that work? If I tap my card will that automatically pay for me and all 3 kids for each journey we make

Use your contactless for the adults. Buy oysters for the kids, you can buy them and top them up at a machine but you will need a member of staff to apply the discount. I have done this for the last 5 or so years semi regularly when going to London.

You all need a card. So debit card for you and an oyster each for the kids. Also they are a fiver (or they were) to buy but at the end you can get a refund and any remaining credit back - I usually just hang on to ours as we will always use them again.

Perfect that makes sense thank you, I’ll do that!

Don't expect a member of staff to be available to apply a child discount, given social distancing. You will need a separate card for each person though.

Sorry to hijack but I’ve a similar query. If I’m travelling with a child UNDER 11, am I right in thinking that they travel free on TfL. And if so, do I tap my card and take us both through together?

@SheriffCallie

Sorry to hijack but I’ve a similar query. If I’m travelling with a child UNDER 11, am I right in thinking that they travel free on TfL. And if so, do I tap my card and take us both through together?

Yes and yes, as long as they’re with you.