Travelling in London with children - confused!!!!

[Beachrules]

I have been trying all morning to work out best routes for travel in London and if I have to pay for my children to travel or if they need travel cards and am completely confused - We will be staying in Watford for 3 days and will be travelling into London each day with a 10 and 13 year old. Can anyone help??!!

This should help

Also, Google TFL as their website is good and has a journey planner.

10 year old is free. For the 13 year old I would get a visitor Oyster card (£5) at the station and for yourself just use your contactless card.

I would look into getting a Zipcard for each of them so that they can get some or all of their travel for free.

If you've got 3 separate contact less cards, use one for yourself and one for your 13 year old. 10 year old travels free. Just go through the disabled gates each time and they should waive through your youngest.

Also, download the Citymapper app - best way of getting around London, gives you lots of options, train and bus times, if the route is busy/delayed etc. Tfl routemapper is handy to plan ahead but Citymapper is excellent on the go and means you can always find your way around.

Have fun!

TWO separate cards, not 3, sorry! One for you, one for 13 year old

If you use the TFL journey planner, double check it as it sometimes offers really weird and long routes.

You might want to start a new thread called "Watford Junction travel to London" so hopefully some locals can advise. I haven't been there for years but it is on the edge of TFL services. It has 2 different bus companies (TFL & Arriva) and the fares into London used to be different depending on whether you travelled on National Rail services or TFL Overground/Underground, especially if you have a Family Railcard. However, Oyster cards/contactless can still be used on the National Rail services to Watford Junction. That might be outdated advice though.

Watford Junction has National Rail (fast) and London Overground (slow) services. There is also a tube station but it's not in the town centre and even the fast services are slow. The stopping services take forever and a day. There is also an Overground station, Watford High Street. They are all in zone 9.

The 10 year can travel for free with an adult except on the Watford Arriva buses. The red TFL buses in Watford are free for them though. The 13 year old will need a Zip Oyster photocard or a Young Visitor Oyster card - buses are for them free on the TFL services and they get child fares on the Underground/Overground. Contactless is the easiest way for you travel.