London with children

[BettyStogs]

Hello, planning on visiting London for the day tomorrow, with 2 children aged 9 and 12. How do we get them a tube ticket, equivalent of a travel card which doesn't appear to exist anymore? We live in Cornwall so not been to the big city for years amd no clue! TFL website seems to insist we need a photo card? Please help a country bumpkin out!

No idea but bumping to see if anyone can help and to wish you a great day out.

Age 11 & under don’t need a ticket you just go thru the luggage/family gate with them. Make sure you use the same card for tapping in and out of the gate at each station.

You don’t need a ticket for your youngest, just take them through the big gate with you. You don’t need a tube ticket for anyone, just “tap in” with your debit card, same as you would if you were paying for something in a shop. Then give your card to your 12 year old to tap in (or walk with them both through the big gate - no one is going to stop you and check)

I just walk through big gate with mine 12, 11 9 and 6 never been stopped for the older ones

Your 9 year old is free and can just tap in with one of you. You can use a contactless card or Apple Pay - one each per person. You can get a discounted rate for your 12 year old with a zip Oyster card but for one day, it's probably not worth it so I would just use a different contactless card for them.

But also, I totally agree that no one will care about your 12 year old going through with you. Even the most flagrant fare dodging (jumping over the gates, pushing past people when they've tapped) gets nothing more than a raised eyebrow these days.

You would need to have a second debit card for the child - can't use the same one twice

Or get an oyster card from a machine and use that in the same way.

Just walk them both through the larger gates with you, it's easier to take one child through each. Technically the 12 yr old needs a separate bank card to tap in and out (though they'd pay an adult fare) but in reality absolutely no one will care.

Thanks all, sorry didn't get to reply before we left this morning, ended up getting a 1 day travel card from the ticket office for the 12 year old and took the 9 year old through the gate with me. Had a fab day, started at Horizon 22 on Bishopsgate which I would thoroughly recommend.