Explain the Tube for me as if I've just landed from Mars

[Littletreefrog]

I have tried googling and I am more confused than before.

2 adults and 1 1r year-old visiting London for 1 day. We would like to see some of the famous buildings i.e Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Tower of London etc.

Hop on hop off bus is many £££££ so thinking of the tube but how do we work it? How does the tap in and out thing work? Does 14 year old need own contactless debit card?

Help please

Definitely get Citymapper. Not only will it tell you the best way to get somewhere, but it gives foolproof instructions for buses (eg - go to bus stop no xx, on the left hand side of the road, get bus no yy heading in the direction of blah blah, which will arrive at 12.34)

as a PP stated, please be ready to tap in/out with your card/phone in your hands, whether at the tube or the bus. Dithering at either will not go down well with your fellow travellers.

The best way for a 14 year old will be to order a Visitor Oyster and get the Young Person's Discount put on when you arrive.

"as a PP stated, please be ready to tap in/out with your card/phone in your hands, whether at the tube or the bus. Dithering at either will not go down well with your fellow travellers."

And in real life they just go to the next turnstile. Don't worry about it OP

I never bother buying an Ouster card, I just use a credit or debit card.

OP - you just tap your credit or debit card at the turnstile to get into the station. When you come out you do same again, so that TfL know where you've travelled and how much to charge you. The cost is capped per day, so once you have spent as much as a daily ticket would have cost you, it's free. Each person needs their own credit or debit card.

The hop on hop off bus tours are great too. Especially when you have kids with you. In a very very hot day a few summers ago we spent pretty much all day on the bus, going round and round! We saw loads, learned loads and kept cool in the breeze on the open top upper deck. We got off several times - once to pick up sandwiches and drinks to enjoy a picnic on the bus 🤣

Yeh @Littletreefrog you need a different card for each person, your phone and the physical card to the same ac will not do. Get an Oyster

If you’re only going for one day it’s definitely not worth the hassle and extra expense of getting an Oyster for your 14-yr-old. Buy a (paper) day Travelcard for them as advised by PPs at whichever station you start your day. Cuts out all the faff. Then you and the other adult use your bank cards (two separate cards - one each) to tap in/out of the tube and in (not out) of buses. Or if you’re really worried about the bank cards vs Oyster conundrum, just buy and use Travelcards for ALL of you.

Buses are great for sightseeing. Slower, but you see more. Don’t bother with the tourist ones, get ordinary buses. Download Citymapper to your phone.

Walk as much as possible. And have a great time!

Also, a normal Oyster card costs you £7 before you load any money onto it. A 'Visitor' Oyster card has a non-refundable £5 fee (plus whatever money you load onto it) and you have to buy it in advance and get it sent to you.

A Day Travelcard can just be bought on the day. Much less trouble all round, I think anyway.

I echo the posters suggesting you use the buses rather than the tube.

Me and DH visit London at least once a month and always use the buses. So much nicer being able to look out the window and see things. To me the tube is always so hot even in the winter. In the heat we are having now it is unbearable

You can’t use the same account, even if you pay with different means. Your teen will have to get their own card.

@Hazelville - yes you can......did this all last week. You absolutely can use your iPhone and a physical card for the same account

@Littletreefrog- a card and phone absolutely do work.......in London last week with daughter and 2 nieces and this is how did the tap in and tap off every time. No hassles, no issues, and was advised by friend who'd been there last week to do it. Not sure why people are saying it won't work, it categorically does!

Thank you everyone. The problem is solved as we are travelling in from about 1hr away on a South Western by normal train and we could add a travelcard to that ticket. Now just need to work out how to use that. Is that a pit it in the slot and it pops out the top type thing like in the olden days of tube travel?

And people will look at you like you have 3 heads if you call out "thank you, driver" when you get off the bus!

I think to save the faff just get your teen a paper travel card for the day! Buses are great but if you've never been on the tube you should give it a go too! I think most of what you're going for is walking distance anyway but depends on which station you arrive at.
The tube is really straightforward I promise
Hope you have lots of fun!

Haven't seen a paper ticket in years but the slots are still there

And just to confirm for benefit of others that if you use Google pay and physical card it works to use both on same journey (if you want to be charged twice for two people).

Google Maps, just type in where you want to go and then click directions. It will bring up the various routes and transport modes available to get to where you want from wherever you are. It also includes walking directions to bus stops and tubes. If you fancy walking to your destination, theres walking routes too. It's really the best app ever.

As others have said you need to make sure you tap in and out at stations to avoid incomplete journey charges. With kids I always go in and out of the bigger gates which are in all Tube stations now.

Not really, I do this all the time 😁

I believe so and just wave it at the bus driver.
I would really recommend bus and walking.
Are you coming in to Waterloo? Is there an option to change at Clapham Junction? If so, I would recommend doing that and going to Victoria to do Buckingham Palace (Green Park) and then Westminster Abbey (bus).
Get on at Westminster tube to Tower Hill for Tower of London (District and Circle)

Yes coming into Waterloo.. This sounds like a great plan. DS only has one requirement which is Hans & Gretel in Camden so have to fit that in as well.

This is out of date advice.

Just tap your phone (Apple Pay) or bank card on the entrance barriers as you go in and out

Yes, you just put your paper train ticket including a travelcard in the slot. I commute to London twice a week using oyster but when we go to London as a family we get paper tickets with a friends and family Railcard, as that's much cheaper than using our oysters - paper tickets are very much still a thing.

Personally I wouldn't worry about the tube too much. Everything is in walking distance or I prefer the bus as you can see more.

Download an app called City mapper and you out it your destination and it tells you all the different travel options, rain safe, less walking, step free options etc. it will show you where you are, how to get to the stations or bus stops, how much the routes cost etc. it's bloody brilliant and I couldn't get around London without it.

If you do want to get the tube just be aware not all stations have lifts.

You can just use your normal bank card to get around - travel around London is capped at around £14 so you can tap in and out as often as you like, tub and bus included and you won't pay more that the price cap.

With a little one they have wide gates so you'd go to that one with the child and tap in.

The barrier gates have a card reader, tap your bank card on it and it will open.

I would definitely do as much walking as possible though if it's a nice day, just take a pram. The tubes are stuffy and quite stressful with a LO I find.

Did not know that about Apple pay plus bank card working two for one (obviously did not know as I said it won't work!) - so that's useful thanks all.

The Tube is endlessly fascinating to me - I love it even when it's boiling and crowded! Great advice given upthread.