London tube travel - can we just buy kids tickets?!

[ThisMustBeMyDream]

I'm neck deep in trying to navigate my way around London in 2 weeks time! I'm travelling with my DH and 3 kids, 13, 11 and 9. As far as I can see, 9 year old travels free, and 13 and 11 half adult price on tube. However to get the half price travel everything I'm looking at seems to suggest we need to buy an oyster at £10.50 each. This is crazy for a 2 day trip! Can we not just buy the kids tickets at the station? Or do we just suck up paying adult price as I think it will be cheaper than buying oyster cards?

Sounds like a lot of faffing for 2 days, I'd just take the 11 year old through the big gate with you and the 9 year old and have the 13 year old pay the adult fare using a contactless card. You'll end up paying exactly the right amount and nobody is going to age check an 11 year old.

Visitor Oyster card - Transport for London you can use an oyster card and ask for the young visitor discount to be added

We don't want the cost of the oyster for 2 days.

Tbh I had thought that about my 11 year old. He was 11 last month and is short for his age. He easily passes as 9 or 10.
My 13 year old maybe even could, but I think for him I'd not chance it!

This is the best advice, honestly, the stations you will no doubt be going through are so busy - no one is going to bat en eyelid if you take all 3 kids through the family gate with you and DH paying contactless - but if your eldest pays then you just say the 11 yo is 10

I once bought a day travelcard for dd1 under similar circumstances, and was shown how to by station staff. HOWEVER, they only showed me how to because I was so insistent, they seemed quite keen that I just shove her through the barrier with us, like we were planning with dd2. I think local London children travel free with an 11-15 oyster card, so no one is going to check on your kids because they are of an age where they should be free, iyswim. I would do what pp suggested getting two free and paying full price for the third.

In that case I'd absolutely just take the 11 year old with you. I'm fairly certain you'd be fine with the 13 year old too but as I say, if they use contactless and pay the full adult rate at that point you're not even fare dodging, they are paying exactly the amount you should be paying for the 11 and 13 year old combined and you've not had to waste 20 quid on oysters.

Credit on oyster cards never expires, so you can use them on future trips (or sell them to somebody else). They also offer off-peak fares and a daily cap - if you stay in zone 1+2 the maximum adult fare is £8.90/day no matter how many journeys you make. If you use an ordinary debit/credit card you get the off-peak and daily cap.