children on the tube... confused about fares!

[streptococcus]

ok.... we live in the sticks.... the last time I went to london and went on the tube it was to see a boyfriend pre-children.... so bear with me!

my soon to be 7 yr old would like to go the science museum in london for his birthday. we may take 3 of his friends. money is tight so I'm trying to work out the cheapest way.
I've been told that just as long as they look under 10 you can just take them through the barriers and not buy them a ticket..... is this right?? It seems to good to be true and I dont want to try it and have an angry ticket person to deal with
many thanks london peeps
L

I went to London in November and was told that all children under 11 are free on the tube. We just went to the barrier and they let us through with no problem.

yup under 11 are free with a fare paying adult....not sure how many you are allowed though!

we managed till dd was 14!

You can take loads of them - 4 will be fine and yes its free as are the buses and trams as well - just make sure you buy them an overground ticket to get to the tube.

Go to the manned gate with them. If there isnt one then ds normally crawls through the luggage flaps and gets a sigh and rolled eyes from me.

www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/14416.aspx

Have fun!

Yes, free for all children up to 10. You can take up to 4 children for each adult, but they're unlikely to count heads even if you did have more.

Clear guidelines on London transport here.

The only nuisance with free travel for children is that obviously you can't get through the normal ticket barriers with them, you have to go for the one with a bigger gate and a staff member to open it for you, which can slow things down a bit. Buses are free too.

ooooooooo many thanks everyone for your help... trip shouldnt be too pricy then.

thanks again!
L

Where out in the "sticks" are you?.

I would speak to your local tixket office about this in advance.

The children will need to pay for their overground journey into London. What will probably be suggested to you is a family type travelcard.

We bought a family railcard from Dorking on a Sunday and the dc were only £1 each for their combined train and underground ticket.

I too live in the sticks so not entirely sure what it was,was more when we went on a Sat before Xmas I know that.

How are you getting into London? If you are taking the train, get a Travelcard. It will cover you for tube as well as overground.

London buses are free for under 16s.