London Oyster card and tube travel

[littlemissmagpie]

Please can someone talk me through this?

I am travelling to london with two children and need to use the tube. They travel free, so do they just go through the turnstile with me? Or do they need their own card to touch? Even though it’s free? If so, where would I get their cards?

I struggle with things like this and need to know exactly how it works and what to expect. Can someone please explain?

thank you!

How old are they? Under 5, or 5-10? tfl.gov.uk/fares/free-and-discounted-travel/5-10-zip-oyster-photocard?intcmp=55572

If they are over 10 and you are only visiting you can buy an Oyster card and find a member of staff and they can load a child discount of 50% onto. It's a bit of a faff to find someone. If they are little ones then you just take them through the turnstile with you.

Through the wide turnstile so you all get through!

Its the same answer whether they are under 5 or 5-10: they are free and they don't need to use tap with a card (for the tube this is, some different rules apply to some train lines). You just all go together to a wide gate (normally at the end of the row of gates) and you tap with your card and you all go through together.

If however one of your children is aged 11 or over they will need to pay. This can be done either by tapping a contactless bank card (a separate one to the one you're using yoursel) which will mean that an adult fare is applied or by buying an oyster card and asking a customer service assistant to load the young person's discount (which gives a discount of 50% of the fare) onto the card.

If primary school age and under just go through the wide turnstile.

If they are under 11 and it's definitely just tube (not one of the suburbian train lines like Southern trains) then yes - you just beep your card at the extra wide gate and you walk through together.
If one dawdles and gets stuck on the wrong side a staff member will open the gate for you.

Fyi if this is for imminent travel there is currently a huge issue with tfl systems and since August you can't order a new oyster card.

Thank you, everyone! Yes, both aged between 5 and 10 and only on the central line so we should be fine. Thank you for putting my mind at rest!