The cheapest and most convenient way to pay for the London Underground is using contactless payment (bank card, phone, or wearable device) or an Oyster card on a "pay as you go" basis. Both methods offer automatic daily and weekly price capping, ensuring you pay the lowest fare for the zones traveled without needing to buy tickets in advance.
A Visitor Oyster card is one of the cheapest ways to pay for single journeys on the bus, Tube, Elizabeth line, DLR, tram, Uber Boat by Thames Clippers river bus service, London Overground, TfL Rail and most National Rail services in London.
It depends on your circumstances and preferences. Pay as you go with contactless and pay as you go with Oyster usually cost the same.
The price you're charged for travel with Oyster or a contactless card is the same - and in both cases the overall amount you can pay in a day or a week is capped. However, using Oyster or a contactless card is cheaper than buying paper tickets for your travel.
- Walk part of the route to use cheaper stations or bus stops and reduce Tube zones traversed. - Off-peak fares (after peak hours) are notably cheaper. Shift a flexible schedule to travel slightly earlier or later when possible.
Cons
A Visitor Oyster card is a smartcard. It's a quick and easy way to pay for journeys on bus, Tube, tram, DLR, London Overground, Elizabeth line, River Bus and most National Rail services in London. Put money on your Visitor Oyster card and use it to pay as you go.
All you need to do is touch in and out using contactless (card or device) or an Oyster card to pay the right fare. Pay as you go is cheaper than buying a paper single or return ticket (train companies may offer special deals on some journeys).
The London bus 1-hour rule refers to the Hopper fare, allowing unlimited journeys on London buses and trams within one hour of the first tap-in, for a single £1.75 charge (as of early 2025). You must use the same Oyster or contactless card/device for all taps, and it works automatically, enabling free transfers between bus and tram services within that hour.
To use London's Tube as a tourist, plan your route with apps like Citymapper, pay by tapping a contactless card/phone or an Oyster card at yellow readers when entering and exiting (touching in/out), follow station signs for your line and direction (e.g., Northbound), let passengers off first, stand on the right on escalators, and move to the center of the carriage to be courteous.
Using contactless (card or device) or an Oyster card to pay as you go is the easiest way to travel. You only pay for the journeys you make and it's cheaper than buying paper tickets (train companies may offer special deals on some journeys).
Get an 18+ Student Oyster photocard
You can save 30% on Travelcards and Bus & Tram Passes with our 18+ Student Oyster photocard. You can also use this Oyster card to pay as you go but you won't receive the 30% discount.
You can pay as you go using contactless (card or device), an Oyster card or a Visitor Oyster card.
Paying for the tube
Contactless Payment: You can tap in and out using a contactless debit or credit card, or a device with Apple Pay or Google Pay. This is the easiest option for most visitors. Fares are calculated automatically, and you'll benefit from daily and weekly fare caps.
Visitor Oyster cards from us cost from £20 to £60. These prices include a £10 activation fee, and the rest is credit that is pre-loaded onto your card. So if you buy a card for £60, for example, your card will have £50 credit on it.
If you're visiting London for 3 days or less, the best option is to get the Oyster Card, as it's the most cost-effective system ( £ 6.50 ( US$ 8.76)). For stays of over 4 days, we recommend getting the 7-day Travelcard, since it's cheaper than getting 4 24-hour travelcards.
Fares and capping are exactly the same whether you use an Oyster card or a contactless payment method. That means you'll never pay more than the daily or weekly maximum when travelling across different zones – whichever method you use.
You can use a contactless card as many times as you like within a day so long as each purchase is under £100. Just bear in mind that you may be asked to use chip and PIN after using contactless a few times in a row. Don't worry, it's just an extra security measure to check it's you making any payments.
Compared to existing credit and debit card technology, Tap to Pay is generally much safer to use. The RFID field is part of what makes contactless cards so secure.
You can use a contactless-enabled bank card to pay for travel on the Tube, bus, tram, DLR, London Overground, Elizabeth Line, and most National Rail services within London: Similar to the Visitor Oyster card, it automatically caps your daily spending depending on the zones you travel in and how frequently you travel.
“There are clear and distinctive categories – 50% for needs, 30% for wants and 20% to put aside as savings.” If £1,500 comes into your account each month, this means £750 would go towards your 'needs' – rent, council tax, energy bill, food and transport to and from work.
Life in London is more expensive than life in most U.S. towns and cities. However, New York City and Los Angeles are more expensive to live in than London. If you want to live in a world-class city, you'll save a bit in London versus New York or Los Angeles. What's less expensive in London than in New York?