Discounts for children on London transport are straightforward for children aged 10 and under. For children aged 11-15 it’s slightly more complicated.
Coronavirus/COVID 19: Official advice from the Mayor of London is that public transport should only be used for essential journeys
Children under 5
Children under-5 travel free on all types of transport in London when travelling with an adult.
- up to 4 children are allowed per adult on London buses, the underground (tube), DLR and London Overground.
- up to 2 children under-5 travel free per adult on National Rail (trains)
Children aged 5-10
All children aged 5-10 travel for free on:
- the underground (tube), DLR, London Overground and some National Rail services within London as long as an adult accompanies them. Up to 4 children can travel per adult
- London’s buses with or without an adult
Children aged 11-15
Children aged 11-15 travel for free on London’s buses and at child-rate Pay as you go Oyster fares on the underground (tube), DLR, London Overground and most National Rail services IF they have an 11-15 Zip Oyster photocard.
The child-rate single fare with an 11-15 Zip Oyster is 85p (peak) or 75p (off-peak) for zones 1-6.
Like the ordinary adult Oyster card, there’s a daily cap – the maximum amount deducted from the card in one day. It’s £3.60 peak and £1.50 off-peak for zones 1-2.
This is the cheapest deal for 11-15 year olds, but it’s not easy to buy for visitors. It’s not available from underground stations, and if you don’t live in London you’ll need to apply at least 4 weeks in advance. There’s also a non-refundable £15 administrative charge.
Without an 11-15 Zip Oyster, there are other options:
- Young Visitor Discount on an Oyster card (see below)
- Child-rate one day Travelcard (from an underground or train station)
- Child-rate weekly/monthly Travelcard (from a train station). This is worth buying if you want the 2 for 1 offers at London attractions – anyone aged 5-15 can buy these.
- Paying the child full-fare.
Bus-only travel for 11-15 year olds
If an 11-15 year old doesn’t have an 11-15 Zip Oyster, Visitor Oyster Discount or child-rate Travelcard the best option is to buy a £5 adult-rate one day bus pass. See London bus tickets & passes for details.
Young visitor Oyster discount
If you don’t have time to apply or don’t want to apply for an 11-15 Zip Oyster, the cheapest way for 11-15 year old visitors to travel is the Young Visitor Oyster Discount. This is a special discount added to an ordinary Oyster card. It’s valid for 14 days. After 14 days, the discount automatically expires and the card can be used as a ordinary adult Oyster card.
There’s a £5 refundable deposit for the Oyster card. Single fares and the daily cap for the underground and buses-only are 50% cheaper than adult fares.
For example:
- Unlimited travel by underground in zone 1-2 is £3.60 per day
- Unlimited travel by bus is £2.25 per day, for the whole of London
It’s available from:
- Underground station ticket machines but you need to get a member of staff to help you.
- Transport for London Visitor Centres (not Gatwick)
- Victoria train station ticket office
For visits of 5-7 days (and/or if you plan to visit lots of tourist attractions), it’s cheaper to buy a child weekly Travelcard from a train station.
Children aged 16-17
Children aged 16-17 can apply for the 16+ Zip Oyster Photocard. With this they:
- pay Oyster Pay as you go fares at half the adult rate on the bus, tube and most National Rail services in London. (Children resident in London with a 16+ Zip travel free on the buses)
- can buy a child-rate weekly or monthly Travelcard.
There’s a non-refundable £20 administrative charge for the 16+ Zip Oyster. If you live outside the UK you must apply for your card at least 4 weeks before you arrive in London.
Without this, a 16 or 17 year old is classed as an adult and must either pay the adult fare, buy an adult-priced Travelcard, bus pass or use an ordinary Pay as you go Oyster card.
18+ Students
Students aged 18+ resident in London during term-time can apply for an 18+ Student Oyster photocard. It might also be possible to apply for a 16+ Zip Oyster.
There are no other discounts for students not studying and living in London.
Child ticket prices (11-15 years)
11-15 Zip Oyster pay as you go single fares (PAYG) 2020
| Zones | PAYG (Peak) | PAYG (Off-Peak) |
|---|---|---|
| Zones 1–6 | £0.85 | £0.75 |
| Zones 1–9 | £1.70 | £1.15 |
11-15 Zip Oyster daily cap prices 2020
| 11-15 Zip Oyster daily cap prices 2020 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Zones | Daily Cap (peak) | Daily Cap(off-peak) |
| Zones 1–2 | £3.60 | £1.50 |
| Zones 1–3 | £4.25 | £1.50 |
| Zones 1–4 | £5.20 | £1.50 |
| Zones 1–5 | £6.15 | £1.50 |
| Zones 1–6 | £6.60 | £1.50 |
Child one day Travelcard 2020
These are the prices for the Child One Day Travelcard. If you’re in London for 3 or more days, a Child Weekly Travelcard is cheaper.
| Child One Day Travelcards 2020 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Zones | Off Peak | Anytime |
| Zones 1–4 | n/a | £6.70 |
| Zones 1–6 | £6.70 | £9.50 |
Off Peak: Valid for travel after 09.30 am Monday–Friday and all day Saturday, Sunday & Public Holidays.
Anytime: Valid for travel before 09.30am Monday–Friday.
See London’s Transport Zones if you’re not familiar with the zones and the areas they cover.
Child weekly & monthly Travelcards 2020
Child-rate weekly and monthly Travelcards are available from train stations. Any child aged 5-15 can buy one.
All you need is proof of age and a passport-sized photo – it doesn’t have to be photo quality – it could be something you print from your PC, but there are usually photo booths at train stations. They will make a free photocard for you on the spot.
| Child Weekly & Monthly Travelcards 2020 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Zones | Weekly | Monthly |
| Zones 1–2 | £18.10 | £69.60 |
| Zones 1–3 | £21.20 | £81.50 |
| Zones 1–4 | £26.00 | £99.90 |
| Zones 1–5 | £30.90 | £118.70 |
| Zones 1–6 | £33.00 | £126.80 |
Child single full fares 2020
These are the full fares for the underground for children aged 11-15 for travel without an 11-15 Zip Oyster card, Visitor Oyster Discount or a Travelcard.
| Zones | Cash fare |
|---|---|
| Zones 1–3 | £2.40 |
| Zones 1–5 | £2.90 |
| Zones 1–6 | £3.00 |
Last updated: 18 May 2020