The Travelcard is a transport pass for London that gives you unlimited travel in London within certain zones. The prices vary according to the number of zones you need to travel through. Central London is in zone 1.
Travelcards are valid for 1 day, 7 days, 1 month or 1 year.
The passes are valid for travel on all types of transport in London including:
- the Underground (the tube)
- the local suburban trains within London
- the Elizabeth Line (not west of West Drayton)
- the Docklands Light Railway (DLR)
- the London Overground
- the buses all over London. A Travelcard for any zone allows you to use the buses in all zones (zones 1-6)
The 3 Day Travelcard, weekend Travelcard, Zone 1-2 & 2-6 One Day Travelcards are no longer available.
Visiting London for 1-7 days? See our guide to London’s transport tickets & passes. The Travelcard may not be the best ticket for your stay.
Single Underground Tickets
Single paper tickets on the London underground are expensive if you buy them from a tube station ticket machine:
- £6.70 for one journey in zone 1 (central London) and between zone 1 and zones 2 to 6
- See single ticket prices for all zones.
One Day Travelcards: 2023 prices
Using a Pay as you go Oyster card or a contactless card are the cheapest ways to pay for travel if you’re in London for 1-5 days. (the daily cap is £8.10 per day for zones 1-2)
If you really don’t want to use an Oyster card or don’t have a contactless card, the One Day Travelcard is the next best money-saving pass.
The paper Off peak One Day Travelcard for zone 1-6 is £15.20. This might seem expensive, but it’s cheaper than paying the full cash fare for 3 underground trips in central London (3 x £6.70=£20.10).
One Day Travelcard fares from 5 March 2023
| One Day Travelcards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Transport Zones | Off Peak | Anytime |
| Zones 1–4 | n/a | £15.20 |
| Zones 1–6 | £15.20 | £21.50 |
| Zones 1–9 | £16.20 | £27.20 |
Peak v Anytime Travelcards
One Day Travelcard prices are different if you travel during peak or off-peak times:
Anytime Travelcard
Valid for travel at anytime.
Off-Peak Travelcard
For travel after 9.30am Monday–Friday and all day Saturday, Sunday and public holidays.
Top Tip: An Off-Peak One Day Travelcard for zones 1–6 costs £10 with a Railcard.
Weekly Travelcards: 2023 prices
If you stay in London for 6–7 days and use the underground, trains, and buses every day, the weekly Travelcard is the most cost-effective travel pass.
The one-week pass including central London (zones 1-2) is £40.70.
- It can start on any day of the week
- It’s valid for travel at anytime; there is no peak or off-peak rate.
Most places sell weekly Travelcards loaded onto a plastic Oyster card. There’s a £7 fee for the Oyster card.
Your fare on an Oyster card will automatically cap at the weekly Travelcard fare (this is already available on contactless cards). The cap starts on Monday and ends Sunday, so it mainly benefits Londoners or those working in London.
Weekly Travelcard fares from 5 March 2023
| Weekly Travelcards | |
|---|---|
| Zones 1–2 | £40.70 |
| Zones 1–3 | £47.90 |
| Zones 1–4 | £58.50 |
| Zones 1–5 | £69.60 |
| Zones 1–6 | £74.40 |
| Zones 1–7 | £81.00 |
| Zones 1–8 | £95.60 |
| Zones 1–9 | £106.10 |
- See weekly Travelcards prices for all other zones (2, 3, 4, 5 and 6)
Monthly Travelcards: 2023 prices
For longer stays in London, monthly Travelcards are available. You won’t save much compared to buying 4 x weekly Travelcards – but you’ll save time renewing it. Like the weekly Travelcard, it can start on any day of the week and is valid for travel at any time.
See monthly Travelcard prices for all other zones (2, 3, 4, 5 and 6)
Monthly Travelcards from 5 March 2023
| Monthly Travelcards | |
|---|---|
| Zones 1–2 | £156.30 |
| Zones 1–3 | £184.00 |
| Zones 1–4 | £224.70 |
| Zones 1–5 | £267.30 |
| Zones 1–6 | £285.70 |
| Zones 1–7 | £311.10 |
| Zones 1–8 | £367.20 |
| Zones 1–9 | £407.50 |
Where to buy Travelcards
One day, weekly and monthly Travelcards are available from:
Underground stations
Travelcards are available from all underground station ticket machines (there are no longer any underground tickets offices). The busier stations in central London have staff to help you use the machines.
Local shops and newsagents
Travelcards are also available from Oyster ticket stops. These are newsagents and local shops licensed to sell London transport tickets and Oyster cards. One Day Travelcards are not available from Oyster ticket stops.
London train stations
One Day Travelcards are available from all London train station ticket offices and ticket macines. Paper weekly and monthly Travelcards are no longer available from train stations. They are available to buy, but they are loaded onto an Oyster card and may only be available from ticket machines, not ticket offices.
London Transport Visitor Centres
Victoria, Kings Cross/St Pancras International, Heathrow, Liverpool St & Piccadilly Circus Visitor centres are open on certain days
How to use a Travelcard
On the Underground
If you have a paper One Day Travelcard or single ticket from a ticket machine, insert the card into the slot on the front of the ticket barrier. The barrier opens when you take the ticket from behind the yellow reader, on the top.
On the Bus
If you have a paper One Day Travelcard, just show it to the driver when boarding the bus.
See How to use an Oyster card if you have a weekly Travelcard on an Oyster card.
Top Tip: Do you want a cheaper way to travel around central London? If you only travel by bus, it costs £5.25 per day or £24.70 per week.
Related pages
- Guide to London’s transport tickets
- Weekly and monthly Travelcards for zones 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6
- Oyster card
- How to use a contactless card to pay for transport
- Bus tickets & passes
- London Transport zones
Last updated: 5 March 2023