London Visitor Oyster Cards

Headed to London? Don’t forget your London Visitor Oyster Card! This nifty little pay-as-you-go smartcard can be used on London Underground (Tube), bus, tram, Docklands Light Rail, London Overground, TfL Rail, Emirates Air Line cable car, Thames Clippers River Bus and most National Rail services in London.

To buy your Oyster Card, email us at sales@britishtips.com or call 021 975 2047.

London Visitor Oyster Cards come preloaded and include the card itself. They do not expire, are not date specific, and can be topped up in London as needed.

Additional fees & courier

Please note that there will be a British TIPS service fee (varies according to the entire booking).

In addition, these are actual cards and require courier. You can arrange a courier to collect (Durbanville) or we can arrange this for you. Our service fee for Oyster Cards only is R 180 and we usually use Postnet-to-Postnet courier for those with a Postnet nearby, which is speedy and affordable at R 109 per parcel. Alternatively, Postnet-to-Door is a little faster and you do not need to collect at your local Postnet and costs R 185. Remember to order your card timeously, allowing at least 1 working week.

For use on: London Underground, bus, tram, Docklands Light Rail, London Overground, TfL Rail, Thames Clippers River Bus and most National Rail services in London.

London Visitors Oyster Cards in a nutshell

Pre-loaded smartcard
Pay-as-you-go
Top up when you’re there
Never expires
No photo ID needed
For use on London public transport.

Rates per person*

Preloaded with £15: R 550
Preloaded with £25: R 785
Preloaded with £35: R 1 005

*While stocks last

British-TIPS-London-Visitor-Oyster-Cards-2023 Download

Frequently Asked Questions

Why should I use a London Visitors Oyster Card instead of a Travelcard?

Travelcards are pretty much a thing of the past. Whereas ten years ago, paper Travelcards were available in many validities, they are now only available for one day. 7-day travelcards are only available to load onto Oyster cards and, unless you are using it a lot every single day, it is not as cost effective as the Oyster cards.

Cost effective: It is the cheapest way to pay for single journeys (50% less than buying paper Travelcards or single tickets with cash). Special pink card readers can make your journeys even cheaper.
Covers London public transport: London Underground, bus, tram, Docklands Light Rail, London Overground, TfL Rail, Thames Clippers River Bus and most National Rail services in London. It is valid in all travel zones and automatically calculates the cheapest total fare for all the journeys you make in a single day. It even gives you a discount on the Emirates Air Line cable car that crosses the river between the Royal Dock and Greenwich.
Ready-to-use: Your card is activated and preloaded so it is ready to use when you arrive - no need to queue up at the station.
Easy: Touch it to the yellow card reader at the gates (just like tap-and-go credit cards) when you start and end your journey.
Pay-as-you-go: If you decide on doing more travel, you can easily top up the card in London at most Underground, DLR, London Overground, TfL Rail and most National Rail stations, Transport for London visitor centres, as well as over 4000 local shops in London called Oyster Ticket Stops (clearly signposted).
Price capping: You can travel as much as you like in a single day and the amount you pay for your travel is limited (or capped). The cap depends on which zones in which you travel.
Offers and discounts: Various London attractions, restaurants, and experiences, as well as the Emirates Air Line offer discounts or have special offers for London Visitor Oyster Card users.
Never expires: You can stash your Oyster card for your next trip and, even if it is many years later, it will still work. All you need to do is top up when you're there and you're ready to go!
No photo ID required. There is no need for any photo ID, proof of address, passport, etc. Just buy it and go!

Which London transport systems accept London Visitor Oyster Cards?

On which TRAIN services in London can I use my London Visitor Oyster Card (LVOC)?

Can I use my London Visitor Oyster Card on London buses and trams?

Yes, you can! Remember to touch your card to the yellow card reader but DO NOT touch out again when you alight or you’ll be charged a penalty fare.

FYI: In 2016, a ‘Hopper Fare’ was brought in, which allows you UNLIMITED travel on TfL buses and trams within 60 minutes from the time you first touch your Oyster card to the card reader on a bus or tram. This means that, whether you use one or 10 buses within that hour, you only pay for one.

Can I use my London Visitor Oyster Card on Thames boats?

Can I use my London Visitor Oyster Card on the Emirates Air Line Cable Car?

Can I use my London Visitor Oyster Card outside London

Airport transport

Can I use my London Visitor Oyster Card on the Heathrow Express?

Yes, as of 2019, you can use London Visitor Oyster Cards on the Heathrow Express, which travels direct (no stops) between Heathrow and Paddington station. This will cost you up to around £25***, depending on time of day. Alternatively, you can purchase your Heathrow Express e-ticket to/from Paddington Station from British T.I.P.S.

For a budget option, you can take the Underground’s Piccadilly line service. This goes into the city and stops at multiple stations on the way as it is a commuter train. Although this is a cheaper option (at around £6***), bear in mind that it does take longer (around 1hr by Tube vs 15 minutes by Heathrow Express) and the trains are usually more crowded.

***accurate at time of posting and subject to change.

Can I use my London Visitor Oyster Card on the Gatwick Express?

Can I use my London Visitor Oyster Card on the Stansted Express?

Getting a London Visitor Oyster Card

How do I get a London Visitor Oyster Card in South Africa?

It is very easy to order a London Visitor Oyster Card from us - we don't even need photo ID or your dates of travel! Email us at sales@britishtips.com and we will assist you.

The cards are actual cards and, therefore, cannot be emailed. You can send a courier/driver of your choice to collect it from us (Durbanville, Cape Town), or we can arrange a courier for you (we use MDS Collivery or Postnet), the cost of which will be added to your invoice. Depending on where we are sending it, the rate can vary from around R150 to R250.

We will need your physical address and contact number if we are arranging a courier for you.

If you are not sure which preloaded amount you need, we are very happy to assist you in selecting the most cost-effective option.

How much credit do I need?

Working out fares can get very complex and which card you choose varies greatly, depending on how many journeys you make, in which zones, and at what times but these are our general recommendations:

One day of frequent travel around zones 1 and 2 will usually add up to around £15 – £20.

A £25 card should cover 3 days of unlimited central zone travel.

If you’re travelling to and from an airport, this trip can cost anything from £6 to over £20 so remember to take this into account.

Can’t I just buy one when I get there?

Using a London Visitor Oyster Card

How do I use a London Visitor Oyster Card?

It is very easy! The cards sold by British T.I.P.S. are already activated and preloaded so you can use the card immediately.

You will notice card readers at the entrance and exits of stations, and on buses and trams.

On top of the reader is a yellow area – you need to touch the card to this yellow area (like tapping your credit card at a supermarket) when you enter the ticket barriers or get onto the bus/tram/etc. This is called ‘touching in’.

When you get to your destination, you need to touch your card to the yellow reader again* (‘touch out’).

The system automatically works out the fare based on where you started and where you left – if you don’t touch out, it will not know your journey has ended and you will end up being charged a lot more.

*Note: DO NOT touch out when using buses or you will be charged a penalty fee.

How do I top up a London Visitor Oyster Card?

It is very easy to top up. You can do this at:

Tube, DLR, London Overground, TfL rail, and most National Rail stations.
Over 4000 local shops in London called Oyster Ticket Stops.
Transport for London Visitor Centres.

You will see what look like ATM machines which have the yellow Oyster Card symbol on them. You will need to tap the card and then follow the machine’s prompts to top it up.

How does pay-as-you-go work?

How do the fares work?

This is actual pretty complex and charges depend on time of travel and zones through which you pass. All the different transports are run by different operators and there is no standard charge across the board. So, working out your fares can get quite involved.

Most visitors only really travel within zones 1 and 2 (aka the central zone) because this is where the majority of the attractions are. However, these zones are charged at higher rates. You can save money by not travelling in peak times.

Download the leaflet (below) to see how the different zones are charged. You can also use the single-fare finder on TfL’s website to work out what a trip would cost.

London Visitor Oyster Card leaflet and map: London-Visitor-Oyster-Card-leaflet-map

What is ‘capping’?

Capping is a feature of the pay-as-you-go Oyster cards which allows you to make a number of journeys in a single day but limits the amount you pay for your travel.

Each time you make a journey, you are charged a fare. Once the total cost of all your fares reaches a certain amount you won’t have to pay for any more journeys for the rest of the day. This is called a cap.

If you make a lot of rail journeys or a mixture of rail, bus and tram journeys in one day within Zones 1-9, pay as you go with daily capping is better value than buying a Day Travelcard. If you make a lot of bus and tram journeys, pay as you go with daily capping is better value than buying a One Day Bus & Tram Pass.

To benefit from capping, you must touch in and out* on every journey using the same Oyster card.

*Note: do not touch out on buses, trams, or Thames clippers.

How does daily capping work?

Daily caps are calculated over a 24-hour period, covering all the journeys started between 04:30 and 04:29 the next day. There are different caps for different types of transport and times of day.

Transport for London (TfL) can work out when you have reached a cap because every journey you make is logged and the system automatically keeps a running total of:

All the zones you travel through
What time you touch in on each journey (this determines both the fare and the cap)
All fares paid in a single day

When the total cost of all your journeys reaches a certain amount, a cap is applied. Any journeys you make for the rest of the day in the same zones won’t be charged.

The cap you’re charged depends on the type of transport you’ve used. There are different caps for:

All services (bus, Tube, tram, DLR, London Overground, TfL Rail and most* National Rail journeys in London)
Bus & Tram (bus and tram journeys only)

Some journeys, no matter what route you take, are automatically charged to include Zone 1 and capping reflects this. You can find more information on Transport for London's website.

What happens if I don’t use all the credit on the card when it’s time to leave London?

Your LVOC never expires so you can stash it and use it for travel in a few years’ time or even lend it to a friend or family member. We recommend keeping an eye on the credit on your card and don’t add too much so that you end up with loads left at the end of your stay. Hang onto the card – you never know when you might need it or know someone who does!

However, if you prefer, you can get the remaining credit refunded through Transport for London which effectively cancels the card (i.e. you cannot use it again). You will need to do this yourself through TfL. If there is less than £10 left on the card, you can get the refund at a London Underground ticket machine; if it is more than £10, you will need to visit a TfL visitor centre (except Gatwick).

We strongly recommend that, if you choose to cancel your card for a refund, you do so before you leave London as, once you are home, you will need to post the card back to them. Note that the card itself costs £5 and this will not be refunded.

What are the pink card readers for?

This is almost an ‘insider secret’ because many people don’t even notice these pink card readers at stations around London. However, they could actually save you money as you travel.

Working out fares is actually pretty complicated. You can start and end at the same station but take different routes to get there and it will cost you different amounts. Basically, if you go through zone 1, you are charged more. If you go AROUND zone 1, you are charged less.

Tapping in at the pink readers if you are doing a detour around the central zones means that the smart card will charge you less for the journey as it picks up that you went around and not through. More info here: Pink card readers.

We like this Londonist video explaining it in a bit more detail: Londonist Pink Card Readers.

Groups and families

Can people share a card?

If you are travelling together, adults cannot share an Oyster Card – each person needs their own one. You can lend your card to someone if they are travelling at a different time.

Children aged 0 – 11 years travel free of charge with the parents/guardians. They do not need a card but they must be accompanied by a parent or guardian with a valid London Visitor Oyster Card (i.e. they share your card).

Is there a children’s London Visitor Oyster Card?

Children are eligible for special rates if you are staying under 14 days.

Children aged 12 – 15 years: Travel half price. You will need to go to a staffed ticket office in London with the card and the child’s passport. The staff member will at a Young Visitor discount to the card so that journeys are only charged at half-price. We recommend a £15 card for children as this effectively means it’s like a £30 card.

Children aged 0 – 11 years: Travel free of charge with the parents/guardians. They do not need a card but they must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Is there a senior citizens discount?

How does a group travelling together use London Visitor Oyster Cards?

London Visitors Oyster Cards in a nutshell

Frequently Asked Questions

Which London transport systems accept London Visitor Oyster Cards?

Airport transport

Getting a London Visitor Oyster Card

Using a London Visitor Oyster Card

Groups and families

You may also like...

Royal Edinburgh Combo Ticket

Travel safety tips

Paris Visite Cards for public transport in Paris