There are two types of prepaid tickets used for various modes of transportation around the city. The first type of ticket is the contactless smartcard - the Oyster Card. The holder loads the card with credit which can then be used to ride on the Underground, bus, tramlink and most National Rail Service lines. These tickets can be used at anytime, but are charged differently depending on peak and off-peak times. Daytime off-peak and reduced fares on the Tube are from 9.30am to 4.00pm and after 7pm Monday to Friday. Oyster Card carries a refundable deposit of £5, it can be returned to ticket office (unused credit will be returned too) for cash.
| Zone
| Peak Price
| Off-peak Price
|
| 1-2
| £2.70
| £2.00
|
| 1-6
| £5.30
| £4.80
|
The second type of ticket is the Travel Card. This allows for the same travel privileges as the Oyster Card but includes all National Rail Service lines (but not Heathrow Express). The prices of the tickets are shown below.
| Days
| Zone
| Price
|
|
| 1-6
| £7.50
|
|
| 1-6
| £22.50
|
|
| 1-6
| £47.60
|
Note however that the Oyster Card fare is "capped" each day, depending on where and how it is used, so that you will never pay more than if you buy a TravelCard. The cap is lowest if you only ride buses, and highest if you also use tube or rail services, travel into more than one zone, and travel before 9.30 in the morning. As a general rule, if you make more than two rail trips in a day, additional rail trips and bus trips are usually "free".
