London Transit Price Hike
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| The cover charge for enjoying music in London's Underground just went up. |
By Rick Steves
London has raised the prices for its public transit. This includes the Tube, buses, and Docklands Light Railway. The most significant change is that single ticket cash rates have increased substantially (for example, a basic Zone 1 Tube ticket is now a staggering £4 — nearly $8 USD). For a complete list of the new fares, see www.tfl.gov.uk and click on "Tickets."
This increase is largely because transit authorities want riders to use the plastic, prepaid, rechargeable Oyster cards instead of single tickets. You can buy a "pay as you go" Oyster card at any Tube station, airport, or convenience store displaying the Oyster card sign, and you can add to and recharge the card with any amount (start with at least £10). Touch the card to the yellow symbol when entering and exiting the system to make the turnstiles open. To see how much credit remains on your card, swipe it at any automatic ticket machine.
You'll pay an additional £3 deposit to get the "pay as you go" Oyster card, but this deposit (along with a cash refund of any remaining balance) is refundable at any Tube station ticket office when you return the card. (Frequent travelers might want to keep the card for their next trip, since it never expires and can be given to others to use.) Using an Oyster card slashes the cost of a Tube ride to £1.50 when traveling in Zone 1. If you take several rides in a single day, the Oyster card will never deduct more than the price of a One-Day Travelcard (see below).
The Seven-Day Oyster card is another good option for those riding London's public transit at least four consecutive days. The least expensive version is £24.20, and covers unlimited, peak-time travel through Zones 1 and 2 (no £3 deposit required, cards covering more zones are also available, does not include Heathrow Airport). For more details about either type of Oyster card, visit www.tfl.gov.uk/oyster.
It's important to note that most tourists in town for one to three days will still do fine to buy either a One-Day Travelcard (£5.10-£6.30 for zones 1-2) or a Three-Day Travelcard (now £17.40), both of which are paper and need to be inserted through turnstiles when you enter and exit.
Updated January 2008. For lots more information, check out our best-selling Rick Steves' Great Britain guidebook — or join us on one of our free-spirited Britain tours!