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Take a Stress-Free London Theatre Break with a Coach Trip

London is one of the most exciting cities in the world, and it’s no surprise that it’s a popular destination for theatre breaks. Whether you’re looking for a romantic weekend away or a fun family trip, London offers something for everyone. But with all the hustle and bustle of the city, it can be hard to relax and enjoy your time away. That’s why taking a coach trip to London is the perfect way to take a stress-free theatre break. Here’s why:

Convenience

Taking a coach trip to London is incredibly convenient. You don’t have to worry about navigating busy roads or finding parking in the city centre. All you have to do is sit back and relax as your coach takes you directly to your destination. Plus, many coaches offer onboard entertainment such as movies and music, so you can make the most of your journey.

Affordability

Coach trips are also much more affordable than other forms of transport. You can often find great deals on coach tickets, making them an ideal option for budget-conscious travellers. And with all the money you save on transport, you can splurge on tickets to some of London’s top shows.

Time Savings

Finally, taking a coach trip to London can save you time. With direct routes from many cities around the UK, you won’t have to worry about making multiple connections or waiting in long lines at airports or train stations. This means that you can spend less time travelling and more time enjoying all that London has to offer.

So if you’re looking for an easy and stress-free way to take a theatre break in London, consider taking a coach trip. With its convenience, affordability and time savings, it’s the perfect way to make the most of your time away from home.

This text was generated using a large language model, and select text has been reviewed and moderated for purposes such as readability.

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London Travelcard prices for public transport pass in 2023

Transport pass for 1 day, 7 days, 1 month or much longer for buses, trains & underground.

The London Travelcard is the original pass for public transport in London. It is very simple to understand. You pay up front for a ticket which gives you unlimited rides for a stated number of calendar days. These days are consecutive, the pass ends 7 days after the first journey.

You can currently buy Travelcards for periods of 1 day, 7 days, 1 month or 1 year.

Unless you are going to make just one single journey on public transport in London then you should really be looking to either purchase an Oyster card , contactless payment card or a London Travelcard transport pass, and not pay for single tickets.

For example, paying cash for a single Underground journey in central London is more than double the price of the same journey with an Oyster Card.

Where can you use Travelcards   Fare zones   Peak & off-peak   Where to buy   Prices 2023   Benefits   Concessions   Child fares   Groups

Where you can use a Travelcard

The Travelcard pass covers:

- The London Underground network

- The London red local bus network

- The railway network in Greater London

- Docklands Light Railway, TFL Railway and Overground Railway

- 33% discount on many scheduled river services .

You cannot use your Travelcard on the Heathrow Express train as the group are not part of the Transport for London network.

You can use your Travelcard on the London Underground, TFL Rail Heathrow and London red bus services from Heathrow.

Other airports

Gatwick, Southend, Stansted and Luton airports are outside London beyond the scope of London public transport so the buses and trains from these airports are not covered by Travelcard (though you can use Oyster cards from Gatwick & on Heathrow Express. City Airport is serviced by the Docklands Light railway (DLR) and is covered.

The London public transport system is divided up into zones that radiate from the centre. Nearly all the hotels and the main sights are in Zone 1.

Heathrow Airport is in Zone 6 and the furthest zone out is Zone 9.

For the vast majority of visitors you will only travel in the two most central zones 1 and 2. The Underground map (link below) has the stations and their zones marked.

Some stations like Turnham Green are in two zones. You use whichever zone for these stations is most beneficial in working out your fare.

Although with a Travelcard you have unlimited journeys for a flat fee, the price you pay for your Travelcard is determined by the fare zones you want to travel in. The more fare zones you want covered, the more expensive the Travelcard.

London's red buses do not have zones. In fact with a Travelcard if you have a Travelcard for zones 1 and 2 you can travel in all the other zones as well using London's red buses.

London Underground Map & Rail Network Map with price zones (PDF)

Use our links below to see the London price zone maps for both the Underground and Rail network. You will be able to clearly see the zones marked across the map and then look where your station of interest sits within which zone. This is an easy way to work out the potential price of travel in London, by looking at the places you want to visit and seeing which London zone they sit within.

Most major attractions sit within zone 1-2 but there are other attractions further out from central London you may want to visit, as an example Hampton Court (zone 6) or Wimbledon (zone 3).

Peak & off peak travel for 1-day Travelcards

A 1 day Travelcard comes in a choice of peak and off peak variants, the price differential is substantial.

The peak travel period is if you travel between 4.30am and 9.29am Monday to Friday.

For a 1 day Travelcard only, if you want to travel during this time you need to purchase the 'Peak' period 1 day Travelcard product, otherwise the much cheaper off peak Travelcard will do.

Note: For 1 day, an Oyster card is often much cheaper than a 1 day Travelcard, never more expensive.

Travelcards for 7 days or longer are valid at all times.

Travelcards are valid for calendar days, not 24 hours from when you first use. However you can use your Travelcard the day after the last day if your journey departs before 4.30am.

Where you buy, photo ID & varying formats of Travelcards

If you buy Travelcards from a railway ticket office (not Underground) they come on card and will have a rail logo on (just like the image at the top of the page). If you buy a 7 Day Travelcard (child or adult) or a longer duration Travelcard you will need a rail photocard. This is made up on the spot and is free of charge, but you have to bring your own passport size photo. You cannot use the rail photocard as ID at non-rail ticket outlets.

If you buy Travelcards in advance online from TfL (see banner link below) the Travelcards also come as card tickets but you do not need photo ID both for children and adults.

If you buy Travelcards from anywhere else, including Underground and DLR stations, 1 day Travelcards come on a card, but all other Travelcards come loaded on an Oyster card. Children between 11 and 17 years require an Oyster ID Photocard to buy Travelcards at concession fare rates for 7 day durations or longer. Adults do not need photo ID.

Best place to buy Travelcards

The most convenient place to buy Travelcards for visitors are Underground stations, including Heathrow Airport. You can pay cash or credit card.

However there are no longer manned ticket offices at Underground and DLR stations. You have to buy from a ticket machine.

If you prefer a person to serve you there are also many Oyster Ticket Stops all over London in neighbourhood stores, newsagents etc that display a sign in their window or stations run by the railways (not the London Overground, Underground or TFL Rail Stations).

If you feel nervous purchasing a public transport pass from a ticket machine after entering a strange country, you can buy Travelcards online from TfL (see link below) and have them delivered to your home address internationally.

BUY VISITOR OYSTER CARD & TRAVELCARD FOR LONDON

Visiting London? Save time and money on London public transport

• Visitor Oyster Card • Travelcard for 1 day anytime / off-peak or 7 days anytime • Group day travelcards available

London Travelcard Prices 2023

London travelcard vs oystercard - what is the difference.

Travelcards are a flat rate travel pass where you have unlimited rides in the selected zones for the time period purchased. You can use your travelcard across the London Network (with a few exceptions), so the travelcard covers your complete travel for a set time period and for a set fee paid up front.

Oyster / Contactless payment cards are charged on a per journey basis but there is a daily maximum you can be charged. This is called the price cap. Once you hit this 'price cap' through all the individual fares adding up, you are no longer charged for any subsequent journeys made that day.

A good example is the daily Oyster/Contactless payment cards price cap is less than the cost of a 1 day Travelcard, so travel over one day is cheaper. Over longer periods Travelcards can work out cheaper depending on your travel. For instance a 7 Day Travelcard is less expensive than an Oyster or Contactless payment card if you travel 3 or more times each day for 6 days or more in a 7 day calendar period.

This is a detailed area and can be confusing, so we created a dedicated page Comparing Travelcards and Oystercards , this page looks in detail at the difference between a travelcard, Oystercard and contactless payment cards to help you find the best fit for your visit.

Benefits of using Travelcards with Oyster card

Most visitors will just travel in the central zones 1 and 2. If you are staying more than 5 days in Central London then a 7 day Travelcard zone 1-2 is probably going to be cheaper than just an Oyster card. However a Travelcard on its own with fixed travel zones is not very flexible for the occasional trip outside these zones.

7 day Travelcards can be loaded onto your Oyster card and be used in combination with Oyster on a Pay As You Go basis for a single journey.

Note this flexibility is not available on Visitors Oyster cards or contactless payment cards and is not available for Travelcards purchased from railway stations and online.

A typical example is someone arriving and departing at Heathrow Airport in zone 6 and spending say 6 days in the centre of London (zones 1-2) before flying out.

By purchasing an Oyster card at Heathrow Airport Underground Station and buying a 7 day Travelcard zone 1-2 (electronically loaded onto the Oyster by the ticket machine) plus a minimal amount of Oyster cash both Oyster card and Travelcard will will work seamlessly together.

The 7 day Travelcard zone 1-2 will cover all travel in the central zones 1 and 2. Then on the Underground airport transfer journeys the Travelcard still covers the section of the journey in zones 1 and 2 but the Oyster will kick in automatically to cover the section of the journey in zones 3 to 6 at the lowest cost using the cash on the Oyster. You do not physically have to do anything it is all automatic.

Similarly, if you are staying in London for 9 days you might buy an Oyster card and use it on a PAYG basis for 2 days and have a 7 day Travelcard loaded and use that for the remaining 7 days.

Seniors concessions

There are no seniors fares for visitors. If you reside in London and are of pensionable age you can get a Freedom pass giving free travel. If you are 60+ and live in London the Seniors Oyster ID Card that makes free bus travel available. You can apply online or get a form from your local Post Office.

Anybody with an English National Concessionary bus pass can use that on London's red buses too and travel free of charge.

If you have a railways Seniors Railcard you can get your 1/3 discount on off-peak Oyster fares. You have to ask a member of staff to load the concession onto a standard Oyster card (note, not a Visitors Oysters card) at an Underground station after showing your Seniors Card.

If you have a railways Seniors Railcard you can also buy 1 day off-peak zone 1-6 Travelcards at with the discount applied.

Child concessions

This is a very complex subject and is covered in detail in the table below.

In crude terms a child is defined as under 16 years old, but in the last couple of years it has been possible to get child fares after jumping through a few hoops up to the age of 17.

Children under 11 can travel free on the London Underground, DLR and buses without a ticket. If a child is between 11 and 15 years old you require an Oyster 11-15 Photocard (which has a fee see below). This allows 11 to 15 year olds to travel at child fares on the Underground, DLR, Overground and some trains, free on the buses.

A child is defined as under 16 years old, but in the last couple of years it has been possible to get child fares after jumping through a few hoops up to the age of 17.

You can only buy child Travelcards on-demand universally for 1 day Travelcards. You cannot load child Travelcards onto an Oyster without an Oyster ID card. You can buy 7 day child Travelcards at the Visit Britain online shop, TFL's online shop , and at railway stations (who require a passport photo).

If you are a short term visitor (in London for up to 14 days) with kids between 11-15 you can take advantage of the Young Visitor Discount. This means you can get half price fares on an Oyster card on a temporary basis for your child without going through the hoops and expense of getting an Oyster ID card. You do need to read carefully the rules of this scheme though.

Children's Fare Concessions

Group tickets - 1-day group travelcard for groups of 10 or more.

This in scope is the same as a 1-day off-peak Travelcard for zones 1-6 and 1-9 providing unlimited travel on all services after 9.30am Monday to Friday and all day Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays.

The pricing is particularly attractive if you have kids in the group and those staying in one of the outer zones, however if you are staying in the centre of London zones 1 to 3 it will be cheaper to purchase individual Oyster cards.

If you are a group of 10 or more then do check out this product. Click through on the blog link right for more details.

Qualifying for the Railways 2 for 1 promotion by using Travelcards

The railways sponsor a hugely popular and long running promotion that allows those people using the train to visit leading attractions to get two people admitted for the price of one.

When visiting London you can you can get 2 for 1 admission to many of London's major sights including the Tower of London. The full list is very long and covers all of Great Britain. If you have train tickets to London and you are doing some sightseeing its a very worthwhile promotion to look into.

If, like many visitors, you are not using the national train services to get to London but are using a Travelcard to ride the London Underground to get around then there is a loophole in the scheme whereby if you buy your Travelcard from a railway station ticket office you qualify for the 2 for 1 promotion. There are a few further hoops to jump through, but the rewards can be significant, so its worth checking out.

Railways 2 for 1 promotion more details

Using your travelcard to gain access to trains

To gain access to the trains of all types, and again to exit a station you have to pass through automatic barriers (pictured right). There is always one wide ticket barrier for wheelchairs, pushchairs and people with large suitcases.

If you have a card Travelcard you insert the Travelcard into the ticket slot, the barrier will check that your Travelcard is valid for both date and zones travelled and then return it to you and open the barrier.

If you have a Travelcard loaded onto an Oyster card you swipe the Oyster card over a bright yellow pad, the barrier will check validity and then open the barrier. This process is repeated at the destination station.

On buses there are no ticket barriers. Inspectors may check the validity of your Travelcard at any time.

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Getting around London: Pay as you go and Travelcard prices

Wondering what's the best way to get around london don't worry, we've got the lowdown..

• London Travelcard Prices

London is big. We get it. So working out how to get from A to B can be slightly intimidating.

To help you with your travel planning and budgeting, we've laid out the best ticket options (and how much they cost*) for your time in London. Pay daily or buy a weekly London Travel card - it's up to you.

Daily Travel Card Prices

If you only need to use public transport for a day or two of your trip, TFL's (Transport for London) day pass with a price cap is all you need to know about. It's priced as a London day travel - one day travel pass. Tap in using your bank card as much as you wish throughout the day and you'll never be charged more than the below daily London tube prices and they can be used for bus travel as well. 

Weekly Travel Card Prices

If you have a week in the city and you know you're going to be bouncing between the London Underground and those iconic red buses, purchasing a weekly London ticket could save you a few pennies. 

*The above prices are controlled by TFL and are subject to change.

The london pass is highly rated….

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Travel Cards and Tariffs

The Travelcard is a paper ticket that gives you unlimited access to London’s public transport for a limited amount of time , being the best option for the majority of tourists.

You can either get a 24 hour or 7-day Travelcard . Residents can also get monthly or annual Travelcards.

When buying a 24 hour Travelcard, you can choose a Day Anytime , which can be used at any time of the day and is valid until 4:30 am the next day. Or you can get the Day Off-Peak , which only allows you to take public transport after 9:30 am and is also valid until the next day at 4:30 am.

Children under eleven can ride with an adult for free.

Where to buy a London Travelcard?

The Travelcards can be purchased at any tube station , tourist information stands, in the National Rail stations and also in certain newsagents .

Depending on where you purchase the ticket, you will get it in one format or other. In the tube stations, when buying a 7 day Travelcard, you’ll get it in a pre-charged Oyster Card .

If you get it in the National Rail station , you’ll get it as a paper ticket with the National Rail symbol on it , which is important if you want to use the 2FOR1 offers.

Travelcard or Oyster Card?

Although both cards are very similar, and the Travelcard can be bought within an Oyster card, from a touristic point of view, there are several differences:

• For a tourist an Oyster Card can be more troublesome : you have to buy it, recharge it and finally return it to be given back the money that you haven’t spent on it.
• If you buy a Travelcard in the National Rail (railway stations), you’ll have access to the 2FOR1 offers  in London's  top attractions .

You may also be interested in

Is it cheaper to buy a London travel card? Learn how to save money when using the public transport network in London.

Oyster Card

The Oyster Card is a magnetic rechargeable plastic card valid for all of London’s public transport. It not only simplifies the payment system, but it's also cheaper than paying for a single journey ticket every time you ride the Underground, bus, DLR, or Overground. 

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You are here: Home » London Transport » London Transport Tickets & Passes » London Bus Tickets & Passes

London Bus Tickets & Passes

Buses are the cheapest way to travel around London. There are no zones for bus travel — a single bus ticket is the same price whether your journey is in zone 1 or if you pass through several zones.

We list the options available to pay for single bus tickets or for unlimited bus travel for one day, one week or one month.

Single bus tickets: Oyster/contactless single bus fares 2023

London buses are ‘cashless’. You can’t buy a bus ticket on the bus.

To pay for travel by bus in London you need one of the following:

• a Pay as you go Oyster card
• a contactless credit or debit card
• One Day Bus & Tram Pass
• a weekly/monthly Bus Pass
• a paper One Day or Weekly Travelcard
• a weekly/monthly Travelcard loaded onto an Oyster card

A single bus fare costs  £1.75 with a Pay as you go Oyster card and contactless credit/debit card.

‘One Hour’ hopper fare

There is a ‘one-hour’ hopper fare for Pay as you go Oyster/contactless card users. You can take as many bus journeys as you want in a one-hour period for  £1.75 .

The hopper fare also applies if you use the tube or train between your bus journeys.

One day bus travel: Oyster/contactless daily bus fares 2023

Bus ‘daily cap’.

When you use a Pay as you go Oyster or a contactless card to pay for bus travel, there’s a ‘daily cap’.

This is the maximum amount deducted from your card for unlimited travel by bus in London in one day.  If you make 3 or more bus trips*,  £5.25 is taken from your Oyster/contactless card.

How does the ‘daily cap’ for buses work?

• If you make 1 bus trip*, £1.75 is deducted from your card
• If you make 2 trips, £3.50 is deducted
• If you make 3 trips, £5.25 is deducted from your Oyster card
• Your 4th trip and all other trips you make until 4.30am the following morning are free.

* a ‘bus trip’ means either a single trip on a bus or an unlimited amount of bus trips in a one hour period.

There’s no peak or off-peak rate for the bus ‘daily cap’; you can travel around the whole of London between 4.30am until 4.29am the following day for the same price.

One day bus pass

If you don’t want to use an Oyster card and don’t have a contactless card, you can buy a One Day Bus Pass for  £5.90 .

• This is a paper ticket giving you unlimited bus travel until 04.29am the following day.
• Available from all underground station ticket machines, Oyster ticket stops , London Overground ticket offices, train station ticket offices and Transport for London Visitor Centres .

Weekly bus pass 2023

If you are visiting London for 5, 6 or 7 days and only use buses, a one-week bus pass costs  £24.70 .

• The pass entitles you to unlimited travel on buses all over London within zones 1–6.
• The pass can start on any day of the week and is valid for travel at any time within the dates specified.
• Weekly bus passes are loaded onto an Oyster card ( £7 fee).

Compared to the cost of a weekly Travelcard , it’s good value.

Weekly bus cap with an Oyster card 2023

If you have an Oyster card, bus fares are capped from Monday to Sunday (the same as contactless cards ). This means you will not pay more than  £24.70 , the cost of the standard weekly bus pass.

The fares are calculated from Monday to Sunday, so it mainly benefits people living and working in London rather than visitors.

If you plan to visit London for seven days and first use the buses on Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday buy an ordinary weekly bus pass instead.

Monthly bus pass 2023

A one month bus pass is  £94.90 .

There’s not a huge saving compared to buying 4 x weekly passes, but it saves remembering to renew.

Monthly bus passes are loaded onto an Oyster card.

Where to buy a weekly or monthly bus passes

Underground station ticket machines.

Weekly or monthly bus passes are available from underground station ticket machines.

Oyster Ticket Stops

Oyster Ticket Stops are newsagents and local shops that sell London transport passes and Oyster cards. Find your nearest Oyster Ticket Stop .

Transport for London Visitor Centres

Transport for London Visitor Centres at Victoria, Heathrow, Piccadilly Circus, Liverpool St and King’s Cross & St Pancras International.

Other bus ticket info

Are travelcards valid on buses.

Yes, one day, weekly or monthly Travelcards are valid on London buses. Travelcards valid for any zone can be used to ride the buses all over London. For example, if you have a zone 2-3 weekly or monthly Travelcard you can use it to travel on buses in zone 1 (central London).

Single bus fares for children

All children aged 10 and under travel for free on London buses. See  child tickets & passes for bus fare information for older children.

Bus Saver tickets

These are no longer available to buy. If you have a Bus Saver ticket, it is still valid. Just show it to the bus driver when boarding the bus.

‘One more journey’ feature

If you don’t have  £1.75 on your Oyster, you can still use it to pay for a bus trip as long as you have between 1p–£1.75 credit on your Oyster card. The next time you top-up your card, you need to clear the negative balance before it can be used again.

Related pages

• Guide to London’s transport tickets
• How to get around by bus
• Sightseeing by local buses
• Child tickets and passes

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Last updated: 5 March 2023

Transport tickets & passes

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