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London trains kids under 11 - free?

Posted by (California, USA) on

Taking kids 6 and 9 to London. We'll be staying near Earl's Court Station. I'm planning to get zone 1-2 Travelcards loaded onto an Oyster card for the adults. Within zone 1-2 I'm pretty sure kids under 11 are free, but I'm a bit confused for when we travel outside those zones. We're planning to go to Warner Bros. Studios and Hampton Court. I'd like the route with the least transfers.

For Warner Bros. Studios, looks like we can walk over to West Brompton Station and take the Southern Milton Keynes Central direct to Watford Junction

For Hampton Court, looks like Earl's Court Station to Wimbledon on District Line, then South Western Railway to Hampton Court.

Reading that on national railways, only kids under 5 are free, but there are certain exceptions where the trains run on the same lines - I'm very confused! Hope someone can clarify. Thank you!

Posted by
32798 posts

There is a branding of local commuter trains run for TfL (Transport for London, the London transportation authority) called Overground, a new marketing name to be like the Underground which is also operated by TfL. The Overground trains make every possible stop and are very slow, and look much like a Tube train inside.

All the trains you ask about are operated by national railways train operators:- London Northwestern Railway - the new name for the franchise which just replaced London Midland - between London Euston and Watford Junction; South Western Railway - the new name for the franchise which replaced Southwest Trains - between London Waterloo and Hampton Court; and Southern Railway - the deeply in trouble franchise of GTR for the moment - who provide the service from south of the River to Milton Keynes via Watford Junction nearly once an hour.

Children under 11 can travel for free on Overground, Underground and DLR, providing they’re travelling with an adult with a valid ticket or have an Oyster photocard with them. Your children are unlikely to have an Oyster photocard.

Southern Railway, London Northwestern Railway, and South Western Railway all allow children under 5 free travel if they do not occupy a seat, and charge children 5 to 16 half the adult price if there are no railcards. You will be unlikely to have a railcard which will not begin to pay off until £100 is spent.

Clearer?

Posted by
16893 posts

When buying tickets for the longer distances, you'll be asked the children's ages to calculate the correct price.

Posted by
43 posts

Thank you for the replies! Nigel - I appreciate the details.

I found this map:
http://content.tfl.gov.uk/free-travel-areas-without-oyster-adult-accompanying-map.pdf

Looks like the kids can travel free without the Oyster photocard to Warner Bros. Studios (Watford Junction), but will need it for Hampton Court. The 5-10 Zip Oyster photocards are £10 to apply, which wouldn't make sense for us. We'll just buy their tickets when we transfer at Wimbledon, looks like it'll be £3.90 round trip.

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