I have been to London recently and know how the contactless credit cards work for swiping in/out of the Tube for adults. However, I read that children are either free or discounted. I will be traveling with an 8 and 11yo. How do I pay for them? If I use my credit card, how do I designate the child fare? Can I buy them a visiting child oyster card at the Underground station?
Posted by
Perth, Scotland
19 posts
The 11 year old can use an Oyster Card with Young Visitor Discount added by a staff member (50% off), the 8 year old goes free.
You cannot add the discount to a bank card only Oyster.
You go through one of the wide gates together with the 8 yr old, these close slower than the normal gates as well as being wide enough for wheelchairs/people with luggage. Do not try and go through one of the normal narrow gates together, you will likely get stuck.
Posted by
Vancouver, BC
286 posts
If you plan ahead, you can apply on line for an 11-15 Zip card for the 11 year old. Pick it up in person at a TfL visitor centre at one of the London airports or KingsX. Costs £15 I believe. Worth it for me because we are here for 23 days with a short break out of town for 6 days.
The young visitor discount is only good for 14 days. Costs nothing but you add value to the card like an oyster. Last year, I was able to get a Visitor oyster card from a cell phone kiosk at the airport. Had £20 value and cost £25.
I keep forgetting to let the kid go first, in case there is an issue. Goes for trains as well!
Posted by
1 posts
I have a similar question. I was thinking of buying a visitor oyster card just for my 15 yo and adding the discount, and for the rest of us just using normal contactless payment.
Posted by
OP
4 posts
That's what we plan on doing, based on comments in this forum...thanks!
Posted by
116 posts
Food for thought if your 8 year old is like ours, but we ordered a Zip Oyster 5-10 card ahead of time and picked it up on the way into town from LHR at the TfL office in Piccadilly Circus for our 7 year old daughter. She technically didn't need it but she loved having her own card (with her photo on it!) to swipe in/out when we rode the Tube. She really liked this in other cities where she had her own kid discount card (Paris, Washington DC) so we knew it would be a hit. It was 10 GBP, but then she was also free on the National Rail train to Hampton Court Palace (otherwise we'd have to buy her a separate ticket ~9 GBP) so in the end it wasn't much difference in price for our travels with the trip to HMC. Note that some other national Rail trains that use Oyster allow kids to travel free, like to Watford Junction, without the card. The route to Wimbledon and to Hampton Court Palace requires the Zip Oyster card for kids 5-10 to be free on that line. Info and map here:
https://tfl.gov.uk/fares/free-and-discounted-travel/5-10-zip-oyster-photocard?intcmp=55572