I've seen a lot of posts about this from 2 years ago, and I think the facts have changed.
1. Do you need a photo for an Oyster card?
2. Are there still Travel cards? If so, are they freestanding or do you add them to your Oyster card?
I know a lot of you just tap your credit cards or phones, but we would like to get some sort of card. We will be in London from a Friday and leave the morning of the following Friday, so technically 8 days.
Posted by
Seattle
373 posts
I can only answer question 1: No, no photo is needed for an Oyster card.
Posted by
Salem, Oregon, USA
3249 posts
You can buy a regular Oyster card, it has a nonrefundable deposit. There are many forum discussions on Oyster cards - have a look at these recent posts and see if they get you what you need:
https://search.ricksteves.com/?button=&date_range=6m&filter=Travel+Forum&query=oyster+card
Posted by
Ontario, Canada
6264 posts
Oyster cards do not require a photo.
Yes, travel cards are still available. They may not be the best value if you will be travelling through multiple zones. Just the Oyster card, with its daily cap may be the better value. This section of the Tfl website may be helpful: https://tfl.gov.uk/travel-information/visiting-london/getting-around-london/best-ways-for-visitors-to-pay#:~:text=You%20can%20add%20a%20Travelcard,in%20London%20Zones%201%2D9.
Posted by
Lake District, England
9709 posts
Still a paper one day travelcard. Weekly travelcards are added to an Oyster and can cover any 7 days whereas weekly Oyster PAYG or contactless capping is for a fixed Monday to Sunday period.
Posted by
London, UK
512 posts
You have to tap in and out some kind of electronic card, the old paper travel cards are not used any more. You can either use a credit/ debit card or you can buy an Oyster card. If you choose the Oyster card, you can either go Pay-as-you-go, ie pay for each journey separately up to a daily cap of (I think) £8.90, or you can choose to put the equivalent of the old Travelcard on it. In your case if you’re going to be using the Tube and buses a lot, then it would make sense to load up a 7-day Travelcard and a bit extra for the 8th day. Have a look at ‘Fares’ on TfL.gov.uk and it will explain it to you.
Apparently you can have your Oyster sent to you, but you can also buy them at the airport and load up the Travelcard value at 5he same time.