Oyster Cards

See this page on the Transport for London site. You can read about Oyster, download a podcast, or watch a video.

It's OK. They are quite straightforward (although we only used them on the bus system). We bought ours at a newstand on Great Russell Street in Bloomsbury. Your hotel will probably be able to tell you the nearest dealer for them. We paid an initial amount (5 pounds, I think) for the cards and then loaded 10 pounds on each of them. When we got on the bus, we merely waved the card at the scanner beside the driver and it debited the cost of the particular bus trip. It will only debit a maximum for each day, and once that amount is reached (the amount of a daily travel card, I believe, it does not debit any further for that day. Just watch what everyone else is doing with them. You'll be fine.

They are available at most tube stations. Ann explained how to use them for the bus. For the tube, just insert it in the slot at the turnstile (sort of like the slot on ATM's), it will be automatically ejected and be sure you take it out of the slot and then you can proceed through the turnstile. As Ann also said, just watch what the other people do. No need to freak out.

Travelcards are inserted. Oyster cards are not. They're waved over the yellow disc on the turnstile. On the tube, you do it entering and leaving. On the bus, just entering.

OK Brett, I can see why you may be freaking out. Frank is correct.

It's very easy. Just watch everyone else. I would just hold the card against the yellow thingy. Don't wave it around too much as it can cause problems if it registers it twice.

Last fall wife and I took the Heathrow Express from the airport to Paddington station. Walked up to the window and asked for 2 Oyster Cards with a one week travelcard loaded on each. They were 24 pounds each and we used them every day for a week, then we loaded a few more pounds on them for the next three days and came home. Can't wait to go back to London to use them again. They came in these neat yellow and blue Ikea cases that made them easy to see in our bag. To get them just wait in line at the service window, and to add more money to them just ask at the service window again. They have vending machines to add more time, but not being familiar with them and since I can speak the language I just went to the window. I did the same thing in 2006 in Osaka, Japan when I bought my ICOCA card, which is the same concept as the Oyster. Here in Seattle the ORCA card was just introduced, same thing.

I would put a couple extra pounds on it if you are going back to Heathrow using it at the end of your trip. It costs more to go out of zone 2 so just an FYI if you get zones 1-2 (Heathrow is in zone 6).
They didnt have anymore of the yellow/blue IKEA cases when I was there in April (I had gotten one in Dec but lost it)... So this time I just kept it in my wallet (accidently swiped my Wells Fargo Visa a couple times since they are the same shade of blue!) Argh, the tube is so rush rush rush!!

if we are going to be in london for just 3 days, are there worth it? What is the maximum cost a day?

thank you

Jeff, if you're only going to be in London for 3 days, I would skip the Oyster Card and just buy a one day travelcard for each of the days you're there.

Or buy a 3-day travelcard.

Regardless of what you buy, ask the agent you buy it from. If you have ever ridden a subway anywhere, or gone to Disney World, you'll be able to figure out how the tickets or Oyster Cards work. Like someone else on here said (and Rick says all the time), stand back and watch the locals and follow suit. There is no reason to freak out. They are really simple.

we are two adults and three kids. oldest is 15 i think they ride for free?