Free and discounted travel in London: who qualifies

Under-5s travel free on TfL with an adult who has paid a fare. Children aged 5 to 10 ride buses and trams free without a photocard, and a 5-10 Zip Oyster photocard adds free Tube and DLR travel. Children aged 11 to 15 get free buses and trams with an 11-15 Zip Oyster photocard. Those aged 16 and 17 who live in London get free buses and trams with the 16+ card, plus half-price pay as you go fares. Londoners aged 60 or over can travel free with the 60+ London Oyster photocard, and the Freedom Pass covers residents who are 66 or who have a disability.

Travel for children under 11 in London

Under-5s ride free with an adult who has paid a fare. One adult who pays can take up to four children under 11 along at no charge.

Without a photocard, a child aged 5 to 10 can still ride buses and trams free and get paper tickets at the child rate. That holds as long as the child does not appear to be over 10. The 5-10 Zip Oyster photocard adds:

• free Tube and DLR journeys
• free travel on London Overground and the Elizabeth line, apart from the section from West Drayton to Reading
• free journeys on most National Rail routes that take pay as you go
• Uber Boat by Thames Clippers River Bus tickets at half the adult price
• the child pay as you go rate on the London Cable Car

A parent or guardian applies online and pays an £11.50 administration fee. The card expires the day before the child’s 11th birthday, after which the family can apply for the 11-15 card.

11-15 Zip Oyster photocard

This card is for children older than 10 years and 11 months who were under 16 on 31 August. A child who was still 15 on that date can apply for it and keep using it after turning 16.

Holders ride buses and trams free. On the Tube and DLR they pay child-rate pay as you go fares. The child rate also applies on London Overground and the London Cable Car. On the Elizabeth line it applies everywhere except from West Drayton to Reading. Most National Rail services in London charge the child rate too, and Uber Boat tickets are half the adult price. The fee is £16.50. The card expires on 30 September in the year after the holder turns 16.

16+ Zip Oyster photocard for 16 and 17 year olds

This card is for young people aged 16 and 17. Londoners who were 18 on 31 August and are in full-time education can also get one. Holders pay half the adult pay as you go fare on buses and the Tube. The same discount applies on the DLR and London Overground. On the Elizabeth line it does not apply from West Drayton to Reading. Most National Rail services in London are included. Holders who live in London ride buses and trams free. Travelcards and Bus & Tram Passes lasting 7 days or longer are sold to holders at the child rate.

The fee is £22. For anyone under 18, a parent or guardian applies. An 18-year-old applies for themselves and must print a verification letter for their school or college to stamp or endorse. The endorsed letter then goes to a Post Office. For London residents the card lasts until 30 September in the year after the 18th birthday. For anyone living outside London it ends the day before the 18th birthday. Pay as you go credit is not moved to a new 18+ Student Oyster photocard, but TfL arranges refunds by phone.

Discounts for families visiting London

Families who live outside London can ask for the Young Visitor discount if their children have no 11-15 Zip card. It lasts up to 14 days and halves pay as you go fares and daily caps charged at the adult rate. It applies on buses, trams, the Tube, DLR, London Overground, the Elizabeth line and most National Rail services.

Staff at any Tube or London Overground station can add it to a standard or Visitor Oyster card. Visitor Centres and some Elizabeth line stations, Paddington among them, can do it too. The children must be present when the discount is requested.

Children aged 5 to 15 can also get a discounted Off-Peak Day Travelcard for Zones 1-6 or 1-9. This works only when they are with an adult who buys a discounted Off-Peak Day Travelcard for Zones 1-6 or 1-9 at a ticket machine using a valid Annual Gold Card, Network Railcard, Family and Friends Railcard or HM Forces Railcard. The adult and children must travel together. When buying at a ticket office at a London Overground, Elizabeth line or National Rail station, or at a Visitor Centre, the adult has to show the railcard or Gold Card to staff.

Free travel for over-60s and the Freedom Pass

Londoners aged 60 or over can travel free with the 60+ London Oyster photocard. The Freedom Pass gives free and discounted travel to London residents who are 66 or who have a disability.

Discounts for students and other groups

• 18+ Student Oyster photocard: cheaper fares for people aged 18 or over who study in London or are on a work placement in the city.
• Apprentice Oyster photocard: cheaper fares for people aged 18 or over in their first year as an apprentice.
• 18-25 Care Leaver Oyster photocard: cheaper buses and trams for care leavers who live in London.
• Veterans Oyster photocard: free travel and reduced fares on TfL services for eligible veterans.
• Jobcentre Plus Travel Discount: for people in London who are out of work and looking for a job.
• Annual Gold Card: discounts for people who buy an Annual Travelcard.

TfL also runs a Bus & Tram Discount and a National Railcard Discount, and offers discounted access to Santander Cycles. London schools can register groups to travel free off-peak to various venues.

How to apply for a Zip Oyster photocard

Start by setting up a photocard web account. If your email address is already linked to another Oyster account, use a different one. You will need a clear, unaltered colour photo of the child under 6MB, saved as a .jpg or .bmp file (.gif also works). You will also need the details from the photo page of a valid machine-readable passport, plus a colour image of that page. Non-UK passports are accepted. The fee is paid by debit or credit card. If the child has no passport, the online application produces a letter to take to a Post Office. Families outside London without a passport collect the card from a TfL Visitor Centre and should apply at least 28 days before they want to collect it.

Once the documents are accepted, the card usually arrives within two weeks and works straight away. Until it arrives, journeys have to be paid for. Touch in and out on the yellow readers, but only touch in on buses and trams. The helpline is 0343 222 1234, open 8am to 8pm every day (option 1, charges may apply). Holders must follow TfL’s Young Person’s Behaviour Code, and TfL can withdraw the card if they do not.

Sources

Facts in this guide were checked against these official pages on 18 September 2026. Fares, times and rules can change, so check them before you travel.

• Free and discounted travel (tfl.gov.uk)
• 5-10 Zip Oyster photocard (tfl.gov.uk)
• 11-15 Zip Oyster photocard (tfl.gov.uk)
• 16+ Zip Oyster photocard (tfl.gov.uk)