Under 11s in London

[miami]

From what I can tell, under 11s travel free with an adult on Tube/Bus/TFL/Overground, but you have to have a special oystercard rather than normal contactless?

Children under 11 also travel free on Tube, DLR and London Overground, Tfl Rail and some National Rail services when accompanied by an adult using a valid Visitor Oyster card or Travelcard ticket

Help

Find out more about London transport, travel around London, Visitor Oyster cards and Travelcards.

visitorshop.tfl.gov.uk

Other pages refer to photocards for 5-10 year olds, but takes over a week to deliver to a home address (and costs £10), you can't just pick one up in London.

Is this really the case that you need some tourist product or a special ticket?

 

[mchunt]

Under 11's can just go through the barriers with adults (or just hop on busses/trams) on TFL services within London, providing they are with an adult.

For National Rail, River Boats, Cable Car it's advantageous to have a 5-11 Zip Oyster card to get reduced rates and avoid the hassle of queueing for tickets.

My 8 year old has a Zip oyster card that he is most proud of.

 

[island]

You don’t need any particular type of card or ticket. Normal retail Oyster cards, contactless, etc. are all fine.

 

[Taunton]

The 5-10 Zip card is £10. You only need it for National Rail services within London. Anything TfL, including the Overground, is just walk on with an adult. For other TOCs they need the Oyster journey history it creates to claim reimbursement for the journeys from TfL.

A nuisance is that if parents keep it you need a card for each, eg one takes to school, other collects.

 

[miami]

Thanks, I'd love to get them their own tickets even for £10, but it seems you have to buy them a couple of weeks in advance

 

[Twingo37175]

Just looking to pick the brains of locals, my better half is taking two kids to London tomorrow (one 12 and one 9). The 12 year old will be using his own oyster (contactless bank card) and the 9 year old with the good lady. Will they need a separate ticket for the youngest or not?
Reading above, for simplicity, I assume best avoiding Thameslink (unless urgent), as this would need a separate ticked, best just sticking to TFL?
Thanks!

 

[MikeWh]

Just looking to pick the brains of locals, my better half is taking two kids to London tomorrow (one 12 and one 9). The 12 year old will be using his own oyster (contactless bank card) and the 9 year old with the good lady. Will they need a separate ticket for the youngest or not?
Reading above, for simplicity, I assume best avoiding Thameslink (unless urgent), as this would need a separate ticked, best just sticking to TFL?
Thanks!

Thameslink is fine through the core. See the map https://content.tfl.gov.uk/free-travel-areas-without-oyster-adult-accompanying-map.pdf for details. Any green lines are ok without a ticket, plus Underground, DLR, London Overground and TfL Rail.

 

[Twingo37175]

Thanks @MikeWh. One second query, is the Thames clipper in the free with other adult or does that need a separate ticket?

 

[MikeWh]

Thanks @MikeWh. One second query, is the Thames clipper in the free with other adult or does that need a separate ticket?

Needs a separate ticket.

 

[Twingo37175]

Thanks - much appreciated

Needs a separate ticket.

 

[Haywain]

The 12 year old will be using his own oyster (contactless bank card)

If this is a contactless bank card I would expect that this will result in adult fares being paid. Unless I’m missing something.

 

[Twingo37175]

If this is a contactless bank card I would expect that this will result in adult fares being paid. Unless I’m missing something.

Thanks @Haywain will advise the good lady - she set it up not me.

 

[lfc84]

Hello, I'm a UK resident adult visiting London soon with my 8 year old son. We will need to travel from Wimbledon to Waterloo every day for one week. The adult has an oyster pay as you go. What oyster does the child need in order to travel on the national rail service for free ? He will be accompanied by me at all times.

I've seen this map and done some reading.

https://content.tfl.gov.uk/free-travel-areas-without-oyster-adult-accompanying-map.pdf

5-10 Zip Oyster photocards

Children aged 5-10 get free travel on all our transport services with a Zip Oyster photocard

tfl.gov.uk

Does he need a 5-10 Zip Oyster photocard in order to travel for free ? Or can I get him a blue retail oyster form a tube station and he uses it to travel free ?

 

[Watershed]

Hello, I'm a UK resident adult visiting London soon with my 8 year old son. We will need to travel from Wimbledon to Waterloo every day for one week. The adult has an oyster pay as you go. What oyster does the child need in order to travel on the national rail service for free ? He will be accompanied by me at all times.

I've seen this map and done some reading.

https://content.tfl.gov.uk/free-travel-areas-without-oyster-adult-accompanying-map.pdf

5-10 Zip Oyster photocards

Children aged 5-10 get free travel on all our transport services with a Zip Oyster photocard

tfl.gov.uk

Does he need a 5-10 Zip Oyster photocard in order to travel for free ? Or can I get him a blue retail oyster form a tube station and he uses it to travel free ?

As the map you've linked to shows, Wimbledon to Waterloo is on a 'blue' stretch of line, therefore your son will require a 5-10 Zip Oyster photocard to travel for free.

The administration fee for this is £10, which is still cheaper than buying child-rate paper tickets if you're travelling 5 days (it would cost £4.10 per day, or £13.45 for a weekly season ticket).

 

[Nova1]

Hello, I'm a UK resident adult visiting London soon with my 8 year old son. We will need to travel from Wimbledon to Waterloo every day for one week. The adult has an oyster pay as you go. What oyster does the child need in order to travel on the national rail service for free ? He will be accompanied by me at all times.

I've seen this map and done some reading.

https://content.tfl.gov.uk/free-travel-areas-without-oyster-adult-accompanying-map.pdf

5-10 Zip Oyster photocards

Children aged 5-10 get free travel on all our transport services with a Zip Oyster photocard

tfl.gov.uk

Does he need a 5-10 Zip Oyster photocard in order to travel for free ? Or can I get him a blue retail oyster form a tube station and he uses it to travel free ?

I think yes, to travel for free he'd need the travelcard, since Wimbledon to waterloo is on a blue line, "5–10 Zip Oyster photocard required to travel free."

EDIT: It would not be required if you completed the journey using London Underground, only if you used National Rail services.

 

[lfc84]

So in this case, if I understand correctly, the retail blue oyster is not the correct product ? Definitely need the zip ?

Thankyou both

 

[Watershed]

So in this case, if I understand correctly, the retail blue oyster is not the correct product ? Definitely need the zip ?

Thankyou both

A normal blue Oyster card will charge adult fares. You need a 5-10 Zip card to get free travel.

 

[MikeWh]

A normal blue Oyster card will charge adult fares. You need a 5-10 Zip card to get free travel.

Correct.

The best that a blue Oyster card would do is charge half adult rate if the young visitor disount is loaded. The zip card will be valid until his 11th birthday so hang onto it in case he visits again.

 

[lfc84]

TFL tell me: You can set the Young Visitor Discount on a standard or visitor Oyster card to enable discounted fares for 14 days.

I have this alternative if the zip oyster doesnt arrive in time. But will probably switch form National Rail to tube in order to get the free travel.