Which Oyster card should I get as a foreign visitor to London?
My 10 year old daughter and I will be in London 4-7 May, landing at Gatwick in the evening from Stockholm, then staying at a hotel near Acton railway station. I have found a route from the airport to the hotel. When traveling around London during these days to and from zone 3, we shall also visit the Harry Potter studio.
Would it be best to get an Oyster Visitor pass or an Oyster pass?
And in the queue to get the Oyster card at the airport, are many details needed when buying the different cards?
Best Answer
Oyster and Visitor Oyster are more alike than they are different. They are both stored-value cards that deduct the price of trips as you make them, up to a daily cap. Journey prices and coverage are the same for both variants. Each kind of card can be topped up with cash or credit at machines found all over the system, if you find yourself using more than you loaded onto it from the beginning.
The differences are:
A Visitor Oyster costs £3 in addition to the balance you put on it, whereas an ordinary Oyster requires a £5 deposit. You can get the £5 -- and the outstanding balance on the card -- back if you take the time to queue up for a refund when leaving London; the £3 purchase price of a Visitor Oyster card is not refundable.
Visitor Oyster comes with colorful "look at me, I'm a tourist" branding on the outside, rather than the stylish blue of ordinary cards.
Visitor Oyster entitles you to some special offers. Unless you had planned to go to one of the participating places anyway, that may not be worth a lot for you.
Visitor Oyster is not for sale within London itself; it can be bought at Stansted and Gatwick airports, though.
Regular Oyster cards can be topped up online, or registered in your name and set up to top up automatically from a UK bank account. This is mostly irrelevant for tourists.
Buying an Oyster card is simple -- just queue up at one of the Oyster-issuing machines, give it money (cash or credit, at least if you have a credit card that supports PIN transactions), and it spits out a card. No details need to be provided.
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What is the difference between a Visitor Oyster Card and a regular Oyster Card?
A Visitor Oyster card can be delivered to your home before your visit, or Oyster cards can be purchased at all London airports and stations. Visitor Oyster card holders also enjoy a range of special offers and discounts across the city.What type of Oyster Card do I need?
There are two types of Oyster card. If you buy in London you get the standard Oyster card, if you buy outside London including airport trains and National Express coaches, overseas agents and you will get a Visitor Oyster card.Is it cheaper to use an Oyster Card in London?
The Oyster Card is a magnetic rechargeable plastic card valid for all of London's public transport. It not only simplifies the payment system, but it is also cheaper than paying for a single journey ticket every time you ride the Underground, bus, DLR or Overground.Is it cheaper to get an Oyster Card or a Travelcard?
As a general rule a Travelcard is more expensive than an Oyster card or Contactless payment card. The exception is if you make 3 or more journeys for 6 days or more within a 7 day period. In this case a 7 day Travelcard works out cheaper than an Oyster or Contactless payment card.Which Oyster Card Should You Get When Visiting London?
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Answer 2
For these short stays usually the best option is pay as you go ticket, as these have daily caps - so you will never pay more than you would for a few daily tickets. If you have a compatible contactless card, you don't even need to buy the oyster card: https://tfl.gov.uk/fares-and-payments/contactless?intcmp=8257
Note that I am not sure if oyster/contactless works outside of London. It should now cover the route from Gatwick to London, but I am not sure about Harry Potter studio. You might need to buy separate ticket for this one.
Regarding your daughter, I believe children up to 10 years old can travel for free on the Tube if accompanied by an adult (and legally in the UK they need to accompanied by an adult anyhow): https://tfl.gov.uk/fares-and-payments/travel-for-under-18s/travelling-with-children#on-this-page-2
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
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