Subway Map

Transit card guide

For most visitors, the simplest option in London isn't a physical transit card at all — just tap a contactless bank card or phone directly at the gates, since contactless and Oyster now charge identical fares and apply the same automatic daily and weekly caps. Buying a plastic Oyster card only really makes sense if you're paying in cash or your bank charges foreign-transaction fees, and it now comes with a non-refundable deposit on top of whatever you load onto it. Whichever you use, the classic mistake is forgetting to tap out at the end of a Tube or rail journey — since those fares are distance-based, a missed tap-out charges the maximum possible fare for that line instead of your capped rate, while buses only need a single tap-in since their fare is flat.