My First Oyster Card and Probably Not the Last

The seven-day travelcard that allows visitors to ride the London Underground used to be issued as a paper ticket that was inserted in the front of the barrier (pictured below, top) and released on top to gain admission into a tube station. An oyster card is now used in lieu of the paper one and is even simpler and more practical to use. First this is a plastic card so it is more durable than the paper travelcard but should still be kept away from credit/debit cards. Secondly once the card expires, it can used again to add additional days of use.

To use just pass the card over the yellow card reader (pictured below, bottom) which is located on top of the barrier. This will open the gates. If the gates do not open, head to the ticket counter. A seven day travelcard is £25.80 (US$40) for central London. Click here for my post about zones. For a complete chart of fares go to tfl.gov.uk. Keep in mind how often you may travel using the underground. If you are not using the tube on consecutive days or using it for only one round-trip daily, it would probably be more reasonable to purchase a ticket as necessary. Bottom line is the total all your trips should be equal or more than the cost of the travelcard.

Another great reason for having and swiping an Oyster card is it makes one feel less like a visitor.