GETTING AROUND - London - page 333

(zones 1 and 2). The system will stop taking money off your card, though you still need to
touch in (and out). To obtain an Oyster card you must hand over a £5 refundable deposit or
you can purchase a patterned, non-refundable Visitor Oyster Card for £3, which can only
be used for pay-as-you go travel.
If you don't have an Oyster card, you can still buy a paper Travelcard from machines and
booths at all tube and train stations (and at many newsagents too - look for the sign).
Anytime Day Travelcards start from £9 (zones 1 and 2); Off-Peak Travelcards are valid
after 9.30am on weekdays and all day at the weekend, and cost £8.90 for zones 1-6. If you
need to travel before 9.30am, it's worth considering a 7-Day Travelcard, which costs
around £32 (zones 1 and 2).
Children under 11 travel for free; children aged 11-15 travel free on all buses and trams
and at child-rate on the tube; children aged 16 or 17 can travel at child-rate on all forms of
transport. However, all children over 10 must have an Oyster photocard to be eligible for
free travel - these should be applied for in advance online. Without a photocard, you can
buy an Off-Peak Day Travelcard (zones 1-6 after 10am) for children aged 11-15 for
around £4, providing they're travelling with an adult.
The London pass
If you're thinking of visiting a lot of fee-paying attractions in a short space of time, it's
worth considering buying a London Pass ( www.londonpass.com ) , which gives you
free entry to a whole host of attractions including Hampton Court Palace, Kensington
Palace, Kew Gardens, London Zoo, Westminster Abbey and the Tower of London. The
pass costs around £49 for one day (£29 for kids), rising to £100 for six days (£70 for
kids). The London Pass can be bought online or in person from tourist offices and from
London's mainline train and principal underground stations.
THE TUBE
Except for very short journeys, the Underground - or tube, as it's known to Londoners -
is by far the quickest way to get about. Eleven different lines cross the metropolis, each
with its own colour and name - all you need to know is which direction you're travelling
in: northbound, eastbound, southbound or westbound (this gets tricky when taking the
Circle Line). As a precaution, it's also worth checking the final destination displayed on the
front of the train, as some lines, such as the District and Northern lines, have several differ-
ent branches.
Services are frequent (Mon-Sat 5.30am-12.30am, Sun 7.30am-11.30pm), and you rarely
have to wait more than five minutes for a train between central stations. Tickets must be
bought in advance from automatic machines or from a ticket booth in the station entrance