Lois Larson
The Visitor Oyster Card is a smart travel card that can be used on London's public transport network, including the Tube, bus, tram, DLR, London Overground, Elizabeth line, and most National Rail services. It offers seamless travel across the city and can be purchased at various Visitor Centres in London, including Heathrow Airport. The card can also be bought online and delivered to one's home address before visiting London, providing travellers with a ready-to-use travel ticket upon arrival. Heathrow Airport has dedicated rail stations and shops where the Visitor Oyster Card is available for purchase. The card costs £7, excluding postage, and users can choose the amount of pre-loaded credit, with options ranging from £10 to £50. This pay-as-you-go credit is valid for all types of transport and offers daily capping, making it a cost-effective option for visitors.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Where to buy | Heathrow Airport's dedicated rail stations, shops, and Visitor Centres |
| Price | £7 (card fee) + pre-loaded credit of choice: £10, £15, £20, £25, £30, £35, £40, or £50 |
| Usable on | Tube, bus, tram, DLR, London Overground, Elizabeth line, River Bus, IFS Cloud Cable Car, and most National Rail services |
| Discounts | 10% on Thames Clippers River Bus, Thames River Tours, and Circular Cruise services from all London Piers |
| Refunds | At Visitor Centres, including Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3 Tube Station and Victoria Visitor Centre |
| Daily cap | Varies depending on travel zone and time of travel; a day of unlimited travel in zones 1-2 is capped at £8.90 |
| Top-up | At any station or shops throughout London; one bus journey can be made without credit, with the cost deducted on the next top-up |
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What You'll Learn
Where to buy at Heathrow Airport
Yes, you can buy a Visitor Oyster Card at Heathrow Airport. Oyster Cards can be purchased at all London airports and stations. Heathrow Airport has a dedicated Visitor Centre where you can buy a Visitor Oyster Card. The airport's dedicated rail stations and some shops also sell Oyster Cards.
To locate the Visitor Centre, look for signs pointing towards the Underground. The Visitor Centre is located at the airport's Tube station cashier window. You can also buy an Oyster Card at Heathrow Airport Terminals 2 and 3 at the Tube station.
The Heathrow Visitor Centre is open Monday to Friday, from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm.
If you want to ensure that you have an Oyster Card before your flight, you can order one online to be delivered to your home address. This option may be preferable if you want to avoid potential delays at the airport.
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Online delivery before arrival
You can buy a Visitor Oyster Card online before you arrive in London and have it delivered to your home address. This means you can skip the queues at stations and start exploring London as soon as you arrive. Ordering online is a good option if you want to avoid potential delays at the airport.
The Visitor Oyster Card is an electronic smartcard that you can use to pay for single journeys on London's public transport network. It is one of the cheapest ways to pay for single journeys on the bus, Tube, Elizabeth line, DLR, tram, Uber Boat by Thames Clippers river bus service, London Overground, TfL Rail, and most National Rail services in London. The card has a daily price cap, so once you reach this limit, you won't pay for any additional journeys.
The cost of the Visitor Oyster Card includes a £7 card fee, and the rest is pre-loaded credit that you can use for your journeys. The credit on the card never expires, so you can use it until it runs out. If you run out of credit, you can top up your card at any station or at thousands of shops throughout London.
When using your Visitor Oyster Card, simply place your card on the yellow card readers located at the station gates or near the platforms. Tap your card at the start and end of your journey on the Tube, Elizabeth line, London Overground, DLR, River Bus, IFS Cloud Cable Car, and National Rail services. For buses and trams, tap your card at the start of your journey only.
If you are travelling with children aged 11-15, you can buy a Visitor Oyster Card for them before you leave home. Once you arrive in London, you can ask a member of TfL staff to add a Young Visitor discount to their card.
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Transport options with the card
The Visitor Oyster card is a smartcard that can be used to pay for travel on public transport in London. It is a convenient and cost-effective way to get around the city, offering seamless travel on various transport options.
With a Visitor Oyster card, you can use the Tube, bus, tram, DLR, London Overground, Elizabeth line, and most National Rail services. The card is also valid for transfers from Heathrow, Gatwick, and London City airports. You can use the card on the all-night Tube service on Fridays and Saturdays on select lines.
The Visitor Oyster card is also accepted on river bus services, such as Thames Clippers, and the IFS Cloud Cable Car, offering a unique way to explore London from the water.
Additionally, the card provides special offers and discounts at leading London restaurants, shops, and entertainment venues, making your visit to the city even more enjoyable and affordable.
The Visitor Oyster card is a pay-as-you-go system, where you can choose how much credit to add, with options ranging from £10 to £50. The credit on the card does not expire and can be easily topped up at stations or shops across London if you run out.
The card costs £7, which includes the card fee and pre-loaded credit. It is recommended to have at least £30 credit for a four-day visit to London.
The Visitor Oyster card offers daily capping, which means you can make multiple journeys in a single day without paying additional fares once you reach the daily cap amount. This makes the card a cost-effective option, especially if you plan to make multiple journeys or travel across different zones.
The card can be purchased online and delivered to your home address before your trip, ensuring you have your travel ticket ready when you arrive in London. Alternatively, if you are unable to get the card before your trip, you can purchase it at Heathrow Airport from the dedicated Visitor Centres, airport rail stations, or select shops.
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Discounts and special offers
The Visitor Oyster Card offers a range of discounts and special offers at leading London restaurants, shops, and entertainment venues. The exact number of venues where the card is accepted varies, with some sources citing more than 25 locations. The card also offers discounts on Thames Clippers river buses, Thames River Tours, Circular Cruise services from all London Piers, and the IFS Cloud Cable Car.
The Visitor Oyster Card costs £7 (plus postage) and is pre-loaded with pay-as-you-go credit for travel. You can choose how much credit to add to your card: £10, £15, £20, £25, £30, £35, £40, or £50. The credit on the card never expires and can be easily topped up at any station or at thousands of shops throughout London.
The card also offers daily capping, which means that after several journeys in one day, you will reach a daily cap, and the rest of the journeys for that day will be free. The daily cap varies depending on travel zones and time of travel, with peak times being more expensive than off-peak times.
For those travelling with children, a Young Adult discount (half adult rate) can be added to the Visitor Oyster Card at Heathrow Airport Terminal stations, most Tube stations, and TfL Visitor and Travel Information Centres. The child must be present when adding this discount, and it is valid for up to 14 days.
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Refunds and top-ups
You can top up your Visitor Oyster card at any station or at thousands of shops throughout London. Tube, DLR, London Overground, Elizabeth line, and most National Rail stations, as well as over 4,000 local shops in London called Oyster Ticket Stops, are all options for topping up your card.
The Visitor Oyster card costs £7 (plus postage) and is pre-loaded with pay-as-you-go credit. You can choose how much credit to add to your card: £10, £15, £20, £25, £30, £35, £40, or £50. The credit on your card never expires—it stays there until you use it.
If you have a valid season ticket or more than £10 of pay-as-you-go credit on your Visitor Oyster card, you can request a refund by phone or mail. You can also get a refund of up to £10 in pay-as-you-go credit from a London Underground ticket machine.
If you live in the UK, phone 0343 222 1234 with your Visitor Oyster card number, address, and bank details (sort code and account number) handy. If you live outside the UK, phone +44 343 222 1234 with your Visitor Oyster card number, address (including country and postal, zip, or area code), and email address.
Send your card and a covering letter with your contact details (name, address, email address, and phone number) to the following address if you are requesting a refund by mail:
> TfL Customer Services
> 9th Floor, 5 Endeavour Square
> London E20 1JN
> England
You can also get a refund by visiting a Visitor Centre, including the Heathrow Visitor Centre at Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3 Tube Station and the Victoria Visitor Centre, which are open Monday to Friday from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm. Please note that once the credit has been refunded, you will not be able to use the card again.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can buy a Visitor Oyster Card at Heathrow Airport. You can purchase them at various Visitor Centres, dedicated rail stations, and some shops.
The Heathrow Visitor Centre is located at Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3 Tube Station.
A Visitor Oyster Card offers daily capping, which means you can travel as much as you like in a single day, and the amount you pay for your travel is limited. You can also use it to travel to and from Heathrow Airport. Additionally, cardholders enjoy special offers and discounts across the city.
