Travelcard facts for kids

A Travelcard is a special ticket that lets you use most types of public transport in London. This includes buses, the Underground (often called the "Tube"), and many trains. You can buy Travelcards from Transport for London (TfL) or National Rail stations. They make travelling around London much easier!

How Travelcards Started

Before Travelcards, getting around London was a bit tricky. If you wanted to switch from a bus to the Underground, you had to buy a new ticket each time. This often caused delays and made journeys longer.

In 1981, a new group called the Labour Greater London Council (like London's city government) came into power. Their leader, Ken Livingstone, had a big idea: one ticket for all of London's transport. Their slogan was "Just The Ticket." This meant you only needed one ticket for buses and the Underground. They also lowered transport prices, which was very popular.

Even though a court later said the price cut was not allowed, the idea of one ticket for everything was a huge success. Over the 1980s and 1990s, as new transport lines opened, the Travelcard system grew.

By 1985, there were two main types of tickets. The "Travelcard" covered buses and the Underground. The "Capitalcard" covered buses, the Underground, and local British Rail (train) services. Around 1989, the Travelcard became even better, taking over from the Capitalcard and offering more travel options.

The original system used "zones" to show where your ticket was valid. These zones helped people know which areas they could travel through with their ticket.

What Transport Can You Use?

With a Travelcard, you can travel on many different types of transport within Greater London:

• London Buses: This includes some bus routes that go just outside London.
• London Underground: The famous "Tube" trains.
• London Overground: Another train network in London.
• Docklands Light Railway: A special driverless train system in East London.
• National Rail: Most train services in London, but not the Heathrow Express to the airport.
• Tramlink: Trams that run in South London.

Travelcards also give you a 33% discount on some London River Services, which are boats that travel along the River Thames.

Images for kids

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  A One Day Travelcard from 2006.

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  A poster from January 1985 advertising the new Capitalcard ticket.