by BVK » Mon Jan 27, 2020 6:37 am
Hi!
I was wondering this so I spoke to TFL and the train companies directly - as my parents used to sell Oyster cards when they had their Newsagents and they said my son definitely doesn’t need to pay for any London travel now he’s over 5, but he does need the Zip Oyster card and to make sure he touches in and out whenever travelling on tubes or trains whether with an adult or not, but it isn’t necessary on buses if he’s with an adult. I double checked this because the train guard at the station told me once he should have a paid child ticket but he didn’t tell me off or enforce it or anything!
So, they are good to travel for free as long as they touch in and out with a Zip Oyster on any London (up to Zone 6) buses, overground trains or tubes, this includes Southern, SWR etc. The TFL operator I spoke to questioned what the train guard was talking about and even double checked with her manager. But, just in case, she said to me at the time to put a small amount of PAYG credit on the Zip Oyster if I was worried. but she assured me that they would never deduct it even on an overground train journey as long as you stay within Zones 1-6, and she was right - he still has the same credit on his oyster which he’s had for over a year now and we use the SWR or Southern trains every day!
Hope that helps!
Hi!
I was wondering this so I spoke to TFL and the train companies directly - as my parents used to sell Oyster cards when they had their Newsagents and they said my son definitely doesn’t need to pay for any London travel now he’s over 5, but he does need the Zip Oyster card and to make sure he touches in and out whenever travelling on tubes or trains whether with an adult or not, but it isn’t necessary on buses if he’s with an adult. I double checked this because the train guard at the station told me once he should have a paid child ticket but he didn’t tell me off or enforce it or anything!
So, they are good to travel for free as long as they touch in and out with a Zip Oyster on any London (up to Zone 6) buses, overground trains or tubes, this includes Southern, SWR etc. The TFL operator I spoke to questioned what the train guard was talking about and even double checked with her manager. But, just in case, she said to me at the time to put a small amount of PAYG credit on the Zip Oyster if I was worried. but she assured me that they would never deduct it even on an overground train journey as long as you stay within Zones 1-6, and she was right - he still has the same credit on his oyster which he’s had for over a year now and we use the SWR or Southern trains every day!
Hope that helps!