Denim Posted July 27, 2023 Share Posted July 27, 2023 I'll be visiting the UK for a couple of months soon. It used to be the case that London Transport buses around Heathrow airport perimeter were free. However I have only just discovered that this is no longer the case and that you need to have an Oyster card. ( only available from the underground station not the bus station ). I had to use the automated machines there about 7 or 8 years ago and as there were a lot of flights arriving at that time ( 7.30 pm) there was an ugly and confused scrum of some 60 odd people trying to fathom out which ticket to get. They would likely still be there now had not a member of the underground staff come out and started getting everybody their ticket. So , to avoid this I was wondering can I use a local bus just using my UK debit card which has the contactless symbol on it as shown below. Sorry if this sounds like Rip Van Winkle asking but if you don't live in the UK and seldom visit then things change that you are not aware of. Thanks in advance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hotandsticky Posted July 27, 2023 Share Posted July 27, 2023 You don’t need an Oyster card, in fact I will discard mine after I leave the U.K. today. You can simply tap your credit card at underground gates and on London Transport buses. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denim Posted July 27, 2023 Author Share Posted July 27, 2023 Just now, hotandsticky said: You don’t need an Oyster card, in fact I will discard mine after I leave the U.K. today. You can simply tap your credit card at underground gates and on London Transport buses. I take it you can use a debit card as well as a credit card ? Thanks for answering. Saves a big hassle. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorkshire Tea Posted July 27, 2023 Share Posted July 27, 2023 46 minutes ago, Denim said: I take it you can use a debit card as well as a credit card ? Thanks for answering. Saves a big hassle. If you're travelling with family, each passenger needs their own contactless card. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eff1n2ret Posted July 27, 2023 Share Posted July 27, 2023 44 minutes ago, Yorkshire Tea said: If you're travelling with family, each passenger needs their own contactless card. Correct. We once fell foul of that - had to get off the bus and go to a local shop to buy an extra payment card. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorkshire Tea Posted July 27, 2023 Share Posted July 27, 2023 11 minutes ago, Eff1n2ret said: Correct. We once fell foul of that - had to get off the bus and go to a local shop to buy an extra payment card. Elsewhere in UK can pay for everyone with one card. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vinny41 Posted July 27, 2023 Share Posted July 27, 2023 (edited) Steer clear of the Heathrow Hotel hoppa buses they charge a wopping £6.80 for a single journey quite often they stop at the same stops as TLF red buses https://www.mylondon.news/lifestyle/travel/heathrow-londons-most-expensive-bus-23478475 TLF buses were offering £2 per day max fare with oyster not sure if same applies if your using cashless instead of oyster Edited July 27, 2023 by vinny41 add 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soi3eddie Posted July 27, 2023 Share Posted July 27, 2023 The free bus travel around the Heathrow airport perimeter was removed in June 2021 (cost saving). Good thing is that fares are only £1.65 for London bus travel (can change to other routes within 1 hour at no extra cost - still need to tap the card - any contactless debit or credit card). Travel between airport terminals on any of the trains - underground, Heathrow Express or Elizabeth line - is still free. If using a combination of buses, underground or Elizabeth line, once the maximum daily fare (about £10.50 IIRC) is reached, then all other journeies that day are free. Can be very good value for a visitor. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denim Posted July 27, 2023 Author Share Posted July 27, 2023 1 hour ago, Yorkshire Tea said: If you're travelling with family, each passenger needs their own contactless card. Thanks. Fortunately I will be traveling alone this trip. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denim Posted July 27, 2023 Author Share Posted July 27, 2023 10 minutes ago, soi3eddie said: The free bus travel around the Heathrow airport perimeter was removed in June 2021 (cost saving). Good thing is that fares are only £1.65 for London bus travel (can change to other routes within 1 hour at no extra cost - still need to tap the card - any contactless debit or credit card). Travel between airport terminals on any of the trains - underground, Heathrow Express or Elizabeth line - is still free. If using a combination of buses, underground or Elizabeth line, once the maximum daily fare (about £10.50 IIRC) is reached, then all other journeies that day are free. Can be very good value for a visitor. Thanks for the info. I was not so much concerned about the cost ( although cheap is better ) , it was avoiding the unseemly scrum at the Oyster dispensing machines in the underground. I've got UK bank cards so now I'm ok to use them. It's strange to feel like a tourist in the land of your birth but that's the fact of it. Reverse culture shock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hotandsticky Posted July 27, 2023 Share Posted July 27, 2023 1 hour ago, Yorkshire Tea said: If you're travelling with family, each passenger needs their own contactless card. Good point, I had to give my missus one of my credit cards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hotandsticky Posted July 27, 2023 Share Posted July 27, 2023 2 hours ago, Denim said: I take it you can use a debit card as well as a credit card ? Thanks for answering. Saves a big hassle. If it is contactless (which I think they all are) then OK. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayClay Posted July 28, 2023 Share Posted July 28, 2023 16 hours ago, vinny41 said: TLF buses were offering £2 per day max fare with oyster not sure if same applies if your using cashless instead of oyster When were they offering that? It seems incredibly low. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OJAS Posted July 28, 2023 Share Posted July 28, 2023 16 hours ago, vinny41 said: TLF buses were offering £2 per day max fare with oyster not sure if same applies if your using cashless instead of oyster Daily cap for TfL bus travel is now £5.25: https://tfl.gov.uk/campaign/new-fares?intcmp=34454 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now