London Underground fares depend on the zones you travel through and the time of day. Central London is Zone 1, and the zones spread outwards to Zone 9. Journeys at peak times on weekdays cost more than off-peak journeys.
The cheapest way to pay is to tap a contactless bank card, phone or Oyster card on the yellow readers when you enter and leave. Pay-as-you-go fares are capped each day and each Monday to Sunday week, so frequent travellers never pay more than the cap. Paper tickets from machines cost far more.
From 1 March 2026, pay-as-you-go single fares rose by up to 20p, while the daily and weekly caps stayed at their 2025 levels.
How to Pay
- Oyster card
- Contactless (Visa/Mastercard/Amex)
- Travelcard
- Cash (station machines only)
Fare Table (GBP)
All fares shown are Oyster / contactless prices. Cash paper tickets cost significantly more at every zone level.
| Zones | Off-Peak | Peak |
|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 only | £3.00 | £3.10 |
| Zones 1–2 | £3.10 | £3.60 |
| Zones 1–3 | £3.30 | £3.90 |
| Zones 1–4 | £3.60 | £4.80 |
| Zones 1–5 | £3.80 | £5.30 |
| Zones 1–6 | £4.00 | £5.90 |
Daily and weekly caps in 2026
A cap is the most you pay for a day, or a Monday to Sunday week, of pay-as-you-go travel within a set of zones. Use the same card or phone for every journey so all your trips count towards the same cap.
| Zones | Daily cap | Weekly cap (Monday to Sunday) |
|---|---|---|
| Zones 1–2 | £8.90 | £44.70 |
| Zones 1–3 | £10.50 | £52.50 |
| Zones 1–4 | £12.80 | £64.20 |
| Zones 1–5 | £15.30 | £76.40 |
| Zones 1–6 | £16.30 | £81.60 |
Caps cover the Tube, DLR, Elizabeth line, London Overground and most National Rail services in London. Heathrow Express and Southeastern high-speed trains are not included. Source: TfL adult fares 2026.
Peak and off-peak times
Peak fares apply Monday to Friday, except public holidays, from 06:30 to 09:30 and from 16:00 to 19:00. At all other times, including weekends and public holidays, you pay the off-peak fare.
The difference is biggest on longer trips. A Zones 1–6 journey costs £5.90 at peak times but £4.00 off-peak, so a late start can save almost £2 on each trip.
Contactless, Oyster or Travelcard?
| Contactless card or phone | Oyster card | 7 Day Travelcard | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | None | £7 for the card | The ticket price, e.g. £44.70 for Zones 1–2 |
| Fares | Pay as you go | Pay as you go | Unlimited travel in your zones |
| Caps | Daily and Monday to Sunday weekly | Daily and Monday to Sunday weekly | Not needed |
| Best for | Most visitors and residents | Railcard discounts, or no contactless card | A week that starts midweek |
Visitors from abroad should check whether their bank charges a fee for each contactless payment made in pounds.
How to pay less on the Tube
- Use one card or phone for every journey, so all your trips count towards the same cap.
- Always touch in and touch out. If you forget to touch out, you can be charged a maximum fare.
- Travel after 09:30 on weekdays, or at weekends, to pay off-peak fares.
- Take the bus for short trips: bus journeys are cheaper and count towards the daily cap, and the Hopper fare lets you change buses within an hour for a single fare.
- If you have a National Railcard, add it to an Oyster card to get a discount on off-peak pay-as-you-go fares and caps.
- Children under 11 travel free on the Tube when accompanied by a paying adult.
Payment Cards & Passes
Oyster Card
Everything about the Oyster card: how to get one, top up, daily caps, and whether you need one in 2026.
- Daily and weekly fare caps, never overpay however many trips you take.
- Off-peak fares lower than cash tickets.
- Works on Tube, Bus, DLR, Overground, Elizabeth line, National Rail (within zones), River Bus.
Fares are indicative and subject to change. Always verify current fares at the Transport for London (TfL) official website.