The following table summarises the validity of the different tickets you can use on Oyster. For most tourists, tubes and buses are the only transport you will use, but be aware that these tickets are not valid on Airport Express trains.
Bus
London Underground
London Overground
National Rail
DLR
Tram
Airport Express trains
Pay-as-you-go
yes
yes
yes
yes
yes
yes
no
Travelcard
yes
yes
yes
yes
yes
yes
no
Bus pass
yes
no
no
no
no
yes
no
Bus (and Tram) Passes are only available for periods of 7 days and longer.
Travelcards are valid only within the zones you buy.
Piccadilly line to Heathrow is a London Underground train, so PrePay and Travelcards are valid.
Airport Express trains are Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted Express.
Travelcards are valid on Thameslink but if you are heading all the way to Luton airport, you will need a ticket between the edge of your travelcard zone and the airport.
A reminder on the streets of London to "Look Right" when you cross the road
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about London
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in London - updated Mar 2024
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London Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.