Using Oyster & Visitor Oyster Cards to/from Gatwick - key facts:
| London - Gatwick Airport comparison of fares 2020 |
|---|
| Service | Standard Adult Fare* |
|---|
| Gatwick Express Train (Ticket on day) | £19.90 | £38.90 |
| Gatwick Express Train (Advance online) | £17.80 | £34.70 |
| Gatwick Express Train (Oyster) | £19.80 | £39.60 |
From the New Year, many customers will be able to benefit from cheaper fares. Currently, a single journey paper peak-time ticket costs £15.40 from London Terminals to Gatwick Airport (excluding Gatwick Express). With pay as you go, a rush hour trip will cost £14.00 and £8.00 off-peak.
Contactless payment cards can be used to travel between Gatwick Airport and London Victoria on Gatwick Express services. Contactless is also valid on most National Rail services in London as well as bus, Tube, tram, DLR, London Overground and TfL Rail. Fares and daily caps are the same as with Oyster PAYG.
Gatwick Airport to London Underground Zone 1-6 by train
| Distance | miles ( km) |
|---|
| Departure station | Gatwick Airport |
| Arrival station | London Underground Zone 1-6 |
London Victoria to Gatwick Airport by train
| Journey time | From 27m |
|---|
| Price | From £12 |
| Distance | 23 miles (38 km) |
| Frequency | 353 trains per day |
| First train | 02:32 |
| London - Gatwick Airport comparison of fares 2020 |
|---|
| Service | Standard Adult Fare* |
|---|
| Thameslink Train to St Pancras (Oyster) | £8.50/£15.50~ | £17/£31~ |
| Gatwick Express Train (Ticket on day) | £19.90 | £38.90 |
| Gatwick Express Train (Advance online) | £17.80 | £34.70 |
You can use your Oyster card to pay for journeys on the Gatwick Express. Simply touch the card on the yellow Oyster card reader at the gates to the platform at Gatwick station or London Victoria. Remember, you'll get the best price when you buy your Gatwick Express ticket online.
When it comes to getting around, London is divided into 'zones' 1-6, with 'Zone 1' being the city centre and 'Zone 6' being the outskirts of the city. The system itself exists as a method for TfL (Transport for London) to calculate a customer's travel distance and charge accordingly.
Anytime Tickets
| Ticket Type | One-Way (Online) | One-Way (At Station) |
|---|
| Adult | £17.30 | £19.90 |
| Child | £8.65 | £9.95 |
| (with Oyster or Contactless Card) | N/A | £19.80 |
| 1st Class Adult | £26.70 | £29.90 |
The Gatwick Express is a direct train service into central London. Trains run every 15 minutes between Gatwick Airport's South Terminal and London Victoria Station every day from 5am to 12.30am. The journey time is 30 minutes and the service is non-stop to Victoria station.
Using Oyster & Visitor Oyster Cards to/from Gatwick - the key facts
| London - Gatwick Airport comparison of fares 2020 |
|---|
| Service | Standard Adult Fare* |
|---|
| Southern Train to Victoria (Train Ticket) | £17.20 | £34.40 |
| Southern Train to Victoria (Oyster) | £10.90/£17.90~ | £21.80/£35.80~ |
| Southern Train to Zone 1 (Oyster) | £8.50/£15.50~ | £13.50/£31.70~ |
Daily prices
| Type | Day Anytime Price | Off-Peak Day Price |
|---|
| Adult Zones 1-2 | £12.70 | £12.70 |
| Adult Zones 1-4 | £12.70 | £12.70 |
| Adult Zones 1-6 | £18.10 | £12.60 |
The Contactless conditions of Use set out your rights and obligations when you use an Oyster card to travel on Southern or other National Rail services. They apply in addition to the National Rail Conditions of Travel.
The most convenient place to buy Oyster cards for visitors are Underground stations, including Heathrow Airport. You can pay cash or credit card. However there are no longer manned ticket offices at Underground and DLR stations, you have to buy from a ticket machine.
New 60+ London Oyster photocard will give free travel on all TfL services from 1 November. However, unlike the Freedom Pass, 60+ Oystercard holders will not be able to use their card to travel free of charge on local bus services in other parts of the country.
You can travel free on most National Rail services from 09:30 on weekdays and anytime on weekends and public holidays.
For central London (zone 1) it costs
£2.40 per journey with a contactless debit or credit card.
Underground.
| Contactless Single Fares 2021 |
|---|
| Single:off-peak | Single:peak |
|---|
| Zone 1–4 | £2.90 | £4.00 |
| Zone 1–5 | £3.20 | £4.80 |
| Zone 1–6 | £3.30 | £5.30 |
It's publicised that if you use contactless to pay for travel in London, it's the same price as using an Oyster card. Of course, if you have a railcard discount (or similar) applied to your Oyster, that will always be cheaper than contactless. Discounts cannot be applied to contactless payment cards.
You no longer need a paper ticket or Oyster card to travel on the capital's underground, trams, DLR and overground trains. As of today, you can board buses and tube trains in London by simply swiping your credit or debit card.
Contactless cardsIf your bank card shows the contactless payment symbol, you can use it to pay as you go straight away. You'll pay an adult rate fare. Many contactless cards issued outside the UK can be used to pay as you go for travel (overseas transaction fees may apply):
If you don't touch in and out, we can't tell where you've travelled from or to, so your journey will be incomplete.
Supports travelcards: One of the main advantages of the Oyster card is that it supports travelcards. If you are in London for seven days starting anytime outside of that Monday – Sunday period, and will be travelling enough to make the travel card worth it, then it will be better value than a contactless card.
There is not a daily limit on how much or how often you can use contactless to make a payment, but every so often you will have to put your PIN in to confirm the transaction.
You can now use your contactless payment card or compatible mobile device on most National Rail services in the Oyster Pay As You Go (PAYG) area where contactless payments are accepted, as well as the bus, Tube, London Trams, DLR, TfL Rail and London Overground.
If you have an American Express, Mastercard or Visa credit or debit card or a linked device, you can use it to pay for your travel by tapping on and tapping off at Opal readers. Just look for the contactless payment symbol . If you're unsure whether your card is contactless-enabled, check with your card issuer.
