Travelcards explained
A Travelcard is a special fare that is valid for your rail journey to London as well as for the local journeys you intend to make inside London’s travel Zones. If you are travelling on one of our services between Kent or East Sussex and London, you may be able to buy a rail ticket which also includes a Travelcard. Check our journey planner to see if this option is available. A Travelcard gives you unlimited travel on Southeastern and National Rail services in London, as well as Transport for London (TfL) London Underground, DLR, London Overground, Elizabeth line, TfL London Buses and, if valid in Zones 3, 4, 5 or 6, on all London Trams*.
When can I use a Travelcard?
Season Travelcards and Anytime Day Travelcards can be used at any time, whilst Off-Peak Travelcards can only be used at certain times in the day. Travelcards can start on any day of the week and can bought for 1 day, 7 days, 1 month and any period between 1 month and 1 year. You must select the London Zones you want it to be valid for. Travelcards can be printed on a paper ticket or added to our contactless smartcard, The Key. There is currently no eTicket barcode version available.
Can I travel beyond the Zones permitted on my Travelcard?
You will need to purchase a Boundary Zone ticket to or from stations outside of London. For example, if you have a 7 Day Zones 1 to 3 Travelcard and want to travel to Dover Priory, you can buy a London Boundary Zone 3 to Dover Priory Day Return from a ticket office or ticket vending machine. The train you are on does not need to call at a station within Zone 3 to be valid. Boundary tickets can be sold in the opposite direction as well (e.g. Dover Priory to London Boundary Zone 3). Find out more on the National Rail Travel Information page page or on our Boundary Zone Fares page.
How can I get the best value when buying my ticket?
You can check individual journeys and compare your options by using our Journey Planner alongside the TfL Single Fare Finder, or by visiting a Southeastern ticket office. In general, the more National Rail, Tube, bus or tram journeys you make within the London Zones, the better value the Travelcard may represent. As an example, if you buy an Off-Peak Day Return from Dover Priory to London St. Pancras International valid on Highspeed services and then make only two Tube journeys in Zone 1-2, using PAYG contactless or Oyster for the journeys you make within the London Zones would be cheaper than buying a One Day Travelcard for the same journey. Find out more on the National Rail Oyster Card page.
*Special fares apply for Southeastern Highspeed services, as well as for Cable Car, Gatwick Express and Heathrow Express.
