Travelcards

Travelcards explained

A Travelcard gives you unlimited travel (in the zones it’s valid for) on all National Rail services in London, including Southeastern  (except highspeed services unless combined with a rail ticket which states ‘plus highspeed’), as well as Transport for London (TfL) London Underground, DLR, London Overground, Elizabeth line, all London Buses and, if valid in zones 3, 4, 5 or 6, on all London Trams. 

When can I use a Travelcard? 

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. The One Day Travelcard can be printed on a paper ticket or added to our contactless smartcard, The Key (you may also want to consider using pay as you go (PAYG) on Oyster or Contactless instead, with daily capping that can work out cheaper.) Travelcards for 7 days or longer can only be added to The Key or to your TfL Oyster card. 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. Find out more on the National Rail Oyster Card page

What if I want to 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 wanted 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. Find out more on the National Rail Travel Information page

Can I combine a Travelcard with my rail ticket to or from London? 

Yes. 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 One Day Travelcard. Check our Journey Planner to see if this option is available.

I’ve heard that One Day Travelcards were due to be scrapped – is this true?

In April 2023, the Mayor of London proposed to withdraw One Day Travelcards. In October 2023, the Department for Transport, TfL and rail operators including Southeastern struck a deal to save the Travelcard. This was subject to a one-off price increase of 3% on One Day Travelcards for travel from stations outside Zones 1 – 6 as part of a rail ticket from March 2024, which is in addition to the Department for Transport’s announced regulated fares increase of 4.9%. Unfortunately, this additional price increase means that the One Day Travelcard as part of a rail ticket may not always be the best value, depending on the number of journeys you intend to make within London. It may cheaper to buy your ticket from stations outside Zones 1 - 6 separately and then use PAYG contactless or Oyster to travel within these zones.

How can I get the best value when buying my ticket?

You can check individual journeys and compare both options by using our Journey Planner as well as the TfL Single fare finder. As an example, if you buy an Off-Peak Day Return from Dover Priory to London St. Pancras International valid on highspeed services  for £54.40 and used PAYG contactless or Oyster twice within Zones 1 – 6, you will save £1.50 compared to buying a One Day Travelcard for the same journey for £61.30.