I saw this message recently and it left me seriously confused. I was in London for about a week with my twelve year old.
For myself, I just swipe my mobile and I am done. For my child tried:
- Registering in the TfL mobile app doesn't work for children
- An Oyster Card for children should exist but we were told to get a paper ticket instead - at multiple TfL counters.
- Tried to swipe twice, for my child and myself. Did not work - unsurprisingly.
- Trying to get a paper ticket for a child leads to the mentioned pop-up, which says: "It's cheaper to use contactless [..] at adult rate [..]". What is that supposed to mean when trying to buy a ticket for a child? Is the contactless adult rate still cheaper than a paper child ticket? If not, then why am I seeing this pop-up?
So for our next visit: What is the proper way to travel with a 12 year old child as a tourist?
There is an Oyster Card for children aged between 11 and 15, but you have to apply for it in advance and supply a photo. I think it's aimed at people who live in/regularly visit London:
Thanks, this is a good summary and is very much appreciated.
If we assume that an Oyster card for children doesn't make much sense for a tourist, I found no option where the child is cheaper than the adult.
Admittedly, most often the difference between contactless for the adult and the pay-as-you-go Oyster card is negligible. Still it is a bit disappointing.
For myself, I just swipe my mobile and I am done. For my child tried:
- Registering in the TfL mobile app doesn't work for children
- An Oyster Card for children should exist but we were told to get a paper ticket instead - at multiple TfL counters.
- Tried to swipe twice, for my child and myself. Did not work - unsurprisingly.
- Trying to get a paper ticket for a child leads to the mentioned pop-up, which says: "It's cheaper to use contactless [..] at adult rate [..]". What is that supposed to mean when trying to buy a ticket for a child? Is the contactless adult rate still cheaper than a paper child ticket? If not, then why am I seeing this pop-up?
So for our next visit: What is the proper way to travel with a 12 year old child as a tourist?