Yes, in London, you can make unlimited bus or tram journeys for free within one hour of your first "touch in" using the same card or device, known as the Hopper fare. The first journey costs £1.75, and subsequent bus/tram journeys within 60 minutes are free, automatically applied.
Enjoy 90 minutes of travel across the TFI network for one low fare with your TFI Leap Card: Adults: €2.00. Young Adults (19–25) / Students: €1.00. Children (5–18): €0.65.
London's "1 hour rule" refers to the Hopper Fare, which allows unlimited bus and tram journeys for a single £1.75 fare within one hour of your first tap-in, using the same contactless or Oyster card. It means you can switch between buses and trams as much as you like, even linking with the Tube or DLR (though the main benefit is bus/tram hopping), without paying again, provided your subsequent taps are within 60 minutes of the initial touch.
On a bus or tram, you only need to touch in. If you touch out at the end of your bus or tram journey, you may end up paying more than you need to. For all other journeys, you always need to touch out, even if the gates are open. If there are no gates, use a free-standing yellow card reader.
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How expensive is a bus to buy?
TfL, however, estimates that a standard hybrid diesel-electric double-deck bus is in the region of £300,000. The latest New Routemaster with Euro VI engine costs £349,500.
The 10p payment is to check that the card is valid and has some balance. The charge will get updated to the correct amount once the day has completed and TfL have been able to calculate where you went and how much they need to charge you.
While the tunnel itself is notoriously congested, passengers can now skip both the traffic and the fare. The free fare applies across the entire route — not just the part that passes through the tunnel.
Children under 5 years of age travel for free on most journeys but check with your train company to make sure. Please note, children under 5 who are travelling without a ticket may only occupy a seat that is not required by a fare-paying passenger.
You'll be charged the Single fare to the end of the journey of the bus you were travelling on - so please remember to 'Tap off'! We all make mistakes, so if you need any assistance let us know. Is this page useful?
A Penalty Fare is an on-the-spot fare issued to anyone who does not have a valid ticket for their journey when they have had the opportunity to purchase one.
A green light, accompanied by one beep, means that your contactless card or device has been accepted for travel. A red light, accompanied by two beeps, means it has been rejected.
Why am I seeing a $0.10 charge when paying for public transport?
When you tap your GXS FlexiCard on the fare gantry, a S$0.10 pre-authorisation charge is made to ensure your card is active and ready. Don't worry, this isn't your actual fare. It will be promptly returned once the final transaction details from SimplyGo are processed.
No need for a ticket just tap on tap off with your contactless bank card. You can also pay the driver cash if you prefer a paper ticket, but we ask that you have the right change if you can. This £1 fare is not available on N1. N2 or N5.
No, the £2 single bus fare cap in England ended on December 31, 2024, and was replaced by a £3 single fare cap from January 1, 2025, through the end of 2025, with some regions like Greater Manchester keeping their own lower fares.
