UK Transport Costs: Buses, Trains, Railcards and Fare Caps

To work out your transport costs in the UK, add up three things: the real fare after any daily or weekly cap, the full journey time including walking, waiting and changes, and the cost of a backup route. In London, for example, pay as you go travel in Zones 1 and 2 is capped at £8.90 a day on a contactless card or Oyster, however many journeys you make. A figure like that can change which home you choose.

Who this transport guide is for

It is for anyone comparing homes, budgeting for a new job or course, or planning to drive on a foreign licence. Figures come from operators and official sites; fares usually change yearly, so check the link first.

Cost your journey door to door, step by step

Plan the trip from the home you are considering at your real departure time, because London fares differ between peak and off-peak.
Count your days on site each week. Hybrid working changes whether pay as you go or a season ticket is cheaper.
Apply the daily or weekly cap, then any discounts such as a Railcard or student fares.
Cost a backup route for strikes and closures.
Put the figure into your housing budget in the cost of living planner.

London: TfL fares and caps

See also our London guide. Pay with a contactless card, phone or Oyster, using the same one all day so the cap applies. Peak fares apply Monday to Friday (not on public holidays) between 06:30 and 09:30 and between 16:00 and 19:00.

Buses and trams

An adult pay as you go bus or tram journey costs £1.75. The Hopper fare gives you unlimited bus and tram journeys made within one hour of touching in. The daily bus and tram cap is £5.25 and the weekly cap (Monday to Sunday) is £24.70. All 5 to 10-year-olds travel free on buses and trams. TfL says these prices rise on 1 November 2026: £1.85 a journey, a £5.55 daily cap and a £26.10 weekly cap.

Tube and rail in London (2026 adult prices)

Zones	Daily peak cap	Weekly cap (Mon to Sun)	Monthly Travelcard
1 to 2	£8.90	£44.70	£171.70
1 to 3	£10.50	£52.50	£201.60
1 to 4	£12.80	£64.20	£246.60
1 to 6	£16.30	£81.60	£313.40

The caps cover the Tube, DLR, Elizabeth line, London Overground and most National Rail services in Zones 1 to 9. Southeastern high-speed and Heathrow Express services are not included in caps or Travelcards.

Worked example

Someone lives in Zone 4, works in Zone 1 and goes into the office 3 days a week, travelling at peak times both ways:

The most they pay on an office day is the daily cap: £12.80.
Per week: 3 × £12.80 = £38.40, which is below the weekly cap of £64.20.
In a month with about 13 office days: up to about £166.40, against £246.60 for a monthly Travelcard. Pay as you go is cheaper here.

A cap is a maximum; use TfL’s single fare finder to price individual journeys.

Driving in London

If your vehicle does not meet the ULEZ emissions standards and is not exempt, you pay £12.50 a day to drive within the zone. The central London Congestion Charge is £18 a day if paid on the day or in advance, or £21 if paid by midnight of the third day after travel. That is before fuel, parking and insurance.

Trains between cities: Railcards

A Railcard saves a third on most train tickets in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales). Most cost £35 for a year, and some are available for £80 for 3 years.

Railcard	Who it is for	Price	Key restriction
16–25 Railcard	Ages 16 to 25, plus mature students aged 26 and over	£35 for 1 year, £80 for 3 years	Minimum fare and time restrictions apply
26–30 Railcard	Ages 26 to 30	£35 for 1 year	£12 minimum fare for journeys between 04:30 and 09:59, Monday to Friday, excluding Advance fares
Two Together	Two adults travelling together	£35 for 1 year	Discount only when you travel together
Family & Friends	Up to 4 adults with children aged 5 to 15	£35 for 1 year, £80 for 3 years	A third off adult tickets and up to 60% off child tickets

TfL publishes separate caps for National Railcard holders in London. Check eligibility on the Railcard site before you buy.

Buses outside London

In England outside London, single fares on participating bus routes are capped at £3 until the end of 2026. On 22 July 2026 the government announced that single bus tickets in England outside London will be capped at £2 from 1 January until 31 December 2027. Not every route takes part, so check the list of operators and routes on GOV.UK or your bus company’s website. London is not included because fares there are capped locally.

In Scotland, everyone aged 5 to 21 who lives there can travel free by bus with a National Entitlement Card. That includes people seeking asylum and refugees in that age group, who apply through their local council. Wales and Northern Ireland have their own fare systems through Transport for Wales and Translink, so check the operator’s site before you work out costs.

Driving on a foreign licence and exchanging it

Once you are resident in Great Britain, you can drive on your full, valid licence for 12 months from when you became resident. After that it depends on where you passed your test:

A “designated country or territory”: you exchange your licence for a GB licence, and you have 5 years from becoming resident to do so. The list includes Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, Ukraine and the United Arab Emirates, among others. It is the only Arab country on the list.
Any other country: after 12 months you need a GB provisional licence and must pass the theory and practical tests to keep driving. This applies, for example, to licences from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Morocco, India, Pakistan and Nigeria, which are not on the list.

How to exchange a UAE licence

Request a Licence Data Verification Letter from the UAE Ministry of Interior, signing in with UAE Pass.
Get a D1 application form from a Post Office that offers DVLA services.
Send the letter, the form, the £43 fee and any required documents, including your licence, to the address on the form.
Your licence usually arrives in 3 to 4 weeks. It can take longer if you have told DVLA about a medical condition.

Great Britain means England, Wales and Scotland; Northern Ireland has a different process.

Comparing two homes on transport cost

Say you are choosing between a flat in Zone 2 and a cheaper one in Zone 6, and you commute to Zone 1 by Tube five days a week at peak times:

From Zone 2: five days at the £8.90 cap is £44.50, just under the £44.70 weekly cap.
From Zone 6: five days at the £16.30 cap is £81.50, just under the £81.60 weekly cap.
The difference is about £37 a week, or roughly £160 a month over a 52-week year.

If the rent difference is smaller than that, the cheaper flat is not really cheaper, and the longer journey costs you time too. If you have children, add their journeys and read our schools guide, because distance can affect admission.

Common mistakes

Comparing map distance instead of journey time. One extra change can cost more than extra miles.
Using two different cards in one day. Caps work per card or device.
Buying a monthly ticket with a hybrid job. Count real office days first.
Assuming London rules apply elsewhere. See our Manchester and Edinburgh guides.
Driving on a foreign licence after 12 months without exchanging it or passing the test.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need an Oyster card, or is my bank card enough?

A contactless card or phone works and the same caps apply. Oyster photocards are useful for discounts; for example, an 18+ Student Oyster photocard gives 30% off 7 Day, Monthly and longer Bus & Tram Pass season tickets.

When is off-peak in London?

All times outside 06:30 to 09:30 and 16:00 to 19:00 on weekdays, plus weekends and public holidays. Night Tube and London Overground Night Service fares are always off-peak.

My licence is from Egypt. Can I exchange it?

Egypt is not on the GOV.UK designated countries list. You can drive on it for 12 months after becoming resident, then you need a provisional licence and must pass both tests. Always check the official tool, as the list can change.

Does the £3 bus fare cap apply in London?

No. The national cap covers England outside London. London buses have their own TfL fare of £1.75 per journey with the Hopper fare, rising to £1.85 on 1 November 2026.

Sources

Your next step

Add your travel costs to rent and bills in the cost of living planner, then check the property with our housing checklist. If you will need to take a driving test, browse driving schools in the directory.

Reviewed 17 October 2026.

Transport: compare the door-to-door journey