If you’re a student in a London uni, you can get a Student Oyster with a photo card—it gives you 30% off adult-rate travel. For buses, that’s about £1.22 per ride. Seniors (60+) get a Freedom Pass that makes buses free after 9am on weekdays and all day weekends. Retirement never sounded so sweet. And if you’re on benefits, there’s the Zip Oyster for 18+ with a steep discount. Just don’t forget to apply—London’s bureaucracy is like a maze of soggy toast.
Here’s a weird irony: you can buy a single ticket on the bus using a paper ticket—but only from a machine at major stops. Those cost £2.80. So you’re paying over a pound extra just to hold a flimsy receipt. Don’t be that person. Tap or swipe, and keep the £1.05 for a sausage roll.
Higher fares across all London transport take effect - BBC News
The night bus twist
Buses run all night (the famous “N” routes), and the same £1.75 fare applies. No surge pricing, no extra drama. But here’s the kicker: if you tap off after midnight, it counts toward the next day’s cap. So if you’re stumbling home at 3am, your first ride of the new day might be free if you’ve already paid the £5.25 cap. That’s the kind of cheap logic that makes drunk math feel genius.
Let’s talk about group travel. You can’t pay for friends—each person taps individually. I once watched a couple try to “share” a contactless card by tapping it twice. The machine just beeped angrily. Romance is dead, and so is your fare-saving scheme. So if you’re with a crew, make sure everyone has their own payment method.
A final, slightly embarrassing confession: I once tried to pay with my gym membership card. The bus driver stared at me like I’d offered him a potato. So remember: only contactless cards, Oyster, or phones. Not your coffee loyalty app, not your library card, not your hopes and dreams. Just a clean tap, a cheerful beep, and you’re on your way.
So how much is a bus in London? It’s £1.75. But it’s also a lesson in modern survival—no cash, endless transfers, and a cap that feels like a hug. Next time you see a tourist fumbling for coins at a stop, save them. Smile, and say, “Just tap your phone, love. It’s cheaper than a handwarmer.”
