7 Days – Get the 7-Day Travelcard. There are a number of versions of this card, however for the purposes of this post we’re going to focus on the standard blue Oyster card that you can purchase in London from most train and tube stations. Standard Oyster cards can hold seven day and longer period Travelcards, PAYG pre-pay money (up to £90) or both. It can be loaded with PAYG credit and 7 day or longer travelcards. An Oyster card is an electronic plastic smartcard that can be loaded with pay-as-you-go transport credit. A normal Oyster Card you can only purchase once you arrive in London through a tube station, National rail station, most newagents or a TFL travel centre. Yes, Visitor Oyster card holders can enjoy a range of special offers and discounts at more than 25 leading London restaurants, shops and entertainment venues. The standard Oyster card also has a £5 cost (which is not part of your credit), but it’s a refundable deposit. From Heathrow to London city center and back to Heathrow. You can get both on Gatwick station. I've seen mentioned on this forum to put a 7 day travel card on an Oyster card but on the TFL site it states that you can't put a travel card on a Vistor Oyster card. This is all in a span of week and half. Is there a difference between an Oyster Card and a Visitor Oyster card. As I understand it, an Oyster Card is a plastic card onto which you load money for fares on public transport. Simple a visitor Oyster Card cost you £18 which you can order in advance and it comes with £15 of credit pre-loaded so you can use it as soon as you arrive in London. The regular card you get from an underground station or Oyster stop shop and has a refundable £5 deposit which can be refunded after 48 hour of use when returned to an underground station. Visitor oyster cards you order for delivery before you arrive in London, they have a non-refundable £3 fee plus you pay postage - I have seen it as much as £8 so you would pay out £11 for it.It is also restricted to pay as you go credit only (PAYG) and can't be loaded with 7 day or longer travelcards. Unused PAYG money can be refunded along with the deposit for the card. Answer 1 of 25: I am reading info on these forums that refer to Oyster vs. I've seen mentioned on this forum to put a 7 day travel card on an Oyster card but on the TFL site it states that you can't put a travel card on a Vistor Oyster card. To save repetition Chris F has provided a good explanation of the ins and outs of this, and I totally agree with his conclusion to go with the Oyster card option. Those living and working in London will almost always have an Oyster Card in their wallet and, as a general rule of thumb, the Oyster Card is the benchmark to be beaten, although people are fast migrating to contactless payment cards. We got our Visitor Oyster card with our London Pass, and got through our trip without problems.. How to Buy a Regular Oyster Card. I've seen mentioned on this forum to put a 7 day travel card on an Oyster card but on the TFL site it states that you can't put a travel card on a Vistor Oyster card. The cards can be registered (with a UK address) so if lost or stolen they can be de-activated. There is also a Visitor Oyster Card. When making a trip to London, planning local transportation is important for all kinds of travelers. Visitor Oyster cards can be purchased by non-UK residents before they travel. Will the Visitor Oyster card have my name on it? There only real differences between a Visitor Oyster card vs a regular Oyster card is that they look different, the Visitor Oyster has a £3.00 card fee vs. the £5.00 refundable card fee that the regular Oyster has, and that the Visitor Oyster entitles you to select discounts Answer 1 of 10: Just curious about the two types of Oyster Cards, visitor vs Traveller. I will be traveling from Heathrow to Luton airport. An Oyster card is a transport for London (tfl) card that you can use to travel on London transport buses, tubes, DLR, and some trains. The only differences are: 1) The £3 deposit on the Visitor Oyster Card is non-refundable - so you pay £3 extra for a bit of souvenir plastic. If you are coming for five days only, having either a weekly travel card, or daily travel card for five days will do. In most cases, all you need to do is show your card to take advantage of the offer. I will be flying in and out of different airports. What is the difference between Oyster and Visitor Oyster cards? A normal Oyster Card you can only purchase once you arrive in London through a tube station, National rail station, most newagents or a TFL travel centre. For the visitor to London, the question of which travel pass to purchase can be confusing. Oyster cards and travel cards are two good options available for travelers. Oyster cards work in the same way as Visitor Oyster cards but do not include special offers and promotions.