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Maximum journey times

The amount of time you can spend making a single journey on Tube, DLR, London Overground or National Rail is limited when you use Oyster to pay as you go.

If you spend longer, you will be charged up to £8.30.

Every journey has its own maximum journey time, regardless of the route taken. This is linked to the day, time of day travelled and the number of zone boundaries crossed.

Touch in and out

Make sure we charge you the right fare by touching in and out correctly on the yellow card readers.

Maximum journey times

The table below shows the general rules applied for maximum journey times. Times are shown in minutes.

For journeys in Zones 1, 2, 1-2 or 2-3

	Mon-Fri 04:30-19:00	Mon-Fri from 19:00 all day Sat	Sunday
Within Zone 1 or 2, or 2 - 3	90	100	110
Within zones 1 - 2	100	110	120
Within zones 1 - 3	110	125	135
Within zones 1 - 4*	110	125	135

* These apply for journeys across up to 5 zones within Zones 1-4

For journeys across 6 or 7 zones within Zones 1-4 the "Across 6 zones" or "Across 7 zones" maximum journey times apply.

All other journeys

	Mon-Fri 04:30-19:00	Mon-Fri from 19:00 all day Sat	Sunday and public holidays
Within 1 zone	70	80	85
across 2 zones	80	90	100
across 3 zones	90	100	110
across 4 zones	100	110	120
across 5 zones	110	125	135
across 6 zones	120	135	145
across 7 zones	130	145	160
across 8 zones	140	155	170
across 9 zones	150	165	180
across 10 zones	160	180	195
across 11 zones	170	190	205
across 12 zones	180	200	220
across 13 zones	190	210	230
across 14 zones	200	220	240
across 15 zones	210	235	255
across 16 zones	220	245	265
across 17 zones	230	255	280
across 18 zones	240	265	290
across 19 zones	250	275	300
across 20 zones	260	290	315

Zones

The times vary between 70 minutes (travelling in one zone outside Zones 1 or 2 on Monday - Friday between 04:30 and 19:00) and 5 hours 15 minutes (travelling across 20 zones - for example Amersham to Shenfield - on a Sunday or Bank Holiday).