As a student you are entitled to a number of reductions including London Transport |(Underground, Buses), national train and coach journeys, etc. See below or contact the LSE Students' Union| for further information. Please note that LSE cannot be held responsible for the content of external websites.
Oyster cards
Oyster cards| are the cheapest way to pay for single fare journeys on the underground, buses, DLR and some trains in London. It is up to you to determine which Oyster card will best suit your needs. See the info below and TFL Ticket Fares| to learn more about the costs for travelling, and visit Transport in and out of London| for tips on using public transport.
If you will not travel frequently, Pay As You Go| may be best for you. Cards can be purchased at tube stations, some newsagents, or on-line| for a refundable £5 deposit. You can then add credit to the card as needed. The rates charged are significantly cheaper than if you pay cash for a paper ticket. Oyster also caps your daily travel, which means that you can travel as many times as you like in a day and you'll never pay more than the cost of an equivalent Day Travelcard|.
Full-time students over the age of 18 who travel frequently may prefer to purchase a special discounted version of the Oyster card called a Student Oyster Photocard| for a £10.00 fee. It will give you a 30% discount on Travelcard and Bus Pass season tickets, but does not offer a discount on Pay As You Go fares. Season tickets can be purchased in increments of seven days, one month or longer periods up to a year.
Please note that you are not eligible to apply for this card until after your designated Registration| date. Additionally, TFL can take up to two weeks to process Oyster applications. You will need to use a standard Oyster card and pay standard fares until your Photocard arrives, so plan your finances accordingly.
To apply on-line, visit www.tfl.gov.uk/photocard|. Select London School of Economics and Political Science from the drop-down list. You will be asked to upload a digital photo and pay by credit card.
To apply by post, pick up a paper application from the LSE Students' Union| (ground floor of the East Building), where you can receive further information on the process for issuing the Student Oyster Photocard.
Contact the Students' Union directly with any questions.
Young Persons Railcard
The Young Persons Railcard| entitles individuals aged between 16-25, or over the age of 26 and in full-time education to a discount on Overground trains. There is a £28.00 fee per year or £65.00 for three years and the card will save you 1/3 off rail fares across Britain for a year To apply, download the form|, fill it out, and then bring the form and a passport photo to the Student Services Centre (Ground Floor, Old Building) during open hours| for official stamping and signing. Please note that your section of the form must be filled out completely and your photo must be present when you come to the Student Services Centre or the form can not be stamped and signed.
Young Persons Coach Card
The Young Persons Coach Card| entitles full-time students to a 30% discount off coach travel. There is a £10.00 fee for one year or £25.00 for three years. To apply, visit the National Express website| and pay by credit card.
Other student discount cards
In addition to the travel discounts listed above, students are often entitled to a number of discounts at a variety of other types of vendors. It may be worth asking whether you qualify for a discount at shops or tourist locations. In some cases, it may be cheaper for you to join a student discount scheme. See Student discount cards| to learn more.