The Weekend Hopper fare starts this weekend, giving bus and tram passengers the chance to explore more of the capital without paying extra to get around during the school summer holidays.
Cheaper travel: the Weekend Hopper scheme on trams and buses begins this weekend and runs throughout August
Under the scheme, anyone travelling on buses and trams on a Saturday or a Sunday during the summer holidays can pay one single fare for unlimited journeys across London that entire day.
This makes “it easier and cheaper for Londoners and visitors to make the most of everything the capital has to offer”, says Transport for London.
“For example, a family of two adults and two under-16s could enjoy unlimited bus travel on a Saturday or a Sunday for just £3.50 – saving up to £7 a day or £14 across both weekend days when making three or more bus journeys.”
The offer will run over weekends from July 25 to August 31 – including the late summer bank holiday Monday, when millions travel across the capital to enjoy Notting Hill Carnival, which marks its 60th anniversary this year.
The Hopper fare, which runs throughout the week and allows unlimited journeys within an hour of the first journey on a bus or tram, will continue to operate both through this offer and afterwards.
Fares on buses and trams across London have been frozen for another four months until November 1. “This means that Londoners will continue to be able to make unlimited journeys within one hour on London’s buses and trams for just £1.75 – the same price since March 2023,” TfL says.
TfL is also supporting the government’s Great British Summer Savings Scheme, which will allow anyone under 16 to travel free by bus during August.
Fair hopper: Sadiq Khan introduced the Hopper fare when he became Mayor of London in 2016
Children, teenagers and those aged 16-18 and living in London already travel free on London buses and trams with a valid Zip Oyster photocard. TfL says, “any children under 16 visiting London without a Zip Card will also be able to travel on buses and trams for free from August 1 to 31”.
Recently ennobled Lord Khan, the Mayor of London, said: “As I know how expensive the summer holidays can be for families, my new Weekend Hopper will make it cheaper and easier for Londoners and visitors to enjoy all that our great city has to offer.
“During 10 years as Mayor, I’ve been committed to keeping public transport as affordable as possible – including a record seven freezes on bus and tram fares, which I recently extended until November to further support Londoners with the cost-of-living crisis. Buses and trams are a lifeline for many Londoners, and I’m determined to keep them the most accessible and affordable mode of transport in the capital.
“This new Weekend Hopper will help open up our great city even more, as we continue building a fairer and better London for everyone.”
Josephine McCartney, the chief executive of The Childhood Trust, said: “For families living on the lowest incomes, the summer holidays can bring significant financial pressure, with the cost of keeping children entertained, fed and connected to friends and family often stretching already limited household budgets.
“The Weekend Hopper fare is a welcome initiative that will help make travel across London more affordable, giving children and families greater access to the opportunities, activities and support networks our city has to offer. We are pleased to see practical measures that reduce the cost burden on families facing poverty and help ensure that every child can make the most of the summer holidays.”
- During the summer, TfL is encouraging passengers to carry water with them when they travel. A hot weather plan is in place to protect the network and keep services running wherever possible. All buses have reflective roofs, insulation and opening windows, while every new double-decker bus has air cooling. More than 3,000 of London’s buses are zero-emission, making up around a third of the fleet, and TfL’s work to make the fleet zero-emission will also mean their engines generate less heat.
Mark Davis, TfL’s general manager of the tram network, recently went Under The Flyover to talk about the Weekend Hopper scheme, as well as the trams’ focus on safety and the “essential engineering work” coming to the trams in central Croydon in August. Our podcasts are premium content that’s free for Inside Croydon subscribers, you can listen to the podcast interview by clicking here
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great – now do something about the fact that a pint costs £7 and fish and chips costs £20 and you’ll be a fraction of the way towards actually helping