I want to give you a complete, current breakdown here, because London's bus fare system has a few layers, the single fare, the Hopper rule, the daily cap, and the weekly cap, and understanding all of them genuinely changes how you travel and how much you spend.
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The Single Bus Fare: What You Pay Per Journey
Unlike the Tube zone fare system, London bus rides cost a flat fare of £1.75 per single journey, no matter how far you go. I'd emphasize the "no matter how far" part specifically; a single stop and a journey across multiple boroughs both cost exactly the same: £1.75. This makes buses genuinely great value if you're making longer trips within the city and don't need the Tube's speed.
The Hopper Fare: What I'd Call the Most Useful Thing You Might Not Know About
The Hopper fare lets you take unlimited bus and tram rides within one hour of your first tap for that single £1.75 charge. The 1-hour window starts from your first tap-in. You can change buses and trams as many times as you need within that hour. Each new tap within the window is free. It works on buses and trams only, not the Tube, Overground, or rail.
I'd tell you this is genuinely one of the best deals on London transport for students who live near bus routes rather than Tube stations. If your journey requires two or three buses with a change in between, and you can do it within 60 minutes, you pay £1.75 for the whole thing, not £1.75 per bus.
The Daily Cap: Your Maximum for a Full Day of Bus Travel
No matter how many bus and tram journeys you make in a single day, you will never pay more than £5.25. That means after your third paid journey (3 × £1.75 = £5.25), every additional bus or tram ride that day is free. The daily cap runs from 4:30am to 4:29am the next day, matching TfL's operating day.
I'd point out something worth knowing here: if you use a mixture of buses and trains (or just the trains on their own), you'll have to pay the train's daily cap instead, which is more expensive. The bus-only £5.25 daily cap only applies to days when you're exclusively taking buses and trams.
The Weekly Cap: Good Value if You're a Regular Bus Commuter
If you use buses and trams across the week, your total fare is capped at £24.70 from Monday to Sunday. This is roughly equivalent to 5 days at the daily cap.
Are These Fares Going Up Soon?
In March 2026, the adult PAYG single fare remained £1.75. The daily bus and tram cap stayed at £5.25, equal to the price of three single fares. The mayor has frozen bus and tram fares until 5 July 2026 as an emergency cost-of-living measure. I'd tell you what happens after July 2026 hasn't been formally confirmed yet; I'd check TfL's website closer to that date.
How to Make Sure Capping Actually Works for You
The caps are applied automatically. There is nothing to activate. Just tap in with the same Oyster card or the same contactless card or device each time. If you switch between different cards, the system cannot link your journeys, and the caps will not apply.
I'd flag this as the single most common mistake I see people make: they pay one journey on their Oyster card, then tap on a different bus with their contactless bank card, and then wonder why they've been charged twice without hitting the cap. It's the same payment method all day, every day; that's the rule.
My Summary Table
| Fare Type | Price (2026) |
| Single bus journey | £1.75 |
| Hopper fare (unlimited buses in 1 hour) | £1.75 |
| Daily cap (bus and tram only) | £5.25 |
| Weekly cap (Monday to Sunday) | £24.70 |
My Honest Take on Buses vs Tube for Students
I'd genuinely recommend building a bus-heavy routine where your journeys allow it, particularly if you're in South or East London, where Tube coverage is patchier. At £5.25 per day maximum, a full day of bus travel costs less than one peak-hour zones 1-2 Tube journey, and with the Hopper fare making multi-bus connections essentially free within an hour, buses are far better value than most students realize when they first arrive.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is a bus in London in 2026?
A single London bus journey costs £1.75 no matter how far you go. You can also take multiple buses within one hour at no extra charge thanks to the Hopper fare.
What is the Hopper fare in London?
The Hopper fare lets you take unlimited buses and trams within one hour of your first tap for the same £1.75 single fare charge. It applies automatically when you use the same Oyster or contactless card for each tap.
What is the daily bus cap in London?
The daily cap is £5.25 for buses and trams. After your third journey in a day, all subsequent bus and tram journeys until 4:29am the next morning are free — provided you use the same payment card throughout.
Does the daily bus cap apply if I also use the Tube?
No. The £5.25 daily cap applies only to bus and tram journeys. If you mix buses and trains in the same day, the higher rail daily cap applies instead.
Do I need to do anything to activate the bus fare cap?
Nothing at all; the cap applies automatically as long as you use the same Oyster card or contactless card for every journey throughout the day. Switching between cards breaks the capping link.
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Key Takeaways
- A single London bus journey costs a flat £1.75 regardless of distance, frozen until at least 5 July 2026.
- The Hopper fare gives you unlimited bus and tram connections within one hour for that same £1.75 charge.
- The daily bus and tram cap is £5.25; after three journeys, the rest of the day is free.
- The weekly bus cap is £24.70 for Monday to Sunday travel.
- Always use the same payment card throughout the day; switching cards breaks your capping, and you'll be charged separately for each journey.