Smart travel hacks to cut commuting costs for London students
It’s no secret that things in London aren’t cheap. But travelling and commuting doesn’t have to drain your finances.
If you’re thinking about studying at the University of Portsmouth London in Walthamstow, and you're living somewhere else in the city, here's what it’ll actually cost you to get there and back each week.
Spoiler: it’s cheaper than you might think!
First, grab the discounts
Before we get into the numbers, here’s what you must do:
Step 1: Get your 18+ Student Oyster photocard
This gives you 30% off weekly and monthly Travelcards and Bus & Tram Passes for the underground. It costs £20 to apply, but you'll make that back fast if you're commuting regularly.
Step 2: Link a 16–25 Railcard to your Oyster
This gives you 1/3 off pay-as-you-go fares off-peak for National Rail trains.
So… how much does it cost?
Let’s say you're travelling to Walthamstow Central (Zone 3) twice a week in the morning and back home in the evening. Here's what that looks like from different parts of London if you travel off-peak with both discounts applied:
You live in.. |
Zone |
Return Trip (1 day) |
Weekly Total (2 days/week on campus) |
| Stratford | Zone 2 | £3.86 | £7.72 |
| Camden | Zone 2 | £3.86 | £7.72 |
| Clapham | Zone 2 | £3.86 | £7.72 |
| Barking | Zone 4 | £4.40 | £8.80 |
| Croydon | Zone 5 | £5.20 | £10.40 |
| Heathrow | Zone 6 | £6.40 | £12.80 |
That’s just over £3–6 a day, depending on where you’re coming from. For London, that’s actually pretty good. Think about how much you would usually spend on a nice coffee!
Don’t forget to use the TfL Go app to check delays, route changes and quickest options or alternatively you can use CityMapper.