London is getting a new daily bus cap this summer, and it is a properly good one. From 25 July 2026, your entire day of bus and tram travel on a weekend is capped at £1.75. Not £5.25, which is the normal daily cap. One fare, and every bus after that is free until the end of the day.
The £1.75 daily cap at a glance
- Your whole day of bus and tram travel costs a maximum of £1.75
- Applies on Saturdays and Sundays from 25 July to 31 August 2026, plus bank holiday Monday (31 August)
- Automatic with Oyster or contactless. Nothing to register or activate.
How does the £1.75 daily cap work?
It works exactly like the normal daily cap, just much lower. You tap in on your first bus and pay £1.75. After that, every bus and tram you take for the rest of the day is free. TfL calls it the Weekend Hopper.
The cap follows TfL's fare day, which runs from 4:30am to 4:29am the next morning. So a night bus home at 2am after a Saturday out still counts as Saturday, and still costs you nothing extra.
Two things to get right:
- Use the same card all day. Oyster, contactless card, or phone, it does not matter which. But if you tap with your phone in the morning and the plastic card in the afternoon, TfL sees two different people and charges you twice.
- It is buses and trams only. The Tube, Overground, Elizabeth line and DLR are not included. A Tube journey is charged separately under the normal Tube caps.
When does it apply, and when does it not?
The £1.75 daily cap runs on Saturdays and Sundays from 25 July to 31 August 2026, and also on bank holiday Monday, 31 August. That last weekend of August is three capped days in a row.
On weekdays, and on any day after 31 August, the normal caps apply instead: £1.75 per journey with free changes for an hour, and £5.25 for the day. I explained those in my guide to the London bus fare caps.
How much do you actually save?
| Bus journeys in a day | Normal daily cost | With the £1.75 cap |
|---|---|---|
| 1 journey | £1.75 | £1.75 |
| 2 journeys | £3.50 | £1.75 |
| 3 or more journeys | £5.25 | £1.75 |
So from your second separate journey onwards, you are saving money. A day out with four or five bus rides costs £1.75 per adult instead of £5.25, and children under 11 travel free anyway.
If you fancy some sightseeing, this is the summer to do it by bus. I have written before about why regular TfL buses beat hop-on hop-off tours, and with the whole day capped at £1.75 it is not even a contest anymore.
Why only this summer?
It is a summer-holiday offer from the Mayor and TfL, on top of the single fare being frozen at £1.75 until 1 November 2026. TfL has not said it will return after 31 August, so treat it as a limited run and enjoy it while it lasts.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to register for the £1.75 daily cap?
No. Pay as you go with Oyster, a contactless card, or your phone, and the cap is applied automatically at the end of the day. Just keep every tap on the same card or device.
Does the cap include trams?
Yes. It covers London buses and the trams in south London together, the same way the normal bus and tram caps do.
Does it work on night buses?
Yes. Night buses charge the same fare as day buses and count towards the same cap. Because the fare day runs to 4:29am, your late bus home is part of the same day you went out.
What about weekdays in the summer holidays?
Weekdays are not included. Monday to Friday the normal £5.25 daily cap applies, whatever the season.
What happens after 31 August 2026?
Weekends go back to the £5.25 daily cap. Then from 1 November 2026 fares are expected to rise, with a single going to £1.85 and the daily cap to £5.55. Always check TfL's site for the latest prices before you travel.
By the way, I have turned tricks like this one into a little game. The London Dilemma gives you 20 real London fare decisions and shows you how much a smart pick saves. The Hopper is in there, of course.
Out late on a £1.75 day?
Check the exact time of your last bus home before you head out, so the cheap day does not end with an expensive taxi.
Find My Last Trip →Fares and offer dates are correct as of July 2026 and can change. Always check the TfL website for the latest prices.