TripHip - Travel Tips and Advice for Traveling on a Budget

No, they're not for seafood restaurants. The Oyster card is used for cheaper fares on London's public transit system. It looks like a credit card, that you touch to card sensors at various points in the Tube stations, buses and tram stops.

You just charge the card up before your trip, and you're ready for much more convenient travel around London. It's easier to use than paper tickets, and the rates are significantly lower (sometimes 50% lower). Just don't forget that when you use the Tube, you have to touch the card sensors at the END of your trip because rates are calculated based on total distance.

Buy an Oyster card at any Tube station and many news stands too. You can even order one through their website, and then you'll be ready to go the minute your plane arrives in London.