Londoners will be able to use a new Weekend Hopper fare this summer, allowing pay as you go passengers to make unlimited weekend bus and tram journeys for the price of a single fare after the Mayor of London announced a temporary travel offer.
The offer will run on Saturdays and Sundays from 25 July to 31 August 2026, covering the school summer holidays. Transport for London has also confirmed that the Weekend Hopper fare will also operate on Bank Holiday Monday, 31 August.
Under the scheme, passengers using pay as you go will only need to pay one single bus or tram fare each day to make unlimited journeys across London. The fare will apply automatically when passengers touch in using the same Oyster card, contactless card, or mobile device.
The new offer builds on the existing Hopper fare, which allows unlimited bus and tram journeys within one hour of first touching in. The new Weekend Hopper extends that idea across the whole day at weekends during the summer offer period.
The Mayor said the change is intended to make it cheaper and easier for Londoners and visitors to travel around the capital during the summer holidays.
The offer could be particularly useful for families, workers, and passengers making several short bus or tram journeys in one day. At present, a standard adult bus or tram pay as you go fare is £1.75, with the usual Hopper allowing further journeys within one hour at no extra cost.
How the Weekend Hopper fare works
Passengers will still need to touch in on every bus and tram journey, even though they will only pay once under the Weekend Hopper fare. The same Oyster card, contactless card, or mobile device must be used throughout the day for the fare to apply correctly.
The offer applies only to buses and trams. Anyone switching to the Tube, DLR, London Overground, Elizabeth line, London Cable Car or River Bus will still be charged separately for those journeys.
For families planning days out during the school holidays, the temporary fare could make a noticeable difference. A day involving several bus or tram journeys would usually cost more without the extended Hopper arrangement.
The Weekend Hopper fare is likely to be welcomed by passengers who rely on buses and trams for flexible journeys across London, especially where several changes are needed to reach shops, parks, events or family visits.
TfL says the Weekend Hopper will apply to bus and tram journeys only. Passengers using Tube, DLR, London Overground, Elizabeth line, London Cable Car, or River Bus services between bus or tram journeys will still be charged separately for those journeys.
Passengers will need to continue touching in on every bus and tram journey, using the same card or device, for the Weekend Hopper fare to apply correctly.
The announcement comes as TfL marks the tenth anniversary of the Hopper fare, first introduced in 2016. According to the Mayor’s office, more than one billion Hopper journeys have been made since its launch.
TfL says bus and tram fares remain frozen until 5 July 2026, with the adult pay as you go fare currently held at £1.75. The daily bus and tram cap is listed at £5.25.
The summer Weekend Hopper fare is being introduced as a temporary offer, but its impact is likely to be watched closely. If it proves popular, it could increase calls for more flexible fare options across London’s bus and tram network in future.
Passengers planning days out, shopping trips, work journeys or visits across London during the summer holidays could see a noticeable saving if they make several bus or tram journeys on the same weekend day.
More transport updates can be found in our London transport news section.
