Get Oyster-ed for cheaper London travel

London travel is often slow, crowded and awfully hot. It can also be extremely pricey. Here's how to save some of that travel budget.

Often it seems that the pricing is designed specifically to punish the London tourist: £4 for a single Tube (underground) ticket compared to £2 for an Oyster pre-pay ticket. Or £2 for a single bus ticket bought with cash compared to £1 on Oyster pre-pay.

If you're a casual London visitor, it's not likely you know about this pricing and end up paying the maximum fares. Or that you're prepared to pay £3 for the card and filling out a long form. What a rip-off!

Do the following to get the best pricing from Transport for London (TFL):

• Research your ticket options on the TFL Tickets and Oyster fare page
• If you visit from outside the UK, get your tickets in advance from the TFL Visitors page
• Pay your £3 and get your Oyster card
• Get more information about London public transport modes
• If you're overcharged for any reason, make sure to fill in the Customer Charter refund form as soon as you can

Public transport in London is never cheap, but you can cut down the cost.

If all else fails, download a practical map of walking times between Tube stations and hoof it!