This is where most first-timers freeze. You must tap in at the start of your journey and tap out at the end. If you forget to tap out, you get charged the maximum fare. The system has no mercy, like a strict librarian.
For buses, you only tap once when you board. For trains, it’s both ends. Yes, it’s a bit extra, but that’s how they know where you went. I once forgot to tap out at Paddington and paid £12 for a three-stop ride. My inner monologue that day: “Brilliant move, genius.”
If you’re using contactless and you hear a “beep” at the gate, you’re good. If you hear a scary buzzer sound, you’ve done something wrong. Just step aside and try again—don’t block the gate like a statue of confusion.
