Hopper fare
What it really means
In London, one bus or tram fare covers unlimited bus and tram journeys within one hour of first tapping in, as long as you use the same card. Changing buses within the hour costs nothing extra.
Context, tips & common mistakes
London's Hopper fare gives you unlimited bus and tram journeys within one hour of first touching in, for the price of a single — change buses as often as you like and the extra hops are free, automatically. There is nothing to activate; it simply works, provided you use the same card or device for every touch.
That 'same card' detail is the whole game: switching between a phone and the physical card mid-hour breaks the chain and charges you twice, as does letting a phone battery die between buses. Remember London buses take no cash at all — contactless, Oyster or a paper Travelcard only. The Hopper also plays nicely with the daily cap, so heavy bus days cost less than you fear.
Example conversation
What you could say back
No spoken reply needed for this one.