Before you jump into purchasing tickets you need to be aware of how tickets are used on systems like the Metro. In general, everyone needs a ticket. Small children probably don’t need a separate ticket. However depending on the system you are using, starting around 4-11 years old they will need their own ticket. Check online for the requirements for the local train system you will be using.

Because each passenger requires their own ticket, you cannot purchase two tickets on the same credit card and then have two people access the train system unless they are paper tickets. One credit card, one person, one e-ticket. The reason for this is that if they allowed multiple people to get on the train purchased by a single credit card and the owner of the credit card leaves the train early then the remaining passengers cannot provide a ticket if stopped by an inspector. 

Hopefully you will utilize systems that allow you to use a credit card or smartphone at the turnstile and bypass the ticket purchasing process completely. Credit cards with a chip and phones that allow tap-and-pay are very convenient.  Utilizing tap-and-pay requires each passenger to have the ability to tap their own device at turnstile.

Rather than trying to explain each ticket machine you may encounter in detail, we will outline the process all ticket machines follow. By doing so, you will be equipped to handle the slight variations you may run into.

• Most ticket machines utilize touch screens that may need to be woken up by touching the screen. 
• Now you should be able to select a language that you want the menu system to utilize.  Many times this comes in the form of country flags. For english look for the UK flag. If there isn’t a language choice you can probably still figure it out.  Go to the next step.
• Some systems require that you have a “train card” which the ticket machine can access and add tickets to. This train card is then used to enter the gate leading to the platform.
• At this point you will either enter the number of tickets you want or you will select the desired train by either picking your destination from a list or by selecting the name of the train (which is often the final stop of the run).
• You may be asked if you want a one-way trip or a round-trip
•  If the machine allows varied ticket delivery methods (printing, e-ticket, etc.) you may be asked how you want to receive them.
• The final step is payment. Cash and credit card and sometimes your phone can be used.