Public transport in London

Overview

London has one of the most extensive and developed transport networks in the world, and it is the central hub for rail, air and road transport in the United Kingdom. Public transport is dominated by Transport for London (TfL), the city's publicly owned transport authority, which controls the majority of services: the Underground, buses, Tramlink, the Docklands Light Railway, London River Services, the Elizabeth line and the London Overground.

For a visitor, the system works as one integrated network. You tap in at the start of your journey and tap out at the end using an Oyster card or a contactless debit or credit card (or a mobile device), and the same card or device is valid across the Underground, buses, local suburban trains, the London Overground, the Elizabeth line and the DLR. Fares are calculated automatically, and daily caps mean you never pay more than a set amount in a single day. Journeys on the integrated network account for 37% of all journeys made in London, so you will rarely be far from a service.

The network

TfL operates three different railway systems across London, and these are complemented by buses, trams, ferries and a large suburban rail network.

London Underground (the Tube)

The London Underground, colloquially known as the Tube, was the first rapid transit system in the world, having begun operations in 1863. It has 11 lines, most of which connect the suburbs to Central London and together form a dense network in the centre, linking major railway stations, central business areas and icons. More than 3 million passengers travel on it every day, and it carries nearly 50% of London's commuters, making it the most heavily used mode of public transport in the area. The Underground serves North London much more extensively than South London, a result of unfavourable geology, historical competition from surface railways, and the historical geography of London being focused north of the River Thames. South London is served primarily by surface railways.

Docklands Light Railway (DLR)

The Docklands Light Railway is an automated light metro system serving the Docklands area of east London. It complements the Underground, uses the same fares system, and has a number of interchanges with it. The DLR serves over 101 million passengers a year and is essential infrastructure for East London. Its most heavily used stations are Bank, Canary Wharf, Canning Town, Lewisham and Woolwich Arsenal. The system has five main branches connecting the Isle of Dogs and Royal Docks to each other and to the City of London, Stratford, Woolwich and Lewisham south of the river, and it also serves London City Airport and Stratford International.

Tramlink

Tramlink is a tram and light rail system serving Croydon and surrounding areas, operating in the boroughs of Bromley, Croydon, Merton and Sutton. It has 39 stops along 28 km (17 mi) of track, using a mixture of street track shared with other traffic, dedicated track in public roads, and off-street track. The network connects with the London Underground, the London Overground and the National Rail system.

Heavy rail and suburban services

London is the focal point of the British railway network, with 18 major stations providing a combination of suburban, intercity, airport and international services. Most areas not served by the Underground or DLR are served by suburban heavy rail services into one of these stations. Apart from the London Overground and the Elizabeth line, these suburban services are not part of TfL but are owned and operated by private rail firms, and they use TfL's Oyster card system. The terminal stations are Cannon Street, Charing Cross, Euston, Fenchurch Street, King's Cross, Liverpool Street, Marylebone, Moorgate, Paddington, Victoria and Waterloo. The through stations are Waterloo East, City Thameslink, Old Street and Vauxhall, while St Pancras, Blackfriars and London Bridge are mixed. London is also linked by rail to mainland Europe by High Speed 1 (HS1) through the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, with Eurostar trains serving Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam from St Pancras International.

Buses

London's bus network is part of TfL's controlled services and is one of the modes covered by Oyster, contactless and Travelcards. Buses are zonal-free: a single bus fare covers unlimited bus journeys within one hour, and there are no zones for buses. Cash is not accepted on London buses.

River services

London River Services, controlled by TfL, operates ferries and river boats along the Thames, complementing the rail and bus network for cross-river journeys.

Tickets & fares

You have four main ways to pay. Fares quoted here are approximate, are for zones 1–2 unless stated, and change over time, so always check current prices before you travel.

Pay as you go Oyster card — a top-up smartcard that gives cheaper single fares and a daily cap. The card itself costs about £10 and is non-refundable.
Contactless debit/credit card or device — same fares as Oyster pay as you go, with no registration needed. For short trips this is usually the cheapest option because you avoid the £10 card cost.
Bus passes — 1-day or 7-day passes giving unlimited bus travel across all London (no zones apply to buses). One-day passes are only available from Oyster ticket stops.
Travelcards — 1-day, weekly or monthly, giving unlimited travel within specified zones.

Oyster pay as you go, contactless and Travelcards are valid on the Underground, buses, local suburban trains, the London Overground, the Elizabeth line and the Docklands Light Railway. The full cash fare (a paper single ticket from a station machine) is always the most expensive option — never pay it.

Approximate Underground fares in zone 1: a single with Oyster or contactless costs around £3–£3.10, while the full cash fare from a ticket machine is about £7. The daily cap in zone 1 is about £8.90 and applies after three or more journeys in a day. A One Day Travelcard for zones 1–4 costs about £16.60 and is worthwhile for three or more Underground trips if you have no Oyster or contactless card.

Approximate bus fares (all zones): a single bus fare is about £1.75 with Oyster or contactless and includes unlimited bus journeys within one hour. The daily bus cap with Oyster or contactless is about £5.25, while a paper One Day Bus pass costs about £6.

For a six- to seven-day visit, a 7-day weekly Travelcard for zones 1–2 costs about £44.70, which is cheaper than six daily caps. Weekly Travelcards are loaded onto an Oyster card; if you do not already have one, it costs about £7. A weekly Bus Pass (which can start on any day) or the Oyster/contactless weekly bus cap (Monday–Sunday) costs about £24.70.

You can buy and top up Oyster cards at ticket machines and ticket stops, and you can simply tap a contactless card or device on the yellow readers at ticket gates or station entrances. Destinations within the Oyster and contactless area include Amersham, Dartford, Gatwick Airport, Heathrow Airport, Hertford, Redhill and Watford (including the Warner Bros Studio Tour London). Destinations within the contactless area include St Albans, Hatfield, Reading, Slough and Welwyn Garden City. Some vendors also sell London Travelcards that are valid across the TfL networks. The cheapest strategy overall: for short trips use contactless, and for a day of bus-only travel the daily bus cap is the cheapest option.

From the airport

London receives more flights than any other city in the world and is served by six airports, all of which have direct public transport connections to the city centre. The quickest option is usually by train, Tube or coach. Leave plenty of time to reach your destination from the airport, and if you must connect to a flight from a different airport, allow generous time — it can be time-consuming and may involve two or more trains.

Heathrow (LHR) — the main airport for London and the second busiest in the world for international passenger traffic. It lies within the Oyster and contactless area, so you can tap in and out on the train or Tube into the centre.
Gatwick (LGW) — London's second-busiest airport, with North and South terminals and many domestic and European flights. It also lies within the Oyster and contactless area.
Stansted (STN) — busy with short-haul flights from Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, plus UK destinations such as Newquay, Edinburgh and Belfast.
Luton (LTN) — around 30 miles from London, with many European destinations. For public transport to central London you can take a shuttle metro train to Luton Airport Parkway and then a train to London St Pancras, or a bus from the airport to London Victoria.
London City (LCY) — about 3.5 mi (5.6 km) from Canary Wharf, with short-haul flights from other major European cities and some holiday routes. Onward travel is via the Docklands Light Railway, local buses, taxi or minicab.
Southend (SEN) — flights from a few European destinations including Paris and Amsterdam. Journeys into central London can take more than an hour. There is a railway station at Southend Airport, but you cannot use "touch in, touch out" there, and there are few bus links with London.

Etiquette & customs

Londoners are generally relaxed but follow a few firm unwritten rules on public transport.

Queueing — always queue for buses, ticket machines and platforms; jumping the queue is frowned upon.
Escalators — stand on the right and walk on the left. This is one of the most strictly observed customs on the Underground.
Priority seating — seats near doors are reserved for older people, pregnant passengers and those with disabilities; give them up when needed.
Quiet — keep noise down, especially in the quiet zones of trains and carriages, and avoid loud phone calls.
Eating and drinking — eating and drinking are generally discouraged on trains and buses, and some services prohibit alcohol.
Rush hour — between roughly 6.30am–10am and 4pm–7pm on weekdays, trains and buses are extremely busy. Stand clear of the doors, let passengers off first, and avoid blocking aisles with luggage.

Official links

Survival terms

London's transport network operates in English, so the key terms you will see and hear are:

Subway/metro — the Underground or the Tube
Ticket — ticket
Line — line
Entrance — entrance (often marked "Way in")
Exit — exit (often marked "Way out")
Transfer — change or interchange
Single fare — single
Day pass — Travelcard or day pass

Always tap in and tap out with the same card or device on every journey, because if you forget to tap out you may be charged the maximum fare.