Getting around Croydon
Croydon is a large town in South London and one of the biggest commercial and shopping districts in Greater London, with a largely pedestrianised town centre. For a visitor, that combination is good news: much of the centre is easy to explore on foot, and the town sits on a busy transport corridor between central London and the south coast of England, so trains, trams and buses all converge here.
Rail: the main way in and out
Croydon has two principal railway stations, and understanding the difference between them will make your trip much smoother.
- East Croydon is the main station for the town and a hub of the national railway system, with frequent fast services to central London, Brighton and the south coast. Fast trains reach the centre of London at Victoria or London Bridge in roughly 15–20 minutes. Services from London Victoria heading for the South Coast generally stop here, and journey times onward to Brighton are short.
- West Croydon is an interchange station for trains, trams and buses. Trains from here also run into central London, terminating at Victoria or London Bridge, but the journey is slower than from East Croydon. Services leaving London generally terminate at Sutton, with some continuing to Guildford, Dorking and Epsom Downs.
Train services are provided by Southern and First Capital Connect. If you are arriving from central London, check which station your train calls at, as the layout of lines across South London can be confusing.
London Overground
The London Overground links West Croydon to East and North London. The Windrush line (formerly the East London Line) runs from Highbury & Islington to West Croydon, calling at Dalston Junction, New Cross, the Docklands (Shadwell and Canada Water) and Whitechapel. It is operated by Transport for London as part of the Overground scheme, and the trains have Underground-style seating with plenty of standing room.
Trams
Croydon is at the centre of the only tramway system in Southern England. Tramlink opened in 2000 and much of it uses pre-existing railway track. Today London Trams is owned by Transport for London and operated by FirstGroup, using green-liveried trams.
- Trams run between Wimbledon and Elmers End, between Wimbledon and Beckenham Junction, and between New Addington and West Croydon.
- All lines travel through Croydon on the Croydon Loop, so trams are a handy way to move between the town centre and surrounding areas.
- You can use the trams to reach Wimbledon, where you can connect to the London Underground's District line and onward to the rest of London via Earl's Court.
London Underground
Much of South London, including Croydon, is not served by the London Underground. Historically this is because the area was already well served by private railways when the Tube was built, most urban expansion was north of the Thames, and the ground south of the river was too marshy for traditional cut-and-cover excavation. The nearest Tube termini are Wimbledon (District line) and Morden (Northern line), so in practice you rely on trains, trams and buses to get around South London and connect to the Tube.
Buses
Croydon is well served by the London bus network, and buses are a useful complement to the rail and tram services.
- Most buses leaving Croydon stop at the bus station next to West Croydon station.
- There is another bus station opposite East Croydon station on George Street, though not all buses passing it stop there.
- Routes run towards central London and to many other destinations across the area, including services linking Croydon with Purley Way (Croydon Airport), Bromley, Sutton, Kingston and Heathrow. An express service also connects the Croydon area with Heathrow Central.
Bus services in Greater London are managed by Transport for London, so standard London bus ticketing applies.
Taxis and ride-hailing
There is a large taxi stand served by black cabs outside the main entrance to East Croydon station — on the left-hand side as you exit. The stand also allows other local cab companies to pick up passengers, so you are not limited to black cabs. For everything else, the usual London options of private-hire and ride-hailing apps apply.
Walking
Croydon is mostly pedestrian friendly. North End, the main shopping parade, was closed to traffic over ten years ago, and most places in the centre can easily be reached on foot. Road traffic is diverted away from the largely pedestrianised town centre, which makes walking between the shops, the stations and the main commercial streets straightforward.
Getting there from the airport
Croydon's nearest major airport is London Gatwick, and the train is the obvious choice: journey times from East Croydon range from about 15 to 36 minutes, with frequent services throughout the day. Because East Croydon is a national rail hub, you can also connect onward to other airports:
- London Luton: reachable by train from East Croydon in roughly an hour and a quarter, with services also stopping at London St Pancras International — useful for Eurostar connections to Lille, Paris and Brussels, as well as national services to the north of England and Scotland.
- London Heathrow: there are no direct trains from East Croydon. The fastest typical journey takes around an hour and a half and requires at least two changes, usually at London Victoria and Earl's Court. An express bus service also links the Croydon area with Heathrow Central.
For a visitor basing themselves in Croydon, the practical pattern is simple: use East Croydon for fast trains into central London and down to the south coast and Gatwick, use West Croydon for the Overground, trams and the main bus station, and walk or take a tram or bus for everything in between.