London Transport

Getting Around by London Transport

​Live like a Londoner and learn to travel round London using London Transport. Impress your friends by learning the tube map. A true Londoner knows all the tube stops and interchanges and how long each takes.

Plan your Tube Journey

As a rule of thumb, it it takes 3-6 minutes between stops in the suburbs and 1-2 minutes between stops in Zone 1. Then add time for inevitable delays, train signalling problems, passenger emergencies etc. Your journey will take longer than you think. If you are going to the theatre and it takes 35 minutes on the tube, add 20 minutes for delays and 30 minutes for picking up your tickets and finding your seat. Fortunately, coming back is always quicker than getting there!

Download the Tube Map

Download a copy of the Transport for London (tfl) tube map and note your tube lines. interchanges and destinations before you embark on your journey.

London Buses

Buses are a mystery to everyone. Work out the direction that you are travelling and then go to the nearest bus stop and check the displayed timetable and passenger information. Buses come along with great regularity. You will rarely wait for more than a minute or so. You can always check where the bus is going by asking the driver “Are you going to Harrods” etc. but don’t expect them to have a long chat…but you will get at least a nod.

Last Trains

And when you are out, be conscious of the last train home. The tube and bus network starts to shut down between 11.30pm and midnight. The exception being on Friday and Saturday when some underground lines run a reduced service through the night.

After that, you will be at the mercy of the night bus and you will need to Google your nearest night bus stop (usually after you’ve had a lot to drink). Good luck with that!

You can find information and maps on bus routes at https://tfl.gov.uk/maps/bus.

Citymapper is a useful app for discovering the best route to take on London Transport.

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