Getting around London is easy, if not cheap. The public transport network, run by Transport for London (TfL), is one of the largest in the world: Underground, suburban trains, buses, trams, boats and even a cable car. Here is how it works and how to save.
How to pay
The simplest way is contactless: just touch a contactless credit or debit card, or your phone, on the yellow readers when entering and leaving the Underground (on buses only when boarding). The system automatically works out the lowest fare and applies a daily and a weekly cap (Monday to Sunday): beyond a certain amount you pay nothing more. Each person must use a different card; be careful not to touch in with a wallet holding several cards. Alternatively there is the Oyster card, TfL's top-up card, with the same fares. Paper single tickets cost much more.
The Underground
The Tube, opened in 1863, is the oldest underground railway in the world. It has 11 lines, each with its own name and colour (Bakerloo, Central, Circle, District, Hammersmith & City, Jubilee, Metropolitan, Northern, Piccadilly, Victoria, Waterloo & City), and around 270 stations. The city is divided into concentric fare zones, from zone 1 in the centre to zone 9: almost all attractions are in zones 1 and 2. Since March 2026 a zone 1 journey has cost £3.10 at peak times (weekday mornings and late afternoons) and £3 at other times. On Fridays and Saturdays some lines run all night (the Night Tube).
Elizabeth line, Overground and DLR
- Elizabeth line: opened in 2022, it crosses the city from west to east with modern, fast trains, linking Heathrow, Paddington, Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, Liverpool Street, Canary Wharf and Abbey Wood.
- London Overground: the orange trains serving outer districts, divided since 2024 into six named lines.
- DLR (Docklands Light Railway): the driverless light railway of Docklands, handy for Canary Wharf, Greenwich and London City Airport.
Buses
The famous red double-deckers cover the whole city with more than 600 routes. You pay only by contactless or Oyster (no cash): from November 2026 a journey costs £1.85, and with the Hopper fare you can take unlimited buses within an hour for the price of one. Sitting upstairs at the front is the cheapest sightseeing tour: routes such as the 11, 15 or 24 pass many landmarks.
Boats, bikes and cable car
- Boats: Uber Boat by Thames Clippers river services link Westminster, the London Eye, the Tower, Canary Wharf and Greenwich, with discounted fares for contactless users.
- Bikes: Santander Cycles, the public hire bikes, can be picked up and dropped off at hundreds of docking stations; protected cycle lanes have expanded greatly.
- IFS Cloud Cable Car: the cable car over the Thames between Greenwich and the Royal Docks, with a fine view.
Taxis and cars
Black cabs, the traditional taxis, can be hailed in the street when the yellow light is on; drivers pass a famously tough exam on the city's geography, The Knowledge. Ride-hailing apps also operate. Driving in the centre is not advisable: there is the congestion charge for entering central London (£18 a day from 2026), the ULEZ ultra-low emission zone across the whole city and very expensive parking.
Tips
- Stand on the right on escalators; download TfL's official TfL Go app for maps and live times.
- Children under 11 travel free with an adult.
- Many central stations are very close together: Leicester Square and Covent Garden are 250 metres apart, and walking is often quicker.
- At weekends some lines close for engineering works: check before you set off.
See also London's airports, London on a budget and the London guide.