London Traffic Network
This section highlights the public transportation options available in London and Greater London.
Irrespective of which city you choose to settle in the UK, there is always a need to travel to London. The following will give you an overall picture on London’s transportation, and then introduce transit systems in other areas.
Public transportation in London is managed by Transport for London (TfL), a statutory body under the city government, which coordinates all public transport systems in the city, including the underground, bus, tram, etc.
Taking any public transport in London does not necessarily require the use of an Oyster Card. TfL encourages passengers to use contactless payment (zero-contact payment). Contactless payment can be used for all transports described below.
London Underground
London's transit railway system includes the Underground (known as the Tube), Overground, Docklands Light Railway (DLR), Tram, etc.
Fare and zone
Fare is charged according to different zones, and also divided into peak hours and off-peak hours. Peak-hour is Monday to Friday (except public holidays), 6:30am to 9:30am and 4:00pm to 7:00pm.
It is cheaper to travel within the same zone than cross the zones. For example, during the off-peak hours, travelling from Leicester Square to Euston, both in zone 1, costs only £2.50; however, from Euston in zone 1 to Camden Town in zone 2, even if there are fewer stops, it costs £2.90.
The more zones you travel through, the more expensive the fare will be. During the same off-peak hours, taking underground from Zone 1 to Zone 5, for example from King’s Cross St Pancras to Heathrow, costs £3.50.
In addition, different zones also have corresponding daily fare caps. The most you need to pay in a day is the cap fare. After reaching the cap, you can continue to make unlimited trips for free on the same day.
For details on each zone’s fares, go to TfL official website:
https://tfl.gov.uk/fares/find-fares/tube-and-rail-fares/caps-and-travelcard-prices
https://tfl.gov.uk/fares/find-fares/tube-and-rail-fares/single-fare-finder
Beware of the directions you want to travel
London underground has 12 separate colour-coded lines that run in four directions: eastbound, westbound, southbound and northbound.
When taking the Tube you need to pay attention to which line and direction you want to travel. Also take notice of the electronic board above the platform which always shows the terminal station of the next train, as trains using the same platform may have different destination and different routes.
For example, District line Westbound trains may terminate at Ealing Broadway, Richmond or Wimbledon. If you accidentally get on the wrong train, you will end up in the wrong destination.
No mobile signal
With the exception of the section from Westminster to Stratford on the Jubilee line and some routes running above ground (mostly in zone 2/3 or beyond), most underground lines have no mobile network coverage.
Some network providers, such as EE and Three UK, provide Wi-Fi services for their clients in underground stations. For more details, please go to your mobile network provider’s website.
DLR
Docklands Light Railway (DLR), affiliated to Transport for London (TfL), mainly serves the East London Docklands, covering Zone 2 and Zone 3.
Fares and operations of DLR are similar to those of Underground and Overground, but passengers need to re-tap with their payment cards to exit and enter when transferring to and from the Tube or Overground.
DLR has no ticket gates. Passengers need to pay by tapping card tap machine in DLR stations. Often, there is only one such machine at the entrance, exit or platform.
Occasionally, railway staff would patrol the carriages to check tickets. Those who forgot to tap and pay may be considered as having evaded fares and be fined.
Bus and Tram
London bus charges a standard fare of £1.65, irrespective of whether the trip is within the same zone of not. There is no difference between peak and non-peak.
Make sure you have a valid Oyster Card or Contactless Debit Card before getting on a bus, and pay the fix fare by tapping the machine when onboard.
The daily fare cap for London buses starts at 4:30am and ends at 4:29am the next day. A cap is that you only have to pay a specific amount per day. After reaching the cap, you will not be charged again no matter how many journeys you are taking afterwards.
Trams
Tram runs in South London, covering zone 3 to zone 6.
The only one station where the Tube and tram interchange is Wimbledon. Passengers can take the tram there for areas such as Croydon, New Addington, Elmers End and Beckenham Junction, etc.
Whether you use Oyster Card or contactless payment, and irrespective of distance and zone, the tram fare costs £1.65 throughout the day, same as that of bus.
As long as you pay the fare when first get on, you can subsequently take unlimited trips on bus or tram for free within an hour. But each time you need to touch-in when you get on a bus or tram.
Note: Press the STOP button when approaching your destination to notify the driver that you want to get off; or else the driver may bypass the bus stop at which you want to get off.
Ferry/ Water Bus
London’s Water Bus is operated by Uber Boat affiliated to Thame Clippers.
It serves a number of designated places along River Thames (Zones 1-4), including London Eye, Canary Wharf, Greenwich, etc. Putney is the terminal in the West while Woolwich is the East Terminal.
There are other sightseeing boats running back and forth on the Thames. Passengers should identify the logo of Uber Boat to avoid getting on the wrong boat.
Fares are divided by zone. Please check the following website for more information:
https://www.thamesclippers.com/plan-your-journey/ticket-information
Check the timetable before taking the Water Bus: https://www.thamesclippers.com/plan-your-journey/timetable
Travelcard vs Railcard
London offer two types of travel discount:
Travelcard
Railcard
With a travelcard, you can take unlimited bus, tube, tram, overground, TfL, water bus, etc trips in London within the designated zone and specific time limit.
With a Railcard, you can go to any underground stations and ask help to add your railcard to your Oyster Card (this only applies to Oyster Card, not other contactless payment methods), and you can enjoy Railcard discounts when you take the Tube.
For example, those aged 16 to 25 who own a 16-25 Railcard can add it to their Oyster Card in order to enjoy a ⅓ discount when taking the Tube in off-peak hours.
Taxi
London’s famous Black Cab can be booked in advance via phone; or hailed on the street; or can be found at taxi stops outside railway stations.
You can also book a taxi via different apps, such as Uber, Bolt, FreeNow, Ola. Those apps are popular and can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play. Just type in your starting point and destination and follow the instructions to find a taxi.
The following is London Black Cab’s website including taxi reservation hotline:
Bicycle
As transportation costs are quite high in London, cycling becomes one of the most popular forms of transportation. Many Londoners prefer cycling to school, work or travel around in the city.
However, London has a high number of bicycle theft cases so when parking your bicycle on the street, remember to lock it securely with a big and safe lock.
If you don’t want to own a bicycle, consider bicycle-sharing, which is quite trendy in London. One of the big shared bicycles suppliers is Santander Cycle. Their shared bicycles with a red logo are commonly seen in the city.
When you see a Santander docking station on the streets, you can use the app to rent a bicycle.
Rental costs £2 each time. It can be rented for a maximum of 30 minutes at a time and there is no limit to the distance. For more than 30 minutes, an additional £2 will be charged, and etc.
You must return the bicycle to any docking stations within 24 hours. A maximum of £300 is fined for overtime or any damages caused.
Download the Santander app from the App Store or Google Play and you can easily find the nearest docking station.
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