TRAVEL IN LONDON
The London Underground
The London Underground, or ‘the Tube' as it is universally known to Londoners, is normally the quickest and easiest way of getting around London with 275 stations conveniently dotted across the city (63 in central London ). Most people in London use the Tube.' London is served by 12 Tube lines. Underground trains on all lines run every few minutes between 5.30 until 00:30 Monday to Saturday, and between 7.30-23.30 on Sundays. For more definite times for each tube line, visit:
You can get a map for the entire Underground system free of charge from all train station ticket offices. Smoking is not allowed on the Underground, neither on trains or stations themselves. Smoking is also not allowed on buses.
Trains and platforms are described as Eastbound, Westbound, Northbound or Southbound depending on the direction of the line. The front of the train, and the platform indicator, will show the ultimate destination of the train – usually, but not always, the last station on the line.
If the station you are travelling to is not on the same line as the one where you start your journey, you need to change trains at any stations where two lines meet. For some journeys you may need to change lines twice. Each line has its own unique colour, so you can easily follow them on maps and signs throughout the system.
The one-day travelcard offers a cheap and easy way of getting about London and can be used after 9.30am on Monday to Friday and all day Saturday, Sunday and public holidays on the Tube, suburban trains, the DLR and buses, including night buses.
Oyster cards, on the other hand, are more cost-effective for those who travel regularly. Visit: www.oystercard.com for further details on how to use the card and fares. Oyster cards are the same size as credit cards but contain an aerial and a small, powerful microchip that holds memory. Oyster card readers have been fitted to all Tube gates and bus drivers' ticket machines.
LONDON BUSES
London Buses manages bus services in London. It plans routes, specifies service levels and monitors service quality. It is also responsible for bus stations and stops and other support services.
* The bus services are operated by private operators, which work under contract to London Buses.
- Children aged 14 or 15 years need an ‘11-15' or Child photocard, or 14/15 Citizencard.
- Child fares are also available to ‘New Deal' photocard holders.
Please visit www.tfl.gov.uk/buses for fares and infomation
DOCKLANDS LIGHT RAILWAY
Please phone the Docklands Travel Hotline on 020 7918 4000 or customer services on 020 7363 9700.
LONDON COACHES
The main coach station in London is based at Victoria . For further details contact:- Main Switchboard Tel: 020 7730 3466
Mobility Assistance Tel: 020 7824 0000
OYSTER CARDS
- Oyster is London 's travel smartcard. You can put your Travelcard or Bus Pass season ticket on it, add travel value (cash) to pay as you go or have a combination of both.
- Oyster cards are also reusable. This means that when your ticket expires you can buy another on the same Oyster card, and when your travel value (cash) runs out, you can just top it up.
- Oyster cards with Travelcards are valid on Tube, DLR, tram and National Rail services within your chosen zones and across the entire
London bus network.
- Oyster cards with Bus Passes are valid across the entire London bus network and on trams.
- You can also use Oyster to pay as you go on the Tube, bus, DLR, tram, and some National Rail services.
TRAVEL IN LONDON
NEW FARES FROM JANUARY 2007
The new fares are designed to encourage customers to switch from cash to Oyster in order to speed up bus journeys and reduce ticket queues at Tube stations. In many cases, using Oyster to pay as you go on buses, trams, DLR and the Tube will be half the cost of the same journey if you pay by cash. The new fares will continue to help families by offering:
- Free travel on buses for all under 18-year-olds in full-time education
- A 50p Oyster single fare for all under-16s on the Tube From Easter 2007, free Tube and DLR travel will be offered to all under 11-year-olds at all times
On the Tube
* All Oyster single fares are frozen across London and the daily price cap remains 50p below the Day Travelcard price
- The cash single fare for all journeys via Zone 1 will be £4 - this means that if you use Oyster to pay as you go for journeys into Zone 1, you could save up to £2.50 per journey
- There is no change to the cash fare for non- Zone 1 journeys
On the buses
- The Oyster single fare will be £1 at all times
- For customers using Oyster to pay as you go, the daily price cap is frozen, which means you will never pay more than £3 regardless of how many trips you make in one day
- If you choose not to use Oyster, you will pay £2 for each single journey
- The One Day Bus Pass is frozen at £3.50 and the Weekly Bus Pass increases in line with inflation from £13.50 to £14.00
Useful Information
- For 24 hour information on all London transport services, call the London Travel Information office on 020 7222 1234
- If you require help with planning your journey on London transport, you can use the TFL's journey planner online service at