The city of London has a lot of great features. In fact, I made this website because there are so many amazing places and experiences in this city that I want everyone to know about. The extensive local and tourist public transportation network is one such thing. There wouldn’t be much of a system without the London Subway.
The London Underground, or “Tube,” might be confusing to first-time visitors to the city. All the different colourful lines on the map seem like a plate of rainbow spaghetti. Read this before taking your first ride on the London subway, and you’ll be prepared.
Reading this page will teach you the basics of using the Underground in London, including where to buy tickets and what combinations of tickets are best for your journey. You won’t necessarily emerge from this having mastered the intricacies of riding the London Underground, but you’ll have a solid foundation from which to build, and you’ll pick it up fast after hopping on your first train.
Here Are 9 Interesting Facts About London’s Underground
- Transport for London (TfL) manages the London Subway and other forms of public transportation in the city.
- There are nine different “Travel Zones” in London, but because most of the city’s top sights and hotels are in Zones 1 and 2, you probably won’t need to worry about paying for more than a single ride inside those two zones.
- With 270 stations and 402 kilometres of lines, you’re never more than a few blocks away from one, even in the heart of Central London.
- There are eleven different lines in the London Subway system: the Bakerloo, Central, Circle, District, Hammersmith & City, Jubilee, Metropolitan, Northern, Piccadilly, Victoria, and Waterloo & Victoria. The Elizabeth line, the 12th, is scheduled to open in 2022. (Here is a chart detailing the specific hues used for each line, in case you’re wondering.)
- From around 5 in the morning until about midnight, the Tube is always there to help you navigate about London.
- 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. and 5:30 to 7 p.m. are the busiest times of day on the subway. You’ll have a lot more pleasant, less crowded trip if you’re able to avoid these hours.
- There is a Night Tube that operates on the Victoria, Jubilee, and most of the Central, Northern, and Piccadilly lines late at night on Fridays and Saturdays.
- An estimated 1.35 billion people use the Tube each year, with an average of 5 million daily riders. It’s a fantastic method of transport in the British capital.
- Wow, the London Underground is the world’s oldest metro system, having begun in 1863.
Learn the Tube’s Ticketing System in London
If you want to spend less than a week in London, consider
Get a round-trip ticket at the airport to the station that is most convenient to where you will be staying.
When you go to London, get an Oyster Card and put $40 on it. It’ll cover your bases and let you ride as much as you want in Zones 1-2 for the duration of your vacation.
If you want to visit for 7 days in London, consider
A round-trip ticket from the airport station to the station closest to your lodging should be purchased upon arrival.
Once in London, spend the $36.10 for a 7-day Travelcard (pass) for Zones 1-2.
If you plan on staying in London for more than 8 days
Get a round-trip ticket at the airport to the station that is most convenient to where you will be staying.
To go about London for seven days, spend £36.10 on a Zone 1-2 Travelcard.
After the eighth day of your vacation, you will be charged an additional £10 each day, or £15 every two additional days in London. (Therefore, for a journey of 8 days, add £10; for 9 days, add £15; for 10 days, add £25).
A Guide to the London Underground
Once you have your ticket, you should be good to travel, right? You’re right, of course, but it helps to have some idea of what to expect along the way. Learn the ins and outs of the London subway system with these helpful hints!
Transit System Entry and Exit
First, we’ll talk about how to get into and out of the stations. You’ll reach a gated entrance right away. Indicators in red and green let you know which gates allow admission and which allow leave. I have no doubt that you can distinguish between them!
put your ticket into the slot or “tap in” by temporarily putting your Oyster/Contactless card on the yellow disc to access the gates. Then keep your payment method hidden discreetly, since pickpockets on the Tube will gladly make off with an Oyster card that has a full balance.
In order to depart the station at the conclusion of your trip, you must “tap out.” It’s quite easy to forget to pull out your ticket or ID as you approach the turnstiles. There will be green and red lights on the gates to let you know which ones are open. If you want to leave via an open gate, you’ll need to pull out your ticket or Oyster/Contactless card and quickly tap it on the yellow disc again.
Keep track of the routes you’re taking (or Their Colors)
Of course, there are also the 11 lines of the London Underground, the Docklands Light Railway (DLR), the London Overground, the London Trams, and TfL Rail that I just mentioned. Depending on which of my London itineraries you choose to follow, you will likely use the Overground and/or DLR, but not the Trams or TfL Rail since they don’t serve Zones 1-2.
Identifying each line by its colour is the quickest method. To provide just a few examples, the Central Line is red, the District Line is green, and the Piccadilly Line is navy. All of the signage, maps, and even the trains themselves follow this colour scheme. So if you can’t remember the name of the line you want to ride, the colour will help you recall it.
Get a sense of your overall bearings
Knowing the direction you wish to travel is also crucial for boarding the correct train. Fortunately, London has a good sense of direction on the compass rise, so each Tube line indicates whether it goes north, south, east, or west.
It’s possible to take a southbound train on the Northern (black) line, while the Circle (yellow) line, true to its name, reverses direction depending on which end of the line you board from.
Through Central London, the Northern Line branches out. When boarding, keep an eye out for signs that say “via Charing Cross” or “via Bank” to determine which route you’ll be taking.
Multiple stops on the District line serve West London. If you are using the District line in Zone 2, be aware of the train’s destination before boarding.
Zone 3 in West London is where the Central Railway splits off, while Zone 4 in East London is when the line does its crazy loop thing. However, if you’re just interested in viewing the sites in the heart of London, you’re not likely to run across any of them.
You just pay when you leave, so even if you accidentally take the incorrect branch or fork, you can easily get back on the main line.
Underground Station Maps and Navigation Apps
Citymapper is my top pick among the several London navigation apps available. While I have never used it, TfL also has its own app called TfL Go.
Citymapper is a comprehensive public transportation software that allows you to easily traverse London by integrating all of the city’s bus lines and providing you with real-time information. Really, this app has everything you need to travel about London.
Get your bearings with the app, memorise the first few instructions, and then put the phone aside. You shouldn’t go about with your phone in your face, since doing so might cause you to lose your bearings and make you an easy target for burglars. (I have only ever been a victim of theft on the Tube once in all my trips, but it’s better to be safe than sorry if you happen to lose your phone.)
Guide to Proper Tube Conduct in London
There is a lot to say about proper behaviour on the London Underground (the “Tube”), so I wrote a full page on it. If you don’t have time to read it all, here’s the gist:
Keep to the Right if You’re Standing or Going Slowly If you’re standing or moving slowly, keep to the right side of the escalator or other moving walkway.
After stepping foot onto the platform, go downward. The train station may become rather congested, especially during peak times, so it’s better to spread out.
If you’re waiting for the train, keep behind the yellow line. If the conductor believes you are too near to the tracks and might be injured by the train, he or she will sound the horn.
Even if the station is packed, the train may not be able to accommodate everyone if they aren’t allowed to get off first.
My favourite Britishism, “Mind the Gap” advises passengers to watch their footing in the event that there is a height difference between the train and the platform.
To create room for additional passengers, move to the middle of the carriage, even if you’re just going one stop.
Don’t fall over, there are plenty of handrails on the Tube cars. Implement them!
The signs directing you to the exit are placed at eye level as you get off the train, so be sure you look up. People are likely to be waiting to board the platform after you, so please hurry up and go.
Getting about London with a disability
Last but not least, if you are a disabled passenger in need of special assistance, you should know the following information before you board the Tube. During the last decade, great strides have been made to make the London Tube system more accessible for those using
wheelchairs. The Tube map includes a little blue wheelchair symbol for stations that are accessible for people using wheelchairs.