A Guide For Visitors To Public Transport In London

December 27, 2019

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London is a huge city with an area of approximately 1,572 km². Despite its size, the city maintains an effective and efficient public transportation system that connects all 32 London boroughs.

There are numerous transport options available with the underground, interurban buses, trams – and even the cable car.

Not to mention the various travel payment options, including contactless payment cards, oyster cards and paper tickets.

It is therefore not surprising that first-time visitors to the city are often overwhelmed. Read on to learn more about each form of transportation and our recommended travel payment methods.

The Zone System

When it comes to getting around, London is divided into “Zones” 1-6, with “Zone 1” being the city center and “Zone 6” being the outskirts. The system itself is a method for TfL (Transport for London) to calculate a customer’s travel distance and to calculate it accordingly.

Realistically speaking, most visitors to the city never have to travel outside of Zone 1, as this is where most of the main attractions and the city center are located. However, for those going on a longer trip, it is important to consider how many “zones” you are going to cross, as this will affect the type of ticket you need to buy.

The time of day you travel also affects travel expenses. TfL calculates higher tariffs at peak times of the day, which are also known as “peak times”. These opening times (except on public holidays) are Monday to Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

For buses, Zone system is not applicable, in London. You can travel anywhere in zones 1 to 6 with any ticket.

The London Underground AKA Tube

The London Underground (known by locals as Tube, because some of the tunnels in the network are literally round tubes) is the oldest underground system in the world. A red and blue ring marks subway stations across the city.

Pay using contactless or Oyster card
Part of the TfL transport system
Hundreds of stations (270)
Service on the Central, Jubilee, Victoria, Northern and Piccadilly lines is round the clock
Do not use cash as it is not accepted

The London Underground AKA Tube

The Overground

Not to be confused with the subway, which, as the name suggests, runs above street level and connects the city center with the larger metropolitan area. It was introduced in 2007 to provide better connections between areas outside of Central London.

Pay using contactless or Oyster card
Part of the TfL transport system
Services with over 70% of London Boroughs with 100+ stations
late night service that runs till the early hours
Do not use cash as it is not accepted

DLR (Docklands Light Railway)

In contrast to the rest of the London transport network, the DLR is a fully automated system without a driver. The DLR extends across the Docklands area of London, which is located just east and southeast of Central London, and is also connected to the London Emirates Air Line.

Pay using contactless or Oyster card
Part of the TfL transport system
Completely driverless!
Do not use cash as it is not accepted
Relatively small/limited network

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London Buses

Buses in London not only offer a fantastic way to explore the city, they also have a great advantage over all other modes of transport: they are not restricted by the zone system.

What does that mean? Every trip you take, no matter how far you travel or where you go, will cost you a flat fee of £ 1.50 (PKR 300) for a single trip. You also have the advantage of the Hopper tariff; Take as many bus journeys as you like within 1 hour and never pay more than the flat fee of £ 1.50 (PKR 300).

Pay using contactless or Oyster card
Part of the TfL transport system
Cheap, efficient way to travel
Thousand’s of routes and bus stops
Do not use cash as it is not accepted

Emirates Air Line (Cable Car)

Don’t be fooled by its misleading name. The highest height you can reach via the only urban cable car in the UK via London is 90 m.

More spectacular than practical, enjoy the beautiful panoramic view over London from Greenwich to the Royal Victoria Dock. As part of the TfL system, you can pay with your contactless Oyster travel card – just as if you were traveling by bus or train.

Pay using contactless or Oyster card
Part of the TfL transport system
Panoramic views across London
Do not use cash as it is not accepted
Limited route
Slow travel time

Bicycle (aka “Boris Bikes”)

London’s public bike rental program, Santander Cycles (known locally as Boris Bikes), offers more than 11,500 bikes at 750 docking stations. The number of cyclists on the streets of London has more than doubled in the past decade, largely due to the introduction of bike rental. Cycling around the city is a great (and environmentally friendly) way to explore the city.

Pay using contactless or Oyster card
Part of the TfL transport system
Great way to explore and get exercise
Easy – pay using the official app or by card
Cheap – £2 (PKR 400) to access a bike for 24 hours (the first 30 minutes of each journey is free)
Do not use cash as it is not accepted
Can only pay via bank card at the docking station

River Bus

The confusingly named “River Bus” serves 6 routes from 22 piers along the Thames between Putney in the west and Woolwich in the east.

For departures only about every 20 minutes, we recommend that you plan your trip in advance to avoid delays. If you’re not in a hurry, the river bus is a great way to travel around the city and enjoy the great views of the river bank of London.