Transport
Practical guidance to move around London with confidence — payment, lines, airports, night services.
Always check the official TfL site for live updates before travelling.
Contactless & Oyster
Tap any contactless bank card or phone (Apple Pay / Google Pay) at the yellow reader. The fare is the same as Oyster, with daily and weekly capping built in. Use the same card all day — different cards count as separate passengers.
Tube basics
Stand on the right of escalators. Have your card ready before the gate. Mind the gap when boarding. Off-peak fares (after 09:30 weekdays, all weekend) are cheaper. Most lines run roughly 05:00–00:30.
Buses
Red double-deckers cover the city. Tap on when boarding (no tap off). Bus-only fare is currently flat per journey, with a 'Hopper' allowing unlimited buses within an hour for one fare. Sit upstairs at the front for the best free city tour.
Elizabeth Line
Fast, modern east-west line crossing central London. Connects Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3, 4 and 5 directly with Paddington, Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, Liverpool Street and Canary Wharf. Use it for the airport.
Airport links
Heathrow: Elizabeth Line (≈30 min to Paddington) or Piccadilly Line (slower, cheaper). Gatwick: Gatwick Express or Thameslink to St Pancras. Stansted: Stansted Express to Liverpool Street. Luton: train to St Pancras + shuttle bus.
Night buses & Night Tube
Night buses (route numbers prefixed with 'N') run all night across the city. The Night Tube runs Friday and Saturday nights on key lines (Victoria, Central, Jubilee, Northern, Piccadilly).