welcome to travel essentials

Getting around

Transport for London (www.tfl.gov.uk) operates an extensive transport network across the capital, covering six fare zones.

Bus

DLR

River

Taxi

Train

Tube

London’s bus service offers an easy way of getting around the city - longer journeys can be slower than the Tube, but it’s a more comprehensive network reaching areas not served by the Underground or trains. The fare is £2.20 for any journey (it’s cheaper with a Travelcard: see below) and you often have to buy tickets from machines at the bus stop.

In the know: Travel Cards

Electronic smartcards called Oyster Cards offer the cheapest fares for London travel, but if you’re in town for only a few days, a Travelcard may be more convenient. These give unlimited travel on the Tube, DLR, buses and Overground rail, plus a third off scheduled riverboat fares. Travelcards can be bought for one, three or seven days, plus longer periods, with the cost depending on the zones you travel through. An off-peak, one-day Travelcard for Zones 1-2 costs around £6.60.

Transport

To and from airports

London's airports are all less than an hour from the city centre and are served by trains, buses and taxis.

Gatwick

Heathrow

London City

Luton

Stansted

Gatwick Express is fastest to central London, with departures every 15 minutes to Victoria, taking 30 minutes. A single ticket costs £16.90 and a return is £28.80. Trains run from 4.35am to 1.35am.
www.gatwickexpress.com

First Capital Connect and Southern offer services taking between 35-40 minutes, with fares priced from £8.90. Taxis can be expensive, with journeys taking about an hour and costing more than £50.
www.firstcapitalconnect.co.uk

www.southernrailway.com

Dot 2 Dot offers a bus shuttle into central London (20 minutes; £25), 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
www.dot2.com

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Road distances to London are measured from Trafalgar Square, where you can find a brass plaque marking the "centre of London" near the statue of Charles I.