Katzr2000
Proud Member
Hey guys and girls.
I have notice many many seprate threads floating about with regards to transport while your in london so I thought I would create one thread to answer all these questions in one place. This will make it easier for people looking for the same information, saving them from having to ask again. As I am born and bred in London, I should be able to answer most questions. This will be a work in progress so please bare with me. Its a lot of things to cover. I will start with the basics, and anything else you need to know, just ask and I will add it to the first post, for easy reference in the future.
Useful Websites
TFL - This is the official site for Transport For London. Here you will find plenty of information on Tubes, Rail, Busses, Taxis and more, including maps and time tables.
National Rail - This site deals with trains which run through london, greater london and beyond. Helpful for those who are coming from other parts of the uk, or for those who want to see more than just london while in England.
National Express Coach services running throughout the UK and from major London Airports.
Thames Clippers Boats running express service to and from the o2.
Zones
The London transport system works on travel zones, starting with zone 1 in central london increasing to zone 6 for the outskirts of london. You can view what stations are in what zones on the maps HERE. The standard tube map is what you will mainly need. North Greenwich for the o2 is on the border of zones 2 and 3.
Ticket Information
On London transport you can pay for your fair in numerous ways:
Oyster Card: This is the best way to travel round London as it more convenient and cheaper to paper tickets or cash. You can purchase an Oyster card from many local newsagents (look for oyster sign in window), Tube stations and online HERE for a small fee. There are also special Oyster cards for visitors to London, which I believe are cheaper to purchase. You can either use them pay as you go or with travel cards but cannot be loaded with 7 day travel cards. They can be purchased from Stansted and Gatwick Airports as well as many other places. More information on these HERE
You can use Oyster cards on tubes, buses and some rail lines. Information on where you can and cannot use an Oyster cards, as the machines have not been installed in some places yet, can be found HERE for National Rail services, HERE for Overground, and HERE for DLR. Generally Oyster card with travelcards on them are usable on most lines, it is Oyster cards with pay as you go which is generally less available to use (more information on this to follow).
To use your Oyster card you must swipe in and out of station (swipe when getting on for buses). If you fail to do this it could result in a fine or you paying more for your journey than you require. In some stations which have rail lines and tube lines, the oyster swiper will be on the platform. If you are ever unsure always ask someone who works at the station.
Pay As You Go
If you can get to grips with this system and you are only in london for a few days then this will be the best option for you. You top up your oyster with money (online, at stations or at ticket stop newsagents - which you can find HERE), and then you are charged for each individual journey which is deducted from your credit. It is a lot cheaper to pay for single journeys this way than paying cash at a station. You can search for the cost of single journeys HERE. Also PAYG Oysters are capped to the price of a daily travel card. More info HERE.
Travel Cards
Travel Cards is one ticket allowing you to travel on trains, tubes, buses etc as many times as your require in the time period stated on one ticket. You can get travel cards for 1 day, 3 days, 7 days, Monthly and annually. You can purchase a paper ticket or have the ticket places on an oyster card, there is no difference in cost. The price of your ticket is dependent on what zones you want it to cover and if it is for peak or off peak travel. You find more information on Travel cards and their prices HERE
Make sure you understand how to use your oyster card before coming to London, as I have often witnessed overseas visitors having the cards checked to realise they are not covered for their journey. This can result in fines.
Cash Fair / Paper Ticket
To pay cash on a bus or to purchase a single paper ticket is generally a lot more expensive than using an Oyster card. However some people may find it simpler to use and you can find more information HERE. You can purchase a single ticket from ticket counters in all tube and most rail stations (if you find there is no ticket counter or ticket machine at a train station there will be information signs telling you where to pay, but it usually means you can pay on the train when the ticket inspector comes round).
Before you leave for London, look into the journeys you expect to take to work out what type of ticket will be best for you. If you would like any advice, feel free to contact me with information of your potential journeys and I will try my best to work out what ticket is best for you, but is better if you try to work it out yourself first to help you understand the system.
Buses
Although you can pretty much get anywhere via tubes and trains in London, some people prefer to use the buses and it is also sometimes easier for shorter journeys.
You can find information on bus routes HERE. Fares on buses are £2 cash or £1 on Oyster PAYG. This is for one bus journey regardless of how far you will be traveling on that bus.
Most buses run till just after midnight, but there are plenty of night buses or 24 hour buses to help you get around. More information on night buses HERE.
Bus routes which go to the o2 are : 108 (24hrs) / 129 / 132 / 161 / 188 (24hrs) / 422 / 472 (24hrs) / 486. You can find more information on there routes HERE and HERE.
Getting To London From The Airport
As most of you reading this will be coming from overseas I thought it would be helpful to outline how to get from the major London Airports to Central London.
Stansted
The main way to get to and from Stansted Airport is via Stansted Express. Stansted Express operates up to four trains per hour to and from Liverpool Street station. Journey time from 45 minutes. Trains depart from Liverpool Street station between approximately 04:10 and 23:25 and return from Stansted Airport between approximately 05:30 and 00:30 (later at weekends). Connections from the Tube are also available at Tottenham Hale which is 11 minutes from Liverpool Street on the Stansted Express. From Liverpool Street you can connect to Central / Hammersmith and city / Circle / Metropolitan Lines and Rail services. To book tickets and find fares please see the official site.
You can also get Express Coaches to Stratford (A51 / A9), Victoria (A6 / A50 / EB2) and King's Cross (A60). These services are run by different companies so for information regarding booking please see HERE.
For a map of all services running to and from Stansted Airport click HERE.
Luton Airport
The main way to travel to and from Luton Airport by First Capital Connect. First Capital Connect (formerly Thameslink) operate up to six trains per hour to and from St Pancras International, London Bridge, Farringdon, London City Thameslink and Blackfriars stations (see Gatwick for more information about Blackfriars Underground station closure). Journey time from 35 minutes. An hourly service operates through the night to and from St Pancras International and Blackfriars. However, please note there are no trains between approximately 01:00 and 03:00.
I have done this journey myself and unless you are staying close to one of the other stations listed I would recommend travelling to St Pancras, as it is a one minute walk down the road to the main Kings Cross Station (Zone 1) which has connections for Northern / Hammersmith and city / Piccadilly / Victoria / Circle / Metropolitan Lines.
Another way to travel to and from Luton Airport is by easyBus. easyBus offers a high frequency, low cost express bus service between Central London and Luton Airport. easyBus coaches run 24-hours a day between the airport and Central London. There are stops at Brent Cross, Finchley Road, Baker Street, Oxford Street/Marble Arch and London Victoria. Online Fares start at £2 one-way and vary according to demand. You should book early to get the best fares.
For more information on all travel services running from London to Luton Airport please see HERE
Gatwick Airport
The main way to get to and from Gatwick Airport is via Gatwick Express. Gatwick Express operates four trains per hour to and from London Victoria. Journey time 30 minutes. There is no service between 00:30 and 03:30 from London and between 01:35 and 04:35 from Gatwick. Other rail operators run services through the night.
An alternative train service running from Gatwick to London Victoria is Southern.
For coaches from Gatwick to London Victoria you have the option of easyBus and National Express. National Express operates an hourly coach service to and from Victoria Coach Station. Journey time 65-95 minutes. easyBus service eb4 operates from Fulham Broadway from 06:00 to 22:00 and Gatwick from 06:30 to 23:00.
From London Victoria (zone 1) you can then transfer to the victoria / circle / district lines to continue your journey.
Heathrow Airport
The main way to travel from Heathrow Airport to London is via the Piccadilly Tube Line on the London Underground. The Piccadilly line connects all Heathrow terminals including Terminal 5, with frequent services to central London between 05:00 and 23:40 (Heathrow Terminal 4 station closes at 23:35 Monday to Saturday, and 23:05 on Sunday).
You can also travel from Heathrow to Paddington station via Heathrow Connect.Heathrow Connect operates between Heathrow and Paddington via five intermediate stations in west London. Journey time to Paddington is 25 minutes and trains operate every 30 minutes. Trains depart from Paddington between 04:42 (06:12 on Sundays) and 23:03 and return from Heathrow Terminals 1,2,3 between 05:29 (06:13 on Sundays) and 00:06. Passengers for Terminal 5 should use the free inter-terminal service from Terminals 1,2 and 3. Oyster pay as you go is not valid on the service and Zone 1-6 Travelcards are only valid between Paddington and Hayes & Harlington.
Along with the above rail service there is also Heathrow Express. Heathrow Express operates four non-stop trains per hour to and from Paddington. Trains depart from Paddington between 05:10 and 23:25 and return from Terminal 4 between 05:23 and 00:01 and Terminal 5 between 05:07 and 23:42. Journey time15-20 minutes. There are three stations at Heathrow, Terminals 1, 2, 3, Terminal 4 and Terminal 5. Passengers for Terminal 4 must change at Terminals 1, 2, 3 for the free and frequent transfer service to Terminal 4. Travelcards and Oyster pay as you go are not valid on Heathrow Express.
From Paddington station (zone 1) you can continue your journey via Hammersmith & City / Circle / District / Bakerloo Lines.
Lastly there is also the option of coaches from National Express. For more information please see HERE and HERE.
For anyone worrying about how the closure of the Jubille Line due to planned engineering work here some info that might help.
The rail replacment buses are nothing to be scared off. They are free of charge and follow exactly the same route overground as the the affected tube line. There are TFL staff, who wear blue jackets at every station. They are very helpful and are well used to lost and confused people. The buses are very frequent, about every 5 to 7 minutes, and when each bus arrives at a station, the station and direction of the bus is announced both by the driver and the station staff.
Also, if your concert is affected there will be a special travel page on The O2 website and on the TFL website and most likely you will be sent an email by The O2.
Q&A has been moved to page 4 due to lack of space
I have notice many many seprate threads floating about with regards to transport while your in london so I thought I would create one thread to answer all these questions in one place. This will make it easier for people looking for the same information, saving them from having to ask again. As I am born and bred in London, I should be able to answer most questions. This will be a work in progress so please bare with me. Its a lot of things to cover. I will start with the basics, and anything else you need to know, just ask and I will add it to the first post, for easy reference in the future.
Useful Websites
TFL - This is the official site for Transport For London. Here you will find plenty of information on Tubes, Rail, Busses, Taxis and more, including maps and time tables.
National Rail - This site deals with trains which run through london, greater london and beyond. Helpful for those who are coming from other parts of the uk, or for those who want to see more than just london while in England.
National Express Coach services running throughout the UK and from major London Airports.
Thames Clippers Boats running express service to and from the o2.
Zones
The London transport system works on travel zones, starting with zone 1 in central london increasing to zone 6 for the outskirts of london. You can view what stations are in what zones on the maps HERE. The standard tube map is what you will mainly need. North Greenwich for the o2 is on the border of zones 2 and 3.
Ticket Information
On London transport you can pay for your fair in numerous ways:
Oyster Card: This is the best way to travel round London as it more convenient and cheaper to paper tickets or cash. You can purchase an Oyster card from many local newsagents (look for oyster sign in window), Tube stations and online HERE for a small fee. There are also special Oyster cards for visitors to London, which I believe are cheaper to purchase. You can either use them pay as you go or with travel cards but cannot be loaded with 7 day travel cards. They can be purchased from Stansted and Gatwick Airports as well as many other places. More information on these HERE
You can use Oyster cards on tubes, buses and some rail lines. Information on where you can and cannot use an Oyster cards, as the machines have not been installed in some places yet, can be found HERE for National Rail services, HERE for Overground, and HERE for DLR. Generally Oyster card with travelcards on them are usable on most lines, it is Oyster cards with pay as you go which is generally less available to use (more information on this to follow).
To use your Oyster card you must swipe in and out of station (swipe when getting on for buses). If you fail to do this it could result in a fine or you paying more for your journey than you require. In some stations which have rail lines and tube lines, the oyster swiper will be on the platform. If you are ever unsure always ask someone who works at the station.
Pay As You Go
If you can get to grips with this system and you are only in london for a few days then this will be the best option for you. You top up your oyster with money (online, at stations or at ticket stop newsagents - which you can find HERE), and then you are charged for each individual journey which is deducted from your credit. It is a lot cheaper to pay for single journeys this way than paying cash at a station. You can search for the cost of single journeys HERE. Also PAYG Oysters are capped to the price of a daily travel card. More info HERE.
Travel Cards
Travel Cards is one ticket allowing you to travel on trains, tubes, buses etc as many times as your require in the time period stated on one ticket. You can get travel cards for 1 day, 3 days, 7 days, Monthly and annually. You can purchase a paper ticket or have the ticket places on an oyster card, there is no difference in cost. The price of your ticket is dependent on what zones you want it to cover and if it is for peak or off peak travel. You find more information on Travel cards and their prices HERE
Make sure you understand how to use your oyster card before coming to London, as I have often witnessed overseas visitors having the cards checked to realise they are not covered for their journey. This can result in fines.
Cash Fair / Paper Ticket
To pay cash on a bus or to purchase a single paper ticket is generally a lot more expensive than using an Oyster card. However some people may find it simpler to use and you can find more information HERE. You can purchase a single ticket from ticket counters in all tube and most rail stations (if you find there is no ticket counter or ticket machine at a train station there will be information signs telling you where to pay, but it usually means you can pay on the train when the ticket inspector comes round).
Before you leave for London, look into the journeys you expect to take to work out what type of ticket will be best for you. If you would like any advice, feel free to contact me with information of your potential journeys and I will try my best to work out what ticket is best for you, but is better if you try to work it out yourself first to help you understand the system.
Buses
Although you can pretty much get anywhere via tubes and trains in London, some people prefer to use the buses and it is also sometimes easier for shorter journeys.
You can find information on bus routes HERE. Fares on buses are £2 cash or £1 on Oyster PAYG. This is for one bus journey regardless of how far you will be traveling on that bus.
Most buses run till just after midnight, but there are plenty of night buses or 24 hour buses to help you get around. More information on night buses HERE.
Bus routes which go to the o2 are : 108 (24hrs) / 129 / 132 / 161 / 188 (24hrs) / 422 / 472 (24hrs) / 486. You can find more information on there routes HERE and HERE.
Getting To London From The Airport
As most of you reading this will be coming from overseas I thought it would be helpful to outline how to get from the major London Airports to Central London.
Stansted
The main way to get to and from Stansted Airport is via Stansted Express. Stansted Express operates up to four trains per hour to and from Liverpool Street station. Journey time from 45 minutes. Trains depart from Liverpool Street station between approximately 04:10 and 23:25 and return from Stansted Airport between approximately 05:30 and 00:30 (later at weekends). Connections from the Tube are also available at Tottenham Hale which is 11 minutes from Liverpool Street on the Stansted Express. From Liverpool Street you can connect to Central / Hammersmith and city / Circle / Metropolitan Lines and Rail services. To book tickets and find fares please see the official site.
You can also get Express Coaches to Stratford (A51 / A9), Victoria (A6 / A50 / EB2) and King's Cross (A60). These services are run by different companies so for information regarding booking please see HERE.
For a map of all services running to and from Stansted Airport click HERE.
Luton Airport
The main way to travel to and from Luton Airport by First Capital Connect. First Capital Connect (formerly Thameslink) operate up to six trains per hour to and from St Pancras International, London Bridge, Farringdon, London City Thameslink and Blackfriars stations (see Gatwick for more information about Blackfriars Underground station closure). Journey time from 35 minutes. An hourly service operates through the night to and from St Pancras International and Blackfriars. However, please note there are no trains between approximately 01:00 and 03:00.
I have done this journey myself and unless you are staying close to one of the other stations listed I would recommend travelling to St Pancras, as it is a one minute walk down the road to the main Kings Cross Station (Zone 1) which has connections for Northern / Hammersmith and city / Piccadilly / Victoria / Circle / Metropolitan Lines.
Another way to travel to and from Luton Airport is by easyBus. easyBus offers a high frequency, low cost express bus service between Central London and Luton Airport. easyBus coaches run 24-hours a day between the airport and Central London. There are stops at Brent Cross, Finchley Road, Baker Street, Oxford Street/Marble Arch and London Victoria. Online Fares start at £2 one-way and vary according to demand. You should book early to get the best fares.
For more information on all travel services running from London to Luton Airport please see HERE
Gatwick Airport
The main way to get to and from Gatwick Airport is via Gatwick Express. Gatwick Express operates four trains per hour to and from London Victoria. Journey time 30 minutes. There is no service between 00:30 and 03:30 from London and between 01:35 and 04:35 from Gatwick. Other rail operators run services through the night.
An alternative train service running from Gatwick to London Victoria is Southern.
For coaches from Gatwick to London Victoria you have the option of easyBus and National Express. National Express operates an hourly coach service to and from Victoria Coach Station. Journey time 65-95 minutes. easyBus service eb4 operates from Fulham Broadway from 06:00 to 22:00 and Gatwick from 06:30 to 23:00.
From London Victoria (zone 1) you can then transfer to the victoria / circle / district lines to continue your journey.
Heathrow Airport
The main way to travel from Heathrow Airport to London is via the Piccadilly Tube Line on the London Underground. The Piccadilly line connects all Heathrow terminals including Terminal 5, with frequent services to central London between 05:00 and 23:40 (Heathrow Terminal 4 station closes at 23:35 Monday to Saturday, and 23:05 on Sunday).
You can also travel from Heathrow to Paddington station via Heathrow Connect.Heathrow Connect operates between Heathrow and Paddington via five intermediate stations in west London. Journey time to Paddington is 25 minutes and trains operate every 30 minutes. Trains depart from Paddington between 04:42 (06:12 on Sundays) and 23:03 and return from Heathrow Terminals 1,2,3 between 05:29 (06:13 on Sundays) and 00:06. Passengers for Terminal 5 should use the free inter-terminal service from Terminals 1,2 and 3. Oyster pay as you go is not valid on the service and Zone 1-6 Travelcards are only valid between Paddington and Hayes & Harlington.
Along with the above rail service there is also Heathrow Express. Heathrow Express operates four non-stop trains per hour to and from Paddington. Trains depart from Paddington between 05:10 and 23:25 and return from Terminal 4 between 05:23 and 00:01 and Terminal 5 between 05:07 and 23:42. Journey time15-20 minutes. There are three stations at Heathrow, Terminals 1, 2, 3, Terminal 4 and Terminal 5. Passengers for Terminal 4 must change at Terminals 1, 2, 3 for the free and frequent transfer service to Terminal 4. Travelcards and Oyster pay as you go are not valid on Heathrow Express.
From Paddington station (zone 1) you can continue your journey via Hammersmith & City / Circle / District / Bakerloo Lines.
Lastly there is also the option of coaches from National Express. For more information please see HERE and HERE.
For anyone worrying about how the closure of the Jubille Line due to planned engineering work here some info that might help.
The rail replacment buses are nothing to be scared off. They are free of charge and follow exactly the same route overground as the the affected tube line. There are TFL staff, who wear blue jackets at every station. They are very helpful and are well used to lost and confused people. The buses are very frequent, about every 5 to 7 minutes, and when each bus arrives at a station, the station and direction of the bus is announced both by the driver and the station staff.
Also, if your concert is affected there will be a special travel page on The O2 website and on the TFL website and most likely you will be sent an email by The O2.
Q&A has been moved to page 4 due to lack of space
Last edited:
