What visitors need to know about travelling around London
Do walk, don't line up for tickets and do jump on a city bus for a cheap sight-seeing tour
One of the biggest mistakes many tourists make when they visit London, is to not realise how close many sites are to each other and to take public transport, when you could walk. You also don’t need to line up and buy a ticket, to go on public transport, as you can use contactless payments, which calculate the lowest fares. So, to make things simple for overseas and outside-London readers, here’s a quick guide to everything you need to know about getting around the city, before you arrive:
1. Work out if you can walk
Many locations in central London are actually walkable, when often, the Tube map makes it appear things are further away than they are. It’s a long way down all the corridors to the underground – often, it’s easier to walk from A to B, particularly when places are next to each other, such as Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus, or Oxford St. You also see more. Check out the distance on Google Maps, first.
2. Take the bus
Don’t be afraid to catch a bus – they’re a great way of getting a cheap sightseeing tour, as many of them go past major sites. Number 11 goes from Fulham to Liverpool St, taking in Chelsea, Belgravia, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, Whitehall, Trafalgar Square, the Strand, Fleet St, St Paul’s Cathedral, the Bank of England and Liverpool St. Route 24 goes from Victoria via Westminster Abbey, Whitehall and Downing Street, Trafalgar Square, the West End, Camden and Hampstead Heath.
3. Go contactless
If you are taking public transport, you don’t need to buy a physical ticket. You can tap on and off the Tube, bus, DLR and ferry, with your phone, credit or debit card and it will work out the cheapest overall fare through the day. Remember to tap out, though – look for the electronic point to do so.
4. Get a visitor Oyster card before you travel
If you want a pre-paid visitor Oyster card for discounted fares, you need to buy this before you leave home, as it’s for international customers. You can get them from:
You can use these as soon as you arrive - on the Tube, Elizabeth line, Heathrow Express and Gatwick Express, for example.
5. Get a travel card
You can also get a normal Oystercard when you are in the UK, or a travel card for individuals, or groups, if it makes it easier. These can be used as many times as you want in a day on the train, Tube, bus and ferry.
6. Young children go free
Kids under-11 are free on the Tube, bus, ferry and overground trains, in London. You just need them to walk through the gates with you as you tap in and out (go through the large accessible gate). It’s up to four kids per adult.
7. Get a teen discount
If your child is 11-15, you can ask a member of staff to set a Young Visitor discount on a Zip Oyster or Visitor Oyster card. This allows them to get 50% off adult-rate pay as you go fares, for up to 14 days.
8. Hail a cab
While you might be used to ordering an Uber, you can just flag down a black cab, you don’t need to book it. Just check to see if its light is on, meaning it’s vacant. They also take contactless payment.
The Travel List
For more information on getting around London visit tfl.gov.uk
For visitor Oyster Cards and other tickets, visit VisitBritainShop.com