How to Get Around London

What Works Best Depends on Where You’re Going

London offers many ways to get from place to place, but deciding how to get around London is not always as simple as choosing the fastest route on a map. The Underground may appear quickest, yet reaching the platform can mean navigating stairs, escalators, and long corridors. Changing lines can add even more walking and waiting. A bus may take longer but require less walking. A taxi may cost more but make sense when you have luggage or a limited amount of time.

The best choice depends on where you are going, what you are carrying, how much time you have, and how much energy you want to spend getting there.

Walking in London

Walking is often the best way to explore a neighborhood and notice the details you might miss from a vehicle. Areas such as Westminster, Covent Garden, and the South Bank each offer several places to visit within a relatively compact area.

However, distances can add up quickly. A route that looks short on a map may include crowded sidewalks, street crossings, uneven pavement, and more time on your feet than expected. Grouping nearby sights together can reduce unnecessary walking and leave more energy for the places you came to see.

The Underground: Fast, but Not Always Easy

The London Underground can be the fastest way to cover longer distances. Trains run frequently, and the network reaches nearly every part of the city a visitor is likely to explore.

However, the journey involves more than the time spent on the train. You may walk a considerable distance between the street and the platform. Changing lines can also mean long corridors, stairs, escalators, and waiting for another train.

Before choosing the Tube, look at the entire route rather than simply comparing station names. Transport for London’s Journey Planner allows you to select routes that avoid stairs or escalators, limit walking, or provide different levels of step-free access. These tools can be useful even if you do not consider yourself to have mobility limitations.

London Buses: A Useful Alternative

Buses can be a comfortable alternative when the Underground requires several changes or a long walk through a station. You board at street level, avoid most stairs and escalators, and can watch London pass by along the way.

The tradeoff is time. Traffic can make a bus journey slower than the Tube, especially during busy periods. However, a direct bus may still be easier than a faster route that requires extra walking and multiple changes.

Check the route before you leave and note the name of your stop. The displays and announcements onboard will help you follow your progress and know when it is time to get off.

Black Cabs and Ride Services

A black cab or ride service can be the easiest choice when you want door-to-door transportation. It may be especially worthwhile when you have luggage, feel tired after a long day, or need to reach a destination that requires awkward connections by public transportation.

The cost will usually be higher than taking the Tube or a bus, and traffic can affect the travel time. Still, convenience sometimes matters more than choosing the least expensive option. A taxi can save walking, eliminate transfers, and help you arrive with more energy for what you planned to do.

Getting Around with Luggage

Luggage changes the calculation. A route that feels easy with a handbag may be far less comfortable when you are managing a suitcase through crowds, corridors, stairs, and escalators.

Before using the Underground, check whether both your departure and arrival stations provide the level of step-free access you need. Remember that a station described as step-free may offer access only to the platform rather than all the way onto the train.

For an airport or railway-station arrival, a taxi or prearranged transfer may be worth the added cost. Once you have left your luggage at the hotel, you can use public transportation more comfortably for the rest of your stay.

Paying in an Almost Cashless City

London has become an almost cashless city. Although some businesses still accept cash, most people use contactless cards or mobile wallets for everyday purchases. You may want to carry a small amount of cash, but you will probably use it very little.

You can pay as you go on public transportation with a contactless credit or debit card, a mobile device, or an Oyster card. Each traveler needs a separate card or device.

Whatever you choose, use the same card or device throughout the day. Do not touch in with a physical card and touch out with a phone or watch linked to that card. The system treats them as different payment methods and may charge you incorrectly.

On the Underground and rail services, touch in at the beginning and out at the end. On buses, touch in when you board but do not touch out. Travelers using a U.S. credit card should also check whether their card charges foreign transaction fees.

Do You Need an Oyster Card?

Most adult visitors can use a contactless credit card or mobile device and receive the same pay-as-you-go fares and daily caps. However, some travelers may feel more comfortable using an Oyster card loaded with a specific amount. If it is lost, the potential loss is limited to the balance on the card rather than having a bank card out of your possession.

Each traveler needs a their own card or device. You can find current costs, purchasing options, and other details on Transport for London’s Visitor Oyster card page.

Making London Easier to Navigate

You do not have to use the same form of transportation for every journey. You might take the Underground across the city, ride a bus through a neighborhood, walk between nearby sights, and take a taxi back to your hotel at the end of the day.

Planning each journey separately can make getting around London more comfortable. The best option is the one that gets you where you want to go without using more time or energy than the journey is worth.

If Amsterdam is also part of your plans, you may find my guide to getting around Amsterdam helpful.