The tube is the fastest way to cross London for most visitors. The network is big, but it is easy to learn once you know a few basics. This guide covers how the lines fit together, how to pay and how to find your way. Mind-the-tap is an independent game and is not connected with Transport for London, so always check the official journey planner for live times and closures.
The networks
When Londoners say 'the tube' they usually mean the London Underground: 11 lines, each with its own name and colour, such as the Central, Piccadilly and Victoria lines. Alongside it run three other rail networks that you can use with the same ticket: the London Overground, a set of lines around the inner suburbs; the DLR (Docklands Light Railway), driverless trains in east London; and the Elizabeth line, a newer east–west railway with large, fast trains through the centre.
Lines are shown on maps by colour. Trains on most lines run in two directions, shown on signs as northbound, southbound, eastbound or westbound, with the end station shown on the front of the train. Some lines split into branches, so check the destination before you board.
How to pay
The simplest way to pay is to tap a contactless bank card or phone on the yellow card reader at the gate when you enter and again when you leave. You pay the same as with an Oyster card, and your fares are capped each day and each week, so you never pay more than a set amount however many journeys you make. Use the same card or phone for every journey, because the cap only works on one card.
An Oyster card is a top-up travel card that works the same way. Visitors whose bank cards charge foreign transaction fees may prefer one. Paper single tickets exist but cost much more. Children under 11 travel free with a paying adult.
Remember to tap out. If you forget, you may be charged the maximum fare.
Planning a journey
- Find your nearest station and the station you want to reach.
- Look at the map for a line that links them, or a station where you can change.
- Follow the signs for your line and direction. Station staff are happy to help.
- Allow time to change at big stations like King's Cross St. Pancras, Bank or Green Park, where walks between platforms can be long.
- Some central stations are very close together. Leicester Square to Covent Garden is only a few minutes' walk, so walking can be quicker than the train.
When to travel
Trains are busiest on weekday mornings, roughly 7:30 to 9:30, and evenings, about 17:00 to 19:00. Off-peak fares are also cheaper. Trains run from around 5:30 in the morning to around midnight. On Friday and Saturday nights some lines run all night.
Accessibility
Many stations have step-free access from street to platform, but many older central stations do not. Maps mark step-free stations, and there is often a gap and step between the platform and train, which is why you will hear 'mind the gap'.
Practise before you go
Knowing roughly where stations are makes London much easier to navigate. A few days of Mind-the-tap will teach you that Westminster is beside the river, Camden Town is north of the centre and Canary Wharf is out east.