Getting around London: the Tube, buses and contactless explained

London’s public transport is big, busy and easier to use than it looks. You do not need to buy tickets in advance or understand every zone: tap a card, and the system works out the fare. Here is what you need to know, starting from Westminster Station.

The lines at Westminster

Westminster Station is served by three Underground lines:

• Jubilee line (grey): one stop to Waterloo, three to London Bridge for Borough Market and the Shard, and on to Canary Wharf. In the other direction, it goes to Green Park, Bond Street and Baker Street.
• District and Circle lines (green and yellow): east to Embankment, Blackfriars and Tower Hill for the Tower of London, and west to Victoria and South Kensington for the big museums.

How to pay

The easiest way to pay is to tap a contactless bank card, or a phone or watch that pays by tapping, on the yellow reader at the gates. Tap in when you start and tap out when you finish, always with the same card or device. An Oyster card works the same way and charges the same fares.

• Fare caps: however many journeys you make, you never pay more than a daily cap. With contactless, there is also a weekly cap from Monday to Sunday.
• Off-peak fares: fares are lower outside weekday rush hours, which are roughly 06:30 to 09:30 and 16:00 to 19:00.
• One card each: every adult needs their own card or device. Children under 11 travel free with a paying adult.
• Visitor Oyster: useful if your bank charges fees for payments in pounds.

Buses

London’s red buses do not take cash: tap your card as you board, but not when you get off. With the Hopper fare, you can take unlimited bus journeys within one hour of your first tap for a single fare. Sit on the top deck at the front for the best free sightseeing in town.

River boats

Uber Boat by Thames Clippers runs fast river buses from piers along the Thames, including Westminster Pier, east to the Tower, Canary Wharf and Greenwich. You can pay with contactless or Oyster. Sightseeing cruises leave from the same pier, with commentary on the way.

Tube etiquette

• Stand on the right on escalators, and walk on the left.
• Let passengers off before you board, and move along inside the carriage.
• Have your card ready before you reach the gates.
• Take off your backpack on busy trains.

Tips

• Walk more: many stations in central London are close together. Westminster to Embankment or to Trafalgar Square takes about ten minutes on foot.
• Use an app: TfL Go and Citymapper show live times, step-free routes and disruptions.
• Late nights: the Jubilee line and several others run all night on Fridays and Saturdays.
• Arriving by air? See our getting there guide for routes from each airport to Westminster.