Travel information

The Transport for London (Tfl) website tfl.gov.uk provides information on all modes of London Transport, see tfl.gov.uk/gettingaround. For 24-hour travel info call +44 (0) 843 222 1234.

Tfl also has a network of Travel Information Centres located in stations throughout the city including Euston, Piccadilly Circus, Heathrow Airport, Victoria and Liverpool Street. These are great points of contact for visitors who need to plan their onward journeys. For locations, see www.visitlondon.com/welcome

Travel tickets and information are also available at the Britain & London Visitor Centre at 1 Regent Street, near Piccadilly Circus.

Journey Planner is a useful website that tells you the best routes to and from specific locations, by rail, Tube, bus or on foot, and it’s available in 19 languages. See www.tfl.gov.uk/journeyplanner For further information on London’s attractions, and to plan your own itineraries online, go to www.visitlondon.com/explorer

Underground

There are 11 colour-coded Tube lines. Most operate from 05.00 to 00.30 Mon-Sat, and from 07.30-23.30 on Sun. It’s cheaper and less crowded to avoid the rush hour and travel after 09.30. The network is divided into nine zones – Zone 1 is the central area. Before you journey always check whether there are any planned engineering works, especially at weekends. Call +44 (0) 843 222 1234. www.Tfl.gov.uk/check

Buses

Some routes are especially good for sightseeing, such as routes 8 and 11, and services 9 and 15 use heritage Routemasters (heritage red double-deckers) during the day. Most bus services operated from 05.00 to 00.30 daily, with many routes not operating 24 hour services. Tickets must be purchased before boarding a bus in Zone 1. They are available from ticket machines at bus stops and cost £2 – although visitors may find it easier and cheaper to buy a bus pass or Travelcard or Oyster card.

Docklands Light Railway

This connects the City and the Underground network with Docklands and Maritime Greenwich. Services operate from 05.30 to 00.30 and tickets must be purchased before boarding a train.
www.tfl.gov.uk/dir

National Rail

Trains are useful for reaching places not served by the Underground. The main central London train stations are Euston, Waterloo, Victoria, Paddington, King’s Cross St Pancras International, London Bridge, Liverpool Street and Charing Cross. Call +44 (0) 20 7278 5240 or +44 (0) 8457 484950.
www.nationalrail.co.uk or www.thetrainline.com

Coaches

A network of UK and international coach services operates from Victoria Coach Station.
www.nationalexpress.com or www.eurolines.co.uk

River Services

For information on the great places you can visit by boat, including prices and routes, check outwww.visitlondon.com/river or www.tfl.gov.uk/river Board a boat from piers along the Thames.

Taxis

London’s famous black cabs offer a safe and reliable door-to-door service. Taxis can be hailed on the street when the yellow light is on, or at designated taxi ranks. Fares are regulated, and all drivers and vehicles are licensed by the Public Carriage Office.
www.tfl.gov.uk/pco

Minicabs

Private hire companies or ‘minicabs’ cannot be hailed on the street; they must be booked by telephone or in person at the operator’s base. To check if an operator is licensed, call +44 (0) 845 602 7000 or go towww.tfl.gov.uk/pco – we advise against getting into a vehicle that is not licensed, or if the driver approached you in the street. Text CAB to 60835 to get the phone numbers of three local, licensed minicab companies sent to your mobile phone (costs vary).

Congestion Charge

If your clients are driving in central London between 07.00 and 18.00 Mon – Fri (except public holidays), they will need to pay the Congestion Charge. The charge is £8 per day, which must be paid either in advance or on the day of travel. If paid by midnight the following day, the charge is £10. Payment can be made without registering at cclondon.com, by calling +44 (0) 845 900 1234 or by sending an SMS from a mobile phone to 81099.

Single fares are available for any journey at ticket machines; however, it’s cheaper to get an Oyster card. Your clients can also purchase single tickets and Travelcards in advance at www.groundline.com

Oyster card

The Oyster card is London’s travel smartcard and is the easiest and cheapest way to pay to travel around London whether you are using the Tube, bus, tram, DLR, London over ground or National Rail services.

Ticket types

Oyster can store season tickets (Travelcards) as well as credit for single journeys (pay as you go), and cards are reusable. When a Travelcard expires or the pay as you go credit is getting low, your clients can add another Travelcard or more credit at over 4,000 outlets in London. With pay as you go, your clients can travel as many times as they like in a day and the daily price cap means that they will never pay more than the price of a One Day Travelcard.

Where to buy

Your clients can save time by buying an Oyster before they arrive in London at www.visitlondon.com/oyster or get one when they arrive from Tube or selected National Rail stations. To pre-purchase Oyster cards for groups of more than 50 delegates, contact Visit London at eventsolutions@visitlondon.com. Please allow at least two months between the request and delegates arriving in London.

Using Oyster

To ensure they pay the correct fare on Tube, DLR, London Overground and National Rail services, your clients must always touch in on the yellow reader at the start of their journey and touch out at the end. On buses and trams they only need to touch in at the start. For further information about Oyster, including fares and using Oyster on River Services and National Rail, go to www.oyster.tfl.go.uk