Underground Tube Travel in London

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Underground Tube Travel

London's extensive Underground train (Tube) system has color-coded routes, clear signage, and many connections. Trains run out into the suburbs, and all stations are marked with the London Underground circular symbol. (Do not be confused by similar looking signs reading "subway" -- in Britain, the word "subway" means "pedestrian underpass.") Trains are all one class; smoking is not allowed on board or in the stations.

Some lines have multiple branches (Central, District, Northern, Metropolitan, and Piccadilly), so be sure to note which branch is needed for your particular destination. Do this by noting the end destination on the lighted sign on the platform, which also tells you how long you'll have to wait until the train arrives. Compare that with the end destination of the branch you want. When the two match, that's your train. Disruptions in service will be frequent on the Northern line in 2007; Regents Park station on the Bakerloo line will be closed through June 2007, and Shoreditch on the East London line will be closed through 2010. The zippy Docklands Light Railway runs through the modern Docklands with an extension to the Cutty Sark clipper and maritime Greenwich.

Fares & Schedules

London is divided into six concentric zones (ask at Underground ticket booths for a map and booklet, which give details of the ticket options), so be sure to buy a ticket for the correct zone or you may be liable for an on-the-spot fine (£10 at this writing). Don't panic if you do forget to buy a ticket for the right zone: just tell a station attendant that you need to buy an "extension" to your ticket. Although you're meant to do that in advance, generally if you're an out-of-towner, they don't give you a hard time.

You can buy a single or return ticket, the equivalent of a one-way and a round-trip, for travel anytime on the day of issue. For single fares, a flat £3 price per journey now applies across all six zones. If you're planning several trips in one day, then consider a travelcard, which is good for unrestricted travel on the Tube, buses, and some overground railways. Bear in mind that travelcards cost much more if purchased before the 9:30 AM rush hour threshold. A one-day travelcard for zones 1-2 costs £6.20 if purchased before 9:30 AM, and £4.90 if bought after 9:30 AM. The more zones included in your travel (if, for example, you'll be traveling to Kew or Wimbledon), the more the travelcard will cost. If you're going to be in town for several days, buy a three-day travelcard. There are a variety of travelcard options: a seven-day travelcard (£19 for Zone 1-2) can offer significant savings, but only if you'll be traveling by public transport every day; family travelcards, which are one-day tickets for one or two adults with one to four children (£3-£3.40 with one child, additional children cost £1 each); and the Carnet, a book of 10 single tickets valid for central Zone 1 (£13.50) for use at any time over the course of one year.

The Visitor's Travelcard can be bought in the United States and Canada. Three ticket types for periods of two to seven days exist for zones 1-6, zones 1 and 2, or a round-trip Heathrow Express ticket. Prices start at about $20 for a zones 1 and 2 ticket valid for three days and go up to about $60 for a zones 1-6 ticket valid for one week. Apply to travel agents or, in the United States, to BritRail Travel.

The new Oyster cards are travel smartcards that can be charged with a cash value and then used for travel throughout the city. Each time you take the Tube or bus, you swipe the blue card across the yellow readers at the entrance and the amount of your fare is deducted. The London mayor is so eager to promote the cards that he set up a system in which those using Oyster cards pay discounted rates, making them the cheapest way to get around London. You can purchase an Oyster card for £3 at any London Underground station, and then prepay any amount you wish for your expected travel while in the city. Using an Oyster card, bus fares are £0.80 instead of £1.50, and underground singles within Zone 1 cost £1.50 instead of £3. If you make numerous journeys in a single day, your Oyster card deductions will always be capped at £0.50 less than than the standard price of a one-day travelcard. To get an Oyster card, pick up a form at any underground station, fill it out, and get back in the ticket line to pick up your card.

Trains begin running just after 5 AM Monday-Saturday; the last services leave central London between midnight and 12:30 AM. On Sunday, trains start two hours later and finish about an hour earlier. The frequency of trains depends on the route and the time of day, but normally you should not have to wait more than 10 minutes in central areas.

There are TfL Travel Information Centres at the following Tube stations: Euston, Liverpool Street, Piccadilly Circus, and Victoria, open 7:15 AM-10 PM; and at Heathrow Airport (in terminals 1, 2, and 4), open 6 AM-3 PM.

Underground Information

Transport for London (020/7222-1234. www.tfl.gov.uk).