London Underground
The London Underground (Tube) has a network of 11 lines and is the world’s first underground railway. With 250 miles of lines, you should find the tube convenient, except if you stay beyond zone 3. In the UK, the subway or metro is called "Tube" or "Underground".
Zones
London is divided into 9 zones that start in its historic centre. Most top attractions are found in Zones 1 and 2. Travellers will find Heathrow Airport in Zone 6.
When you buy a single journey ticket for the Tube, you have to know what zone your stop is in and what zone you’re going to. Unless you’re staying in another zone, the most common zones for tourists to visit are 1 and 2.
Fares
The price depends on the starting and ending zone of your journey. Tickets are valid in all zones in each range. For example, Zone 1-3 includes all stations between Zone 1 and Zone 3, Zone 1-5 includes all stations between 1 and 5 and so on.
- Zones 1-3: £ 4.90 (US$ 6.16)
- Zones 1-5: £ 5.50 (US$ 6.92)
- Zones 1-6: £ 6 (US$ 7.55)
As you can see the fares for single-journey tickets are fairly expensive, so we recommend getting a Travelcard or Oyster Card. This way, you'll save money on transport around London. You can also pay by contactless card, which works like these cards but without the need to top them up.
Times and frequency
The tube in London starts approximately at 5 am and ends at 12 am. Trains leave the first station at 12 am. Consequently, by the time it gets to the centre, it's normally after 12 am, so you’ll be able to take the last train at approximately 1 am.
Rush hours are Monday to Friday 6:30 am to 9:30 am and 4 pm to 7 pm (prices of tickets are higher at these times). Frequency depends on the different lines and the time of day it is, but in the centre of London, you normally won’t have to wait more than 2 – 3 minutes to catch a train.
The only day of the year when no tubes circulate is the 25th of December. On 24th of December, there is a reduced service and there aren't any night buses. On the 26th of December, a national holiday, there is a reduced service.
DLR and London Overground
The DLR (Docklands Light Railway) and the London Overground are 2 additional services that despite having different names, are completely integrated into the London Tube network, meaning the network actually has 13 lines.
These two lines are useful for visitors as they both run to Greenwich.
