Living in London (or even visiting) means getting very familiar with the city’s transport system. Between the Tube, buses, trains and even boats along the Thames, there are plenty of ways to get around London.
The good news is that once you get the hang of it, the city is actually very easy to navigate and most Londoners end up using a mix of different transport options.
London has one of the most extensive public transport networks in the world. Whether you’re travelling across the city by Tube, hopping on a bus, cycling through parks or taking the river boat along the Thames, there are plenty of ways to get around London quickly and easily.
Here are some of the transport options I find myself using most often.
The best way to get around London depends on where you’re travelling and how quickly you need to get there. For longer journeys across the city, the Tube and the Elizabeth line are usually the fastest options. If you’re travelling shorter distances in central London, walking can often be quicker than taking the Underground between closely spaced stations.
Buses are ideal if you want to see more of the city while you travel, while options like the DLR, Overground and river bus can be useful for specific parts of London. In reality, most Londoners use a mix of different transport options depending on where they’re going.
The Tube is usually the fastest way to get across the city, especially if you’re travelling longer distances. It’s not always the most pleasant experience during rush hour though – particularly on the Central line, which somehow manages to feel both crowded and overheated at the same time.
Most people now use contactless payment or Apple/Google Pay, which means you can just tap in and out without needing a paper ticket or Oyster card. It’s really convenient, and you can actually use this payment method across all Transport for London (TfL) services.
If you can avoid travelling between 7:30–9:30am and 5–7pm, you’ll generally have a much easier (and cooler) journey.
The Elizabeth Line is one of the newest additions to London’s transport network and, honestly, it’s one of the nicest ways to travel across the city.
The trains are much larger than the Tube, the stations feel modern and spacious, and it’s noticeably quieter. If you’ve ever travelled on the Central line in summer, stepping onto an Elizabeth Line train feels like a bit of a luxury.
It’s particularly useful for getting across London quickly, with stops at places like Paddington, Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, Liverpool Street and Canary Wharf. It also connects directly to Heathrow, which makes airport journeys much easier.
If I’m not in a rush, I actually prefer taking the bus. Sitting upstairs at the front is one of the nicest ways to see the city, especially if the route goes past landmarks like St Paul’s or Trafalgar Square. It’s a pretty cheap way to go sightseeing, especially if you hop on these routes: 11, 15, 139, 453, and 24.
Buses are also surprisingly affordable thanks to the Hopper fare, which lets you change buses within an hour without paying again.
The name of each stop is automatically announced as well, so you don’t need to worry about recognising your surroundings to know when to get off.
The only downside is that London traffic has a mind of its own, so journeys can sometimes take longer than expected.
The Overground is one of the more underrated parts of London’s transport network. It’s particularly useful if you’re travelling around East London, with stops in places like Shoreditch, Hackney and Highbury.
Compared to some Underground lines it also feels noticeably calmer, and occasionally you even get a seat.
It even has air conditioning which is really welcome on a hot day.
The Docklands Light Railway feels very different from the rest of London’s transport network. It’s driverless, runs mostly above ground, and has huge windows so you can see the skyline around Canary Wharf and the Docklands.
If you’re travelling through East or South East London – places like Greenwich, Stratford or Canary Wharf – the DLR is often the easiest way to get there.
If you manage to sit right at the front of the train it almost feels like you’re driving it yourself, which never really gets old.
One of the easiest ways to get around central London is simply walking. Distances between Tube stations are often much shorter than the map makes them look.
For example, Leicester Square and Covent Garden are only about a five-minute walk apart. By the time you’ve gone down the escalators, waited for a train and come back up again, you could already be there. I 100% recommend disembarking at Leicester Square rather than Covent Garden too as the latter is more difficult to exit.
Walking is also the best way to stumble across the little things that make London interesting, such as quiet side streets, cafés you didn’t know existed, or small parks tucked away behind busy roads.
It’s also free and more relaxing compared to some transport methods.
London’s cycle hire scheme (often still called “Boris Bikes”) can be a surprisingly good option for short journeys around central London.
Docking stations are scattered all over the city, so you can usually find one within a few minutes’ walk. The first 30 minutes are included in the base hire fee, which makes them ideal for quick trips between neighbourhoods.
Some routes are particularly pleasant. Cycling through Hyde Park or along the Regent’s Canal is far more relaxing than sitting on a packed Tube.
That said, London traffic can be a bit intense, so quieter routes and parks tend to be the most enjoyable places to ride.
I have my own bike and I love the freedom of being able to travel across the city at my own leisure. I can’t recommend enough investing in some decent safety gear though. Each borough offers free lessons as well to help you get a bit more confident on the roads, which is definitely worth taking up if you can.
You can find out more about those cycling skills classes in London here.
Taking a boat down the Thames might sound like something reserved for tourists, but it can actually be a surprisingly relaxing way to travel across the city.
The Uber Boat (formerly Thames Clippers) runs along the river and stops at places like Greenwich, the South Bank and Battersea Power Station. It’s slightly more expensive than the Tube, but the views along the river make it worth considering if you’re not in a rush.
London’s tram network is much smaller than the rest of the transport system and is mainly concentrated around South London. If you’re travelling around places like Croydon, Wimbledon or Beckenham, the trams can actually be a very convenient way to get around.
They run on dedicated tracks, which means they avoid most road traffic and tend to be quite smooth and reliable.
If you don’t live in that part of the city you might never use them, but for people in South London they’re a normal part of the daily commute.
Of course, sometimes you just want to leave London behind for a weekend. When that happens, having access to a car (or even a campervan) suddenly becomes much more useful.
This is where something like a campervan becomes really appealing. If you’ve ever found yourself browsing listings for a VW campervan for sale after a good weekend trip, you’ll understand the temptation.
Plan Your Journey
London is a city of layers. You can spend the morning on a futuristic driverless DLR train in the Docklands and the afternoon cycling through a Royal Park.
The key to mastering London transport is flexibility. Keep your contactless card handy, download a journey planner app, and don’t be afraid to get a little lost – that’s often where the best London stories begin. Just use a bit of common sense if you’re exploring somewhere unfamiliar late at night.
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