Important Things to Know Before Taking London's Public Transport
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- Опубликовано: 5 фев 2025
- If you're confused as heck by London's tube and bus system, I got ya. These are the most important things to know before taking public transportation in London (tube, bus, train, etc.) If you nail these, you'll be totally fine. Also, Londoners mess this stuff up all the time.
♥️ MORE LONDON HELP ♥️
📗 Free London 101 Guide for first-time London visitors: goo.gl/Eh3HP3
📱 3-Day London Itinerary (PDF guide and digital map included): bit.ly/39KEv4i
📍 Travel guides for London, divided by area (The Casual Tourist Guides): bit.ly/3bgeRoj
💸 London Spending Guide (includes budget calculator spreadsheet): bit.ly/3OduFqy
📞 Book a Trip Planning Call with Jess: bit.ly/39MGhBJ
🏨 My top London hotels tips and recommendations: loveandlondon....
🚶🏼♀️Daily London life and tons of London advice on our Instagram: / loveandlondon
❓Visiting London FAQs: loveandlondon....
Mentioned in the video:
Apps - Citymapper and GoogleMaps (if you have my 3-Day London Itinerary or The Local Guide to London, both linked above, you'll be set up with Google Maps and that's all you need.)
Accessible London - for audio tube maps, accessible toilet maps, and more, visit this page: www.visitlondo...
Order an Oyster Card: www.visitbrita... (affiliate link)
About Love and London:
I'm Jess, I've lived in London for many years, and this channel is a London travel guide for anyone visiting the city that wants to experience it like you live here. Beyond talking about the usual London attractions, I show you some of the cooler things to do in London, that most travel guides don't mention. Watch my videos and you'll feel like you've got a Londoner friend telling you the best kept secrets in the city.
I watched a lot of your videos before I made my first trip to London several weeks ago. They are very helpful and I didn't feel nervous about traveling to a new place. Apparently, I mastered the tube as I had several people ask me which train to get on as I was on the platform waiting for a friend. :) Thanks again for all you do.
That's great!
Always get an oyster as soon as you touch down in London.👍
£15 is the amount i recommend to new passengers to help them that day!
I keep telling passengers to 'not tap-out' on my bus...!!! 😂
DoubleDeckerAnton your channel is amazing! I'm so glad I saw this comment and checked your video 👍👍👍
Hi again
hey there, best bus driver ever, love your channel for insights in the work that drivers do to help us all get around. and so right, oyster smart cards are wonderful ticketing for all. vistor oyster cards are good for those visting for short term periods of time.
DoubleDeckerAnton in Sydney you have to tap on and tap out 👍👍
DoubleDeckerAnton, love your channel!!!!!, Also you follow my uncle on facebook/Twitter, he's name is Kevin Whincup
The front door of the bus is for getting on only. Leave by the middle door, or the rear door if it has one. Some buses (New Routemaster / "Boris Bus") you can get on via the middle or rear door and tap in on the reader by the door. I've made that sound more complicated than it actually is, but as a rule, the door by the driver is for getting on only.
That is exactly why I came to the comment section because I wanted to know how you tap on and tap off so if I tap on at the front door of the bus and tap off at the back" at the end of my journey then will that will be ok 🇬🇧 ?🤔
@@jackwatsonepic626 There's no need to tap out at the end of your journey. Buses are a flat fee for any journey (£1.65) so there's no need to register where you got off.
@@totallypixelated thanks 👍
@@jackwatsonepic626 Oh and by the way, the RFID readers to tap in anywhere else but by the driver aren't in operation anymore. I think too many people weren't bothering to tap in and getting their bus rides for free.
The "Boris Bus" 😂cool
Zone 1-2 daily cap is £6.80 after free rides until 4 a.m. I love it.
Just as I already knew most of this but I would like to take my time to say thank you for mentioning those who travel around London as handicap. Most people failed to mention this.
I'm trying to be more conscious of this Alexz :) I hope it's found to be a little helpful.
@@loveandlondon we're doing a great job❤
Be careful when tapping in and out if you have multiple contactless cards in your wallet. You can end up tapping in with one card and out with another and then get fined on both.
Keep your Oyster card or the debit card you are using in the clear card slot in your wallet on its own with all other cards in the slots on the other side of wallet when open, so when you tap that is the only card that will register. If you have a RFID wallet ensure the clear part of the card slot is in contact with the reader.
Did that once at Wimbledon, did one with my oyster and one with my debit card and got charged £6 😔
That's fine. You just get a refund from the website
I was wondering about this actually. These new tap cards. I haven't been in London since 2008😂
This sounds mostly like the public transit system in Washington DC that I use all the time! Good to know that it'll probably be an easy learn when I travel to London.
Love the bloopers!! Makes it so real! Always love to see your new updates. Have a great weekend.
Aw thank you Jo I'm so happy to hear you say that.
Nice video. I’m English, had 40 odd years of living in hectic London, seen a lot changes, wishing our American friends from across the pond the best of London can offer 🇬🇧.
Awesome video Jess thank you, we appreciate all hard work you put in your videos and hopefully you will enjoy the fruits of your hard work!
Keep it up you are life savior.
Thank you so much!
Thank you so much for these videos. They are so helpful. Im from Colorado and plan on going to the uk in the next year. I watch your videos all the time and takes notes and its incredibly helpful. After watching your videos I feel much more confident about going to a city where I dont know a city alone at a young age. You honestly dont get enough credit for what you do. Thank you!!!
Aw thank you so much, I'm so glad you're finding everything helpful! :D
Tap on, tap off. Pretty simple, like GO Transit in the Greater Toronto area. For example, if you take the GO train or bus from Hamilton to Burlington, if you don't tap out your PRESTO card, you'll be charged the fare to Union Station Toronto. Also you have rebate and free transfers when you go from a GO bus or train to one of the local transit agencies (TTC, YRT, DRT, Brampton Transit, MiWay, etc). Can't wait to go visit London and ride transit there!
What an incredible place you are London. Can stare at you entire day, month and year.
Finally! Thanks thanks! Many thanks.. Hopefully you can add more videos riding bus... based on color code, bus line, transfer from one line going to other and in case if there's no access of city mapper? Anyway, your videos gives us more confidence travelling there because it's easy, useful and fun to understand. 😎
Aw so happy to help! I've already got a ton of transportation videos on my channel so make sure you watch those for help :)
Great information..... FYI - On the buses you only tap in. You don't tap out. Definitely tap in and out on the Tube as you say.
Also, topping up the Oyster card is easy. You can do that at stations and also at many small shops.
How much is an average per day cost
This was the question I had and you answered thx !
@@theonlylady007 You are most welcome!
Hi I was just about to ask this question on the comments when I read your comment. Thanks for that. Follow up question however - how do you get charged if you don’t tap out on the bus? Is it a standard amount?
@@JustinQuiksilver Yes... It is just a standard fare.
Happy days - I understand that London Victoria underground station is now fully accessible - there are lifts to all levels that have opened.
As always great information you are providing to everyone traveling to London.
Thanks Jim
Lovely video! It’s nice to see you out and about. It is as good as any travel tv show! 💚
Thank you Kim!
You always amuse us with the informative stuff regarding London. Another great video, Jess 😍😍
Thank you Abinash
Hi Jess THANKS for the vlog and information about London! Love you're work and vlogs
Thank you Andrew :)
Also, if someone has pressed the stop button on the bus already, you don’t need to press it again. Witnessed many times that five people pressed the button each for the same stop
Thanks again for the extra tips Jess! I'm super excited to be visiting at the end of the month!
Amazing! You're welcome Nikki
Just saying cool video .... And keep up the great work .....your channel is one of my favorite ..
Thanks for mentioning about people with disabilities. I am totally blind now. But when I visited England in 2005, I was still partial. And we used cash back then. Probably more accurately coins. I remember putting them on the slot slot or tray on the bus. And still giving paper transfers.
I like riding the tube. But I just don’t remember how I paid. Maybe I had a card I guess I don’t remember.
I always got off the front of the bus. Being that I was visually impaired nobody said anything to me which I appreciated.
❤️❤️❤️❤️ you pay for tube in the same way now !
Your videos are absolutely amazing with lots of information.keep going and I wish you all the very best to you and to your team.
Your videos have come so far from sitting and talking in your living room. Great stuff!
Aw thank you! :D
Thank you so much. I have learned a lot of instructions because of you.👍👍
Thanks for watching Maftuna!
dont take any tubes from covent garden to leicester sq or charing cross or waterloo coz all those ways are just so much faster and cheaper if you walk! the tube map is NOT to scale
Hey, you are amazing!! Could you please help me which part of London and tube or bus stops have most of the worth sightseeing in London?
thank you for recommendations! Oyster card sounds very much like Muni card that is used in San Francisco for public transportation.
great!! It's the first video I watch where I learn how to stop a bus!
haha great!
Your videos are always great! Thank u for the tips alwaysssss😙😙😙
Thanks for watching!
Dutch debitcards are accepted now to tap in and tap out 🙂
Can you please make a video like this one but with the travel card in detail? I know the Oyster is better, but I'll be staying 9 days in London on march, and Im traveling on a budget and the travelcard would be cheaper in my case (also because I get the 2x1 discounts). I would be very greatful, your channel is awesome I never get tired of sharing your videos with my friends! Keep it up with the good work!! And sorry for my bad english :p
Hi Sebastian! I actually already have a video about travel cards: ruclips.net/video/dhaooLzYI3Q/видео.html
I am already a UK resident so I already know, my dad has an oyster but doesn't use it because he uses hsbc
Awesome guide! many love for you
One thing that seems to be an issue on buses. When you want to get of the bus press the bell ONCE. don't go ding ding ding as it annoys the driver and passengers.
Will have my first trip to Europe, thanks for sharing a lot of information. Is there any issue to aboard a bus in london with a carry on luggage and a personal bag?
very helpful and informative. might be worth mentioning that your oyster card/debit contactless card will cap at the daily limit so you will not overspend
Yes I did mention that :)
Thanks Jess for this super informative video 👌🏻 , keep it up
Thanks for watching!
The rear doors on all London busses have sensors so you wont get trapped if the driver tries to close them
I’m not sure if I have a phone or not a phone call you can do it yourself or you can stay at home
Hi! I'm planning a trip to London and spending the lockdown to learn a bit more. I'm watching allll your videos. I was wandering if a taxi or an uber would take a family of five plus luggage. Suspect not 🤔
Hey Ana! You'd need an Uber XL or one of the larger taxis but it's likely you'll need two if you have a lot of luggage.
I got a 16+ oyster card. Cause i worked it out and it was cheaper. Cause half fares (altho getting a place to stay was so much more expensive.(yeah personal rooms are more expensive in youth hostels than just getting a hotel.) Cause for a hotel you have to be 18 to check in. While we are both 17. Like we only found one chain. (Youth Hostel Association) that allowed us. Thank god.
Especially since I'll be arriving by train. Picking it up at kings cross visitors centre. When our eurostar tickets won't grant us travel anymore. We have the half fare price of our photocards
you need to pay £20 for a photocard to be made for you
THAAANKKK YOU! Feeling Like A Pro Already!
Good video, some day l will visit London.
Nice Information...
Thanks for sharing very useful information congratulations 🙏
Thanks for watching!
TFL contactless system is really confusing. I read the guidelines today and found out that you need to tap in while boarding but don't need to tap out in buses and trams. In tube, dlr etc however, you need to tap in and tap out.
Most of the time, I try to pay through my fitbit and it shows a red light. I couldn't board thames clippers due to it.
Only Google Pay and Apple Pay work when paying with tech. Otherwise, you got the gist of it so shouldn't be so confusing anymore :)
Because buses have a flat fare, so there is no need to know where you get off. All the others charge by distance so knowing where you exit is essential. Historically you've always been required to provide proof of payment (ie a ticket) on exit from trains and Tube, but not busses where you've always just walked off.
At Wimbledon you may need to tap out after leaving a tram to open the ticket gate, and a tram tap in also counts as a train tap out. Finsbury Park has also been confusing, with triple taps needed for one exit route! ( I understand that's fixed)
The confusing thing is knowing when you should tap out using standalone validators when changing trains.
I prefer my german contactless Visa card over the Oyster card, because with the credit card I do not have to watch wether I have to put money on the card. And the contactless card has a weekly top off in addition to the daily one.
Vry useful video 4 new cmrs ...thnks lot ....
I travel for free on buses and have to pay 75p on trains.
All because I have an 11-16 oyster zip card that is worth £15
I'll be visiting the London Eye and plan to take the bus from the Waterloo Bridge/South Park stop to Holborn. When I'm at the Waterloo Bridge/South Park stop (p) will there be something obvious, telling me which bus to get on?
The number on the front of the bus :)
Well I suppose that would make sense. Love your videos btw. Thank you :-)
As a Londoner I approve
Nice Video. Where can I park the rent car close to Piccadilly Circus or another place, using a flat rate ?
Don't rent a car for London!
Graciassss!!! Desde Argentina!!! Súper importantes los datos de tú video
Thank you for your video! I'm going to London in April...first time ever over-seas. While I live in the L. A. suburbs now, that is a recent move... I'm from small town middle America and am new to using transit. All that to say, I'm TERRIFIED I'm going to screw up trying to get where I'm going in London! I have ordered an Oyster Card, and I have paid for my transport to and from London from Gatwick on the Gatwick Express. I have the Tube Map app, so I'm hoping that will help?
There's definitely no need to be nervous :) Like I said I mess things up all of the time and I've lived here for 5.5 years, and look I've made it through! I've never used Tube Map but I use Google Maps or Citymapper.
hi i am from pakistan ..love to travel world ..i take a trip every 2 year ..and my next trip is london inshaallah :) you videos r very helpfull love them keep it up 👍☺
Thanks for watching!
I plan to get an Oyster card. How do I top it up with a 7 day travelcard? Thanks! Your videos are my total guide for our visit in the fall!
You can buy them at a ticket machine. Thanks for watching!
Thanks for taking time to reply! Love your videos! More power!
I love London ❤❤
You can also use Apple Pay
Yup, some US bank cards don't work with it though
Thank you
I wonder if I may buy a 7 day travel card from the airport and start using same day ?
Thanks
yes you get it put onto an oyster card. Or you can just use contactless and that will automatically apply the same savings.
any tips on how to get from Gatwick airport to London?? :)
I layout all of your options in my London 101 Guide: loveandlondon.com/london-101-guide-main (it's free)
@@loveandlondon thank you! i' m visiting london in few days and the videos were very helpful!
I am from Singapore and our public transport systems are alike!
Nice!
@@loveandlondon I have been to London and i saw its buses,and I loved them all! Have you been to Singapore?
I wish you'd talk about the 1 week travel card, student discounts, etc.
We generally give advice for tourists not students :) 1-week travel card can be good but it depends on your situation.
Hi I'm a Singaporean bus enthusiast thanks for the info
Thanks for watching!
I love the City life 🇬🇧.. love from America 🇺🇸
Me too!
Hi, your videos are really really helpful! I'll be travelling to London in two weeks. I was wondering about a few things. First of all, I will be staying in Warwick Way. I'll be arriving at around 4 p.m. do you think it doable to walk from there to the Houses Of Parliament at that time? Secondly, do speakers on the bus tell you when you have reached your stop? Thank you 😊
Hi Giovanni, use Google Maps to check walking times. And yes the speakers usually do but once in a while they aren't working so keep an eye on the signs on the bus that say what the next stop is.
I stayed in London 10 days in summer of 2013. I bought a second hand mountain bike for £50 and I was able to get around very easily.
Awesome guide! Visiting London for a week and I’m super excited!
Thanks!
Thank you for the helpful videos. I appreciate the advice and suggestions you provide. I have a question if you don't mind.
I am looking at booking a hotel in Ealing. The info about the hotel says it is "11 yards" from the Hanger Street station. However, when I look at the overhead map, it looks like the hotel is much more than 11 yards away (there's a big intersection between the hotel and the station). So, do the brits have a different measurement for 'yard' than Americans do?
We don't use yards here so that's odd that it said that. If you need some help with accommodation, check out this section of my site: loveandlondon.com/category/london-accommodations/ Thanks for watching!
@@loveandlondon Yeah, I thought it was strange too. As far as I knew, they all use the metric system. Thanks. I'll check your link.
@@tglenn3121 The UK is a strange place that is officially metricized but in practice is somewhere between the two systems.
Can't you just buy 1 day bus pass, or 2 of them if you're only going to be in London for 2 days and traveling by bus?
I don't believe you can.
So London is very similar to Australia except for the payment way
My question is, if you pass the visa card, is there a place to type your secret code? Thankyou!!!
No it's not swipe. It's a tap, using the contactless feature.
Beautiful view thanks for sharing
Thanks for watching!
One of your videos you said you need to wave for a buss only if buss stop have request sign. So now you have to wave always?
Yeah, it's confusing. Just always put your hand out.
What about bus? You need to tap in and out as well?
Just in !
Awesome presentation.
what about bus. you need to tap out when you getting off. or just one time tap when get on?
Nope just when you get on ❤️
@@loveandlondon great. Thank you.
Would you recommend a London Pass with the Oyster Card option? I’m wondering if that is the best thing to do when flying into Heathrow so we can take the Tube to our hotel. (Plus, the sightseeing.) Taking a shuttle from the airport to the hotel looks kind of spendy. Thanks!
You can get one if you want, but there's no pro to getting it with your pass.
hi jess, i have two kids below 5yrs - do they need oyster cards too? thanks!
Nope! More info here: visitlondon.com/traveller-information/getting-around-london/do-kids-need-an-oyster-card
Can the oyster card be given at a tube station? In Vancouver, all the skytrain kiosks let you put your deposit and load them there.
The major stations you can buy one but smaller ones you can't. But also many convenience stores sell them.
@@loveandlondon thank you! I was watching another one of your videos that explained that as you replied😊
Everything you said is the exact same with Australia
Hi Jess, we're going to be in London in Sept (2019) and want to do a tour of the Cotswolds that requires us to make our way from London to the Moreton in Marsh rail station. I was trying to look of the Paddington rail station and it looks like it's about £100 per person round trip - does that seem right to you? Any other suggestions? Love your videos and looking to purchase your itinerary. Thanks!
Liz Attwood - that seems steep to me - I’ve just checked the price and a return ticket bought today for today would be £41.30pp. Booking about a month in advance and I can see tickets for £18pp.
How are you travelling around the Cotswolds when you get there?
Hi Liz, here's my video about how to figure out how to get to other parts of the UK: ruclips.net/video/Tch43ndlya4/видео.html&t. I don't think you'll be able to book train tickets so far in advance so I'm not sure that's right... if you're looking for tickets for, say, tomorrow, just to see the prices, then yes the prices will go up at it gets closer to the date so that may be right. But watch that video and it will help.
Why behind blackfriars station??????
Do you get a ticket in the bus after you place your credit card on the yellow machine, same as in Dublin for instance? Do I have to choose the type of the ticket, or it just takes off 1.65 from my credit card?
Nope no ticket. Deducts automatically from your card.
@@loveandlondon Thanks, but what if a ticket control guy comes and asks for a proof of purchase, and I only have my credit card?
@@flutefluteus8288 You have your credit card. They may have records, if not they will take no action other than authorising a penalty fare charge on the card, only committing the transaction after establishing you haven't paid.
I KNOW EVERY HACT ON HERE I LOVE THE TUBE AND BUSES
Hello, I just wanted to ask if you still need to put your hand out to stop the bus in 2023?
yes!
Great content, thanks Jess! I am taking my 9 yr old daughter to London in April 2023. I read that children under 10 can travel for free in London when accompanied by a paying adult. I am wondering how can she go through the tub station barriers without tapping any card? Thank you!
At every station there are wide barriers, you can take her with you through those ones :)
@@loveandlondon thanks Jess! Hope to see you in person in London someday. Love your videos!
Just asking for clarification by any Brit willing to humour me: Do I need to Check Out my Oyster Cards on Buses or do I only need to Check In on them?
Just tap when you get on and that's it!
@@loveandlondon Thank you very much.
Thanks for the video...my daughter just turned 5 yesterday and we will be visiting in a couple of weeks..does she need her own oyster card?
She doesn't! More info here: www.visitlondon.com/traveller-information/getting-around-london/do-kids-need-an-oyster-card
@@loveandlondon 🌹🌹🌹
Im watching thank you
What does yellow light at card reader means?
Just listen for the beep and you'll be good to go
You are a real savior
Me and my travelbuddy are visiting London for 9 days. Is it best for us to get a regular Oyster card, a Visitor one, pay contactless each time or have a Travelcard? Greetings!
Contact is easiest, weekly travel card saves a little money
This was helpful thank you- Could you do a video on using public transport with kids? I have a 6, 9, 13, and 14 year old and I’m so confused. Apparently my 6 and 9 year old are free? But I’m not sure how they will get onto the metro without an Oyster card? And I can load a visitor child discount onto my teens Oyster cards but I’m not sure where to do this- I was hoping to do so right at the heathrow airport- but I’m not sure if I can.
I'm not sure about adding the child discount, but for the younger kids you just take them with you through the wider barriers which allow for multiple people, bags etc.
@@loveandlondon thank you so much!!!
Help! Can I use my Apple CASH card (not Apple Pay) for the London Transit system?
I don't know what that is but if it has the contactless payment feature it should work fine
Do the disabled need an Oyster Card? About 8 years ago my blind son accompanied me on one of my trips to London. All he did was approach the gate and one of the attendants came out and escorted him through, i.e., he paid no fare. Is that still the case?
It's usually only for people who live in London, but since he was under 11 he traveled for free.
@@loveandlondon No he was 37 at the time. We were there for six weeks and had even rented a flat near the Tate Modern. He used both the tube and buses free the whole time
Oh sorry I mis-read your comment. Then it's likely that people just assumed that he lived in London.
You should be able to pay with Google/Apple Pay, too.
As mentioned, it doesn't always work with foreign bank cards though.
What's the best way from Heathrow to Paddington Station?
Heathrow Express or TFL Rail (soon to become the Elizabeth line)