Explore London by Tube
One of the largest cities in Europe and the capital city of the United Kingdom, London is spread over 600 square miles. Home to more than 7 million people, this city has the oldest underground system in the world – more than 140 years old.
The underground system, also known as the tube, will transport you to the destination of your choice, in a faster and cheaper manner than the road traffic. This is why bulk of Londoners travel by the tube, because like in any other city, road traffic in London is not immune to signals and traffic jams. All of London’s famous, popular and historical sights, cinemas and theatres, bars and restaurants and shopping destinations are all easily reached by tube.
The London underground system consists of 275 stations. On the underground maps (which are freely available) the underground lines are colour coded. There are 10 main lines:
- Circle Line (Yellow)
- Norther Line (Black)
- Victoria Line (Light Blue)
- Jubilee Line (Grey)
- Piccaidlly Line (Dark Blue)
- Hammersmith & City Line (Pink)
- Waterloo & City Line (Turquoise/Very Light Blue)
- District Line (Green)
- East London Line (Orange)
- Metropolitan Line (Deep Purple)
Even though exploration of London by tube is fairly simple, it would be prudent to first do your planning before you travel in order to save time. A friendly tip: If you are freezing in the London cold, about to turn into an icicle, the tube can help keep you warm, for it is about 10 degrees warmer underground.
Rules to follow while using the Tube
For the convenience and wellbeing of the London underground users, here is a list of a few simple rules to follow:
- When the train arrives on the platform, ensure that you are not crowding the doorway so that users who are alighting can do so, before you board the train.
- Avoid eating pungent smelling food while riding the subway.
- Smoking is a strict no-no in the London underground.
- Stand on the right side of an escalator, so that users who are in a rush may walk past you on the left.
- Plan your journey in advance to save yourself some time and also so that you can navigate through the station easily, without blocking other users while you halt to check the map.
- Do not litter. As a preventive measure against terror attacks, dustbins have been removed from the tube stations.
- If you spot an unattended or suspicious package, kindly inform a member of the London underground staff immediately.
How to use the London Underground
To begin your journey, first purchase a ticket from a machine or a staffed ticket office. To make your transaction faster, tender exact change and check if the machine accepts only coins or cards.
The ticket to ride the London subway comes in two forms:
- Travelcard
- Oyster Card
The Travelcard is a ticket printed on paper and has a magnetic strip. It is available for single fare, one-day and three-day uses.
The Oyster card is a plastic smart card with an embedded chip and is used to store values for 7 days or more. Tap or hover the Oyster card over the sensor to utilize it. To protect it from theft, the card can be registered. This card can also be used for taxi, DLR and bus services.
For visitors to London, a special Oyster card is available which can be purchased before arriving in London.
Tariff Structure
The tariff for the London underground system is calculated zone-wise. Both the Travelcard and the Oyster cards tariff are less expensive than regular single tickets and will not cost more than a single day Travelcard. After 9.30 PM, the use of cheap Travel cards is curbed.
- Mehernaz Jila
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Found this article very useful.