How to Get Around London: Public Transport, Taxis and Costs
The easiest ways around London, ranked by time and cost
London's transport system is cheap if you tap the right card and expensive if you don't. Three payment methods work—contactless bank card, Oyster, or phone wallet—but only two of them won't waste your money. The system's logic is counterintuitive: whether you make one journey or ten, you hit a daily fare cap that makes advance planning almost pointless. What matters is knowing which airport train to catch, when the Night Tube actually runs (fewer days than you think), and which app shows you the truth about disruptions rather than the theoretical schedule. This guide runs in the order you'll need it: how to pay, how to arrive, how to navigate late-night, and the tools that tell you when nothing is running at all.
Ranked by sequence of use—payment method first, airport routes second, then late-night options, then navigation apps—to follow the journey of someone landing at Heathrow and trying to get through the city without paying more than they should.
Contactless Card or Apple/Google Pay
Any London Tube, DLR, Overground, Elizabeth line or National Rail · Payment method · Flat daily cap £8.90 (zones 1-2), no upfront cost
Use a contactless payment card or mobile device to pay as you go for public transport in London. A contactless bank card, Apple Pay or Google Pay on your phone or watch is one of three sensible ways to tap through a Tube gate in 2026. For most visitors staying between one and seven days, contactless payment offers the simplest experience with no need to buy a separate card and no need to calculate ticket combinations in advance, as daily or weekly fare caps are applied automatically. A Zone 1 single on Tube/Elizabeth line is £2.90 off-peak and the zone 1-2 daily cap stays at £8.90 in 2026. Unlike Oyster, there is no £7 card fee.
Elizabeth Line (Heathrow to Central London)
Heathrow terminals 2, 3, 4, 5 to central London stations · Train · £15.50 (all zones 1), 30-40 minutes
The pay-as-you-go single from Heathrow to any Zone 1 station—Paddington, Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, Farringdon and Liverpool Street—is a flat £15.50. As of March 2026, the Elizabeth line provides a frequent and direct service to Heathrow Airport serving all terminals, with dedicated stations at Terminals 2 & 3, Terminal 4, and Terminal 5. For most visitors, the Elizabeth line is the best all-round choice—reasonably fast (about 35–45 minutes to central London), good value (around £15 from Zone 1), and with through trains to the West End, the City, and Canary Wharf, so many travelers avoid changing at all.
Heathrow Express (Heathrow to Paddington)
Heathrow terminals 2, 3, 5 to London Paddington · Non-stop train · £26 (day-of), £10 (30+ days advance), 15-21 minutes
For tickets purchased on the day, a Single in Standard Class will cost £26. By purchasing your tickets at least 30 days in advance you can save up to 40% on the cost of your ticket, with an Advanced Single costing just £10. Trains run every 15 minutes and are direct, taking just 15 minutes between Heathrow & Paddington Station, with tickets starting from just £10 one way and kids 15 and under travel free. Choose this over the Elizabeth line only if your destination is Paddington or you're willing to pay for speed.
Night Tube (Friday-Saturday, selected lines)
Victoria, Central, Jubilee, Northern, Piccadilly, Elizabeth lines · 24-hour Underground service · Standard off-peak fares apply (contactless/Oyster)
One of the biggest improvements to London's transport in recent years is the Night Tube—select Underground lines that run all night on Friday and Saturday nights. The Night Tube currently operates on the Victoria line, Central line, Jubilee line, Northern line, Piccadilly line, and the Elizabeth line, running all through the night on Friday and Saturday, with trains roughly every ten minutes. On weeknights (Sunday through Thursday), the Tube generally stops running around midnight to 12:30am. This is not a seven-day service—plan accordingly if you're out Wednesday to Thursday.
Night Bus Network (23:00-06:00, all week)
Greater London, all night routes · Bus service · Standard bus fares (£1.75 single, hopper fare or daily cap)
The London Night Bus network is a series of night bus routes that serve Greater London, with services broadly operating between the hours of 23:00 and 06:00. Many services commence from or operate via Trafalgar Square and are extensions or variations of daytime routes. Night-bus journeys may take longer than the equivalent daytime Tube trip, particularly when travelling across several parts of London; check the scheduled frequency and follow your location through the TfL Go app or another journey planner. Unlike the Night Tube, night buses run every night of the week, making them essential on Sunday through Thursday when trains have stopped.
Black Cab (Licensed Taxi)
Any London location, 24/7 · Metered taxi · £4.40 minimum; typical 2-mile ride £12-£19; Heathrow to centre £75-£110
From 25 April 2026, the London black cab minimum fare is £4.40, with TfL's typical fares of £8.40–£13.20 for one mile, £12.60–£20.40 for two miles and £33–£45 for six miles. Heathrow to Central London is typically £70–£120 by black cab. Since 2016, all London black cabs are required by TfL to accept contactless card payments, so tap your debit or credit card, or use Apple Pay or Google Pay on the in-cab reader. Meters run by time and distance combined, not per-mile, so expect variation in traffic.
National Express (Heathrow-Gatwick Coach)
Heathrow Central Bus Station to Gatwick North or South terminal · Coach service · £14.90 from, 50 minutes to 1 hour 10 minutes
The National Express coach is the only direct public transport link between the two airports; there is no direct train or Tube connection. Travel from Heathrow Airport to Gatwick Airport in as little as 50 minutes from just £14.90 one-way, with up to 56 coaches departing daily. The first departure leaves Heathrow Central Bus Station at 00:40am, arriving at Gatwick North Terminal at 01:45am, ideal if you need to catch a dawn flight from Gatwick or are arriving on a late-night flight into Heathrow.
TfL Go App
iOS and Android · Official journey planner and payment tracker · Free download
The TfL Go app is London's official transport app, run by Transport for London, which uses real-time data to keep you up to date on any disruptions and includes a journey planner, maps, and step-free options; you can also top up your Oyster card, buy Travelcards and track any payments for journeys you have made. Download the TfL Go app before you leave, as it's much more reliable than third-party maps for knowing exactly which trains are running at 3:00 AM. This is the source of truth for when services actually stop or are disrupted.
Citymapper App
iOS and Android · Multi-modal journey planner · Free download
Citymapper is the most comprehensive public transport planning app for London, available online or as a free app for iOS or Android, with the route planner showing all transport options including cycling, walking and local trains. Its detailed journey planner offers multiple options, including the fastest, cheapest, or greenest route, allowing you to tailor your travel based on preference including the cost of each journey. Citymapper is a great option for multi-modal transport, whereas Google Maps is good for those navigating on foot. Use this when you want to compare all your options—Tube vs bus vs bike—not just find the fastest route.
Visitor Oyster Card
Buy in advance online or at airport on arrival · Rechargeable card · £5 (pre-loaded, ordered online), £7 (at station), same daily cap as contactless
You can buy a Visitor Oyster card (with pre-loaded credit) if you're visiting London as a tourist online, or purchase an Oyster card in London in a variety of places, including airports, major train stations, TfL Visitor Centres. A standard Oyster card bought at any station costs £7, or a Visitor Oyster ordered from home costs £5 plus pre-loaded credit. The fares themselves are almost identical to contactless and whether you tap in with an Oyster or your iPhone, you pay the same amount per journey and hit the same daily cap. Choose this only if your bank card doesn't work in the UK or you prefer a physical card.
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