London is an incredible city for transport with it’s endless bus routes, intricate tube system and cycle lanes on almost every road, but it’s worth knowing some of the best hacks to save you time, money and stress when travelling through London. I’ve put together a list of 10 hacks for public transport in London, check them out below!
1/3 off with Railcard
It may not seem like it’s worth getting an Oyster Card anymore as it works in the same was as a contactless card, however, if you have a railcard, you can apply this to your Oyster Card and get 1/3 off of your tube journeys in the same way that you can with your train journeys.
Free Roehampton Shuttle Bus
The Roehampton Shuttle Bus is a free bus service which will run between Hammersmith Bridge (south, at Lonsdale Road) and Roehampton Lane, Danebury Avenue, stopping just near the entrance to Whitelands. The first two services in the morning and last two in the early evening will extend to and from Putney Bus Garage, heading along Putney High Street and past Putney Pier, via Hammersmith Bridge. The new service will offer stops at Barnes Village.
Simply hop on and show your student/staff card – it couldn’t be any easier! The bus will run from Monday 16 September and you can find the full bus timetable and route here.
Bus Hopper Fare
Buses in London are great for so many reasons, so it’s good to know all of the tips and tricks to ensure you make the most of your bus journeys in London. The best thing to know about is the Bus Hopper Fare. All buses in London cost £1.50 and if you get two within the same hour, you only get charged for the price of one.
Avoid Busy Stations
Many tube stations around London are known for being busy, especially during rush hour. A great tip is to change over at the less busy stations to avoid waiting around for the tube. You can use the line map displayed inside the tube to find out which lines you can get on at each station along your route.
City Mapper
City mapper is a really good app for navigating yourself around London, as it shows you the quickest routes to get from one place to the next, whilst also taking traffic and rush hour into consideration – perfect for London. It is completely free to use and tells you about all possible routes including the tube, overground trains and buses.
Travel by Foot
If you’re not travelling a long distance, sometimes it doesn’t actually take much longer to travel by foot, and you get to see some sights along the way. If it’s a particularly warm day, why not make the decision to walk to your destination? Walking is also a great way of getting your exercise for the day and clearing your mind.
Consider Cycling
Although cycling around London seems daunting at first, it is a great and much faster way of getting around. Most roads now have a separate cycle lane meaning it’s much safer to cycle on the roads, but you should definitely still remain extra cautious when doing so. If you don’t have your own bike, there are plenty of places to rent a bike around London and we definitely recommend it.
Travel Off Peak
When possible, avoid travelling during peak hours. Peak hours are usually from 6:30am-9:30am and 4pm-7pm on weekdays and can get extremely busy, so it’s best to avoid this if you can.
Plan Ahead
If you’re making a journey through London, it’s a great idea to plan ahead and know your journey as it isn’t always guaranteed that you will be able to access a map or internet during your route. This also saves you time from stopping and checking along the way.
Learn the Zones
Travelling between different zones on the tube are different prices, so it’s a good idea to get familiar with which zones you will be going to so you can keep track of how much you’re spending. It’s also good to know your way around the tube lines to avoid having to stop at a map, which many others will most likely also be doing.