5 Tips for using the Tube

When I took my family to London for the first time I had the distinct advantage of having used the Tube before years before. Mom was a bit apprehensive at first, but by the end of the first day out and about she agreed that it was the best way to go about things. It’s the quickest, cheapest, and easiest way to get around London and it’s boroughs by far. It can seem a bit harrowing at first, but these tips will help you get you on your way!

#1. Get an Oyster Card.

This card is an absolute gem. For a week-long trip I suggest a 7 day travel card, with zones 1 to 3. Those zones covers most of London, and if you have one trip that runs outside of those zones just keep a few coins onhand to pay for a ticket. If your hotel is outside one of those zones a bit of math will tell you whether or not you should add them to your travel ticket (you can add all of the zones if you wish) or just pay for the tickets as you go. In an emergency the toll booths also accept credit cards. Just tap either your oyster card or your credit card to the yellow circle and it should let you through. If it doesn’t go see one of the attendants, there are always some around. Be sure to tap your card on your way out of the tube! If you don’t tap out your card on your way out it will continue to be charged. It’s much easier to get a refund on an oyster card than it is a credit card.

This handy little card can be used on the bus, where you just have to tap when you board, and on the national rail service too to get to certain areas of London.

#2. Study your route in advance.

It’s a good idea to do this for any new route you intend to take, but it’s especially handy if you’re travelling in the London Underground for the first time. I suggest using the tube app for it, because it will show you disruptions, delays, and detours. You may have to get off on a different stop and do some walking, so it’s best to know in advance. Enter your starting point, your destination, and the time you’d like to depart or arrive at. The app will do the rest. I usually then use google to see where the station is, if there are any landmarks around, and what the street names. Rivers are especially helpful. To get to Camden Market from Camden Town Station you need to pass Inverness Street and cross water. If you come to a bend in the road, you’ve gone the wrong way. Little things like that are helpful in unfamiliar places.

#3. Get a mini map.

There are maps posted around the Tube but they’re often crowded by other tourists. London is a fairly safe city but those maps make you an easy target for pick pockets. Get a mini map, they’re free and available at nearly all the tube stations, and that way you can put your back to a wall while you study you’re route. You can also open it up on the tube even if it’s crowded or you can’t see the maps inside the trains.

#4. Pay attention to the directional signs.

Each line is colour coded, so just follow the signs in the colour you want. Just before the train platforms there are usually signs which show you which platform goes which way. They’ll also have which station you are at on the top, either marked in some way or highlighted. Find which station you want to get to, and follow the arrow on that sign. It points to the correct platform.

#4. Be a sheep.

Each rail is colour coded, but as long as you’re following the right coloured signs you can be a little bit of a sheep and follow along with everyone else. It may seem like you’re going deeper and deeper or further from where you think you should be, but trust the process. If all else fails, you can ask someone. If you can’t find anyone in a high visibility jacket, plan B is to ask a local. Wait until there’s no longer a train on the platform and go up to someone in a suit. They work in London, they use the tube every day. Be polite, tell them what station you need to get to, and ask them if the next train is the right one. Some platforms have two sets of trains. Londoners take pride in knowing their tube system like the back of their hand. If they’re rude, refuse to help, or don’t know how to get where you need to go, just walk down the platform and ask someone else. Remember to thank them, irregardless of how helpful they actually were.

A few extra tidbits for you gentle reader; bring hand sanitizer, millions of people use the tube every day, try to avoid loud conversations in the Tube, the English like to treat it as though it’s a library, and allow people to get on and off the train as efficiently as you are able. Use these tips and you will be using the Tube like a Londoner in no time! Stay home, wash your hands, wear a mask, and stay safe, gentle reader.