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How to use London Buses

Buses in London are plentiful and best of all, if you ride the buses instead of always taking the underground, you see more of the city. Some visitors to London are scared of using the buses, but there’s no need to be wary.

Another big benefit of taking the buses in London is that, apart from the London Cycle Hire Scheme , it’s the cheapest way to travel around London – £5.25 per day or £24.70 per week for unlimited travel all over London (there are no zones for bus travel).

London bus route maps

The simplified bus map (pdf)  shows London’s main tourist attractions and the most useful bus routes for visitors.

Bus spider maps show bus routes to and from a particular area.

Paper bus maps

Paper bus maps are now out of date and will not be updated.

London bus route planner

To find out how to reach a particular destination, use the TfL Journey Planner .

Type in your departure and arrival points. Click ‘Travel Options & Accessibility and deselect all options except ‘buses’. The planner gives you the route number, departure times and estimated journey time.

If you prefer to use an app, try Citymapper or  TfL Go

London bus times

Many buses in central London run 24-hours. If they don’t, special Night buses (prefixed with an ‘N’) start running after 11.30pm.

Buses in central London run frequently during the day and you normally won’t have to wait more than 5-10 minutes. For early departures or travel at night, check the timetables on the Transport for London website . There are timetables at bus stops as well.

Most bus stops have a screen telling you when the next bus is due to arrive.

You can also find live bus departures and arrivals on the TfL website, just type in a street, postcode, route number or bus stop code or via the TfL Go app

London bus stops

To find the location of a bus stop, use the TfL Bus Map . Type in an area, a place of interest, a street or a postcode and it shows you a map with the nearest bus stops. You can also use it to find bus stops on a particular bus route.

Each bus stop has a letter at the top of the flagpole. Look at the Destination Finder on the bus stop wall. If the same letter is listed next to where you’re going, you’re at the right stop. If you’re not, it tells you where to catch your bus.

A simpler way to find a bus stop is with an app. TfL Go or Citymapper finds your location and shows you the closest bus stops along with the times of the next buses from each stop.

The final destination of the bus and the bus number is displayed on the front and side of the bus. Check this before getting on. Not all buses travel the full route.

Knowing when to get off

Buses in central London have displays and announcements telling you the name of the next stop. You’ll also find journey time estimates at each bus stop. And if you’re still not sure, ask a fellow passenger. Londoners are very helpful when it comes to giving directions.

If you miss your stop, don’t worry, you won’t have far to walk. Distances between stops in central London are not that great.

Related pages

• Bus tickets & passes
• Sightseeing by local bus
• London bus tours

Last checked: 21 February 2024

Getting around London

• How to use the London underground
• How to use London buses
• London cycle hire scheme
• Walking in London
• London trains
• London taxis & minicabs

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NEWS... BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT

What is the TfL Journey Planner and how to use it?

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With more rail, tube, and bus strikes potentially on the horizon, getting around London can prove troublesome during industrial action. However, there are ways to plan your journey effectively in advance to help minimise disruption.

The latest tube maps (including stations that avoid stairs, accept cycles, and more) are published on the TfL.go.UK website for when services are running.

However, for smartphone users, the official TfL Go app helps you plan tube, bus, and rail journeys around the capital (including an update for the newly opened Elizabeth line ) and live reports on service disruption across London.

If, for any reason, you are unable to access the app, the TfL Journey Planner is also available via the browser on your PC, laptop, phone, and more.

What is the TfL Journey Planner?

The TfL Journey Planner is a website run by Transport for London that works similarly to the National Rail Enquiries page. It allows you to search and plan your journeys across London in advance. 

However, the journey planner seeks to be an all-encompassing solution for transport that goes beyond rail travel.

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For example, it will show you options for cycling, cycle hire, bus routes, and more. The site also gives you walking routes, with the option to view written directions or to open the path in Google maps.

The app encourages users to walk or cycle where possible and also gives the option to discover quieter times to travel, which can be particularly useful if you are not in a rush to make your trip.

How to use the TfL Journey Planner

Beginning on the TfL Journey Planner homepage , you can input your potential journey details based on geographical locations, underground stations, bus stops, and more.

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This allows you to pinpoint your starting place and destination. The site also gives you the option to pick from any journeys you’ve recently entered. Any updates or strike action will also be listed in a yellow banner at the top of the homepage.

The default allows you to plan a journey departing now, but you can alter the departure time if you are planning your trip further in advance.  

Once you have entered your journey details, you’ll be presented with options like ‘cycling and other’ (which will include cycle hire and walking), ‘fastest by public transport and ‘Bus only’, with the option to amend your journey details, look at services later or earlier in the day and even find nearby taxi ranks.

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You can filter journeys via the least walking, fewest changes, and complete step-free access.

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Tube Map - London Underground 4+

Tfl map and journey planner‪.‬, mapway limited.

• #112 in Navigation
• 4.7 • 16.4K Ratings
• Offers In-App Purchases

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Description.

Tube Map is the award-winning navigation app that includes the official TfL (Transport for London) Tube Map. Tube Map - London Underground works both on and offline and is the #1 Tube Map with over 22 million downloads! Key features: Uses the official TfL iconic Harry Beck London Underground map design. Includes additional map views for the TfL Night Tube and Rail Network. Plus a bonus map that we have created that is more geographical.  An easy to use journey planner that works with and without an internet connection. Check line status for delays, closures and service changes. See what time the next Tube is due with live departures from TfL. National Rail arrivals and departures. Journey planning made easy with real-time routing around closures and delays. Use step-by-step directions in the journey planner to find your way around London. Save your favourite routes for quick selection when on the go. Save your Home and Work stations for up to date station, line and route information. Find your closest Tube station wherever you are in London. Tube Map – London Underground Apple Watch app available. Line status widget Travel Guide Exclusive features also available; First & Last Tube Times, Tube Exits, Premium Line status widget and Priority Support. NEW - Remove advertising subscription With over 60 million downloads worldwide, there's a Mapway app for many of the busiest transport systems in the world including New York Subway, Paris Metro, Bus Times London and Berlin Subway. Plan. Route. Relax. Please note: whilst we endeavour to ensure that Line Status notifications are delivered in a timely manner we can’t guarantee this 100% of the time. There may be occasions when the functionality isn’t available due to technical reasons outside of our control. Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life. Tube Map Premium available as an in-app subscription: 99p weekly, £3.99 monthly or £9.99 annually, or as a one-off purchase of £24.99. Prices may vary by location. Cancel at any time, for any reason. Payment will be charged to your iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, at the cost of your chosen price tier. Subscriptions can be managed and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to Account Settings in your iTunes Account. Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when a subscription to that publication is purchased, where applicable. Read our terms in full at https://www.mapway.com/terms-conditions/

Version 7.3.9

Thank you for downloading the app. We regularly update the app to make it better for you. This release includes an updated map and some bug fixes and improvements for you. To make sure you don’t miss a thing, just keep your updates turned on. Got a question? Tap Support in the About section in the app.

Ratings and Reviews

16.4K Ratings

Great app for London Tube travel

Just got back from our first trip to London and using this app made getting around London to see the sights via the tube so much easier. It can show you the nearest tube station to your location and all you do it put in the location of the station you will be starting from and where you want to go and it does the rest. Gives you what t train to take and tells you what stop to get off. If you have to switch trains, it tells you the stop you get off ti switch the train and the next train to take and what stop for your final destination. This was great and the tube is so nice to use to travel around London. Highly recommended to anyone going there and planning ti use the tube. Much, much less expensive than a taxi.

Developer Response ,

Hi. Many thanks for the five stars and comprehensive review. Best regards, Team Mapway

Huge Timesaver

I used this app extensively on our recent trip to London. The route feature tells you exactly which lines to take and where to change lines. For a small fee it even can tell you which exit to take and whether to try to sit near the front or middle of the train (the fee was well worth it in my opinion). I did not find the adverts overly distracting. A cool feature is that once you've plugged in your route, you can switch over to a familiar Underground map and it will highlight your stations so you know where you are in the city/system. 5 stars from me. I downloaded another paid London map app that was worthless but this app is fantastic. Thank you for making my trip much, much easier!

We have loved reading your comments thanks so much for the review!

Forget the map - get this app!

Simply stated, unless you are very familiar with the London "tube", this app is a must have! No need to puzzle over maps, or ask guidance from an English-challenged employee. Just open the app, go to route planner, and enter your beginning & ending stations. It'll show you the lines and changes to get there! You can even put a location like "Hard Rock Cafe" in for your destination, and it will route you to the nearest station! The only catch is you must have cell service and be willing to use it. Just make sure you get a good plan on your phone!

App Privacy

The developer, Mapway Limited , indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .

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The following data may be used to track you across apps and websites owned by other companies:

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The following data may be collected but it is not linked to your identity:

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Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More

Information

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• Premium Yearly + Trial $9.99
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