© Mike Bird・Pexels License

United Kingdom

London

Home of the world's oldest Underground and the red double-decker. Tap the card you already carry and ride.

National Rail

Trains are how you leave London. Contactless works across the London area, while intercity trips are far cheaper with Advance tickets bought ahead.

Updated on July 15, 2026

How to ride

  1. 1
    Check where you're going
    Within London and the extended South East PAYG area, contactless works directly. For intercity trips, buy a ticket.
  2. 2
    Buy Advance tickets early for intercity
    Use official sites or operator apps. Earlier is cheaper. Advance tickets are train-specific - don't miss yours.
  3. 3
    Watch the departure boards
    Platforms are often confirmed only minutes before departure. Move when the board shows your platform.
  4. 4
    Be ready for ticket checks
    Gates or onboard staff check tickets. Show your e-ticket QR - or if you tapped in, tap out with the same card.

Fares

Single fares2

Suburban (contactless PAYG)
Depends on zones and distance. Daily caps also apply (to be verified).
3〜15 GBP ≈ $4–20
Intercity (Advance)
Even London-Edinburgh starts near £30 booked early; walk-up fares run several times more (to be verified).
10〜80 GBP ≈ $14–110

Estimates use exchange rates as of September 5, 2026

For intercity trips, buy Advance tickets (train-specific, limited quota) on official sites or operator apps. For the suburbs, just tap in with contactless.

Station ticket machines — for journeys inside the London area you can just tap and go Taken Jul 2022 © TheFrog001・CC0

Payment

Tap to ride
VISAMastercardAmex
App tickets
Paper tickets

Tap for where to get the app

Quick facts

Hours
~5:00–24:00
Fares from
3 GBP+

Heads-up

  • Boarding without a ticket risks a Penalty Fare

    Boarding without a valid ticket risks a Penalty Fare (around £100, reduced if paid early). "I'll buy on board" does not work.

  • Sundays and holidays bring closures and replacement buses

    Sundays and holidays often bring engineering closures and rail replacement buses. Check the official site the day before.

Timetable

Operating hours ~5:00–24:00
Typical duration London to Brighton in about 1 hour, to Edinburgh in about 4.5 hours
Check the official site for the latest times and service status Official site ↗

Route map

7 lines ·152 stations
© OpenStreetMapOpenMapTilesData (ODbL)