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I love London like a Brit loves tea!

It was my first international trip, and I fell so hard for it that I’ve been back twice more. London is the city that the travel bug first bit me in. No matter how many places I go, London will always have a special place in my heart like no other place in the world.

Visiting London for the first time is so exciting! Going to see the London Tower, the London Eye, and trying a pint in an authentic English pub should be at the top of your “Must Do” list. But you know what will slow that excitement to a stop before you even leave the airport? Having an anxiety attack because you are overwhelmed by the map of the London public train system.

It’s easy to take one look at all of those colorful lines on the train map and want to hitch the next ride back on a plane to where you just came from.

I was lucky on my first visit to London. I had a friend who lived there, and she met me at the airport. She handled getting tickets for public transportation and making sure I didn’t get lost.

When I returned two years later, I was on a solo trip. This time, I did my research and was ready to take on navigating London alone. I survived and you can, too!

Here are my seven best tips for getting around London.

London Public Transportation Tip #1 – Oyster Cards

Beginner’s mistake I made right away: I paid cash the first time I bought tickets for the trains. Paying cash can get very expensive, very fast! The solution here is the Oyster card.

The Oyster card can be used for all public transportation, which includes buses, the Underground train lines (sometimes called The Tube), and the Overground train lines. You top them up to use them, and the minimum to start is £5.

They can be found for sale in vending machines at any transportation station. Oyster cards can be purchased using either British pounds or most major credit cards. Apple Pay and Google Pay are also accepted at some stations. Oyster cards can be returned when you leave London, and you will get a refund on any remaining balance you have on them.

If you plan on being in London for more than five days, Visitor Cards are a better idea. Click here to get a better understanding of the difference between the two cards.

London Public Transportation Tip #2 – Use Technology

Google Maps was my best friend when I was first trying to navigate my way through London. (The portable Wi-Fi I rented at the airport was also my best friend, and made using Google Maps possible on my phone.)

Google Maps is great for not only telling you which station you need to go to and how to get to it, but also what time your train will arrive at the station, and even what platform to go to.

Another useful app I have recently found on my last trip to London is Citymapper. It’s very similar to Google Maps, except Citymapper shows the fares for all the trains and buses. You can use it to navigate all the available means of public transportation in London including trains, buses, taxis, and bikes. This is especially handy when it’s raining (as it often does in London), and you are trying to stay off the street as much as possible.

London Public Transportation Tip #3 – Be Quiet

My first trip on the London Underground was accompanied by my best friend who I hadn’t seen since she’d moved to England a year and a half earlier. We were very happy to see each other after so much time apart. Many conversations were had on the Tube that day by the two of us. We talked so much that we failed to notice we were the only ones on the train who were talking at all.

One of the most unspoken rules on the trains of London is no talking.

Londoners prefer to spend their time commuting in silence. As an American who lives for road trips full of deep, meaningful conversations- sitting in silence went against all my natural tendencies. But after a while, escaping the noise of London within those train cars became something I actually looked forward to… once we actually realized we should be quiet.

London Public Transportation Tip #4 – Take the Double Decker

You can use your Oyster card to ride the legendary red Double Decker buses of London. Just tap your card on the reader at any door, and head straight to the top!

Some of the best tourist sites in London can be seen this way, while you relax and enjoy! Stops are announced, and every bus has a screen at the front near the driver that shows the next stop. Most buses also have maps of the routes, so you won’t have to worry about missing your stop.

There’s no need to tap your Oyster card as you exit, either. Just hop off whenever you’re ready! I found this to be one of my most favorite ways to see London. Sitting up top you can get fantastic views of the London Bridge, the London Eye, and Big Ben. It’s nice to take a break after a full day of sightseeing, and let someone else do the driving for a change.

London Public Transportation Tip #5 – Stay Right

Even though they drive on the left side if the street, Londoners stand on the right side of the escalators.

To enter the train stations, London has very, very long staircases that require you to walk down them. Stay on the right and leave the left side open. The left is reserved for people who are in a hurry. It is amazing to see how efficiently this system works when it is used correctly.

Pro tip: There are almost never escalators, and hardly ever elevators at London’s train stations. Think twice before you pack that extra suitcase. Carrying it up those stairs can make for a long walk.

London Public Transportation Tip #6 – London’s Zones

London is divided up into zones, with the very center of the city being Zone 1. Most of the things you’ll want to see as a tourist are located in Zone 1 (Big Ben, Westminster, River Thames, London Tower, London Bridge, and the London Eye to name a few). The city radiates out from there until you get to Zone 9.

The further out you go, the more expensive the trip on public transportation. The most cost-efficient way to visit is to plan to stay within Zone 1 and Zone 2.

London has very kindly placed a cap on the amount of money you spend daily while using public transportation. What this means, is that depending on how many zones you travel through on any given day, once you reach your cap, all other travels you take that day is free.

London Public Transportation Tip #7 – The Big Bus Tour

I saved my favorite tip for last:  The Big Bus Tour. The way it works is you pay one price to ride the bus all day. Whenever the bus arrives at the next stop, you can hop on and off the bus as you like.

The bus itself is one of the coolest designed buses you’ll ever see with an open-top double deck. Those seats go fast, so if you want to ride on the top try to be one of the first in line to get onboard. On the bus is free wifi (!!) and each bus has a tour. Some tours are with live guides, while others are prerecorded and you get headphones to listen to while you ride.

I can’t recommend this approach to sightseeing enough. You get a large map of the city, with each stop along the tour is clearly numbered. The tour guides will usually charm you with stories only locals know about the next stop before you arrive at it. You can hop off the bus and go explore by foot, or stay right where you are and comfortably ride on until you’re ready to. The Big Bus is a great option for covering a lot of ground in one day, and for saving money on taxis or rental cars.

Bonus Tip – Mind The Gap:

Every time the train arrives at the station or departs a station, you will hear a disembodied voice in a very proper British accent come over the loudspeaker to remind you to “Mind the Gap“. You will see MIND THE GAP written on the ground in front of every train car door.

Mind The Gap becomes almost its own identity within the London train system.

I probably made a fool of myself every time I heard the friendly voice come on because I would reply back. For those who have never heard my British accent, I have what can only be called “The Worst British Accent Of All Time“. I would say in that terrible accent, “Thank you and pip, pip. Cheerio.” The Londoners never found it as hilarious as I did.

However, “Mind The Gap” is there for a purpose, which is to remind you to be aware of the gap between the train platform and the train itself. There’s no faster way to ruin a perfectly lovely vacation than falling into the train tracks.

I am so pleased to announce that I’ve partnered up with Viator.com to bring you extra special savings while you are visiting London! Save up to 40% off tours and activities in London. Thanks to Viator.com for offering specials just for my readers!

Have you been to London? What was your favorite place you visited while there? Let me know in the comments.

Thanks for stopping by! I would love it if you Pinned me!

For more pictures from my travels in London, please visit my Instagram by clicking here.