Travel Guide

This guide to travelling around London is designed to reduce car use and provide alternative transportation options for guests at The Stratford.

This guide contributes to The Stratford’s commitment to sustainability. The Stratford understands that this is to support our guests with guidance and alternative options, whilst taking into consideration practicality, cost and other external factors.

Bus travel
London’s iconic double-decker buses are a convenient, less expensive and more sustainable way to travel around the city, with plenty of sightseeing opportunities along the way. London buses are all cashless, so you need an Oyster card, travelcard or contactless payment. To use the buses in London, all you have to do is tap your Oyster or contactless card on the big yellow card reader when you board the bus – there’s no need to do it when you get off the bus as fares are fixed. Bus fares are £1.75 per journey, and a day of bus-only travel will cost a maximum of £6.

You can also take advantage of the “hopper” fare with Oyster and contactless cards, whereby every bus journey that you take within the first hour of tapping in is include in the price. So, you can change buses and not have to pay any more – although you must still tap in to the new bus in order to have valid travel.

Underground travel
The London Underground rail network, also called ‘the tube’, is a great way to travel around central London. It is the oldest underground metro network in the world, with parts operating since 1863. The London Underground carries over a billion passengers a year, across 270 stations with 11 different lines and 250 miles of track. For the most part, trains arrive within 10 minutes or less and services operate from 5AM to midnight and there is a 24-hour service offered on some lines as well.

The Underground operates in fare zones 1-6 which covers London and surrounding areas in expanding circles. Generally, the more zones you cross on your journey, the more expensive it will be.

Overground travel
London Overground is a suburban rail network serving London and its surrounding areas. The network runs a number of routes that can carry passengers throughout the capital and now serves a large part of Greater London as well as Hertfordshire, with 112 stations on nine different routes. The Overground has the same fare pricing as the Underground and follows the same fare-based rules.

Cycling
Cycling in London is a popular mode of transport and leisure activity, with the growth partly attributed to the 2010 launch by Transport for London of a cycle hire system throughout London. There are public cycle points all around the city, and with the increase in cycle lanes, these are becoming a popular way to take short trips. Hiring a bicycle is relatively easy and costs £1.65 for up to 30 minutes, and then £1.65 for each additional 30 minutes. This pricing is for standard bicycles only. E-bikes are also available, but for a higher price and for registered users only.

Taxis
With a history dating back to 1662, London’s Hackney Carriages have been carrying people around the city for over 350 years, with drivers having to learn the infamous knowledge of how to navigate the city efficiently. To take a black cab in London, you need to flag one down by waving at them (the taxi light will be illuminated if it is available) and the driver will stop to pick you up. Taxis do not accept Oyster cards, so fares need to be paid by cash or credit card. Fares are paid on completion of the journey and are set based on distance and time using the meter in the cab.

Walking
Walking should be the easiest way of making short trips in London with no cost as well as being great for physical and mental wellbeing, as well as London’s environment. Many parts of London are very pedestrian friendly, in central London you can get to most of the attractions just by walking.

River boat
Thames Clippers operate a service under license from TfL and consists of four routes, starting in Putney and going as far as Woolwich in the east, which essentially gets you from one end of London to the other. It’s a fun, scenic way to travel and tends to be a little less busy than many of the other routes. As with other TfL services, the easiest way to pay is by Oyster or contactless card by tapping in and out when you board and disembark. Alternatively you can buy tickets online and print them out, or buy tickets in person at the pier.

Tram
In south London, and specifically from Wimbledon, through to Croydon and Beckenham, there’s a tram service, known as London Tramlink. The tram has four lines and 17 miles of track. The tram works the same as the bus in terms of payment – it’s a fixed fee per journey and you just have to tap with your Oyster or contactless card when you board to validate your journey.

Rail
London has rail links that connect central London to its suburbs and fast trains that link to the rest of the country (and the world). There are also direct rail links to London’s three major airports; Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted. In the majority of the cases, trains in and out of London are separate from the Transport for London system, so you cannot use your Oyster card on most national rail services and would have to buy a separate ticket, however there are some exceptions so it is best to check beforehand.

Cloud Cable Car
This is the only urban cable car in the UK, and it gets you across the River Thames, from Greenwich to the Royal Victoria Dock. As well as being a handy way to get to the ExCel London and the 02 Arena from the south side of the river, it also offers panoramic views of this part of the city you cross. The Cable Car is part of the TfL system, so you can pay with our Oyster card or contactless card. There are only two stations, one at each end, so it’s also one of the easiest modes of public transport to navigate in London.