Travelling around London at night can seem quite daunting, especially if you’re new to the city. You’re probably familiar with the different kinds of transport available in London during the day. At night, it’s a bit different due to the service being reduced. We have outlined the London transport services that operate at night and some information that may be useful to you when planning your travel.
The Tube
On Fridays and Saturdays, the Victoria, Jubilee, Central, Piccadilly and Northern lines run through the night. The Windrush Line (part of the London Overground Service) also operates overnight between Highbury & Islington and New Cross Gate, running into the early hours of Saturday and Sunday mornings. Depending on stations, trains run every 10 to 20 minutes. You can see where the Night Tube runs here.
Weekday services and all other lines suspend service between the rough hours of 00:30 and 05:00, so be sure to familiarise yourself with exact times for your route. The CityMapper app is a fantastic resource for route planning.
How much does it cost? Standard off-peak fares apply for travel on the night tube. You can check travel costs using TfL’s Find Fares function. Day Travelcards are valid on the day of issue (using the date printed on the card), and for journeys starting before 04:30 the following day. For example, if you buy a Day Travelcard at 11:00 on Friday, you can use it until 04:29 on the following Saturday. Daily capping on Oyster cards and contactless payment cards also applies.
Trust your instincts - if you feel at all uneasy, move to a carriage where there are other people. There are also passenger alarms in all tube carriages and Help Points on all platforms, which can connect you if you need information and assistance, or in an emergency.
You can text the British Transport Police on 61016 about issues that concern you, but don’t require an emergency response. In an emergency, use the Help Points or call 999.
Night Buses
Some London bus services run 24 hours a day for a fixed fare of £1.75 per journey. Check your local bus stop for any buses marked 24 hour or with an ‘N’ in front of the bus number. You can also find any bus, day or night by using the Transport for London (TfL) journey planner .
At most bus stops, you can also send a text to 87287 (maybe save this in your phone?) with your bus stop code and you will receive the details of the next five buses. Texts cost the standard network rate. If you feel at all uneasy whilst on a bus, you can sit near the driver.
Look out for these signs at bus stops. In the white box is the bus stop code.
Remember, your journey is not over until you’re safely inside your home. When you leave your bus or train, don’t walk home alone in the dark, and plan your route so that you feel confident finding your way home. Stick to well-lit streets and mark out milestones or ‘safe-spaces’ along the way, such as 24hr shops or police stations. It’s usually a good idea to let flatmates or friends know when you’re on your way with an expected arrival time.
Cabs and Taxis
What’s a booked minicab?
A booked minicab is a cab that you have booked directly with the minicab office or operator. It guarantees that you will be travelling in a licensed, insured vehicle, driven by a licensed and insured driver. It also means that a record is kept of your journey, the driver and the vehicle.
If it is the cab you’ve booked, the driver will be able to confirm your name and destination.
What’s an unbooked minicab?
An unbooked cab is one that you haven’t booked in advance. It may be offered to you by someone with a high-vis jacket and clipboard, possibly outside a nightclub.
Even if minicabs are lined up outside a club, they are still breaking the law if they accept your fare directly, without you having booked them in advance.
Even if the taxi and the driver are both licensed – if you haven’t booked it, it’s illegal and unsafe. The only exception to this are the London black cabs.
Black cabs
Black cabs can be hailed on the street. They do not need to be booked.
Booking a taxi
You can call or visit a local licensed minicab office. Some late-night venues hold a license to take your booking, but to be legal your booking has to be placed inside the venue.
Uber
Uber is a ridesharing app that allows you to book a car and driver using your smartphone. Instead of hailing a taxi on the street or calling a cab company, you use the Uber app to request a ride. The app matches you with a nearby driver, shows you the estimated cost, and lets you track the car’s arrival in real time.
Uber doesn’t use a taxi meter. Instead, it uses a dynamic pricing model, which means that the cost of your journey can vary depending on factors like time of day, distance, demand, and how many drivers are available in your area, and can change from day to day. You should be able to see the price of your journey before you book it. There may be additional costs if your driver has to wait for you.
There’s a mixed pool of opinion over the safety of Uber services, so be sure to do your research before signing up. Uber drivers, while subject to background checks, aren’t licensed in the same way as registered taxi drivers, but the average Uber ride — with its GPS monitoring, cashless payments, real identity recording, and pre-booking — generates more information about who is in the car.
It’s good to take some safety precautions when getting an Uber.
- When booking your ride, change your destination or pick up address to a location that is not your home. Pick a safe pick-up or drop-off spot, like a nearby restaurant or public area that isn’t too far from your home, or even a house a few doors down so the location is not your address.
- Share the details of your ride with family or friends (you can do this in the Uber app by clicking on ‘Share Trip Status’)
- Before you get into the car, make sure the license plate, car make and model, and driver photo matches the one you can see in your app
Complaints
If you want to make a complaint about a black cab, minicab or a taxi booked through a ridesharing app, then you can call Transport for London (TfL) on 0343 222 4000, email [email protected] or fill in their online complaints form.
Trains
If you’re travelling back to London from outside the city, make sure you know when the last train back to London is. The last trains vary on weekdays and weekends, so, make sure you know when yours is. You can use the National Rail Journey Planner to plan your journey.
You can text the British Transport Police on 61016 about issues that concern you, but don’t require an emergency response. In an emergency, call 999.
Coaches
Some coaches run overnight. There are many coach stations in London, but Victoria Coach station serves the most routes. Coaches that run to and from Victoria Station in London can be found here.
You can use the National Express Journey Planner to check if you can take a coach for your journey and to find coach times.
Plan Ahead
If you know you’re going to be out late, do these things before you go out:
- Charge your phone and carry a charger or power bank
- Share your location with someone you trust and let them know what time you expect to be home
- Plan how you’re getting home
If possible, make a note of buses or cab companies before you leave the house, and try out your route during the day. If you know which venue you are going to, check their website as they may have useful travel information on it. A useful resource is the Transport for London (TfL) journey planner.
Make sure you have enough money on your Oyster card or that you have a contactless debit or credit card. Be aware that buses no longer accept cash – you must pay your bus fare by Oyster or contactless card. You might use Apple pay or Google Wallet to pay for your journey, but it’s best to carry a contactless card just in case your phone dies or is misplaced.
If your plans for the evening change, let someone you trust know if possible.
Camden Safety Hub & Bus
If you live in Camden and need some late on a Friday or Saturday, you can visit the Camden Safety Bus, a stationary bus parked outside Camden Town Station. This is an inclusive safe space, managed by a trained team who are on hand to provide support for people who have found themselves in a vulnerable state, uncomfortable situation or need some extra support when out on a Friday or Saturday night.
The Safety Hub is open from 9pm to 2.30am every Friday and Saturday night, and offers phone charging facilities, water, first aid support and a place to rest before travelling home. Volunteers will be on hand to provide a listening ear for those who need someone to talk, and direct them to any additional services they might need as well as provide educational resources to promote a safe and fun night out.
In an emergency
If you are unsafe or in a situation where you or someone else can be harmed, call 999.