Bus London: practical information, fares, routes and passes in 2025!

In this article, I present London busesto get from one neighborhood to the next easily during your stay!

Here you'll find

• London's main bus routes
• The most convenient routes
• Useful information: fares, timetables, frequencies, Passes
• What you can see and do in London by bus
• My tips for getting around the city
• And much more!

If you're looking for information about buses in London, you'll love this article.

Follow the guide!

Bus London: article summary

Bus London: is it a good way to visit the capital?

To visit London, you'll need to use public transport. It's impossible to do everything on foot, so if you want to explore neighborhoods in the capital.

Visit bus routes are numerous, and despite the heavy traffic, the bus is a practical way to get around. Here's everything you need to know.

Introducing London's buses

London is a huge capital, and you can find 673 day and night lines which serve the city center and surrounding areas of Greater London.

Their origins date back to à 1829It wasn't until 1904 that the first motorized buses made their appearance. Up until 1919, there were only steam buses in the capital!

TFL (Transport For London) now operates London's extensive public transport network.

These London buses are easy to identify, because they are red and two-storeyYou'll see them all over the city. It's a great way to visit the English capital while enjoying views of its most beautiful monuments!

Other means of transport available in the city

In London, you can also borrow :

• Visit subway lines (the Tube) that serve most of the areas to be visited
• Streetcars
• The DLR (Docklands Light Railway), which operates in the east and south-east of London and is similar to a small subway railway.
• River shuttles to cruise the Thames

What are the most useful bus routes in London?

The sheer number of bus routes in London makes it impossible to list them all. What's more, most of them won't be of any use to you.

To make life easier for travelers, the TFL company has designed a map including the essential lines, which allow you to cross the city and stop near monuments and places not to be missed.

These include :

• Visit line 8from Tottenham Court Road to Bow, via the Museum Of London
• Visit line 9which runs from Kensington to Aldwych, not far from the famous Trafalgar Square
• Visit line 11 from Liverpool Street in the direction of Fulham, which takes you through Westminster (and Westminster Abbey)
• Visit line 14convenient to reach the place de Piccadilly Circus and do some shopping at the famous Harrods from London
• Visit line 15 (the only one with the old bus models), which passes near St Paul's Cathedral and allows you to stop at Tower Hill, to discover the famous Tower of London
• Visit line 24which crosses the city center from north to south, passing through Camden TownTrafalgar Square and Westminster
• Visit line 38which will take you past the British Museum from Clapton Pond and the station by Victoria
• Visit Line 43 which starts from the London Bridge to reach the north of the city
• Visit line 59departing from the notorious King's Cross station and heading south, with stops at Covent Garden and easily reach the Ferris wheel London Eye
• Visit line 74a convenient way to reach 221b baker street home to the Sherlock Holmes Museum and the Museum of Madame Tussauds
• Visit line 274This is a great way to get to London Zoo and take a trip to the heights of the Hampstead Heath
• Visit Line 453 from the west (Marybelone) to the Westminster district
• Visit RV1 linefrom the east side of the Thames to its west side, from the Tower of London to Convent Garden stop

On the official planYou'll see the corresponding metro, train and river shuttle stops, other bus routes you might find useful, and tourist information points.

>> See the official bus and metro map

How to use the bus in London

London's buses are easy to use. Simply climb aboard, validate your journey (up and down) and press the red button to request a stop. A light signal bus Stopping indicates that your request has been processed. All you have to do now is wait for the doors to open!

Please note that you cannot purchase a ticket in cash in a London bus. You can choose to pay via :

• A rechargeable travel cardtype Oyster Card or Travalcard. This makes travel easier and allows you to benefit from reduced ticket prices.
• Your credit cardvia contactless payment at bus terminals

Please note that each ticket entitles the holder to a 1 hour on the network.

How much does a bus ticket cost in London?

Bus fares are :

• £1.75 for an adult ticket
• With a travel card, you pay at most £5.25 / day, as there is a daily cap after which your journeys are free of charge

Good to know children under 11 can travel for free!

Where to buy bus tickets in London

Tickets for London bus/transport are on sale at all TFL offices, at the counters. Or via automatic terminals many metro and/or DLR stations. What's more, some railway stations also have this type of automatic terminal.

You can buy a transport card online and load it with the desired amount, if you want to arrive in London and get going straight away.

Bus London: useful information, timetables and frequencies

Here's some more information on how to use London's buses with ease.

Schedules and frequency

Most of the busiest lines run 5 a.m. to midnightsome of them with variable opening hours.

You can consult them and plan your journeys using the official planner >>. plan a trip.

Night bus

London is a lively city day and night, and its transport network operates 24 hours a day. After midnight, buses become night buses (departing from Trafalgar Square) and the route number is preceded by an N (as in Night).

You need request stop because they are no longer automatic with these night-time lines. In addition, the frequency of service is less frequent between midnight and 5am. 

Can I take a bus from London airports?

Yes, but it all depends on London airport you'll land.

For the main routes, bus companies (such as Terravision, National Express or Easyjet's EasyBus shuttles) provide connections to London.

This is the case for the airport Heathrowthe Gatwickthose of Stansted and Luton as well as from London City Airport served by routes 473 and 474, but it's a complicated option from London Southern.

Enjoy your stay!

What to do in London in 1 day, 2 days, 3 days, 5 days, a week?

Whatever the length of your stay, I invite you to download my special London guide.

It's free and in PDF format.

All you have to do is tell me below which e-mail address you'd like to receive it at.

EDIT: you can't enter your email?

Take the quiz at the top of this article and you'll be able to register your email address to receive the special London guide!