Bus passenger information
There are over 6,500 buses in London operating 700 routes every day. Buses run all over London, serving over 17,000 bus stops, so you'll never be far from a bus route.
To see some of our key tourist bus routes, download Bus route map (488Kb PDF).
First/last buses
Some bus services only run during the day, from about 06:00 to 23:00. However, many routes run a 24-hour service. Night buses - prefixed with the letter 'N' (e.g. N24) - run during the night and offer a good alternative to the tube, (which closes around 00:00), and taxis which can be expensive.
Night buses
Some night buses follow a daytime bus route while others have completely new routes or follow tube line stops overground. The London night bus system is one of the best in the world and provides access to many parts of London.
If you are travelling from one of the outer zones to another part of London (which isn't central London) you may have to take 2 buses, one into central London and another out again.
Night buses come on duty before the tube shuts down, and run throughout the night. Services are less frequent than day services, usually every 30 minutes to an hour. You need to raise your hand to tell the bus to stop as it approaches the bus stop. Single fares are £2 and all travel cards are valid within their period of validity.
You can check which bus routes provide 24-hour and night bus services at bus stop information boards and at night bus information (www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/gettingaround/maps/buses/default.asp?borough=night).
Rush hours
If you can, you should avoid using the public transport during rush hours. At these times people are going to and from work and buses become extremely crowded. The morning rush hour is from about 08:00 to 09:30, and the evening one from about 17:00 to 18:30. Weekends are also a busy time for buses in central London, especially in places like Oxford Street.
Frequency
Most bus routes run every 5-10 minutes in central London, but may be less frequent in outer areas. Timetables are posted at each bus stop. Buses are less frequent at night and on Sundays and public holidays.
Journey times
Journey times vary depending on traffic, distance and destination. Your journey will take longer at rush hours and if there are any accidents on the bus route. Some bus stops display expected journey times for certain routes. To get a better idea of how long your journey will take you and to plan your route, use our VisitBritain journey planner (visitbritain.transportdirect.info/visitbritain/en).
To download any of these maps you will need Adobe Reader. You can download this or obtain further information from www.adobe.com (www.adobe.com).