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Using the London Underground is simple: tap in and out with a contactless bank card or phone, follow the colour-coded line and the direction you want (northbound, eastbound and so on), and mind the gap. Fares are capped daily, so you never pay more than the day ticket price.
Tap in and out
Touch your contactless card or phone on the yellow reader to enter, and again to exit (on the Tube you must tap out, or you are overcharged). No need to buy a paper ticket. See Oyster vs contactless for which to use.
Reading the map: lines and zones
Each line has a colour and a name. Trains are labelled by direction or final destination. London is split into fare zones 1 to 9; almost all the major sights are in zones 1 and 2.
Peak, off-peak and the daily cap
Fares are higher during weekday rush hours (roughly before 9.30am and 4 to 7pm). However much you travel in a day, the system caps your total automatically, so tapping all day is safe.
Handy tips
Use the Citymapper or TfL Go app for live routes, stand on the right on escalators, check last-train times, and note the Night Tube runs on some lines at weekends. More in getting around London.
