Getting around London: with and without a car

Good without a car Our reading of the sources below, not an official rating.

Red New Routemaster double-decker bus at a bus stop in London — Photo: Anthony O'Neil, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Without a car

London has a live journey planner, built on TfL data: plan a journey on the transport page. For airports, stations and getting from the airport to your hotel, see arrival.

No schedules or fares are copied here: check the operator or Traveline for the day you travel. Taxis and ride-hailing apps operate in most towns, but we have no sourced coverage data for rural areas, so do not count on one at short notice.

With a car

ULEZ and Congestion Charge

TfL's pages state the Ultra Low Emission Zone covers all London boroughs and runs 24 hours a day, every day except Christmas Day, with a daily charge of £12.50 for cars that do not meet the standard. The Congestion Charge is separate: £18 if paid on the day or in advance, 07:00 to 18:00 Monday to Friday and 12:00 to 18:00 on weekends and bank holidays. You may pay both. Figures as stated on Oct 25, 2026. ^1,2

Zones to check

Driving zones in London
Zone	When	Cars	Amount	Official page
London Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) ¹	24 hours a day, every day except Christmas Day. Covers all London boroughs.	A daily charge applies to cars that do not meet the ULEZ standard and are not exempt.	£12.50 a day, as TfL states	Official page for London Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) (opens in new tab)
London Congestion Charge ²	07:00 to 18:00 Monday to Friday; 12:00 to 18:00 on Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays. No charge from Christmas Day to New Year's Day bank holiday inclusive.	A daily charge for driving in the zone in those hours. The ULEZ charge is separate, and you may owe both.	£18 if paid on the day or in advance; £21 if paid by midnight of the third day after, as TfL states	Official page for London Congestion Charge (opens in new tab)

Amounts as the official page stated on Oct 25, 2026. For vehicles registered outside the UK see the full table on the driving guide.

General rules (driving on the left, licenses, roundabouts, speed limits in mph, parking, tolls, EV charging): Driving in Britain.

To and from other regions

See getting between regions for distances and published fastest train times from London to each destination, and arrival for airports and stations.

Station name roundel on the tiled platform wall at Bounds Green Underground station — Photo: Christine Matthews, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Canal boats and a queue for the waterbus at Little Venice in London — Photo: David Hawgood, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Official links

See the transport page and Transport for London (opens in new tab).

Questions people ask

Can I get around London without a car?

London is built for visiting without a car. Use the live journey planner on /transport/ and read the congestion charge and ULEZ rules before you drive.

Do I need to check a driving zone in London?

Yes: London Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) and London Congestion Charge apply. The table on this page links the official pages.

Sources

Fetched and read on Oct 25, 2026. Rules, prices and schedules change: check the source before you rely on it. Where a page blocked automated access we say so and link it.