How to get around London without the tube network

Metro

12-05-2025

The London Underground is facing severe delays and suspensions this evening after Transport for London was blighted by a power outage.
Five lines on the Underground network are delayed and part suspended or entirely suspended, while three Overground lines – Mildmay, Suffragette and Weaver – are all suspended.
Meanwhile, the power outage has caused Elizabeth Line to have major delays this afternoon.
If you've been blighted by the travel issues, here are some of the other ways you can get around London.
While London buses can sometimes be notoriously slow when they are stuck in traffic, for times like these, they will be invaluable to Londoners this evening.
If you are unsure what buses to take, there are detailed maps dotted around bus stops across the city.
Alternatively, apps like Google Maps and Citymapper will offer up the best ways to get to your destination.
Nearly all of London's bus stops also operate night, so you can make sure that you will get home even if you're delayed several hours this evening.
Walking is another great way to get around the capital without having to go on the Tube.
On sunny days like this, it is a great excuse to get out and stretch the legs after a hard day at work.
While London is obviously too big to explore on foot entirely, it is a great way of getting from one place to another if you don't have to travel far.
This handy map shows which London Underground stations are faster to walk between rather than hopping on the tube.
Uber boat is often used by tourists as a way to get across London and take a more scenic route to places such as Greenwich, the O2 andTower Bridge.
The Thames Clippers boats run regular services between Embankment, Waterloo (London Eye), Blackfriars, Bankside (Shakespeare's Globe), London Bridge, Tower Bridge, Canary Wharf, Greenwich, North Greenwich and Woolwich piers.
You can also use pay-as-you-go with your Oyster or contactless bank card or buy tickets from machines at the stops.
If you don't fancy walking, cycling is another great way to get around the city.
The public bike-hire scheme Santander Cycles are an easy way for commuters and tourists to get around the city quickly if you don't want to be stuck in traffic.
Other brands that also have bikes available include Lime Bikes, Dott and Human Forest.
To find out where you can rent a bike, you can visit TfL's website.
Make sure you remember to properly return your rented bikes to a docking station otherwise you could face fines or block pavements for pedestrians, parents with prams and disabled people.
One London council has already threatened to ban the bikes after people routinely left them scattered across pavements in the area.
Black cabs are a great way to get around as drivers have their own specialised knowledge of the capital.
You can tell which cabs are available for hire when the yellow sign above the windshield is lit. Just stick your arm out to signal one to stop for you or head to your nearest taxi rank. More Trending
Make sure that you are standing in a safe area and when flagging a cab down as they won't be able to stop on a yellow line or a red line on the road.
Fares are metered, with the initial charge of £3.80 rising by increments of 20p over distance travelled or time taken.
The outage is understood to have been caused by a power outage in south west London that happened at 2.30pm.
Delays and line suspensions are still ongoing.
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