Zones
London's zones are the numbered fare rings, from Zone 1 in the centre outwards, that set the price of Tube and rail journeys and are used as shorthand for how central an address is. Zone 1 covers central London; Zones 2 to 6 spread out across the rest of the capital, and a few outer stations sit in higher zones.
In practice
A pay-as-you-go fare depends on which zones you travel through and the time of day, with peak fares on weekday mornings and evenings. Season tickets and Travelcards are sold for a range of zones, such as Zones 1-3. Every station on TfL's maps shows its zone, and some sit on the boundary of two. Buses and trams have a flat fare and ignore zones altogether.
Why it matters to newcomers
Flat adverts and colleagues use zones as a quick measure of location: "Zone 2, ten minutes to Zone 1" is a selling point. But zones measure fare, not journey time: a Zone 3 station on a fast line can be quicker to the centre than a Zone 2 station with poor connections. Price your daily commute, including any rail leg, before choosing where to live, and check the weekly cap for your zones.
Related
- Oyster - how you pay
- Night Tube - the all-night service on some lines
- ULEZ - the charge that applies if you drive instead