Last updated: January 2026
London is a huge, bustling city with loads of sights, activities, and transport options. But let’s be real: the last thing you want to spend your money on as a student is getting to and from lectures—at least, not when you’d rather be spending your student loan on the city’s amazing restaurants, cafés, theatres, and shops. You get the idea.
It’s okay, though. From its iconic red buses to the famous London Underground and rentable bikes, the capital has a variety of budget-friendly travel options on hand for you to choose from.
Here are the best tips we’ve found for getting around London without breaking the bank:
Our London Travel Tips
1. 18+ Student Oyster Photocard
The cheapest way to travel in and around London is by making use of a student Oyster card. If you’re over 18, you can grab one of these to get a student discount on the London Underground, red London buses, and DLR trams.
How does it work? An Oyster card is just a smartcard you top up on a pay-as-you-go credit basis at any Tube or Overground station, as well as any shop with a blue Oyster card sign. Owning one gets you 30% off weekly, monthly, and annual adult-rate travel cards (not off general fares), as well as bus and tram season tickets.
Find out more information about student Oyster cards here.
2. 16-25 Rail Card
If you’re using National Rail services to travel between home and London, or even to get around town, a 16-25 Rail Card is for you.
Owning a Rail Card allows you to get 1/3 off the prices of tickets, which adds up to a massive saving if you’re a regular traveller.
3. Travel Hours
When travelling around London, the difference between peak and off-peak hours can make all the difference. Travelling in the peak hours of 6:30-9:30 AM and 4:00-7:00 PM will usually result in your journey taking much longer than usual.
Not only is it less busy in off-peak hours, but services such as the London Underground have cheaper rates for those travelling on the tube in off-peak hours
4. Walk
Hear us out—while walking may sound like an obvious travel option, it can be a sensible idea depending on where you’re going and what time. In peak times when Tube stations are busiest, and the lines for the bus are long, we recommend loading up Google Maps and checking the walking time estimate.
Not only will walking save you money, but it’ll also give you a chance to take in London’s many sights!
5. Santander Cycles
From just £1.65* you can cycle round the city on a Santander bike! Getting started is easy; all you have to do is use the Santander Cycles app or take a bank card to any docking station, and you can get going.
Even better, students can save 25% on Santander bike rides when they grab an annual subscription via Student Beans. This is a great option if you know that you’ll be cycling a lot whilst living in London.
*£1.65 gets you a single ride on a manual bicycle for up to 30 minutes.
5. Bus
When it comes to travelling around London as a student, we recommend making use of London’s big red buses.
While the Tube can be more direct and can save time depending on your destination, London’s buses can make a relaxing change to the cramped environment of the underground.
You can use your 18+ Student Oyster to get 30% off your bus passes, too.
6. Hopper Fare
The Hopper fare is a super handy and low-cost way of getting around London that allows students and the public to ‘hop on’ any London bus or tram for £1.75 and then switch to any other bus or tram for free within an hour.
It’s a total lifesaver – just plan your route in advance to make the most of it.
Apps to help you with London travel
Stuck for choice? These apps are essential for travelling around London as a student:
1. Citymapper
A free to download app, Citymapper can be a lifesaver when it comes to finding your way round the busy capital. Just type in your location and your destination, and the app will work out the best routes for you to travel whether it’s by the Tube, bus, rail, walking or something else!
2. Tube Map
London’s network of Underground lines can be confusing, so you’ll likely find this app on many people’s smartphones around the city.
The Tube Map app helps you plan the route of your Tube journey and helps you make sense of the various stations and lines.
3. TFL Go
TFL’s official map can be a big help when moving about the city, with live bus and train times for every station as well as live updates on all TFL network transport, such as buses, the Tube, the London Overground, TFL trams and more.
The TFL Go app is also really helpful for checking accessibility at London stations, such as information on toilets, lift statuses and platform access.
Electricity. Gas. Broadband. Water. TV Licence.
Want to find out more?
Interested in splitting your student household bills rather than splitting up friendships? Check out Split the Bills now and make life easier for everyone in your shared student house.
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