The Tube (as it is universally known to Londoners) or The London Underground is normally the quickest and easiest way of getting round London .

Information

London travel information centres sell tickets and provide free maps. There are centres at all Heathrow terminals and at the Britain & London Visitor Centre on Lower Regent Street . For general information on the Tube, buses, the DLR or trains within London ring Tel: +44 (020) 7222 1234 or visit the London Underground website or the Transport for London website. For news of how services are running, call Travelcheck on Tel: +44 (020) 7222 1200.

Network

Greater London is served by 12 Tube lines, along with the independent (though linked) and privately owned DLR and an interconnected rail network. The first Tube train operates at around 5am Monday to Saturday and around 7.30am Sunday; the last train leaves between 11.30pm and 12.30am depending on the day, the station and the line.

Remember that any train heading from left to right on the map is designated as eastbound, and any train heading from top to bottom is southbound - no matter how many squiggles and turns it makes. If your two stations are not on the same line, you need to note the nearest station where the two lines intersect, and it is here that you must change trains.

Fares

The Underground divides London into six concentric zones. If you're caught on the Underground without a valid ticket (and that includes crossing into a zone that your ticket doesn't cover) you're liable for an on-the-spot fine of £10.

Travel Passes and Discount Fares

If you're traveling several times in one day or through a couple of zones, you should consider a Travelpass or some other discounted fare. Valid all day, a Travelcard offers the cheapest way of getting about London .

If you will be making a lot of journeys within Zone 1 only, you can buy a carnet of 10 tickets for £17/5 (adult/child) - a useful saving - although do remember that if you cross over into Zone 2 (e.g. from King's Cross St Pancras to Camden Town for the weekend market) you'll be travelling on an invalid ticket and therefore liable for a penalty fare.

Travelling with a Disability

Access to most underground stations is via numerous steps. The system can become extremely crowded at peak times and, therefore, difficult for those with mobility problems.

Jubilee Line trains are wheelchair accessible from all the new stations between Westminster and Stratford - stations can be reached via lift. You are advised to check the operation of lifts by calling +44 (020) 7308 2800 (during office hours) or +44 (020) 7222 1234 (evenings and weekends).

For more information, call Transport for London Access & Mobility on +44 (020) 7941 4600, email travinfo@tfl.gov.uk . If you have a textphone, contact the customer services team on +44 (020) 7918 3500.