London Drum

Charing Cross ⇄ South Kensington Station

This journey is in zone 1 and you’ll have to use the Bakerloo and Piccadilly lines, changing trains at Piccadilly Circus

  1. From Charing Cross take the Bakerloo Line
  2. Change at Piccadilly Circus to the Piccadilly Line
  3. Leave the train at South Kensington

Number of stops: 5 · Journey time: Approx 20 mins

Stations on the route: Charing Cross ➜ Piccadilly Circus [change train] Piccadilly Circus ➜ Green Park ➜ Hyde Park Corner ➜ Knightsbridge ➜ South Kensington

Live status and delays

Closures on the Bakerloo and Piccadilly line

First and last train times

Bakerloo line timetable

Alternative routes include Charing Cross to Gloucester Road, Charing Cross to Knightsbridge and Charing Cross to Sloane Square

Stairs, lifts and escalators

Charing Cross is not wheelchair accessible

South Kensington is not wheelchair accessible

Charing Cross entrance – You must an escalator from the main railway station concourse to the booking hall (or three flights of 12, 12, 11 steps down), or two flights from the Trafalgar Square westside entrance (11 steps down +12 steps down), or three flights from the Trafalgar Square central island entrance (21 steps down +3 steps down +8 steps down), or four flights from the Trafalgar Square northside and eastside entrance (9 steps down +10 steps down +2x8 steps down), or three flights from the William IV Street entrance (16 steps down +13 steps down +14 steps down), or three flights from The Courtyard entrance (2x12 steps down +11 steps down), or two flights from the Strand southside entrance (21 steps down +16 steps down), or two flights from the Strand northside entrance (2x15 steps down), or two flights from the Villiers Street entrance (2x9 steps down). After that there’s an escalator plus one flight of 20 steps to the Bakerloo line platforms, or an escalator plus one flight of 19 steps to the Northern line platforms. If you want to avoid the escalator then you can use another five flights of stairs (4x17 steps down +8 steps down)

Changing trains at Piccadilly Circus – You must use stairs when changing between the Bakerloo/​Piccadilly line platforms (19 steps up +20 steps down)

South Kensington exit – You must use two flights of stairs down from the Circle/​District line platforms to the booking hall (12 steps up +13 steps up), or use two escalators plus one flight of stairs from the Piccadilly line platforms (17 steps down to the eastbound, or 20 steps up to the westbound platform). After that you must use another two flights of stairs to the Pelham Street/​Thurloe Street exits (3 steps up +13 steps up), or use three flights plus walk through a long subway to the National History Museum exit (8 steps down +16 steps up +15 steps up), or use three flights plus walk through a long subway to the Science Museum exit (8 steps down +14 steps up +10 steps up), or use three flights plus walk through a long subway to the Ismaili Centre exit (8 steps down +2x14 steps up)

This journey is in zone 1 and you’ll have to use the Piccadilly and Bakerloo lines, changing trains at Piccadilly Circus

  1. From South Kensington take the Piccadilly Line
  2. Change at Piccadilly Circus to the Bakerloo Line
  3. Leave the train at Charing Cross

Number of stops: 5 · Journey time: Approx 19 mins

Stations on the route: South Kensington ➜ Knightsbridge ➜ Hyde Park Corner ➜ Green Park ➜ Piccadilly Circus [change train] Piccadilly Circus ➜ Charing Cross

Live status and delays

Closures on the Piccadilly and Bakerloo line

First and last train times

Piccadilly line timetable

Alternative routes include South Kensington to Gloucester Road, South Kensington to Knightsbridge and South Kensington to Sloane Square

Stairs, lifts and escalators

South Kensington is not wheelchair accessible

Charing Cross is not wheelchair accessible

South Kensington entrance – You must use two flights of stairs from the Pelham Street/​Thurloe Street entrances to the booking hall (13 steps down +3 steps down), or use three flights plus walk through a long subway from the National History Museum entrance (15 steps down +16 steps down +8 steps up), or use three flights plus walk through a long subway from the Science Museum entrance (10 steps down +14 steps down +8 steps up), or use three flights plus walk through a long subway from the Ismaili Centre entrance (2x14 steps down +8 steps up). After that you must use another two flights of stairs down to the Circle/​District line platforms (13 steps down +12 steps down), or use two escalators plus one flight of stairs to the Piccadilly line platforms (17 steps up to the eastbound, or 20 steps down to the westbound platform)

Changing trains at Piccadilly Circus – You must use stairs when changing between the Bakerloo/​Piccadilly line platforms (19 steps up +20 steps down)

Charing Cross exit – You must use an escalator plus one flight of 20 steps from the Bakerloo line platforms and the booking hall, or an escalator plus one flight of 19 steps from the Northern line platforms. If you want to avoid the escalator then you can use another five flights of stairs (8 steps up + 4x17 steps up). After that must another escalator to the main railway station concourse exit (or three flights of 12, 12, 11 steps up), or two flights to the Trafalgar Square westside exit (11 steps up +12 steps up), or three flights to the Trafalgar Square central island exit (21 steps up +3 steps up +8 steps up), or four flights to the Trafalgar Square northside and eastside exits (9 steps up +10 steps up +2x8 steps up), or three flights to the William IV Street exit (16 steps up +13 steps up +14 steps up), or three flights to The Courtyard exit (2x12 steps up +11 steps up), or two flights to the Strand southside exit (21 steps up +16 steps up), or two flights to the Strand northside exit (2x15 steps up), or two flights to the Villiers Street exit (2x9 steps up)

Cash, Oyster & Travelcard fares

The journey is in zone 1. The cheapest fare is £2.70 off-peak (£2.80 peak) when you pay by Oyster or contactless. There are no return tickets, you just pay the same as two singles

Cost of tube fare from Charing Cross ⇄ South Kensington Station
Fare zone Cash Oyster & Contactless cards
Single fare Single fare Daily cap
Peak Off-peak Peak Off-peak
Zone 1 fare £6.70 £2.80 £2.70 £8.50 £8.50
Travelcard prices from Charing Cross ⇄ South Kensington Station
Fare Zone Travelcards (Train, Bus & Tram)
One day travel­card Week travel­card Month travel­card
Anytime Off-peak
Zone 1-2 travelcard n/a n/a £42.70 £164
Zone 1-4 travelcard £15.90 n/a £61.40 £235.80
Zone 1-6 travelcard £22.60 £15.90 £78 £299
Zone 1-9 travelcard £28.50 £17 £111.30 £427.40
Note: Ticket prices are correct as of

Peak and off-peak times

For Oyster and contactless off-peak is outside the hours of 6.30 AM-9.30 AM and 4 PM-7 PM (Mon-Fri). For travelcards it’s any time after 9.30 AM (Mon-Fri). Weekends are always classed as off-peak.

The fare is based on what time your journey begins. It doesn’t matter when it ends.

Alternative ways to travel

Walking – The distance is approximately 2⅓ miles on foot, which would take you 44-49 minutes

By bus – A single ticket is £1.75 (you may need more than one bus). The daily cap is £5.25 and a 1-day travelcard is £6 – Bus fares

By taxi – 2⅓ miles in a taxi will cost between £14.30 and £24.60 and take 11-23 minutes

By carParking near Charing Cross station