Map shows which London Underground stations are faster to walk between rather than hopping on the tube

When heading for a day out in the capital, Londoners usually always ride the tube, hop on a bus or book an Uber.

But is that actually the most efficient way of travelling around London?

The tube, as I have found on my new Northern Line commute into work, can often be swelteringly hot and majorly busy.

The bus might leave you scrambling at the other end to arrive at your destination on time due to the seemingly endless waves of London traffic.

And Ubers are likely to make a significant dent in your pocket.

So how about a walk?

Transport for London has a handy walking Tube map which reveals how many minutes on average it takes to walk between stations. And some of the results are quite shocking.

Alongside the map, TFL wrote: ‘Walking can be a quick and easy way to get around, particularly when travelling during the busiest times, which are 05:45-08:15 and 16:00-17:30.

‘This map shows how much time it takes to walk between stations on the same line.’

The diagram actually reveals that most stations in central London are less than 10 minutes away from each other.

To walk from Covent Garden station to Leicester Square station takes just four minutes. No need for public transport there.

In fact, it is actually quicker to walk between those famous stations than it is to catch a tube.

Similarly, the walk from High Street Kensington to Hyde Park Corner is just a seven-minute stroll. As is the walk from Oxford Circus to Bond Street.

That is nothing new to Londoners, however. And most of us aren’t lucky enough to live in central London so looking further afield is where it gets interesting.

A walk from Elephant and Castle to London Bridge, for instance, is 22 minutes – which does not sound too bad.

Caledonian Road to King’s Cross takes 27 minutes, and Highbury and Islington to King’s Cross takes 35 minutes – two very busy Tube routes usually.

If you live in Canada Water, though, and are trying to get to Canary Wharf that’s going to take you 144 minutes over the Thames. A hefty walk.

What TFL’s walking tube map does not show, however, is the distance between stations not on the same line.

That’s where the shortest distance between two tube stops in London can be revealed.

Bayswater tube station in West London is situated just 210 metres from Queensway. That’s a mere three-minute walk – making those stations the closest in London.

So next time you’re planning a trip in London, why not consider a stroll?

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