London City Guide

Charing Cross ⇄ King’s Cross St Pancras Station | Tube Journey, Train Times & Fares

The journey from Charing Cross to King's Cross St Pancras is in fare zone 1 and you’ll have to use the Bakerloo and Victoria tube lines, changing trains at Oxford Circus

  1. From Charing Cross take the Bakerloo Line
  2. Change at Oxford Circus to the Victoria Line
  3. Leave the train at King’s Cross St. Pancras

Number of tube stops: 5 · Journey time: Approx 21 mins

Stations on the route: Charing Cross ➜ Piccadilly Circus ➜ Oxford Circus [change train] Oxford Circus ➜ Warren Street ➜ Euston ➜ King’s Cross St. Pancras

London Underground tube delays

Strikes and closures on the Bakerloo and Victoria

First and last train times on the Bakerloo line

Tube times for the Bakerloo line

Alternative routes include Charing Cross to Euston, Charing Cross to Russell Square and Charing Cross to Euston Square

Stairs, lifts and escalators to the station platforms

Charing Cross underground station is not wheelchair accessible

King’s Cross St. Pancras station is wheelchair accessible, and has step-free access from the street to the train

Charing Cross station 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 tube line at Oxford Circus – Changing between the Bakerloo northbound and Victoria northbound platforms, or the Bakerloo southbound and Victoria southbound platforms, is on the level, but you must use one flights of 20 stairs for all other platform changes

King’s Cross St. Pancras station exit – There’s a lift from the platforms to the booking hall. If you want to avoid the lift then you can get an escalator from the Piccadilly line platforms, an escalator (or 11 steps up +3x17 steps up) from the Victoria line platforms, or two escalators (or one escalator and 11 steps up +3x17 steps up) from the Northern line platforms. After that there’s a lift to the King’s Cross forecourt exit. There are four flights of stairs from the Metropolitan line booking hall to the Pancras Road exit (2x11 steps up +3 steps up +16 steps up) or one flight of stairs from the Northern/​Piccadilly/​Victoria line booking hall (7 steps up). There are four flights of stairs from the Metropolitan line booking hall and the Belgrove Street and Crestfield Street exits (2x11 steps up +5 steps up +19 steps up) or one flight of stairs from the Northern/​Piccadilly/​Victoria line booking hall (7 steps up)

The journey from King's Cross St Pancras to Charing Cross is in fare zone 1 and you’ll have to use the Piccadilly and Northern tube lines, changing trains at Leicester Square

  1. From King’s Cross St. Pancras take the Piccadilly Line
  2. Change at Leicester Square to the Northern Line
  3. Leave the train at Charing Cross

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

Stations on the route: King’s Cross St. Pancras ➜ Russell Square ➜ Holborn ➜ Covent Garden ➜ Leicester Square [change train] Leicester Square ➜ Charing Cross

London Underground tube delays

Strikes and closures on the Piccadilly and Northern

First and last train times on the Piccadilly line

Tube times for the Piccadilly line

Alternative routes include King’s Cross St. Pancras to Euston, King’s Cross St. Pancras to Russell Square and King’s Cross St. Pancras to Euston Square

Stairs, lifts and escalators to the station platforms

King’s Cross St. Pancras train station is not wheelchair accessible

Charing Cross station is wheelchair accessible, and has step-free access from the street to the train

King’s Cross St. Pancras station entrance – There’s a lift between the King’s Cross forecourt entrance and the booking hall. There are four flights of stairs between the Pancras Road entrance and the Metropolitan line booking hall (16 steps down +3 steps down +2x11 steps down) or one flight of stairs to the Northern/​Piccadilly/​Victoria line booking hall (7 steps down). There are four flights of stairs between the Belgrove Street and Crestfield Street entrances and the Metropolitan line booking hall (19 steps down +5 steps down +2x11 steps down) or one flight of stairs to the Northern/​Piccadilly/​Victoria line booking hall (7 steps down). After that there’s a lift down to the platforms. If you want to avoid the lift then you can get an escalator to the Piccadilly line platforms, an escalator (or 3x17 steps down +11 steps down) to the Victoria line platforms, or two escalators (or one escalator and 3x17 steps down +11 steps down) to the Northern line platforms

Changing tube line at Leicester Square – You must use stairs when changing between the Northern/​Piccadilly line platforms

Charing Cross station 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)

Tube fare between London Charing Cross and King's Cross St Pancras

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

Cost of tube fare from Charing Cross ⇄ King’s Cross St Pancras Station | Tube Journey, Train Times & Fares
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 ⇄ King’s Cross St Pancras Station | Tube Journey, Train Times & Fares
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
See our complete list of Adult train prices 2024, Senior train prices 2024, Child train prices 2024, Oyster prices 2024, Contactless prices 2024 and Travelcard prices 2024
Note: Tube journey prices are correct as of

Peak and off-peak journey 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. Note: Between the 8th March and 31st May 2024 TFL are running a trial called ‘Off-Peak Friday Fares’, where Fridays will be classed as off-peak all day.

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

Other ways to make this journey

Travel on foot – The distance is approx 1¾ miles, which would take you 33-36 mins on foot

Travel by bus – Single fare: £1.75 (you may need more than one bus); Daily cap: £5.25; Weekly cap: £24.70; 1-day travelcard: £6; Weekly travelcard: £24.70 – Adult bus fares 2024 · OAP bus fares 2024 · Kids bus fares 2024

Travel by taxi – A 1¾ mile journey between King’s Cross St. Pancras station and Charing Cross in a black taxi should cost you about £10.60 to £18.20 and take anything from 9 to 19 mins depending on the traffic

Travel by carCar parks near Charing Cross station and King’s Cross St. Pancras