The journey from King's Cross St Pancras to Waterloo is in fare zone 1 and you’ll have to use the Piccadilly and Northern tube lines, changing trains at Leicester Square
- From King’s Cross St. Pancras take the Piccadilly Line
- Change at Leicester Square to the Northern Line
- Leave the train at Waterloo
Number of tube stops: 7 · Journey time: Approx 24 mins
Stations on the route: King’s Cross St. Pancras ➜ Russell Square ➜ Holborn ➜ Covent Garden ➜ Leicester Square [change train] Leicester Square ➜ Charing Cross ➜ Embankment ➜ Waterloo
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 Southwark, King’s Cross St. Pancras to Embankment and King’s Cross St. Pancras to Lambeth North
Stairs, lifts and escalators to the station platforms
King’s Cross St. Pancras tube station is wheelchair accessible, and has step-free access from the street to the train
The Jubilee line at Waterloo station is wheelchair accessible, and has step-free access from the street to the train. The Bakerloo and Northern line are not wheelchair accessible
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
Waterloo station exit – There’s a lift from the Jubilee line platforms to the booking hall (or two escalators), and a lift from the W&C platforms (or two escalators and one flight of 6 stairs), and a lift from the Bakerloo southbound platform (or one escalator and a flight of 9 stairs), and an escalator (or 5x17 steps up +3 steps down) plus one flight of 11 stairs from the Bakerloo northbound platform, and one escalator (or 11 steps up +5x17 steps up +3 steps up) plus one flight of 20 stairs from the Northern platforms. After that there’s another two flights of stairs to the York Road northside exit (2x13 steps down), or four flights of stairs to the Waterloo Road exit (6 steps down +2x13 steps down +10 steps down), but the York Road southside exit is on the level
The journey from Waterloo 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
- From Waterloo take the Bakerloo Line
- Change at Oxford Circus to the Victoria Line
- Leave the train at King’s Cross St. Pancras
Number of tube stops: 7 · Journey time: Approx 24 mins
Stations on the route: Waterloo ➜ Embankment ➜ 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 Waterloo to Southwark, Waterloo to Embankment and Waterloo to Lambeth North
Stairs, lifts and escalators to the station platforms
The Jubilee line at Waterloo underground station is wheelchair accessible, and has step-free access from the street to the train. The Bakerloo and Northern line are not wheelchair accessible
King’s Cross St. Pancras station is not wheelchair accessible
Waterloo station entrance – The York Road southside entrance and the booking hall are on the level, but you must use two flights of stairs from the York Road northside entrance (2x13 steps up), or four flights of stairs from the Waterloo Road entrance (10 steps up +2x13 steps up +6 steps up). After that there’s a lift down to the Jubilee line platforms (or two escalators), and a lift to the W&C platforms (or two escalators and one flight of 6 stairs), or a lift to the Bakerloo southbound platform (or one escalator and a flight of 9 stairs), or an escalator (or 3 steps down +5x17 steps down) plus one flight of 11 stairs to the Bakerloo northbound platform, or one escalator (or 3 steps down +5x17 steps down +11 steps down) plus one flight of 20 stairs to the Northern platforms
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)
Tube fare between King's Cross St Pancras and Waterloo
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
| 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 |
| 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 Tube fares, Tube fares for senior citizens, Tube fares for children, Oyster tube fares, Contactless tube fares and Travelcard tube fares 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 to King’s Cross St. Pancras is about two miles, which would take 38-42 minutes to walk
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 · Senior bus fares · Child bus fares
Travel by taxi – A two mile journey between Waterloo train station and King’s Cross St. Pancras station in a black taxicab should cost between £10.60 and £18.20 and take about 10-20 mins depending on the traffic
Travel by car – Car parks near King’s Cross St. Pancras station and Waterloo