London City Guide

Charing Cross ⇄ Paddington Station | Tube Journey, Train Times & Fares

The journey from Charing Cross to Paddington is in fare zone 1 and it’s a direct train on the Bakerloo tube line

  1. From Charing Cross take the Bakerloo Line
  2. Leave the train at Paddington

Number of tube stops: 7 · Journey time: Approx 13 mins

Stations on the route: Charing Cross ➜ Piccadilly Circus ➜ Oxford Circus ➜ Regent’s Park ➜ Baker Street ➜ Marylebone ➜ Edgware Road ➜ Paddington

London Underground tube delays

Strikes and station closures

First and last train times on the Bakerloo line

Tube times for the Bakerloo line

Alternative routes include Charing Cross to Lancaster Gate, Charing Cross to Edgware Road and Charing Cross to Bayswater

Stairs, lifts and escalators to the station platforms

Charing Cross station is not wheelchair accessible

The Elizabeth line at Paddington station is wheelchair accessible, and has step-free access from the street to the train. The Bakerloo, Circle (coming from Hammersmith) and Hammersmith & City lines only have step-free access from the street to the platform, and there may be a step up or gap to the train. The Circle (heading towards Edgware Road) and District lines are not wheelchair accessible

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)

Paddington station exit – There’s an escalator between the Bakerloo line platforms and the exit (or four flights of 18 stairs). There’s a lift between the eastbound Circle/​District platforms heading towards Edgware Road and the exit, and the Circle/H&C platforms heading to/from Hammersmith and the exit

The journey from Paddington to Charing Cross is in fare zone 1 and it’s a direct train on the Bakerloo tube line

  1. From Paddington take the Bakerloo Line
  2. Leave the train at Charing Cross

Number of tube stops: 7 · Journey time: Approx 14 mins

Stations on the route: Paddington ➜ Edgware Road ➜ Marylebone ➜ Baker Street ➜ Regent’s Park ➜ Oxford Circus ➜ Piccadilly Circus ➜ Charing Cross

London Underground tube delays

Strikes and station closures

First and last train times on the Bakerloo line

Tube times for the Bakerloo line

Alternative routes include Paddington to Lancaster Gate, Paddington to Edgware Road and Paddington to Bayswater

Stairs, lifts and escalators to the station platforms

The Elizabeth line at Paddington train station is wheelchair accessible, and has step-free access from the street to the train. The Bakerloo, Circle (coming from Hammersmith) and Hammersmith & City lines only have step-free access from the street to the platform, and there may be a step up or gap to the train. The Circle (heading towards Edgware Road) and District lines are not wheelchair accessible

Charing Cross station is not wheelchair accessible

Paddington station entrance – There’s an escalator between the entrance and the Bakerloo line platforms (or four flights of 18 stairs). There’s a lift between the entrance and the eastbound Circle/​District platforms heading towards Edgware Road (via the National Rail concourse), and the Circle/​H&C platforms heading to/​from Hammersmith (or three flights of 10, 5 and 16 stairs)

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 Paddington

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 ⇄ Paddington 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 ⇄ Paddington 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 tickets 2024, Senior tickets 2024, Child tickets 2024, Oyster fares 2024, Contactless fares 2024 and Travelcard fares 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 approximately 2⅓ miles from Paddington to Charing Cross, which would take 44-49 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 prices · Pensioner bus prices · Children’s bus prices

Travel by taxi – Driving 2⅓ miles in a taxi between Paddington underground station and Charing Cross station will cost between £14.30 and £24.60 and take 11-23 mins

Travel by carCar parks near Charing Cross station and Paddington