Tired of life on the Tube? Hardened commuters share the secret Underground shortcuts that only Londoners know

• London Underground can seem like a maze to those who aren't used to it
• But regular commuters know the hacks to shave time off their journeys
• Passengers have shared their tricks including walking between stations
• And in some places like Covent Garden it's better to be lazy and take the lift

By Gemma Mullin for MailOnline

Published: 12:15 GMT, 22 September 2015 | Updated: 16:01 GMT, 22 September 2015

 

Some London Underground stations can feel like an endless maze of corridors and stairs.

But for hardened commuters - who have their routes down to a tee - navigating the Tube can be a doddle.

Now the regular travellers have shared hacks for the best shortcuts that could save you time around the capital.

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The London Underground can be a bit intimidating to infrequent users - but for the hardened commuter they have their routes down to a tee

Avoid unnecessarily long corridors

A tunnel connecting the Victoria Line to the Piccadilly Line at Green Park, which is often packed with people shuffling along at rush hour and dubbed the 'corridor of doom', can be avoided by using the exit escalator to the ticket hall and then going back down another escalator to your chosen line.

There's also a secret tunnel to change lines at Leicester Square which can be found by walking to the stairs at the end of the Piccadilly Line platform - ignoring the signposted route for the Northern Line.

It'll save you about 300 metres of walking in congested human traffic.

At Piccadilly Circus you can also cut the queues with a secret spiral staircase halfway down the northbound platform of the Bakerloo Line.

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At some stations its actually quicker to avoid looking at the Tube map and leave the station entirely - making the rest of your journey on foot, especially between Covent Garden and Leicester Square

Leave the station and walk instead

Some stops are actually closer to walk to above ground rather than following the not-to-scale Tube map such as Covent Garden and Leicester Square, which may only be a 45 second train ride but is usually easier to walk between.

It takes 15 minutes to get to Paddington from Lancaster Gate on the Underground but is also only a five-minute walk, while it takes just 10 minutes to get from Knightsbridge to Sloane Square on foot.

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This handy Tube map shows the time it would take to walk between certain Underground stations in London  

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Paddington station is a five-minute walk from Lancaster Gate but the journey can easily take 15 minutes on the Tube

Sometimes it's better to be lazy and take the lift

Any Londoner who has made the brave decision to take the stairs out of Covent Garden will tell you not to do it by any circumstances.

It might be tempting to avoid the wait for one of the four lifts but the 193 steps are the equivalent to climbing to the top of a 15-storey building.

There's also a lift trick for a swift exit at Earls Court and Tufnell Park guaranteed to ensure you're the first person out rather than impatiently waiting at the back of the crowd.

Simply tuck yourself into either of the corners closest to doors as you walk into the lift rather than going to the back. When the doors open you'll be at the front of the queue and directly ahead of you will be the ticket barriers. 

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Knowing which carriage to be in for your platform exit can save time and make it easier to leave the station

Be the first on the Tube and in the right carriage

The yellow lines on the platform may be for your safety but they're also a good indicator for where the doors will open. Just look out for worn parts of paint.

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Avoid the escalators at some of the busiest stations by changing at a different stop for another line

A range of apps are also available to download to also help speed up your journey by telling you which is the best carriage to stand in to arrive right by your platform exit.

Shortcuts for some of the busiest stations

Getting stuck walking through the seemingly never-ending corridors at Bank/Monument stations - one of the busiest interchanges on the network - can be tiresome, especially at peak times.

Save some time when changing to the Central line from either the DLR or District line by following signs to the Northern line platforms.

Walk along these and head straight along the curved tunnel to the spiral stairs. This avoids having to go up and down several escalators and steps.

You can also avoid a load of escalators by changing lines at Euston when travelling on the Northern line to get to the Victoria line.

Simply take the Bank branch and change at Euston where you can walk from the Tube and through to the Victoria line platform to save going up and down the stairs at Charing Cross. This trick works in the other direction too. 

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3244589/Tired-life-Tube-Hardened-commuters-share-secret-Underground-shortcuts-Londoners-know.html#ixzz3mVrwKTav
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