Bond Street

Bond Street station takes its name from one of the most storied streets in London retail history -a street where Tiffany, Cartier, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Graff and dozens of other luxury houses maintain flagship premises, and where the auction houses Sotheby's and Bonhams have been selling extraordinary things for centuries. New Bond Street and Old Bond Street together form one of the densest concentrations of high-end retail in the world. The station below serves three lines -Central, Jubilee and Elizabeth -and sits in the heart of Mayfair, the most expensive postcode in the classic Monopoly board and, arguably, in real life too.

The Elizabeth line's arrival in 2022 was the most significant change to Bond Street station in its history. The new eastern ticket hall opened a much larger station complex that improved capacity enormously, and the addition of the Elizabeth line gave Bond Street connections that it simply didn't have before -Liverpool Street in 8 minutes, Canary Wharf in 11 minutes, Paddington in 5 minutes. For a station that previously had only the Central and Jubilee lines, this was transformative.

Station Overview

Bond Street station opened in 1900 as part of the Central London Railway. It sits in Zone 1 and serves three lines: the Central, Jubilee and Elizabeth lines. The station has two entrances -the original Oxford Street entrance serving the Central and Jubilee lines, and the newer Elizabeth line entrance on Davies Street, opened in 2022 as part of the Crossrail project.

Lines and Connectivity

The Elizabeth line (purple) is the most recent and in many ways the most useful addition. Paddington is 5 minutes west; Liverpool Street is 8 minutes east; Tottenham Court Road is 3 minutes east. The Elizabeth line makes Bond Street a better starting point for cross-London journeys than it was when only the Central and Jubilee lines served it.

The Central line (red) runs east-west -Oxford Circus is 2 minutes east; Marble Arch is 2 minutes west; Liverpool Street is about 10 minutes east. The Central line connects Bond Street to the City of London, Stratford and the West End efficiently.

The Jubilee line (silver) connects Bond Street to Baker Street (3 minutes north-west), Westminster (10 minutes south-east), London Bridge (15 minutes) and Canary Wharf (20 minutes south-east). The Jubilee line here is primarily useful for reaching the south-east of the city or the Jubilee line's architectural stations.

New and Old Bond Street

New Bond Street -the northern continuation of Old Bond Street -runs south from Oxford Street. The first 400 metres contain some of the most expensive retail space in the world. Tiffany & Co., Cartier, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Bulgari, Graff, Harry Winston and Valentino all have flagship stores here. Sotheby's auction house, founded in 1744, occupies a large building at number 34-35 and holds public exhibitions before major sales. Bonhams is 5 minutes walk further south. The street is best walked slowly from north to south for the full impact of the architecture and window displays -even if you are not buying.

Selfridges

Selfridges, the vast department store on Oxford Street, is a 5-minute walk east of the station. Founded in 1909 by Harry Gordon Selfridge, it is one of the world's great department stores, with an outstanding food hall, beauty hall and fashion floors. Unlike many similar institutions, Selfridges has maintained a genuine sense of theatre and spectacle in its retail environment. The roof terrace (accessible in summer) gives good views along Oxford Street.

Facilities

Bond Street station has toilets, TfL Wi-Fi, shops and information desks within the station. The surrounding Mayfair and Oxford Street area has abundant ATMs, cafes and restaurants, though at prices that reflect the neighbourhood. The Davies Street area north of the Elizabeth line entrance has several good independent cafes.

Accessibility

Bond Street has step-free access on the Elizabeth line and the Jubilee line. The Central line does not currently have step-free access at this station. The Elizabeth line entrance on Davies Street is fully accessible from street to platform. Staff are available to assist at all entrances.

Travel Tips

• The Wallace Collection -one of the world's finest small art museums, containing Fragonard, Rembrandt, Velazquez and the Laughing Cavalier by Frans Hals -is a 10-minute walk north on Manchester Square. Free entry; consistently uncrowded.
• Selfridges on Oxford Street (5 minutes east) has a food hall and beauty hall worth visiting regardless of whether you are shopping. The food hall is particularly good for prepared food and charcuterie.
• The Elizabeth line significantly improves access to Heathrow Airport from Bond Street -journey time is approximately 40 minutes to Terminal 5, roughly 30 minutes less than the previous Jubilee-to-Piccadilly option.
• Sotheby's at 34-35 New Bond Street holds free public exhibitions before major auctions -check their website for forthcoming sales. Walking through a pre-sale exhibition is one of London's better free cultural experiences.
• Grosvenor Square, 5 minutes walk south-west, is a large garden square surrounded by embassy buildings. The American Garden of Remembrance within it commemorates 9/11 victims -a quiet and dignified memorial.

Nearby Attractions

New Bond Street -Immediately south of the station. Walk the full length from Oxford Street to Piccadilly for the complete luxury retail experience, passing Sotheby's, Cartier, Tiffany and more.

The Wallace Collection -10 minutes walk north-east on Manchester Square. One of London's finest free museums. Rembrandt, Velazquez, Fragonard and the Laughing Cavalier. Almost never crowded.

Selfridges -5 minutes walk east on Oxford Street. Outstanding food hall and beauty hall. The rooftop terrace is open in summer.

Grosvenor Square -5 minutes walk south-west. Large Georgian garden square with the American Garden of Remembrance and several embassy buildings.

Timings and Best Time to Travel

Bond Street Underground operates approximately 05:30 to midnight Monday to Saturday and 07:00 to 23:30 on Sunday. The Jubilee and Central lines have Night Tube on Friday and Saturday nights. New Bond Street shops are typically open 10:00-18:00 Monday to Saturday with extended Thursday hours; closed or reduced hours on Sunday. Sotheby's exhibition hours vary by sale -check the website.