How to Get to the Royal Opera House

Bow Street, London WC2E 9DD, on the corner of Covent Garden Piazza. The main entrance is on Bow Street; there's a second through a small revolving door in the corner of the Piazza, and a third on the corner of Floral Street, which opens around performance times. The Stage Door is on Floral Street.

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By tube

Covent Garden (Piccadilly line) is the nearest, about three or four minutes' walk, and has no step-free access. Leicester Square (Northern and Piccadilly) is about seven minutes, Holborn (Central and Piccadilly) about ten, and Tottenham Court Road (Elizabeth, Central and Northern), which is step-free, about eleven or twelve.

By train

Charing Cross is the nearest mainline station, about eight minutes' walk.

By bus

There's no bus stop on Bow Street itself.

• On the Strand, by Savoy Street and Southampton Street, about two minutes: the 9, 15, 23, 26, 87, 91, 139 and 176
• At Aldwych and Drury Lane, about three minutes: the 1, 59, 68, 76, 172, 188, 243 and 341

Late at night, the N9, N15, N21, N26, N44, N87, N89, N91, N155, N199, N343, N550 and N551 all stop on the Strand.

By taxi, car or bike

Black cabs pass outside and on the Strand; book one ahead for after the show. There's no parking at the Royal Opera House: the nearest car parks are the NCPs on Drury Lane and Shelton Street, and there are a few disabled bays on Bow Street and Floral Street. The building is inside the Congestion Charge zone, which runs 7am to 6pm on weekdays and midday to 6pm at weekends: an evening performance is clear of it; for a matinee it's currently £18 a day. Bikes, folding ones included, can't come into the building.

What time to arrive

Arrive 20 to 30 minutes before, no later. Every bag is checked on the way in, anything bigger than you can hold on your lap goes to the cloakroom, and the auditorium opens 30 minutes before the start. If you're late, you'll wait in the foyer, watching on a screen, until the interval or a suitable break, which can be up to 90 minutes.