Very well, as long as you don't need to drive. Three stations have the town's name on them. Buses run on almost every street, seven days a week. Four in ten households get by without a car. Croydon is very easy to leave, which round here counts as praise.
East Croydon is the busiest of the three stations, though West Croydon is closer to the main shops, and South Croydon serves the restaurant end of the High Street. Selhurst, Waddon, Thornton Heath and Norwood Junction all serve the edges. At the 2021 census, about 9% of working residents commuted by train. Buses carried more, about 12%, from 930 bus stops, with most routes meeting at the West Croydon bus station. The trams run on top of all that, since Croydon is the hub of the only tram network in London. A horse-drawn railway opened here in 1803 and closed in 1846, and the trams now follow part of its route.
The commute itself is mostly done from home. About 34% of working residents worked from home at the census and about 28% drove, while walking took about 7% and cycling about 1%. About 38% of households have no car and about 20% have two or more. A town with this many trains has a lot of people working from a desk at home.
The Department for Transport's modelled journey times for 2019 put the nearest town centre about 11 minutes away by car and about 20 by public transport. Cycling takes about 15 minutes and walking about 28. Those are averages across the whole area. From the hills to the east, the walk is longer than the number suggests.
Everyday errands are short. The same Department for Transport figures, modelled averages from 2019, put a GP about 7 minutes away by car, 10 on foot and 9 by public transport. A food shop is about 7 minutes by car or on foot. Jobs are about 12 minutes by car or 14 by public transport. A hospital is further away, about 16 minutes by car and about 32 by public transport. The distances haven't changed, but the public transport times date from 2019 and bus services may have been cut since, so they are the least reliable of the set.
The bus service is current and busy. Each stop averages about 325 scheduled departures on a weekday and about 18 buses in the peak hour, and 815 of the 818 stops with timetable data have a weekend service. Unlike many towns, Croydon doesn't have the stop that sees two buses a day. In 1868 the town opened a branch line called Croydon Central, closed it in 1871, reopened it in 1886 because the Town Council insisted, and shut it for good in 1890. The Town Hall now stands on the site.
Broadband is strong. Gigabit connections reach about 86% of premises and superfast about 97%. Mobile coverage from at least one operator covers effectively 100% of the area, and all operators together reach the same.
All those transport links bring noise. About 96% of postcodes are near or above 65 decibels of road noise, the level at which official noise mapping counts it as significant, and the loudest band recorded reaches 75 decibels. Rail noise is a separate source, with about 12% of postcodes near the same threshold and a top band of 75 decibels. For a flat on a main road or beside the line, visit at rush hour and open the bedroom window, because a sound map can't tell you how loud one room will be.
For electric cars, there are 124 public charge points with 228 connectors between them, and 19 of those connectors are rapid units. With 19 rapid units, charging can fit around the shopping, though owners without a driveway will still find themselves planning when to charge.
Connectivity is one of Croydon's strongest features, with trains, trams and buses all well used. The only thing it is short of is a quiet road.