London Transportation Tips by phil_uk_net

Stansted Express Airports (travel to and from) Review

Stansted to London Liverpool Street
Sunday to Friday
06:00 - 07:30 (00 30 mins past hour)
08:00 - 16:45 (00 15 30 45 mins past hour)
17:00 - 23:59 (00 15* 30 45* mins past hour)
Saturday
06:00 - 23:59 (00 30 mins past hour)
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London Liverpool Street to Stansted
Sunday to Friday
05:00 - 07:30 (00 30 mins past hour)
08:00 - 15:45 (00 15 30 45 mins past hour)
16:00 - 23:00 (00 15* 30 45* mins past hour)
Saturday
04:45 - 23:00 (00 30 mins past hour)
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* Sundays only
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Journey time 45 minutes.
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Express class: Single £13.00 Return £23.00
Business class: Single £19.00 Return £35.00

Mode: TO

Phone: +44 (0) 8705 30 15 30

Type: Train

Bike Taxi Cycling Review

I'm not even sure what these things are called so I hope that 'bike taxi' is descriptive enough. They are a fairly new phenomena. I spotted the odd one a few years ago but on a recent trip into London I noticed a great many of the things.

Purely for VT research purposes, I spoke to one of the riders. I imagined that they would offer tours of the West End area for a fixed price. He told me they can be used just like taxis, getting you from A to B. There are no meters and there didn't appear to be a list of fixed prices. He said that to Leicester Square (hardly a million miles away from where we were talking in Covent Garden) it would cost £3 per person. Hardly cheap but a novel way to get around London.

Mode: AROUND

Type: Bicycle

Docklands Light Railway Docklands Light Railway (DLR) Review

A great addition to London's transport system that has been created to meet the needs of Docklands since that area was redeveloped for residential, leisure and business purposes. The trains are driverless and very efficient. There is normally a DLR employee on board to make sure everything is okay and check tickets etc. The whole network is computer controlled and it is quite noticeable that when you need to change trains the other train will wait for passengers getting off the first one. If you have a travelcard or season ticket for London this will cover fares on the DLR.

Mode: AROUND

Type: Train

Website: http://www.dlrdaisy.co.uk

Tate to Tate Riverboat Service Boats Review

This is quite a new service and I haven't had a chance to try it yet. When I do I will report back and I may even have a picture to post.

The service runs between the two Tate galleries - Tate Britain and Tate Modern - stopping at Millbank Millennium and Bankside piers respectively. There is also a stop in the middle at Waterloo Millennium pier.

A newly commissioned 37 metre long, 220-seater catamaran, designed by renowned artist Damien Hirst, has been specially built for the task. I am a little sceptical about this based on examples of his previous work - dead animals in formaldehyde, etc, but I'm sure the boat will look fine.

Boats appear to set off every 40 minutes and the journey takes just 18 minutes between the two galleries.

Fares vary depending on your age (cheaper for under 16's and pensioners) and whether or not you have a Travelcard. Best to look at the fares info on the official web site.
The service is run by Thames Clippers.

Mode: AROUND

Other Contact: Email: web@thamesclippers.com

Phone: +44 (0)20 7977 6892

Type: Ship/Boat

Website: http://www.thamesclippers.com

London taxi cabs Taxis Review

The London black cab is a wonderful vehicle. They are not necessarily black although the majority are. Nowadays they come in a variety of colours and liveries.
The original design is years old and although the cabs have changed and evolved over time the design specifications still remain.
Inside there is plenty of headroom which is a carry over from the days when men wore top hats. The design allowed for the gentlemen to keep their hats on inside the cab. Up to 5 people can be accommodated - 3 in the back seat and 2 more on fold-down seats facing the back seat. All cabs have a meter and a driver who has passed stringent tests known as 'The Knowledge' to ensure he has a thorough working knowledge of London. The cab must have a turning circle of 25 feet or less to negotiate the narrow streets that exist in London. You will notice cabs performing U-turns that ordinary cars could never do.
They are not cheap to use, relative to other methods of getting around London, but you will pay a standard rate and will not get ripped off.

Mode: AROUND

Type: Other

Website: http://www.london-taxi.co.uk

London cabbies and "The Knowledge" Taxis Review

You hear about some cities where taxi drivers have no idea where they are going and cannot even speak the local language. Well, yes - even London has some minicab drivers like that but the black cab drivers are a breed apart.
The picture shows a London black cab driver in training. This is a common sight around the capital. On the handlebars of his bike is a clipboard and there will be a list of locations attached. He is riding around committing these locations to memory. Not only will he need to learn the location of thousands of streets, but also buildings and places of interest. It takes years and requires a huge investment in time and money.
When he is ready he will go forward to be tested. If the examiner doesn't think he is ready he will be asked to return after a certain time. It's tough but the end result is that licensed London cabbies turn out to be the best in the world. The downside is that riding in black cabs is not cheap!

Mode: AROUND

Type: Other

Boat trips along the Thames Boats Review

A boat trip along the Thames is recommended. Get on at Westminster pier and go down to Greenwich, or possibly on to the Thames Barrier. There are also boat trips going the other way to Kew and Hampton Court but I have no experience of these.
The men working on the boats will point out some points of interest along the way and then go to great lengths explaining that they are not paid to do this and only do it out the goodness of their hearts to make the journey more interesting, etc etc ... yaaaawn. A collection box for them will then be passed round!

Mode: AROUND

Type: Ship/Boat

Leave your car at home and take the train or bus

If you are staying outside the city leave your car at home and take the train into London. The traffic in London makes driving quite stressful. Parking spaces can be difficult to find and, when you do find one, it is expensive. Don't think of parking illegally as the car will be clamped or towed, either way it is expensive and inconvenient to get it back.
Furthermore, in the near future a fixed (congestion) charge will be applied to vehicles entering London.
To get around London walk, take the tube or hop on a bus. A lot of attractions are close together so walking is a good option if you know where you are going or have a map. The tube is very straightforward to use. Buses are another option but tend to be slower as they have to do battle with the London traffic. If you're not in a hurry though the view from the top of a double decker sure beats the tube. The routes aren't quite as easy to figure out as the tube but at each bus stop there will be a list of the bus numbers that stop there and where they go.
A one day travelcard is the best value option as it will allow you to travel by bus and tube all day.
Black cabs are entirely dependable and you can be assured that your driver will know every street in the City. However, they are expensive.

Mode: AROUND

Type: Train

Heathrow Express Airports (travel to and from) Review

Heathrow to London Paddington
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Monday to Saturday
Terminal 4
05:07 - 23:32 (10 25 40 55 mins past hour)
Terminals 1,2,3
05:14 - 23:44 (17 32 47 02 mins past hour)
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Sunday
Terminal 4
05:03 - 08:48 (03 18 33 48 mins past hour)
08:55 - 21:25 (55 10 25 40 mins past hour)
21:47 - 23:33 (47 03 18 33 mins past hour)
Terminals 1,2,3
05:12 - 08:53 (12 23 38 53 mins past hour)
09:02 - 21:32 (02 17 32 47 mins past hour)
21:52 - 23:37 (52 07 22 37 mins past hour)
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London Paddington to Heathrow
Monday to Sunday
05:10 - 23:40 (10 25 40 55 mins past hour)

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Journey time 15 minutes (8 minutes more to and from Terminal 4).
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Express class: Single £12.00 Return £23.00
First class: Single £20.00 Return £40.00
There is a £2 premium payable if you buy on board Heathrow Express, or you can save £1 on standard fares when you book by phone or web.

Mode: TO

Phone: +44 (0) 845 600 15 15

Type: Train

Website: http://www.heathrowexpress.co.uk

Gatwick Express Airports (travel to and from) Review

Gatwick to London Victoria
05:20 - 06:20 (20 50 mins past hour)
06:50 - 20:35 (05 20 35 50 mins past hour)
20:50 - 00:50 (20 50 mins past hour)
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London Victoria to Gatwick
04:30 - 05:30 (00 30 mins past hour)
06:00 - 19:45 (00 15 30 45 mins past hour)
20:00 - 00:30 (00 30 mins past hour)
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Journey time 30 minutes (35 minutes on Sundays).
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Express class: Single £11.00 Return £21.00
First class: Single £17.50 Return £35.00

Mode: TO

Phone: +44 (0) 8705 30 15 30

Type: Train

Website: http://www.gatwickexpress.co.uk