Going Underground and other London, United Kingdom Transportation Tips

London Tube (Underground, Subway, Metro).

Classic station sign

by toonsarah

'Mode': AROUND
Category: Subway/Metro
Getting TO/AROUND: Elsewhere, under Local Customs, I�ve provided a tongue-in-cheek guide to using the London Underground, or �tube� as it�s more usually called. Here though is some practical information you may find helpful.

Firstly, and I can�t stress this too much, get a map (downloadable from the website below, though it�s better to have one of the small folded ones you can pick up for free at every station). This is a complex transport system with many lines, and most of those branch a lot. Even locals refer to the map whenever they travel somewhere off their regular routes. Plan ahead, and check where you�ll need to change lines, and in what direction you�ll need to travel each time. Each line has a distinct colour and name, and all the passageways in the stations are well signposted, so armed with this information you should be OK.

Secondly, if you�re in London for any length of time at all, consider getting a so-called Oyster card. These can be bought for a fixed period of time, such as a month, or can be used to carry a certain amount of value, topped up in advance (with a minimum of �3 the first time you buy). Your fare is deducted each time you touch in and out of the tube system at the barrier gates, or when you board a bus. Travelling with an Oyster is always cheaper than buying a ticket each time: for example at present a single fare in zone one (the central zone) is �1.50 with Oyster and �4.00 without. Plus it saves you the hassle of queuing or finding change for the ticket machines.

Thirdly, remember that as in any big city, crime can be a problem. On the tube this is mostly likely to take the form of pick-pocketing or bag-snatching, so do keep a careful eye on your belongings. Having said that, I�ve used the tube regularly all my life, and daily for the last nine years, and so far have never been robbed � and yes, I realise I�m tempting fate saying that ;) but I wanted to reassure you all. So get out there and enjoy the city!

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Website: http://www.tfl.gov.uk/gettingaround/1108.aspx

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Public Buses: On the buses

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Written by toonsarah

on Jun 23, 2007

Bus stop

by toonsarah , 2 more photos

'Mode': AROUND
Category: Bus
Getting TO/AROUND: Although you no longer see the iconic Routemaster buses on London�s streets, you see plenty of others, mostly in the traditional bright red. In recent years there has been a policy of introducing more buses, and encouraging a reduction in the number of cars through the congestion charge. This makes travelling by bus in the city an attractive option � it�s reasonable value and unlike the tube you can see where you�re going and enjoy the sights along the way. But you�re still likely to encounter traffic jams, so I wouldn�t choose the bus if in a hurry.

If you do want to catch a bus in central London, look out for the bus stops where you should find plenty of information about the routes that pass that spot, and often about others in the area too. For complete route information though, download a map from the website below.

Once you know what route you want to take, you�ll need to buy a ticket, and in central London that means buying one in advance (in the suburbs you can pay the driver). There are machines at each stop but they don't all give change so make sure you carry some coins. It�s cheaper to buy an all-day pass if you�re going to be making lots of journeys, or even better, if you�re in town for more thana couple of days and plan to use the tube as well, get an Oyster (see my tube tip).

By the way, some of the routes pass so many famous sights they make a good value alternative to the sightseeing buses. Try the number 11 � you can start in the west in Chelsea, travel the famous Kings Road, hop off in Victoria for a short detour on foot to see Buckingham Palace, then return to the bus and head east past Westminster Cathedral, Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament, to Trafalgar Square. From there the route follows the Strand and another famous street, Fleet Street, to St Paul�s Cathedral and the City of London, where it finishes.

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Website: http://www.tfl.gov.uk/gettingaround/1110.aspx

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Airports: London�s airports

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Written by toonsarah

on May 10, 2008

Plane at Heathrow Airport

by toonsarah , 1 more photos

'Mode': TO
Category: Airplane
Getting TO/AROUND: If you fly to London you may arrive at any of five airports. Here�s a brief overview of each:

Heathrow Airport is London�s busiest and possibly best known. And by busy, I mean really busy � it is the world's busiest international airport and handles 471,000 air transport movements per year. A new fifth terminal has just opened (to much controversy as environmentalists questioned the need to make the airport even busier, while travellers suffered as baggage handling systems broke down under the extra strain). If you land here you have several options for reaching the city centre. The cheapest and slowest is the Underground, but I find that as good as any unless you�re in a real hurry. The Piccadilly Line will get you to central London in about an hour and is a pretty reliable service, with trains every few minutes at peak times. A faster though more expensive option is the Heathrow Express, which will take you to Paddington Station in 15 minutes � but bear in mind that depending where you are staying you will probably have to transfer to the Underground network at that point in any case. You could also take the mainline stopping service, Heathrow Connect. Otherwise there are taxis of course, but these are very expensive and with London traffic not necessarily quick.

Gatwick Airport lies to the south of London, and although almost as busy as Heathrow I find it a bit pleasanter to use. It does tend to be dominated by the package holiday and charter flight crowd, but there are only two terminals to navigate, queues seem better managed, and the shopping facilities are good if you find yourself at a loose end. It is apparently the busiest single runway airport in the world, and is the seventh busiest international airport in the world, with 79 airlines serving 227 destinations. The airport�s two terminals, North and South, are linked by a shuttle train, and mainline trains leave for London from a station at the South Terminal. The most expensive of these are the Gatwick Express trains (current charge �16.90 one way). Despite the name, these are only a little quicker than the cheaper stopping services, taking exactly 30 minutes, but do have the advantage of having plenty of room for luggage and a very regular timetable (every 15 minutes). All trains from Gatwick terminate at London�s Victoria Station, from where you can catch the Underground or a bus to various parts of the city.

London City Airport is the only one of London�s airports to be actually situated in the capital itself. It�s a relatively small airport, serving just over 30 European destinations, which makes it a pleasure to use if you get the chance but harder to find a flight to. If you do manage to find one, be warned � the airport�s runway extends into the River Thames, so you may get the uncomfortable sensation that you�re landing on water! Its relatively small size means there are fewer shops than at other airports, but you will find all the facilities you�re likely to need, such as places to eat and drink, buy travel essentials, change money etc. The best way to travel to and from London City is on the Docklands Light Railway, usually known as the DLR. Trains leave the airport every 8 to 15 minutes, with journey times of just 7 minutes to Canning Town, 18 minutes to Canary Wharf and 22 minutes to Bank.

Stansted Airport lies to the north-east of the capital, and is served by many of the low-cost airlines, including Easy Jet and Ryan Air. It has good facilities and a light modern terminal building designed by Norman Foster. The fastest way to reach central London from here is on the Stansted Express. Trains depart every 15-30 minutes, with an average journey time to Liverpool Street Station of 45 minutes. From there you can catch the Underground or a bus to various parts of the city. Alternatively, as with Gatwick, there are cheaper stopping services, but the difference in journey time is a little more marked.

Luton Airport is north of London and is used by charter flights, package tours and some low-cost airlines, e.g. Easy Jet and Monarch. I have to say it is my least favourite of London�s airports and I avoid using it if possible. For one thing, I find it less accessible � there are trains into the city, but to catch these you have first to take a shuttle bus to Luton Airport Parkway station. This service runs every ten minutes between 05:00 and midnight (and also connects with all trains calling at Luton Airport Parkway during the night), but it adds to the journey time and is the last thing you feel like doing after a tiring flight. The alternative is to take the bus into town, but this means driving on the very busy (and consequently often slow) M1. At the time of writing (Spring 2008) the motorway is undergoing extensive road-works in the Luton area and journey times are badly affected.

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Train / Bus Stations: Mainline stations

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Written by toonsarah

on May 18, 2008

Kings Cross (morning rush hour)

by toonsarah , 1 more photos