Link to the Show / Show NotesGetting round London
London is a big place and has a wonderful transport system, but it's the
victim of its own success. It can be crowded, and there are parts which have
suffered from underinvestment over the years, but most of it is good and
generally very safe.
As a visitor, I will assume you will not be using a car. Parking is expensive
(around $4 US per hour in the central area) and the congestion charge is $14 US
per day which must be paid when you drive in the inner part of central London.
So the choice comes down to taxi, bus, Underground (known as the Tube by
Londoners), train, and of course foot. When Londoners talk about trains, they
generally mean suburban routes, or the 'Overground.' There are many different
train companies, but the differences need not concern you if you only want to
travel in the Greater London area.
National Rail is the name of the long-distance trains. They leave from the
same termini such as Paddington, King's Cross, Euston and so on, but I won't be
covering them in this podcast.
London is divided into zones. You can see the concentric zones by consulting
the London Connections
map. Heathrow airport is in zone 6, which is the outermost zone in the
London area. Gatwick airport is outside the London zoned area. If you want to
travel within zone 1, life is easy. If you want to travel within zones 1 - 6,
life is also easy because you can use almost all forms of public transport on
the same ticket, but you do need to know which zone your destination is in, if
you are to pay the correct price.
The
London Journey Planner comes in handy here. Just type in your departure and
arrival points, and it will calculate the best route for you.
How then do you decide which form of transport is best?
For short journeys, you should walk. London is a great place for wandering
about. You see more that way. The ancient road pattern and lack of any logical
grid means you should buy a map, and most Londoners use the A-Z (pronounced
A-to-Zed). You can buy a small book in any bookshop or stationer, or pretty much
anywhere else too.
For slightly longer trips, the choice is between taxi, bus and Tube.
Taxis are expensive but reliable and clean. You may prefer to use them at
night, or in bad weather. Drivers know every street in London - they take a test
called 'The Knowledge' which generally involves more than 2 years practical
study. You can see trainee drivers on small motorcycles with clipboards mounted
on the handlebars, as they learn the routes by heart. Generally the more people
travelling together, the more affordable the taxi will be. Cab drivers are
closely regulated by the Metropolitan Police Carriage Office. Fares are clearly
displayed along with the licence, and the meter shows the price. It is customary
to add a 10% tip. Sometimes cab drivers will offer to take you to Heathrow
airport for a fixed price, but bartering is not otherwise expected, and you just
pay when is on the meter. All taxis are capable of transporting a wheelchair,
and you should find drivers friendly and helpful. Some places in London are not
well served by the Tube - Chelsea is one example - and here a taxi might be a
better alternative than any other form of public transport. To 'hail' a taxi,
wait on a busy street and put your arm out when you see a cab with its yellow
light illuminated.
The choice between bus and Tube generally comes down to the route, and
perhaps the time of year. Tube is easier for most visitors. Work out your route,
change where necessary, and you should arrive at your chosen destination. Buses
are frequent and better in hot weather as the Tube lacks air conditioning, but
finding the stop and working out your route can be daunting. If you know the bus
number and do not need to change buses to reach your destination, I recommend
using the bus for shorter journeys of 20 minutes or so. Buses are much cheaper
for single journeys than Tubes, and you can buy an all-day pass from ticket
machines at central area bus stops for a very low price.
You should normally ensure you have a ticket before boarding a bus, but
drivers will accept fares in coinage if there is no machine by the stop. Most
people use
Oyster
cards in London, but visitors will find Travelcards more convenient for
stays of a week or less. You buy your Travelcard at Underground stations. The
fares leaflet looks daunting and is, but all you need concern yourself with
is the zone and the time. For example, a one-day Travelcard for zone 1 costs
Â6.20 but if you buy it after 9.30 am the price is only Â4.90. This covers
travel on buses and Tubes in the whole of zone 1. At the other end of the scale,
a card for zones 1 - 6 costs Â12.40 peak and Â6.30 off-peak. be careful not to
buy a zones 2-6 card, because you are likely to pass through zone 1 on your
travels, and so a card including zone 1 is essential. When your Travelcard
includes the outer zones 2-6, all trains are included in the price. This means
you can take a suburban train to the outer limits of the zone of your card's
validity.
For example, if you arrive at Heathrow, purchase a zones 1-6 Travelcard at
the airport and you have the freedom of London for the duration of your card.
Note: the Underground station serving Terminal 4 is closed whilst Terminal 5 is
under construction - if you travel into London (Paddington) on the Heathrow
Express, this is not included in the Travelcard system and your ticket must be
bought separately.
Your Travelcard should be placed face up (magnetic strip downwards) on the
right side of a Tube gate which shows a green entry arrow. Exit gates have a
large red cross on the right. Don't forget to remove your ticket from the slot
in the top of the gate - the gate will not open until you do so. This goes for
the expensive single-journey tickets too - but these are now so pricey that you
are unlikely to want to pay Â3 for one journey unless you have to.
Once through the gates, just follow signs to the line you want - the
different directions will be market westbound, eastbound, northbound and
southbound. Some of these are not entirely clear, especially on the Circle Line,
so memorising the name of the station at the end of the lines will help. On the
platform, look for the large maps on the other side of the track. This shows the
Tube stops. The next 3 trains are shown on a dot matrix sign, with the intervals
in minutes before the train is due.
Buses are easier, and now many stops have ticket machines and dot matrix
displays. The times are not as accurate as the Tube because of the heavy traffic
in central London. If you have a Travelcard, just show it to the driver as you
enter the front door of the bus and alight from the centre doors at your
destination. White bus stops are 'compulsory' and red bus stops 'on request.'
That is the theory, but in practice it is best to put your arm out when your bus
appears to indicate to the driver to pick you up. When you want to alight, push
the bell located on most upright bars. The illuminated sign by the driver will
say 'Stopping' to indicate to the hard of hearing that a request to stop has
been given.
You enter a bus through the front doors and exit through the rear doors. All public transport is non-smoking. The upper deck of buses offers a panoramic view of the streets as you travel to your destination.
Finally a few tips from experience. Follow 'Tube etiquette'. You must stand on the right of the escalators to allow people to pass on the left. Stand back behind the yellow line on Tube platforms - they can be crowded. Stand aside to allow passengers to alight from the trains before you enter. The seats nearest the doors are marked with orange signs to indicate they are for use by less-abled passengers.
Most bus routes are high frequency, but you can check the timetable and destinations by consulting the notices on bus stops. There are a few of the old Routemaster buses left on the streets of London, but only on 'heritage' routes: the Routemaster was withdrawn from regular service at the end of 2005.
Enjoy your visit! Look out for my next walks - they are my absolute favourites.
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