AIR: TO/FROM THE AIRPORT
There are five airports that serve London: Heathrow, Gatwick,
Luton, Stansted and London City.
Heathrow
Transport information - (020) 7222 1234.
Heathrow flight information - (020) 8759 4321.
This is one of the world's busiest international airport. It
is located west of the city but easily accessible by Tube, normally
on the Piccadilly line that runs to terminals 1, 2, 3 &
4. The journey from central London takes about 45 minutes and
costs £3.20. Another but more expensive way to arrives
is via the Heathrow Express (www.heathrowexpress.co.uk)
which connects Heathrow to Paddington Station in 15 minutes.
Trains run every 15 minutes and cost £10. The Airbus (www.airbus.co.uk)
takes longer, but is a good option after the last tube has departed.
Airbus A2 departs from Russell Square.
There are four terminals at Heathrow. Terminals 1, 2 and 3 are
located near each other, but terminal 4 is accessible from a
different tube station by shuttle bus from Heathrow's central
bus station. Terminal 4 is used by Air Lanka, Air Malta, Atlantic
Island Air, Canadian Airlines, City Hopper, KLM or Intercontinental,
Amsterdam, Athens, Moscow or Paris British Airways flights.
Terminals 1, 2 or 3 are for domestic and European (except Amsterdam,
Athens, Moscow and Paris) British Airways flights and all other
airlines.
Gatwick
Flight enquiries - (01293) 535 353
This is London's second busiest airport and south of the city.
Three train companies arrive here: Gatwick Express (www.gatwickexpress.co.uk),
Connex South Central and Thameslink. Gatwick Express and Connex
South Central depart from Victoria train station and you can
check into your flight at the station before boarding if you
are flying British Airways, Delta or American Airlines. From
Victoria Station Gatwick is 30 minutes (Gatwick Express) or
35 minutes (Connex South Central). Gatwick Express is £8.90
one way and £17.80 for a one month return. Connex South
Central is £7.50 one way and £15 for a one month
return. Connex South Central also has a service to Kensington
Olympia which continues to Milton Keynes, Rugby and Northampton.
You can get to Gatwick from London Bridge or Kings Cross with
Thameslink. From London Bridge Thameslink trains cost £8.60
one way and £17.20 for a one month return; Thameslink
trains from Kings Cross to Gatwick cost £8.90 one way
and £17.80 for a one month return. Remember Thameslink
trains actually leave from Kings Cross Thameslink Station on
Pentonville Road, two minutes walk from the main Kings Cross
Station. Trains depart every 15 minutes during the day and hourly
after 10pm. If you have an early morning flight call 0845 7484950
for more up to date information on train services to the airport.
The Greenline's Bus 777 also operates to Gatwich from Buckingham
Palace Road (near Victoria Station). However it is a slower
option for travel. To find out more information tel. (020) 8668
7261.
Gatwick Airport has two terminals which are connected by a transit
system. Most flights, including charters, depart from the South
Terminal. The North Terminal handles Britair, Delta and British
Airways. Check signs on arrival for more details.
Luton Airport
Flight Information - 01582 405100
London Luton Airport is in Luton 45 minutes north of the city.
It handles mainly charter flights and budget airlines.
Thameslink operate trains to Luton from Kings Cross, Blackfriars,
London Bridge and Gatwick Airport. At Luton transfer to a bus
service for the airport (included in your ticket). From London
Bridge tickets cost £11 one way or £21.40 for a
one month return, services from Blackfriars cost £10.90
one way and £21.20 for a one month return. From Kings
Cross tickets cost £10.10 one way or £19.60 for
a one month return. Fliers with EasyJet receive a voucher which
allows them to travel for £6 return. Call 0845 7484 950
for Thameslink train information.
Greenline 757 bus service operates from Buckingham Palace Road
near Victoria Station, stopping at Brent Cross, Finchley Road
station, Baker Street and Marble Arch.
Stansted Airport
Flight information - (01279) 680500
This airport 45 minutes north of London is now the cities third
busiest. To arrive you can take the Stansted Skytrain from Liverpool
Street or Tottenham Hale stations. Trains depart half hourly
and cost £10 one way from Liverpool Street and £8.70
one way from Tottenham Hale. The first trains depart at 5am
(Liverpool Street) and Tottenham Hale (5.41am but later on weekends).
The last train leaves Liverpool Street at 11pm (earlier on weekends).
For more information call 0845 7484 950.
London City Airport
Airport and flight information - (020) 7474 5555
This is the most centrally located of the London airports but
used predominantly for business flights to northern Europe.
It only has a 10 minute check-in. The Airport Shuttle bus Red
Route takes 25 minutes from Liverpool Street Station. It leaves
every 20 minutes and costs £4 each way. The Yellow Route
is an eight minute journey from Canary Wharf and operates every
eight minutes (£2). Silvertown train station on the North
London Line is a five minute walk from the terminal building.
London transport's bus route 473 operates from the airport to
Stratford Station.
BUS
Victoria Coach Station (Tube: Victoria), Buckingham Palace Rd,
is the centre of Britain's long-distance bus network. National
Express (08705 80 80 80; www.gobycoach.com) is the largest operator
to destinations in the UK. Green Line buses (0870 608 7261,www.greenline.co.uk)
serve much of the area around London, including Luton Airport.
They leave from the Eccleston Bridge mall behind Victoria station.
You purchase tickets from the driver.
Other services from Victoria include the Bus Eireann buses to
Ireland and the international Eurolines, which offers regular
links to all major European cities (0990 143 219,www.eurolines.com).
Eurobus departs from the Astor Hostel on Belgrave Road.
For local buses consult the bus maps at Tube stations or look
online at this site - www.transportforlondon.gov.uk/buses.
Buses are best used for short trips in central London - you
will see more and walk less than the underground. The buses
are well signed and display local routes. Buses run from 5.30am
until midnight. Night Buses operate during the early morning
hours usually start at Trafalgar Square. They operate every
30 min or 60 mins. The popular double decker buses run every
10-15minutes, single-deckers come by every 5-8 mins. A Travelcard
allows free transport on bus services provided by London Transport
and a number of private bus operators.
You can buy tickets from the driver when you board or conductors
who prefer exact change. Keep your ticket or you can face a
spot fine. Bus fares on London buses are £1 or 70p per
journey if you buy a Bus Saver (a book of six single tickets)
in advance. It is also possible to buy a one-day bus pass for
£2.50. Saver tickets are also available, which allow six
bus journeys for £4.20. Night buses cost more than regular
buses and they don't accept one-day or weekend Travelcards although
weekly and monthly passes are accepted.
TRAINS
National Rail Enquiries 24hrs - tel. 08457 484950, www.railtrack.co.uk
London has lots of stations, the main ones are:
Charing Cross (south-east trains)
Euston (Midlands, north-west and the west coast to Scotland)
Kings Cross (north bound trains to Yorkshire, Gatwick and Luton
airports)
Liverpool Street (Essex, East Anglia and Stansted Airport)
London Bridge (Kent, Gatwick and Luton airports)
Paddington (west England, West Midlands, south Wales and Ireland
via Fishguard)
St Pancras (Midlands)
Victoria (Kent, Gatwick Airport, south coast)
Waterloo Station (southern England and Eurostar trains to Paris
and Brussels).
The suburban trains are operated by ten different companies
and fill in areas not covered by the Underground. They run about
every 20 minutes with more frequent trains closer to central
London. On some routes (such as Waterloo to Clapham Junction)
they run almost as frequently as the tube. You probably won't
use these services unless you go to destinations in south London
or to reach good hitchhiking spots. The Travelcard is accepted
by virtually all suburban train services, the few exceptions
include airport services such as the Heathrow Express and Gatwick
Express.
The Underground or "the Tube" (http://tube.tfl.gov.uk/
or www.thetube.com) provides
a fast and convenient way of getting around. It comprises of
267 stations and travels almost 800 million passenger miles
each year.
The system is broken up into zones. If you are only traveling
one zone you'd be better to walk or get a bus. If you are traveling
several zones consider a TravelCard. There are 12 colour coded
lines and platforms are labeled by line name and direction (north-,
south-, east-, or westbound); if traveling on one of the any
lines that splits into two or more branches, check platform
indicators or the front of the train. The Tubes run from about
5.30am to midnight. They are less frequent early mornings, late
nights, and Sunday. You can buy tickets from counters or machines
in all stations (or a newsagent outside). They must be purchased
at the start of your journey and are only valid the day of purchase
(including return tickets, excluding carnets). Keep your ticket
at all times as it can be checked at any time and there's a
£10 on-the-spot fine for traveling without a valid ticket.
There are a few security precautions that travellers must heed.
Firstly be careful of pickpockets in the tube. Also note it
is illegal to smoke in the Underground and IRA threats have
lead to tight security procedures so do not leave bags unattended
as the station will be evacuated and the bag destroyed by bomb
experts. Some stations have curved platforms so trains do not
always stop flush to the edge of the platform creating a gap
between the train and the platform. Take care.
The Docklands Light Railway provides an elevated network in
the East End.
FERRY
Three routes operate on the Thames River. One service runs from
Chelsea Harbour to Embankment via Cadogan (near Tate Britain).
It is operated by Riverside Launches (7352 5888) and operates
in rush hours only. Cost £4, return £8. Another
service runs Savoy to Masthouse Terrace via Canary Wharf. It
is operated by Thames Clippers (7977 6892; www.thamesclippers.com).
Boats run Mon-Fri 6:30am-8pm and sometimes on the weekend. Tickets
cost £1.80-3, return £2.40-5. Discounts are available
for those aged 5-15 years. The third service operates from Hilton
Docklands to Canary wharf. It is also operated by Thames Clippers
and runs daily from 6:30am-8pm. Tickets cost £1.80, return
£3.40. Discounts for those aged 5-15 years available.
Travelcard holders receive one-third off most boat fares. See
www.tfl.gov.uk/river
for timetables and details.
HITCHING
Many of the motorways around London terminate in the suburbs
so you can usually get a good hitchhiking spot near a motorway
entrance without going right into the centre. Here's a few hints:
Northbound - get a tube to Brent Cross (Northern line), and
walk or get a bus to Brent Cross Shopping Centre. From there
walk to the busy Staples Corner intersection where Edgware Road,
the M1 and the North Circular Road connect. Look for the entrance
to the M1 Motorway.
Westbound (or to South Wales ) - get a tube to Chiswick Park
(District line) and walk to the A4 also called Great West Road
or Cedars Road. To get across the road for traffic bound for
the M4 Motorway walk down Sutton Court Road and cross at the
lights.
Cambridge and East Anglia - get a tube to Redbridge (Central
line) and walk under the A406 overpass. Stand near the on-ramp
to the M11 and the A406 (North Circular Road). Make sure you
have a sign for the M11 so you don't stop other traffic.
Southampton and Winchester - take a train from Waterloo to Sunbury.
You can try hitching from there. Alternatively get a train from
Waterloo, Clapham Junction or Richmond to Whitton. Walk to Chertsey
Road (A316), cross the fottobridge and use a sign indicating
the M3 so you don't stop other traffic.
South-east or ferry ports (Folkstone/Dover) - take a train from
London Bridge to Mottingham. Walk to the A20 (Sidcup Road).
Use a sign indicating the M20 so you don't stop other traffic.
A good ride here can help you get to France.
TAXI
Taxi's can be hailed from all around London and are part of
the London experience. Taxi drivers are unlike any you will
find elsewhere passing vigorous tests to prove they really know
the shortest distance between any two places in London. Tipping
is not expected but you may add an extra 10%.
Minicabs are a cheaper alternative. They are unlicensed and
can not pick up passengers off the street. Usually you have
to call them or wait at their offices. They do not have meters
so you need to negotiate the rate beforehand.
CAR AND MOTORCYCLE
Most people choose not to drive around London due to traffic
problems and a great public transport system. There is a comprehensive
network of motorways radiating from the outer suburbs, which
are joined by the M21 Orbital Motorway (ring road). But no motorways
run through central London and this causes many traffic jams.
To reduce congestion there is a £5 charge to drive through
central London zones. You must pay between 7am and 6.30pm Monday
to Friday. Motorbikes and scooters are exempted. There are number
plate recognition cameras so it's not worth trying to bunk the
system.
The zone is bordered by Marylebone Road, Euston Road, Pentonville
Road and City Road to the north, Commercial Street and Tower
Bridge Road to the east, Vauxhall Bridge Road, Kennington Lane
and New Kent Road to the south and Park Lane to the west. Victoria
and Paddington Stations and the tourist areas of Bayswater,
Earls Court and South Kensington are located outside the congestion
charging zone.
You can make the payment by sending a text (SMS) message from
your mobile phone, making sure you have first registered your
name, address, credit card and vehicle details either by phone
or online (tel. 0845 900 1234, www.cclondon.com).
If you are renting a car make sure you pick it up outside the
zone so you don't have to pay the charge.
TRAM
The Tramlink tram service only operates in London's outer suburbs
so it is unlikely that you will use this service. Fares are
the same as the bus.
TICKETS
All public transport fares are based on a zone system. There
are six zones in the London area, but most of what you probably
will want to see are in zones one and two. A single ticket for
zone one on the tube costs £2. Zone 1-2 costs £2.20,
Zones 1-3 £2.50, Zones 1-4 £3, Zones 1-5 £3.50
and Zones 1-6 £3.80.
To reduce fares buy a carnet of ten tickets which saves you
30%. These tickets are only valid for journeys on the underground
which start and finish in zone one. A carnet costs £15
or £1.50 per trip. Validate your ticket or you can be
fined £10!
Travelcards are a much better deal. They allow unlimited travel
during a set period. Weekly tickets are even better value if
you stay for more than a week. One-day Travelcards can be used
on buses, the underground and suburban trains after 9.30am Monday
to Friday and all day on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.
Weekend Travelcards are 25% cheaper than the cost of two separate
Travelcards. One-day and Weekend Travelcards are not valid on
night buses, although travel on night buses is included in weekly
and monthly Travelcards. They are also based on the zones you
travel in. Prices here are given
1 Day off-peak 1 Day peak
Weekend
Weekly
Zone 1
£17
Zones 1-2 £4.30
£5.30
£6.40
£20.20
Zones 1-4 £4.70
£7.30
£7
£29.90
Zones 1-6 £5.40
£11.10
£8.10
£38.30
Zones 2-6 £3.80
£6.30
£5.70
£23.90
The one-day LT is another option. It costs £8.20 and allows
unlimited travel in zones 1-6 on buses, trams, Docklands Light
Railway and the underground, but not suburban trains.
The pre-paid Oyster Card (www.oystercard.com)
is a smart card that can be used to buy tickets cheaper than
the regular cash price. If you are working in London it's a
good deal. They only issue monthly passes.
