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Air Travel | Bus Travel | Car Travel | DLR: Docklands Light Railway | River Bus | Taxi | Train Travel | Underground Travel: The Tube
Central London and its surrounding districts are divided into 32 boroughs—33, counting the City of London. More useful for finding your way around, however, are the subdivisions of London into postal districts. Throughout the guide we’ve given the full postal code for some listings. The first one or two letters give the location: N means north, NW means northwest, and so on. Don’t expect the numbering to be logical, however. You won’t, for example, find W2 next to W3. The general rule is that the lower numbers, such as W1 or SW1, are closest to Buckingham Palace, but it is not consistent—SE17 is closer to the city center than E4, for example.
Air Travel
Flying time to London is about 6½ hours from New York, 7½ hours from Chicago, 11 hours from San Francisco, and 21½ hours from Sydney.
For flights out of London, the general rule is that you arrive one hour before your scheduled departure time for domestic flights and two hours before international flights for off-peak travel.
Airline Security Issues
Transportation Security Administration. www.tsa.gov.
Airports
International flights to London arrive at either Heathrow Airport (LHR), 15 miles west of London, or at Gatwick Airport (LGW), 27 miles south of the capital. Most flights from the United States go to Heathrow, which is the busiest and is divided into five terminals, with Terminals 3, 4, and 5 handling transatlantic flights. Gatwick is London’s second gateway. It has grown from a European airport into an airport that also serves dozens of U.S. destinations. A smaller third airport, Stansted (STN), is 35 miles northeast of the city. It handles mainly European and domestic traffic, although there’s also scheduled service from New York. Two smaller airports, Luton (LTN), 30 miles north of town, and business-oriented London City (in East London E16) mainly handle flights to Europe.
Airport Information
Gatwick Airport. 0844/892–0322 | www.gatwickairport.com.
Heathrow Airport. 0844/335–1801 | www.heathrowairport.com.
London City Airport. 020/7646–0088 | www.londoncityairport.com.
Luton Airport. 01582/405100 | www.london-luton.co.uk.
Stansted Airport. 0844/355–1803 | www.stanstedairport.com.
Ground Transportation
London has excellent if pricey bus and train connections between its airports and central London. If you’re arriving at Heathrow, you can pick up a map and fare schedule at the Transport for London (TfL) Information Centre located in the Underground station serving Terminals 1, 2, and 3. Train service can be quick, but the downside (for trains from all airports) is that you must get yourself and your luggage to the train via a series of escalators and connecting trams. Airport link buses (generally National Express Airport buses) may ease the luggage factor and drop you closer to central hotels, but they’re subject to London traffic, which can be horrendous and make the trip drag on for hours. Taxis can be more convenient than buses, but beware that prices can go through the roof. Airport Travel Line has additional transfer information and takes advance booking for transfers between airports and into London. The BAA (British Airport Authority) website is a useful resource, giving all transport options from Gatwick, Heathrow, and Stansted.
Heathrow by Bus: National Express buses take one hour to reach the city center (Victoria) and costs £5 one-way and £10 round-trip. A rival service, easyBus, offers buses from as little as £2. The National Express Hotel Hoppa service runs from all airports to around 20 hotels located near the airport (£4). Alternatively, nearly every hotel in London itself is served by the Hotel By Bus service. Fares to central London average around £22. SkyShuttle also offers a shared minibus service between Heathrow and any London hotel. The N9 night bus runs every half hour from midnight to 5 am to Trafalgar Square; it takes an hour and costs £4.
Heathrow by Train: The cheap, direct route into London is via the Piccadilly line of the Underground (London’s extensive subway system, or “Tube”). Trains normally run every four to eight minutes from all terminals from early morning until just before midnight. The 50-minute trip into central London costs £4.50 one-way and connects with other central Tube lines. The Heathrow Express train is comfortable and convenient, if costly, speeding into London’s Paddington station in 15 minutes. Standard one-way tickets cost £16.50 (£32 round-trip) and £26 for first class. Book ahead (online is the cheapest option, at a counter/kiosk less so), as tickets are more expensive to buy on board. There’s daily service from 5:10 am (5:50 am on Sunday) to 11:25 pm (10:50 pm on Sunday), with departures every 15 minutes. The Heathrow Connect service leaves from Paddington station and makes five local stops before arriving at Terminals 1, 3, and 5. At 25 minutes, journey time is only slightly slower than the Express and one-way tickets are £7.90.
Gatwick by Bus: Hourly bus service runs from Gatwick’s north and south terminals to Victoria station with stops at Hooley, Coulsdon, Mitcham, Streatham, Stockwell, and Pimlico. The journey takes up to 90 minutes and costs from £4.50 one-way. The easyBus service runs a service to west London (Fulham) from as little as £2; the later the ticket is booked online, the higher the price (up to £10 on board).
Gatwick by Train: The fast, nonstop Gatwick Express leaves for Victoria station every 15 minutes 5:15 am–midnight. The 30-minute trip costs £16.90 one-way, £23 round-trip. Book in advance, as tickets cost more on board. The First Capital Connect rail company’s nonexpress services are cheaper; Capital Connect train runs regularly throughout the day until midnight to St. Pancras International, London Bridge, and Blackfriars stations; departures are every 15 to 30 minutes, and the journey takes almost one hour. Tickets are from £8 one-way. FlyBy service to Victoria (£10 single) is not express, but the fare applies only on trains operated by Southern Trains.
Stansted by Bus: Hourly service on National Express Airport bus A6 (24 hours a day) to Victoria Coach station costs from £10 one-way, £17 round-trip, and takes about 1 hour and 40 minutes. Stops include Golders Green, Finchley Road, St. John’s Wood, Baker Street, Marble Arch, and Hyde Park Corner. The easyBus service to Victoria via Baker Street costs from £2.
Stansted by Train: The Stansted Express to Liverpool Street station (with a stop at Tottenham Hale) runs every 15 minutes 4:10 am–11:25 pm daily. The 45-minute trip costs £18.80 one-way, £26.70 round-trip if booked online. Tickets cost more when purchased on board.
Luton by Bus and Train: A free airport shuttle runs from Luton Airport to the nearby Luton Airport Parkway station, from which you can take a train or bus into London. From there, the First Capital Connect train service runs to St. Pancras, Farringdon, Blackfriars, and London Bridge. The journey takes about 25 minutes. Trains leave every 10 minutes or so from 5 am until midnight. Single tickets cost £13.50. The Green Line 757 bus service from Luton to Victoria station runs three times an hour, takes about 90 minutes, and costs from £14 (£15 return).
Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, and Luton by Taxi: This is an expensive and time-consuming option. The city’s congestion charge (£8) may be added to the bill if your hotel is in the charging zone, you run the risk of getting stuck in traffic, and if you take a taxi from the stand, the price will be even more expensive (whereas a minicab booked ahead is a set price). The trip from Heathrow, for example, can take more than an hour and cost more than £50.
Transfers Between Airports
Allow at least two to three hours for an interairport transfer. The cheapest option—but most complicated—is public transport: from Gatwick to Stansted, for instance, you can catch the nonexpress commuter train from Gatwick to Victoria station, take the Tube to Liverpool Street station, then catch the train to Stansted from there. To get from Heathrow to Gatwick by public transport, take the Tube to King’s Cross, then change to the Victoria line, get to Victoria station, and then take the commuter train to Gatwick.
The National Express Airport bus is the most direct option between Gatwick and Heathrow. Buses pick up passengers every 15 minutes from 5:20 am to 11 pm from both airports. The trip takes around 70 minutes, and the fare is £19.50 one-way. It’s advisable to book tickets in advance. National Express buses between Stansted and Gatwick depart every 30 to 45 minutes and take around 3 hours and 45 minutes. The adult single fare is £30.20. Some airlines may offer shuttle services as well—check with your travel agent in advance of your journey.
Contacts
BAA. www.baa.com.
easyBus. www.easybus.co.uk.
First Capital Connect. 0845/0264–700 | www.firstcapitalconnect.co.uk.
Gatwick Express. 0845/850–1530 | www.gatwickexpress.com.
Heathrow Express. 0845/600–1515 | www.heathrowexpress.com.
National Express. 08717/818178 | www.nationalexpress.com.
SkyShuttle. 0845/481–0960 | www.skyshuttle.co.uk.com.
Stansted Express. 0845/850–0150 | www.stanstedexpress.com.
Transfer Information
Airport Travel Line. 0871/200–2323.
Flights
British Airways is the national flagship carrier and offers mostly nonstop flights from 16 U.S. cities to Heathrow and Gatwick airports, along with flights to Manchester, Birmingham, and Glasgow. It also offers flights to New York from London City Airport near Docklands.
Airline Contacts
American Airlines. 800/433–7300, 0844/499-7300 in London | www.aa.com.
British Airways. British Airways to Heathrow, Gatwick. | 800/247–9297, 0844/493–0787 in London | www.ba.com.
Delta Airlines. 800/241–4141 for international reservations, 0871/221–1222 in London | www.delta.com.
United Airlines. 800/538–2929 for international reservations, 0845/844–4777 in London | www.united.com.
US Airways. 800/622–1015 for international reservations, 0845/600–3300 in London | www.usairways.com.
Virgin Atlantic. 800/862–8621, 0844/209–7310 in London | www.virgin-atlantic.com.
Bus Travel
Arriving and Departing
National Express is the biggest British coach operator and the nearest equivalent to Greyhound. It’s not as fast as traveling by train, but it’s comfortable (with washroom facilities on board). Services depart mainly from Victoria Coach station, a well-signposted short walk behind the Victoria mainline rail station. The departures point is on the corner of Buckingham Palace Road; this is also the main information point. The arrivals point is opposite at Elizabeth Bridge. National Express buses travel to all large and midsize cities in southern England and the midlands. Scotland and the north are not as well served. The station is extremely busy around holidays and weekends. Arrive at least 30 minutes before departure so you can find the correct exit gate. Smoking is not permitted on board.
Another bus company, Megabus, has been packing in the budget travelers in recent years, since it offers cross-country fares for as little as £1 per person. The company’s single- and double-decker buses serve an extensive array of cities across Great Britain with a cheerful budget attitude. In London, buses for all destinations depart from the Green Line bus stand at Victoria station. Megabus does not accommodate wheelchairs, and the company strictly limits luggage to one piece per person checked, and one piece of hand luggage.
Greyhound itself recently launched a low-cost bus service connecting London Victoria with several destinations on England’s south coast, as well as Cardiff and Swansea in Wales.
Green Line serves the counties surrounding London, as well as airports. Bus stops (there’s no central bus station) are on Buckingham Palace Road, between the Victoria mainline station and Victoria Coach station.
Tickets on some long-distance routes are cheaper if purchased in advance, and traveling midweek is cheaper than over weekends and at holiday periods.
Getting Around London
Private, as opposed to municipal, buses are known as coaches. Although London is famous for its double-decker buses, long articulated buses (locally known as “bendy buses”) replaced the oldest buses—the beloved rattletrap Routemasters, which had the jump-on/off back platforms, under the previous mayor. However, these proved both unpopular and money-losing and are being phased out, to be replaced by a redesigned Routemaster in the near future. Two Routemaster “heritage” routes keep the old familiar double-decker buses working, however: the No. 9 travels through Piccadilly, Trafalgar Square, and Knightsbridge, and the No. 15 travels from Trafalgar Square down Fleet Street and on to St. Paul’s Cathedral.
Bus stops are clearly indicated; signs at bus stops feature a red TfL symbol on a plain white background. You must flag the bus down at some stops. Each numbered route is listed on the main stop, and buses have a large number on the front with their end destination. Not all buses run the full route at all times; check with the driver to be sure. You can pick up a free bus guide at a TfL Travel Information Centre (at Euston, Liverpool Street, Piccadilly Circus, King’s Cross, and Victoria Tube stations; and at Heathrow Airport).
Buses are a good way of seeing the town, particularly if you plan to hop on and off to cover many sights, but don’t take a bus if you’re in a hurry, as traffic can really slow them down. To get off, press the red “Stop” buttons mounted on poles near the doors. You will usually see a “Bus Stopping” sign light up. Expect to get very squashed during rush hour, from 8 am to 9:30 am and 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm.
Night buses, denoted by an “N” before their route numbers, run from midnight to 5 am on a more restricted route than day buses. However, some night bus routes should be approached with caution and the top deck avoided. All night buses run by request stop, so flag them down if you’re waiting or push the button if you want to alight.
All journeys cost £2, and there are no transfers. If you plan to make a number of journeys in one day, consider buying a Travelcard (F ), good for both Tube and bus travel. Also consider getting a prepaid Oyster card, as single journeys are just over a pound using a prepaid card. Travelcards are also available in one-, three-, or seven-day combinations. Visitor Oyster cards cost £2 and can be topped up. They are available from ticket desks at Gatwick and Stansted airports or at any Tube station and are transferable if you have money left over. Traveling without a valid ticket makes you liable for a fine (£20). Buses are supposed to swing by most stops every five or six minutes, but in reality, you can often expect to wait a bit longer, although those in the center of town are quite reliable.
In central London, if you don’t have a prepaid Travel- or Oyster card, you must pay before you board the bus. Automated ticket machines are set up at these bus stops, which are clearly marked with a yellow sign “Buy Tickets Before Boarding.” Otherwise, you can buy tickets at most central London Tube stations as well as at newsagents and shops that display the sign “Buy Your TravelCards & Bus Passes Here.” Outside the central zone, payment may be made to the driver as you board (exact change is best so as to avoid incurring the driver’s wrath).
Bus Information
easyBus. www.easybus.co.uk.
Green Line. 0844/801–7261 | www.greenline.co.uk.
Greyhound UK. 0900/096–0000 | www.greyhounduk.com.
Megabus. 0871/266–3333 | www.megabus.com.
National Express. 0871/781–8178 | www.nationalexpress.com.
Transport for London. 0843/222–1234 | www.tfl.gov.uk.
Victoria Coach station. 020/7027–2520.
Car Travel
The best advice on driving in London is this: don’t. London’s streets are a winding mass of chaos, made worse by one-way roads. Parking is also restrictive and expensive, and traffic is tediously slow at most times of the day; during rush hours—from 8 am to 9:30 am and 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm—it often grinds to a standstill, particularly on Friday, when everyone wants to leave town. Avoid city-center shopping areas, including the roads feeding Oxford Street, Kensington, and Knightsbridge. Other main roads into the city center are also busy, such as King’s Cross and Euston in the north. Watch out also for cyclists and motorcycle couriers, who weave between cars and pedestrians and seem to come out of nowhere, and you may be fined heavily for straying into a bus lane during its operating hours—check the signs.
If you are staying just in London on this trip, there’s virtually no reason to rent a car since the city and its suburbs are widely covered by public transportation. However, you might want a car for day trips to castles or stately homes out in the countryside. Consider renting your car in a medium-size town in the area where you’ll be traveling, and then journeying there by train and picking up the car once you arrive. Rental rates are generally reasonable, and insurance costs are lower than in comparable U.S. cities. Rates generally begin at £42 a day for a small economy car (such as a subcompact General Motors Vauxhall, Corsa, or Renault Clio), usually with manual transmission. Air-conditioning and unlimited mileage generally come with the larger-size automatic cars.
In London your U.S. driver’s license is acceptable (as long as you are over 23 years old, with no driving convictions). If you have a driver’s license from a country other than the United States, it may not be recognized in the United Kingdom. An International Driver’s Permit is a good idea no matter what; it’s available from the American (AAA) or Canadian Automobile Association and, in the United Kingdom, from the Automobile Association (AA) or Royal Automobile Club (RAC). International permits are universally recognized, and having one may save you a problem with the local authorities.
Remember that Britain drives on the left, and the rest of Europe on the right. Therefore, you may want to leave your rented car in Britain and pick up a left-side drive if you cross the Channel (F ).
Congestion Charge
Designed to reduce traffic through central London, a congestion charge has been instituted. Vehicles (with some exemptions) entering central London on weekdays from 7 am to 6 pm (excluding public holidays) have to pay an £8 daily fee; it can be paid up to 90 days in advance, on the day of travel, or on the following charging day, when the fee goes up to £10. Day-, month-, and yearlong passes are available on the Congestion Charging page of the Transport for London website, at gas stations, parking lots (car parks), by mail, by phone, and by SMS text message. One day’s payment is good for all access into the charging zone on that day. Traffic signs designate the entrance to congestion areas, and cameras read car license plates and send the information to a database. Drivers who don’t pay the congestion charge by midnight of the next charging day following the day of driving are penalized £120, which is reduced to £60 if paid within 14 days.
Information
Congestion Charge Customer Service. Worthing | BN11 9PS | 0845/900–1234 | www.cclondon.com.
Transport for London. www.tfl.gov.uk.
Gasoline
Gasoline (petrol) is sold in liters and is expensive (at this writing about £1.20 per liter—around $7 per gallon). Unleaded petrol, denoted by green pump lines, is predominant. Premium and Super Premium are the two varieties, and most cars run on regular Premium. Supermarket pumps usually offer the best value. You won’t find many service stations in the center of town; these are generally on main, multilane trunk roads out of the center. Service is self-serve, except in small villages, where gas stations are likely to be closed on Sunday and late evening. Most stations accept major credit cards.
Parking
During the day—and probably at all times—it’s safest to believe that you can park nowhere except at a meter, in a pay-and-display bay, in a garage, otherwise, you run the risk of an expensive ticket, plus possibly even more expensive clamping and towing fees (some boroughs are clamp-free). Restrictions are indicated by the “No Waiting” parking signpost on the sidewalk (these restrictions vary from street to street), and restricted areas include single yellow lines or double yellow lines, and Residents’ Parking bays. Parking at a bus stop or in a bus lane is also restricted. On Red Routes, indicated by red lines, you are not allowed to park or even stop. It’s illegal to park on the sidewalk, across entrances, or on white zigzag lines approaching a pedestrian crossing.
Meters have an insatiable hunger in the inner city—a 20p piece may buy just three minutes—and some will permit only a two-hour stay. Meters take 20p and £1 coins, pay-and-display machines 10p, 20p, 50p, £1, and £2 coins. Some take payment by credit card. In some parts of central London, meters have been almost entirely replaced by pay-and-display machines that require payment by cell phone. You will need to set up an account to do this (www.westminster.gov.uk). Meters are free after 6:30 or 8:30 in the evening, on Sunday, and on holidays. Always check the sign. In the evening, after restrictions end, meter bays are free. After meters are free, you can also park on single yellow lines—but not double yellow lines. In the daytime, take advantage of the many NCP parking lots in the center of town (about £4 per hour, up to eight hours).
Information
NCP. 0845/050–7080 | www.ncp.co.uk.
Roadside Emergencies
If your car is stolen, you’re in a car accident, or your car breaks down and there’s nobody around to help you, contact the police by dialing |999.
The general procedure for a breakdown is the following: position the red hazard triangle (which should be in the trunk of the car) a few paces away from the rear of the car. Leave the hazard warning lights on. Along highways (motorways), emergency roadside telephone booths are positioned at intervals within walking distance. Contact the car-rental company or an auto club. The main auto clubs in the United Kingdom are the Automobile Association (AA) and the RAC. If you’re a member of the American Automobile Association (AAA), check your membership details before you depart for Britain, as, under a reciprocal agreement, roadside assistance in the United Kingdom should cost you nothing. You can join and receive roadside assistance from the AA on the spot, but the charge is higher—around £75—than a simple membership fee.
Emergency Services
American Automobile Association. 800/564–6222 | www.aaa.com.
Automobile Association. 0800/085–2721, 161/333–0004 from outside the U.K., 0800/887766 for emergency roadside assistance from mobile phones | www.theaa.com.
RAC. 01922/437000, 0800/828282 for emergency roadside assistance | www.rac.co.uk.
Rules of the Road
London is a mass of narrow, one-way roads, and narrow, two-way streets that are no bigger than the one-way roads. If you must risk life and limb and drive in London, note that the speed limit is either 20 or 30 mph—unless you see the large 40 mph signs found only in the suburbs. Speed bumps are sprinkled about with abandon in case you forget. Speed is strictly controlled by cameras mounted on occasional lampposts, which photograph speeders for ticketing.
Medium-size circular intersections are often designed as “roundabouts” (marked by signs in which three arrows curve into a circle). On these, cars travel left in a circle and incoming cars must yield to those already on their way around from the right. Signal when about to leave the roundabout.
Jaywalking is not illegal in London and everybody does it, despite the fact that striped crossings with blinking yellow lights mounted on poles at either end—called “zebra crossings”—give pedestrians the right of way to cross. Cars should treat zebra crossings like stop signs if a pedestrian is waiting to cross or already starting to cross. It’s illegal to pass another vehicle at a zebra crossing. At other crossings (including intersections) pedestrians must yield to traffic, but they do have the right-of-way over traffic turning left at controlled crossings—if they have the nerve.
Traffic lights sometimes have arrows directing left or right turns; try to catch a glimpse of the road markings in time, and don’t get into the turn lane if you mean to go straight ahead. A right turn is not permitted on a red light. Signs at the beginning and end of designated bus lanes give the time restrictions for use (usually during peak hours); if you’re caught driving on bus lanes during restricted hours, you will be fined. By law, seat belts must be worn in the front and back seats. Drunk-driving laws are strictly enforced, and it’s safest to avoid alcohol altogether if you’ll be driving. The legal limit is 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood, which roughly translated means two units of alcohol—two small glasses of wine, one pint of beer, or one glass of whiskey.
DLR: Docklands Light Railway
For destinations in East London, the quiet, driverless Docklands Light Railway (DLR) is a good alternative, offering interesting views of the area.
The DLR connects with the Tube network at Bank and Tower Hill stations as well as at Canary Wharf. It goes to London City Airport, the Docklands financial district, and Greenwich, running 5:30 am–12:30 am Monday–Saturday, 7 am–11:30 pm Sunday. The DLR takes Oyster cards and Travelcards, and fares are the same as those on the Tube. A £14.50 River Rover ticket combines one-day DLR travel with hop-on, hop-off travel on City Cruises riverboats between Westminster, Waterloo, Tower and Greenwich piers.
Information
Transport for London. 0843/222–1234 | www.tfl.gov.uk.
River Bus
In the run-up to the 2012 Olympics, a new push has been made to develop river travel as part of London’s overall public transport system. The service now stops at 10 piers between the London Eye/Waterloo and Greenwich, with peak-time extensions to Putney in the west and Woolwich Arsenal in the east. The Waterloo-Woolwich commuter service runs every 20 minutes from 6 am to 1 am on weekdays, 8:30 am–midnight on weekends. Tickets are £5.30, with a one-third discount for Oyster card and Travelcard holders (full integration into the Oyster-card system is expected in 2012). When there are events at the O2 (North Greenwich Arena), a half-hourly express service runs to and from Waterloo starting three hours before the event. There is also a special Tate-to-Tate express, a 20-minute trip between Tate Modern and Tate Britain that costs £5. Boats run every 40 minutes from 10 to 5. A £12 River Roamer ticket offers unlimited river travel 10–10 weekdays and 8 am–10 pm on weekends.
Contacts
Thames Clippers. | 020/7001–2200 | www.thamesclippers.com.
Taxi
Universally known as “black cabs” (even though many of them now come in other colors), the traditional big black London taxicabs are as much a part of the city’s streetscape as red double-decker buses, and for good reason: the unique, spacious taxis easily hold five people, plus luggage. To earn a taxi license, drivers must undergo intensive training on the history and geography of London. The course, and all that the drivers have learned in it, is known simply as “the Knowledge.” There’s almost nothing your taxi driver won’t know about the city.
Hotels and main tourist areas have cabstands (just take the first in line), but you can also flag one down from the roadside. If the yellow “For Hire” sign on the top is lighted, the taxi is available. Cabdrivers often cruise at night with their signs unlighted so that they can choose their passengers and avoid those they think might cause trouble. If you see an unlighted, passengerless cab, hail it: you might be lucky.
Fares start at £2.20 and charge by the minute—a journey of a mile (which might take between 5 and 12 minutes) will cost anything from £4.60 to £8.60 (the fare goes up between 10 pm and 6 am—a system designed to persuade more taxi drivers to work at night). A surcharge of £2 is applied to a telephone booking. At Christmas and New Year, there is an additional surcharge of £4. You can, but do not have to, tip taxi drivers 10% of the tab. Usually passengers round up to the nearest pound.
Minicabs, which operate out of small, curbside offices throughout the city, are generally cheaper than black cabs, but are less reliable and trusted. These are usually unmarked passenger cars, and their drivers are often not native Londoners, and do not have to take or pass “the Knowledge” test. Still, Londoners use them in droves because they are plentiful and cheap. If you choose to use them, do not ever take an unlicensed cab: anyone who curb-crawls looking for customers is likely to be unlicensed. Unlicensed cabs have been associated with many crimes and can be dangerous. All cab companies with proper dispatch offices are likely to be licensed. Look for a small purple version of the Underground logo on the front or rear windscreen with “private hire” written across it.
There are plenty of trustworthy and licensed minicab firms. For London-wide service try Lady Mini Cabs, which employs only women drivers, or Addison Lee, which uses comfortable minivans but requires that you know the full postal code for both your pickup location and your destination. When using a minicab, always ask the price in advance when you phone for the car, then verify with the driver before the journey begins.
Black Cabs
Dial-a-Cab. 020/7253–5000.
Radio Taxis. 020/7272–0272.
Minicabs
Addison Lee. 0844/800–6677.
Lady MiniCabs. 020/7272–3300.
Train Travel
The National Rail Enquiries website is the clearinghouse for information on train times and fares as well as to book rail journeys around Britain—and the earlier the better. Tickets bought two to three weeks in advance can cost a quarter of the price of tickets bought on the day of travel. However, journeys within commuting distance of city centers are sold at unvarying set prices, and those can be purchased on the day you expect to make your journey without any financial penalty. You may also be able to purchase a PlusBus ticket, which adds unlimited bus travel at your destination. Note that, in busy city centers such as London, all travel costs more during morning rush hour. You can purchase tickets online, by phone, or at any rail station in the United Kingdom. Check the website or call the National Rail Enquiries line to get details of the train company responsible for your journey and have them give you a breakdown of available ticket prices. Regardless of which train company is involved, many discount passes are available, such as the 16–25 Railcard (for which you must be under 26 and provide a passport-size photo), the Senior Railcard, and the Family & Friends Travelcard, which can be bought from most mainline stations. But if you intend to make several long-distance rail journeys, it can be a good idea to invest in a BritRail Pass (which you must buy in the United States).
You can get a BritRail Pass valid for London and the surrounding counties, for England, for Scotland, or for all of Britain. Discounts (usually 20%–25%) are offered if you’re between 16 and 25, over 60, traveling as a family or a group, or accompanied by a British citizen. The pass includes discounts on the Heathrow Express and Eurostar. BritRail Passes come in two basic varieties. The Classic pass allows travel on consecutive days, and the FlexiPass allows a number of travel days within a set period of time. The cost (in U.S. dollars) of a BritRail Consecutive Pass adult ticket for eight days is $359 standard and $509 first-class; for 15 days, $535 and $759; and for a month, $759 and $1,139. The cost of a BritRail FlexiPass adult ticket for four days’ travel in two months is $315 standard and $445 first-class; for eight days’ travel in two months, $459 and $649; and for 15 days’ travel in two months, $689 and $975. Prices drop by about 25% for off-peak travel passes between November and February.
Most long-distance trains have refreshment carriages, called buffet cars. Most trains these days also have “quiet cars” where use of cell phones and music devices is banned, but these rules are not enforced with any enthusiasm. Smoking is forbidden in all rail carriages.
Generally speaking, rail travel in the United Kingdom is expensive: for instance, a round-trip ticket to Bath from London can cost around £143 per person at peak times. The fee drops to around £27 at other times, so it’s best to travel before or after the frantic business commuter rush (after 9:30 am and before 4:30 pm). Credit cards are accepted for train fares paid both in person and by phone.
Delays are not uncommon, but they’re rarely long. You almost always have to go to the station to find out if there’s going to be one (because delays tend to happen at the last minute). Luckily, most stations have coffee shops, restaurants, and pubs where you can cool your heels while you wait for the train to get rolling. National Rail Enquiries provides an up-to-date state-of-the-railways schedule.
Most of the time, first-class train travel in England isn’t particularly first-class. Some train companies don’t offer at-seat service, so you still have to get up and go to the buffet car for food or drinks. First class is generally booked by business travelers on expense accounts because crying babies and noisy families are quite rare in first class, and quite common in standard class.
Short of flying, taking the Eurostar train through the channel tunnel is the fastest way to reach the continent: 2 hours and 15 minutes from London’s St. Pancras International station to Paris’s Gare du Nord. The high-speed Eurostar trains use the same tunnels to connect St. Pancras International directly with Midi station in Brussels in around two hours. If purchased in advance, round-trip tickets from London to Belgium or France cost from around £125, cheaper in the very early or very late hours of the day. If you want to bring your car over to France, you can use the Eurotunnel Shuttle, which takes 35 minutes from Folkestone to Calais, plus at least 30 minutes to check in. The Belgian border is just a short drive northeast of Calais.
Information
BritRail Travel. 866/938–7245 in U.S. | www.britrail.com.
Eurostar. 08432/186186 in London, 123/361–7575 outside U.K. | www.eurostar.com.
National Rail Inquiries. 0845/748–4950, 020/7278–5240 outside U.K. | www.nationalrail.co.uk.
Channel Tunnel Car Transport
Eurotunnel. 0844/335–3535 in U.K., 33–321/002061 from outside Europe | www.eurotunnel.com.
Underground Travel: The Tube
London’s extensive Underground train (Tube) system has color-coded routes, clear signage, and many connections. Trains run out into the suburbs, and all stations are marked with the London Underground circular symbol. (Do not be confused by similar-looking signs reading “subway”—in Britain, the word subway means “pedestrian underpass.”) Trains are all one class; smoking is not allowed on board or in the stations. There is also an Overground network serving the further reaches of Inner London. These now accept Oyster cards.
Some lines have multiple branches (Central, District, Northern, Metropolitan, and Piccadilly), so be sure to note which branch is needed for your particular destination. Do this by noting the end destination on the lighted sign on the platform, which also tells you how long you’ll have to wait until the train arrives. Compare that with the end destination of the branch you want. When the two match, that’s your train. TIP Before the 2012 Olympics, service on many Tube lines will be disrupted, especially on weekends, as a widespread improvements program continues. Check the TfL website for up-to-date information.
London is divided into six concentric zones (ask at Underground ticket booths for a map and booklet, which give details of the ticket options), so be sure to buy a ticket for the correct zone or you may be liable for an on-the-spot fine of £20. Don’t panic if you do forget to buy a ticket for the right zone: just tell a station attendant that you need to buy an “extension” to your ticket. Although you’re meant to do that in advance, generally if you’re an out-of-towner, they don’t give you a hard time.
For single fares paid in cash, a flat £4 price per journey now applies across all six zones, whether you’re traveling one stop or 12 stops. If you’re planning several trips in one day, it’s much cheaper to buy a tourist Oyster card or Travelcard, which is good for unrestricted travel on the Tube, buses, and some Overground railways for the day. The off-peak Oyster-card fare for Zones 1–2, for example, is £1.80. Bear in mind that Travelcards cost much more if purchased before the 9:30 am rush-hour threshold. A one-day Travelcard for Zones 1–2 costs £7.20 if purchased before 9:30 am, and £5.60 if bought after 9:30 am. The more zones included in your travel, the more the Travelcard will cost. For example, Kew is Zone 4, and Heathrow is Zone 6. If you’re going to be in town for several days, buy a seven-day Travelcard (£25.80 for Zones 1–2, £47.60 for Zones 1–6). Children 11–15 can travel at discounted rates on the Tube and free on buses and trams with an Oyster photocard (order at least four weeks before date of travel), while children under 11 travel free on the Tube if accompanied by an adult or with an Oyster photocard and on buses at all times. Young people 16–18 and students over 18 get discounted Tube fares with an Oyster photocard.
Oyster cards are “smart cards” that can be charged with a cash value and then used for discounted travel throughout the city. Each time you take the Tube or bus, you swipe the blue card across the yellow readers at the entrance and the amount of your fare is deducted. The London mayor is so eager to promote the cards that he set up a system in which those using Oyster cards pay lower rates. Oyster-card Tube fares start at £1.30 and go up depending on the number of zones you’re covering, time of day, and whether you’re traveling into Zone 1. You can open an Oyster account online or pick up an Oyster card at any London Underground station, and then prepay any amount you wish for your expected travel while in the city. Using an Oyster card, bus fares are £1.20 instead of £2. If you make numerous journeys in a single day, your Oyster-card deductions will always be capped at the standard price of a one-day Travelcard.
Trains begin running just after 5 am Monday–Saturday; the last services leave central London between midnight and 12:30 am. On Sunday, trains start two hours later and finish about an hour earlier. The frequency of trains depends on the route and the time of day, but normally you should not have to wait more than 10 minutes in central areas.
There are TfL Travel Information Centres at the following Tube stations: Euston, Liverpool Street, Piccadilly Circus, King’s Cross, and Victoria, open 7:15 am–9:15 pm; and at Heathrow Airport (in Terminals 1, 2, and 3), open 6:30 am–10 pm.
Important Note: as with the Metro system in Paris—and unlike the subway system in New York City—you need to have your ticket (Oyster-card pass or regular ticket) handy in order to exit the turnstiles of the Tube system, not just enter them.
Information
Transport for London. 0843/222–1234 | www.tfl.gov.uk.
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