Transport

Arriving in London

Most people arrive in London by air, but an increasing number of visitors coming from Europe let the train take the strain, while buses from across the Continent are a further option.

The city has five airports: Heathrow, which is the largest, to the west; Gatwick to the south; Stansted to the northeast; Luton to the northwest; and London City in the Docklands.

Most trans-Atlantic flights land at Heathrow (average flight time from the US East Coast is between 6½ and 7½ hours, 10 to 11 hours from the West Coast; slightly more on the return).

Visitors from Europe are more likely to arrive at Gatwick, Stansted or Luton (the latter two are used exclusively by low-cost airlines such as easyJet and Ryanair). Most flights to Continental Europe last from one to three hours.

An increasingly popular form of transport is the Eurostar – the Channel Tunnel train – between London and Paris or Brussels. The journey lasts 2¼ hours to Paris and less than two hours to Brussels. Travellers depart from and arrive in the centre of each city.

Flights, cars and tours can be booked online at lonelyplanet.com.

Heathrow Airport

Some 15 miles west of central London, Heathrow Airport (LHR; www.heathrowairport.com) is one of the world’s busiest international airports and counts four passenger terminals (numbered 2 to 5), including the revamped Terminal 2. It's Britain's main airport for international flights.

Each terminal has currency-exchange facilities, information counters and accommodation desks.

Left-luggage Facilities are in each terminal and open 5am (5.30am at T4) to 11pm. The charge per item is £6 for up to two hours, £11 for up to 24 hours, up to a maximum of 90 days.

Hotels There are four international-style hotels that can be reached on foot from the terminals, and another 20 or so nearby. The Hotel Hoppa (www.nationalexpress.com/wherewego/airports/heathrow-hotel-hoppa.aspx; adult/child £4.50/free) bus links nearby hotels with the airport’s terminals, running every 15 to 30 minutes from around 4.30am to midnight.

Train

Three Underground stations on the Piccadilly line serve Heathrow: one for Terminals 2 and 3, another for Terminal 4, and the terminus for Terminal 5. The Underground, commonly referred to as ‘the tube’, is the cheapest way of getting to Heathrow; paper tickets cost one-way £6, Oyster or Contactless peak/off-peak £5.10/3.10. The journey to central London takes one hour and trains depart every three to nine minutes. Leaving from the airport, it runs from just after 5am to just after midnight (11.28pm Sunday), and heading to the airport it runs from 5.09am to 11.54pm (11pm on Sunday); tube trains run all night Friday and Saturday, with reduced frequency. Buy tickets at the station.

Heathrow Express (www.heathrowexpress.com; oneway/return £22/37; W), every 15 minutes, and Heathrow Connect (%0345 604 1515; www.heathrowconnect.com; adult single/open return £10.30/20.70), every 30 minutes, trains link Heathrow with Paddington train station. Heathrow Express trains take a mere 15 minutes to reach Paddington. Trains on each service run from around 5am and between 11pm and midnight.

Bus

National Express (www.nationalexpress.com) Coaches (one-way from £6, 35 to 90 minutes, every 30 minutes to one hour) link the Heathrow Central bus station with London Victoria coach station. The first bus leaves the Heathrow Central bus station (at Terminals 2 and 3) at 4.20am, with the last departure just after 10pm. The first bus leaves Victoria at 3am, the last at around 12.30am.

N9 bus At night, the N9 bus (£1.50, 1¼ hours, every 20 minutes) connects Heathrow Central bus station (and Heathrow Terminal 5) with central London, terminating at Aldwych.

Taxi

A metered black-cab trip to/from central London will cost between £46 and £87 and take 45 minutes to an hour, depending on traffic and your departure point.

Gatwick Airport

Located some 30 miles south of central London, Gatwick (LGW; www.gatwickairport.com) is smaller than Heathrow and is Britain's number-two airport, mainly for international flights. The North and South Terminals are linked by a 24-hour shuttle train, with the journey time about three minutes.

Left luggage There are left-luggage facilities in both terminals, open 24 hours in the South Terminal and from 6am to 10pm in the North Terminal. The charge is £6/11 per item for 3/24 hours (or part thereof), up to a maximum of 90 days. You can prebook left luggage online (www.gatwickairport.com/at-the-airport/passenger-services/luggage).

Train

National Rail (www.nationalrail.co.uk) has regular train services to/from London Bridge (30 minutes, every 15 to 30 minutes), London King’s Cross (55 minutes, every 15 to 30 minutes) and London Victoria (30 minutes, every 10 to 15 minutes). Fares vary depending on the time of travel and the train company, but allow £10 to £20 for a single.

Gatwick Express (www.gatwickexpress.com; one-way/return adult £19.90/35.50, child £9.95/17.75) trains run every 15 minutes from the station near the Gatwick South Terminal to London Victoria. From the airport, there are services between 5.45am and 12.20am. From Victoria, they leave between 5am and 11.30am. The journey takes 30 mintues.

Bus

National Express (www.nationalexpress.com) Coaches run throughout the day from Gatwick to London Victoria coach station (one way from £8). Services depart hourly around the clock. Journey time is between 80 minutes and two hours, depending on traffic.

EasyBus (www.easybus.co.uk) Runs 19-seater minibuses to Gatwick every 15 to 20 minutes on several routes, including from Earl's Court/West Brompton and Victoria coach station (one way from £1.95). The service runs round the clock. Journey time averages 75 minutes.

Taxi

A metered black-cab trip to/from central London costs around £100 and takes just over an hour. Minicabs are usually cheaper.

Climate Change & Travel

Every form of transport that relies on carbon-based fuel generates CO₂, the main cause of human-induced climate change. Modern travel is dependent on aeroplanes, which might use less fuel per kilometre per person than most cars but travel much greater distances. The altitude at which aircraft emit gases (including CO₂) and particles also contributes to their climate change impact. Many websites offer ‘carbon calculators’ that allow people to estimate the carbon emissions generated by their journey and, for those who wish to do so, to offset the impact of the greenhouse gases emitted with contributions to portfolios of climate-friendly initiatives throughout the world. Lonely Planet offsets the carbon footprint of all staff and author travel.

Stansted Airport

Stansted (STN; www.stanstedairport.com) is 35 miles northeast of central London in the direction of Cambridge. An international airport, Stansted serves a multitude of mainly European destinations and is served primarily by low-cost carriers such as Ryanair.

Train

Stansted Express (%0345 600 7245; www.stanstedexpress.com; one-way/return £16.60/28) rail service (45 minutes, every 15 to 30 minutes) links the airport and Liverpool St station. From the airport, the first train leaves at 5.30am, the last at 12.30am. Trains depart Liverpool St station from 3.40am to 11.25pm.

Bus

National Express (www.nationalexpress.com) coaches run around the clock, offering well over 100 services per day.

Airbus A6 (%0871 781 8181; www.nationalexpress.com; one-way from £10) runs to Victoria coach station (around one hour to 1½ hours, every 20 minutes) via Marble Arch, Paddington, Baker St and Golders Green. Airbus A7 (%0871 781 8181; www.nationalexpress.com; one-way from £10) also runs to Victoria coach station (around one hour to 1½ hours, every 20 minutes), via Waterloo and Southwark. Airbus A8 (%0871 781 8181; www.nationalexpress.com; one-way from £6) runs to Liverpool St station (one way from £6, 60 to 80 minutes, every 30 minutes), via Bethnal Green, Shoreditch High St and Mile End.

Stansted City Link 767 (%0330 123 2004; www.stanstedcitylink.com; one-way from £9) runs to London King's Cross every 30 minutes and takes 75 minutes.

Airport Bus Express (www.airportbusexpress.co.uk; one-way from £10) runs every 30 minutes to London Bridge, Victoria coach station, Liverpool Street and Stratford.

EasyBus (www.easybus.co.uk) runs services to Baker St and Old St tube stations every 15 minutes. The journey (one way from £4.95) takes one hour from Old St, 1¼ hour from Baker St.

Terravision (www.terravision.eu) coaches link Stansted to Liverpool St train station (one way from £9, 55 minutes), King's Cross (from £9, 75 minutes) and Victoria coach station (from £10, two hours) every 20 to 40 minutes between 6am and 1am. Wi-fi on all buses.

Taxi

A metered black cab trip to/from central London costs around £130. Minicabs are cheaper.

Luton Airport

A smallish, single-runway airport 32 miles northwest of London, Luton (LTN) generally caters for cheap charter flights and discount airlines and serves almost 15 million passengers a year. There are chain hotels nearby and the usual range of facilities.

Train

National Rail (www.nationalrail.co.uk) 24-hour services (one way from £14, 26 to 50 minutes, departures every six minutes to one hour) from London St Pancras International to Luton Airport Parkway station, from where an airport shuttle bus (one way/return £2.10/3.40) will take you to the airport in 10 minutes.

Bus

Airbus A1 (www.nationalexpress.com; one-way from £5) runs over 60 times daily to London Victoria coach station (one way from £5), via Portman Square, Baker Street, St John's Wood, Finchley Road and Golders Green. It takes around 1½ hours.

Green Line Bus 757 (%0344 800 4411; www.greenline.co.uk; one-way/return £10/17) runs to Luton Airport from London Victoria coach station every 30 minutes on a 24-hour service via Marble Arch, Baker Street, Finchley Road and Brent Cross.

Taxi

A metered black-cab trip to/from central London costs about £110.

London City Airport

Its proximity to central London, which is just 6 miles to the west, as well as to the commercial district of the Docklands, means London City Airport (LCY; GOOGLE MAP ; %020-7646 0088; www.londoncityairport.com; Hartmann Rd, E16; W; jLondon City Airport) is predominantly a gateway airport for business travellers. You can also now fly to New York from here.

Train

Docklands Light Railway (DLR; www.tfl.gov.uk/dlr) stops at the London City Airport station (one way £2.80 to £3.30). Trains depart every eight to 10 minutes from just after 5.30am to 12.15am Monday to Saturday, and 7am to 11.15pm Sunday. The journey to Bank takes just over 20 minutes.

Taxi

A metered black-cab trip to the City/Oxford St/Earl’s Court costs about £25/35/50.

Train

Main national rail routes are served by a variety of private train-operating companies. Tickets are not cheap, but trains between cities are usually quite punctual. Check National Rail (www.nationalrail.co.uk) for timetables and fares.

Eurostar (www.eurostar.com) high-speed passenger rail service linking London St Pancras International with Paris, Brussels and Lille. It has up to 19 daily departures. Fares vary greatly, from £29 one way standard class to around £245 one way for a fully flexible business premier ticket (prices based on return journeys). There are deals on Eurostar Snap, with best value fares for those with flexibility around the specific train they travel on.

Getting Around London

The cheapest way to get around London is with an Oyster Card or a UK contactless card (foreign cardholders should check for contactless charges first).

Tube (London Underground) The fastest and most efficient way of getting around town. First/last trains operate from around 5.30am to 12.30am and 24 hours on Friday and Saturday on five lines.

Train The DLR and Overground network are ideal for zooming across more distant parts of the city. Trains run from a number of stations to more distant destinations in and around London.

Bus The London bus network is very extensive and efficient; while bus lanes free up traffic, buses can still be slow going.

Taxis Black cabs are ubiquitous, but not cheap. Available around the clock.

Bicycle Santander Cycles are great for shorter journeys around central London.

Underground, DLR & Overground

The London Underground (‘the tube’; 11 colour-coded lines) is part of an integrated-transport system that also includes the Docklands Light Railway (DLR; www.tfl.gov.uk/dlr; a driverless overhead train operating in the eastern part of the city) and Overground network (mostly outside of Zone 1 and sometimes underground). Despite the never-ending upgrades and 'engineering works' requiring weekend closures, it is overall the quickest and easiest way of getting around the city, if not the cheapest.

The first trains operate from around 5.30am Monday to Saturday and 6.45am Sunday. The last trains leave around 12.30am Monday to Saturday and 11.30pm Sunday.

Additionally, selected lines (the Victoria and Jubilee lines, plus most of the Piccadilly, Central and Northern lines) run all night on Friday and Saturday to get revellers home (on what is called the 'Night Tube'), with trains every 10 minutes or so. Fares are off-peak.

During weekend closures, schedules, maps and alternative route suggestions are posted in every station, and staff are at hand to help redirect you.

Some stations, most famously Leicester Sq and Covent Garden, are much closer in reality than they appear on the map.

Fares

ALondon is divided into nine concentric fare zones.

AIt will always be cheaper to travel with an Oyster Card or a contactless card than a paper ticket.

AChildren under the age of 11 travel free; 11 to 15 year olds are half-price if registered on an accompanying adult's Oyster Card (register at Zone 1 or Heathrow tube stations).

AIf you’re in London for a longer period and plan to travel every day, consider a weekly or even a monthly Travelcard.

AIf you’re caught without a valid ticket, you’re liable for an on-the-spot fine of £80. If paid within 21 days, the fine is reduced to £40. Inspectors accept no excuses.

OYSTER CARD & CONTACTLESS CARDS

The Oyster Card is a smart card on which you can store credit towards ‘prepay’ fares, as well as Travelcards valid for periods from a day to a year. Oyster Cards are valid across the entire public transport network in London.

All you need to do when entering a station is touch your card on a reader (which has a yellow circle with the image of an Oyster Card on it) and then touch again on your way out. The system will then deduct the appropriate amount of credit from your card, as necessary. For bus journeys, you only need to touch once upon boarding. Note that some train stations don't have exit turnstiles, so you will need to tap out on the reader before leaving the station; if you forget, you will be hugely overcharged.

The benefit lies in the fact that fares for Oyster Card users are lower than standard ones. If you are making many journeys during the day, you will never pay more than the appropriate Travelcard (peak or off-peak) once the daily ‘price cap’ has been reached.

Oyster Cards can be bought (£5 refundable deposit required) and topped up at any Underground station, travel information centre or shop displaying the Oyster logo. To get your deposit back along with any remaining credit, simply return your Oyster Card at a ticket booth.

Contactless cards (which do not require chip and pin or a signature) can now be used directly on Oyster Card readers and are subject to the same Oyster fares. The advantage is that you don't have to bother with buying, topping up and then returning an Oyster Card, but foreign visitors should bear in mind the cost of card transactions.

Travel Fares

Zone	Cash single	Oyster/contactless peak single	Oyster/contactless off-peak single	Cap (Oyster/contactless day Travelcard)
Zone 1 only	£4.90	£2.40	£2.40	£6.60
Zone 1 & 2	£4.90	£2.90	£2.40	£6.60
Zone 1-3	£4.90	£3.30	£2.80	£7.70
Zone 1-4	£5.90	£3.90	£2.80	£9.50
Zone 1-5	£5.90	£4.70	£3.10	£11.20
Zone 1-6	£6	£5.10	£3.10	£12

Bus

London's ubiquitous red double-decker buses afford great views of the city, but be aware that the going can be slow, thanks to traffic jams and dozens of commuters getting on and off at every stop.

There are excellent bus maps at every stop detailing all routes and destinations served from that particular area (generally a few bus stops within a two- to three-minute walk, shown on a local map).

Many bus stops have LED displays listing bus arrival times, but downloading a bus app such as London Bus Live Countdown to your smartphone is the most effective way to keep track of when your next bus is due.

Bus services normally operate from 5am to 11.30pm.

Night Bus

AMore than 50 night-bus routes (prefixed with the letter ‘N’) run from around 11.30pm to 5am.

AThere are also another 60 bus routes operating 24 hours; the frequency decreases between 11pm and 5am.

AOxford Circus, Tottenham Court Rd and Trafalgar Sq are the main hubs for night routes.

ANight buses can be infrequent and stop only on request, so remember to ring for your stop.

ADon't forget the Night Tube, which runs along five lines for 24 hours on Friday and Saturday, and can either be used as an alternative or in concert with night buses.

Fares

Cash cannot be used on London's buses. Instead you must pay with an Oyster Card, Travelcard or a contactless payment card. Bus fares are a flat £1.50, no matter the distance travelled. If you don’t have enough credit on your Oyster Card for a £1.50 bus fare, you can make one more bus journey. You must then top up your credit before you can use your Oyster Card again.

Children under 11 travel free; 11 to 15 year olds are half-price if registered on an accompanying adult's Oyster Card (register at Zone 1 or Heathrow tube stations).

Bicycle

Tens of thousands of Londoners cycle to work every day, and it is generally a good way to get around the city, although traffic can be intimidating for less-confident cyclists and it's important to keep your wits about you. The city has tried hard to improve the cycling infrastructure, however, opening new ‘cycle superhighways’ for commuters and launching Santander Cycles, which is particularly useful for visitors.

Transport for London (www.tfl.gov.uk) publishes 14 free maps of London's cycle routes.

Bicycles on Public Transport

Bicycles can be taken on the Overground, DLR and on the Circle, District, Hammersmith and City, and Metropolitan tube lines, except at peak times (7.30am to 9.30am and 4pm to 7pm Monday to Friday). Folding bikes can be taken on any line at any time, however.

Pedicabs

Three-wheeled cycle rickshaws seating two or three passengers have been a regular part of the West End scene for over a decade. They’re less a mode of transport than a gimmick for tourists and the occasional drunk on a Saturday night. Expect to pay from £5 for a short trip; it's worth confirming the rate before you get in as there have been some high-profile incidents of overcharging. Tours of London are also available, from £80 per person for a pub tour. For more information visit www.londonpedicabs.com.

SANTANDER CYCLE HIRE SCHEME

London's cycle-hire scheme is called Santander Cycles (%0343 222 6666; www.tfl.gov.uk/modes/cycling/santander-cycles), also referred to as 'Boris Bikes' after their former sponsor and the city's former mayor (and current Foreign Secretary), Boris Johnson, who launched the initiative. The bikes have proved as popular with visitors as with Londoners.

The idea is simple: pick up a bike from one of the 750 docking stations dotted around the capital. Cycle. Drop it off at another docking station.

The access fee is £2 for 24 hours. All you need is a credit or debit card. The first 30 minutes are free. It's then £2 for any additional period of 30 minutes.

You can take as many bikes as you like during your access period (24 hours), leaving five minutes between each trip.

The pricing structure is designed to encourage short journeys rather than longer rentals; for those, go to a hire company. You’ll also find that although easy to ride, the bikes only have three gears and are quite heavy. You must be 18 to buy access and at least 14 to ride a bike.

Taxi

Although expensive, taxis can be a very useful way to get about town. Black cab drivers can be hailed on the street and are both generally very honest and extremely knowledgeable: they know precisely where they are going, though they can talk the hind leg off a donkey.

Black Cabs

The black cab is as much a feature of the London cityscape as the red double-decker bus. Licensed black-cab drivers have the 'Knowledge’, acquired after rigorous training and a series of exams. They are supposed to know 25,000 streets within a 6-mile radius of Charing Cross/Trafalgar Sq and the 100 most-visited spots of the moment, including clubs and restaurants.

ACabs are available for hire when the yellow sign above the windscreen is lit; just stick your arm out to signal one.

AFares are metered, with the flagfall charge of £2.60 (covering the first 248m during a weekday), rising by increments of 20p for each subsequent 124m.

AFares are more expensive in the evenings and overnight.

AYou can tip taxi drivers up to 10%, but most Londoners simply round up to the nearest pound.

AApps such as mytaxi (https://uk.mytaxi.com/hailo) use your smartphone's GPS to locate the nearest black cab. You only pay the metered fare.

AComCab (%cash 020-7908 0271; www.comcab-london.co.uk) operates one of the largest fleets of black cabs in town.

Minicabs

AMinicabs, which are licensed, are cheaper (usually) competitors of black cabs.

AUnlike black cabs, minicabs cannot legally be hailed on the street; they must be hired by phone or directly from one of the minicab offices (every high street has at least one and most clubs work with a minicab firm to send revellers home safely).

ADon’t accept unsolicited offers from individuals claiming to be minicab drivers – they are just guys with cars.

AMinicabs don’t have meters; there’s usually a fare set by the dispatcher. Make sure you ask before setting off.

AYour hotel or host will be able to recommend a reputable minicab company in the neighbourhood; every Londoner has the number of at least one company. Or phone a large 24-hour operator such as Addison Lee (%020-7407 9000; www.addisonlee.com).

AApps such as Uber or Kabbee allow you to book a minicab in double-quick time and can save you money.

Boats

Several companies operate along the River Thames; only Thames Clippers (www.thamesclippers.com; all zones adult/child £9/4.50) really offers commuter services, however. It’s fast, pleasant and you’re almost always guaranteed a seat and a view.

Thames Clipper boats run regular services between Embankment, Waterloo (London Eye), Blackfriars, Bankside (Shakespeare's Globe), London Bridge, Tower Bridge, Canary Wharf, Greenwich, North Greenwich and Woolwich piers (all zones adult/child £9/4.50), from 6.55am to around midnight (from 9.29am weekends).

Thames Clipper River Roamer tickets (adult/child £18.50/9.25) give freedom to hop on and hop off boats on most routes all day.

You can get a discount of one-third off the standard fare and off the price of River Roamer tickets if you're a pay-as-you-go Oyster Card holder or Travelcard holder (paper ticket or on Oyster Card). Children under five go free on most boats.

Between April and September, Hampton Court Palace can be reached by boat on the 22-mile route along the Thames from Westminster Pier in central London (via Kew and Richmond). The trip can take up to four hours, depending on the tide. Boats are run by Westminster Passenger Services Association ( GOOGLE MAP ; www.wpsa.co.uk; one-way/return adult £17/25, child £8.50/12.50).

The London Waterbus Company ( GOOGLE MAP ; %020-7482 2550; www.londonwaterbus.com; single/return adult £9/14, child £7.50/12; tWarwick Avenue) runs canal boats between Camden Lock and Little Venice.

Car & Motorcycle

As a visitor, it’s very unlikely you’ll need to drive in London. Much has been done to encourage Londoners to get out of their car and into public transport (or on their bikes) and the same disincentives should keep you firmly off the road: the congestion charge, extortionate parking fees, traffic jams, high price of petrol, fiendishly efficient traffic wardens, wheel clampers, ubiquitous CCTV cameras recording cars parked (even momentarily) on double yellow lines and so on.

Road Rules

ADrive on the left side of the road.

AGet a copy of the Highway Code (www.gov.uk/highway-code), available at Automobile Association (AA) and Royal Automobile Club (RAC) outlets, as well as some bookshops and tourist offices.

AA foreign driving licence is valid in Britain for up to 12 months from the time of your last entry into the country.

AIf you bring a car from Continental Europe, make sure you’re adequately insured.

AAll drivers and passengers must wear seatbelts, and motorcyclists must wear a helmet.

AIt is illegal to use a mobile phone to call or text while driving (using a hands-free device to talk on your mobile is permitted).

APedestrians have right of way at zebra crossings (black and white stripes on the road); allow them to cross.

AThe speed limit on most urban roads is 30mph, but there are 20mph zones (indicated).

Congestion Charge

London has a congestion charge (%0343 222 2222; www.tfl.gov.uk/roadusers/congestioncharging) in place to reduce the flow of traffic into its centre.

The congestion-charge zone encompasses Euston Rd and Pentonville Rd to the north, Park Lane to the west, Tower Bridge to the east, and Elephant and Castle and Vauxhall Bridge Rd to the south. As you enter the zone, you will see a large white ‘C’ in a red circle.

If you enter the zone between 7am and 6pm Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays), you must pay the £11.50 charge (payable in advance or on the day) or £14 on the first charging day after travel to avoid receiving a fine (£130, or £65 if paid within 14 days).

You can pay online or over the phone. For full details visit the website.

Hire

There is no shortage of car-rental agencies in London, including several branches of major brands such as Avis, easyCar and Hertz. Book in advance for the best fares, especially at weekends.

Fines

If you get a parking ticket or your car gets clamped, call the number on the ticket. If the car has been removed, ring the free 24-hour service called TRACE (Tow-Away Removal & Clamping Enquiries; %0845 206 8602; https://trace.london; h24hr) to find out where your car has been taken. It will cost you a minimum of £200 to get your vehicle back on the road.

Cable Car

The Emirates Air Line is a cable car linking the Royal Docks in East London with North Greenwich some 90m above the Thames. The journey is brief, and rather pricey, but the views are stunning.

Tram

South London has a small tram network called London Tramlink (%0343 222 1234; https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/trams). There are three routes running along 17 miles of track, including Wimbledon to Elmers End via Croydon; Croydon to Beckenham; and Croydon to New Addington. Single tickets cost £2.60 (£1.50 with an Oyster Card).

Walking

You can't beat walking for neighbourhood exploration. There are plenty of bridges across the Thames and a couple of pedestrian tunnels beneath the river too. It's also worth noting that some tube stations can be far closer to each other on the ground than they may appear on the tube map and it can be quicker to walk (eg Covent Garden to Leicester Square).

There are two pedestrian tunnels beneath the River Thames; one at Greenwich and one at Woolwich. Both can be an interesting, diverting, free and unusual way of getting between the north and south sides of London.

Tours

Air Tours

Adventure BalloonsADVENTURE

( GOOGLE MAP ; %01252 844222; www.adventureballoons.co.uk; Winchfield Park, London Rd, Hartley Wintney, Hampshire RG27; per person £199)

Weather permitting, weekday-morning London flights take off shortly after dawn from late April to mid-August. The flight lasts one hour, but allow four to six hours, including take-off, landing and recovery. See the website for meeting points.

Boat Tours

Crown River CruisesBOATING

(%020-7936 2033; www.crownrivercruise.co.uk; adult/child one way £9.90/4.95, return £13.15/6.58; h11am-6.30pm late May-early Sep, to 5pm Apr, May, Sep & Oct, to 3pm Nov-Mar)

Vessels travel east from Westminster Pier to St Katharine’s Pier near the Tower of London and back, calling at Embankment, Festival and Bankside piers. You can travel just one way, make the return trip or use the boat as a hop-on, hop-off service to visit sights on the way. Tours depart half-hourly late May to early September, and every 40 minutes the rest of the year.

Vessels are equipped with a multilingual commentary system, enabling passengers to use their smartphone to access an audio commentary in up to six languages (without using data).

Bus Tours

Big Bus ToursBUS

(%020-7808 6753; www.bigbustours.com; adult/child £30/12.50; hevery 20min 8.30am-6pm Apr-Sep, to 5pm Oct & Mar, to 4.30pm Nov-Feb)

Informative commentaries in 12 languages. The ticket includes a free river cruise with City Cruises and three thematic walking tours (Royal London, film locations, mysteries). Good online booking discounts available. Onboard wi-fi. The ticket is valid for 24 hours; for an extra £8 (£5 for children), you can upgrade to a 48-hour ticket.

Original TourBUS

(www.theoriginaltour.com; adult/child £30/15; h8.30am-8.30pm)

A 24-hour hop-on, hop-off bus service with a river cruise thrown in, as well as three themed walks: Changing of the Guard, Rock 'n' Roll and Jack the Ripper. Buses run every five to 20 minutes; you can buy tickets on the bus or online. There's also a 48-hour ticket available (adult/child £40/19), with an extended river cruise.

Specialist Tours

Guide LondonTOURS

(Association of Professional Tourist Guides; %020-7611 2545; www.guidelondon.org.uk; half-/full day £160/272)

Hire a prestigious Blue Badge Tourist Guide, know-it-all guides who have studied for two years and passed a dozen written and practical exams to do their job. They can tell you stories behind the sights that you'd only hear from them or whisk you on a themed tour – from royalty and The Beatles to parks and shopping. Go by car, public transport, bike or on foot.

For private tours by car, driver guides typically charge £365 for a half-day and £525 for a full day.

Alternative LondonCULTURAL

(www.alternativeldn.com)

Aiming to avoid the obvious and hackneyed, these cycling and walking tours cover themes such as street art, ethnic food and craft beer, mainly around the East End.

Open House LondonTOURS

(%020-7383 2131; www.openhouselondon.org.uk)

Along with the annual free Open House London weekend event during the third week of September, when some 750 to 800 buildings are open to the public, this architectural charity also sponsors talks with architectural tours to various areas of London held by sister organisation Open City (%020-3006 7008; www.open-city.org.uk; tours £24.50-35.50).

Unseen ToursWALKING

(%07514 266 774; www.sockmobevents.org.uk; £12)

See London from an entirely different angle on one of these award-winning neighbourhood tours led by the London homeless covering Camden Town, Brick Lane, Shoreditch and London Bridge. Sixty per cent of the tour price goes to the guide.