Getting Around London

Public transport is often the best option for travel in and around London for visitors and residents alike. London travel news - Transport for London provide a useful Journey planner to help you plan your travel in and around London on public transport. They have a 24-hour London travel information line, charged at local rate: tel +44-(0)20 7222 1234 for suggestions on getting from A to B in London and for the latest London travel information and services. Travel tips - Getting to London - Airport to London transfers from Heathrow Airport, Gatwick Airport, Stansted Airport, Luton Airport and London City Airport. London has five airports and all offer a choice of ways of getting into the centre of London.   Heathrow Airport. 23 km (14 miles) Distance from London Centre Telephone: 0870 0000 123 Airport to London transfers - London budget travel - By coach - National Express runs a regular service From Heathrow Airport to Victoria Bus Station  journeys take from 40 mins to an hour and the fares are moderate. The London Underground (Tube) The cheapest option is a tube ride connecting to the London Piccadilly Underground line, it isn't as quick  as the Heathrow Express, but this form of transportation will only cost you around GBP 4.00 for a single ticket. The journey time to get to London is about 50 minutes. Visit-www.heathrowairport.com or the website:-www.heathrowexpress.com for more information and current prices. The Heathrow Express (Telephone:0845 6001 515) offers the fastest way (15 minutes) to central London from the airport. The service runs every 15 minutes into London's Paddington Station. At around GBP 14.00 for a single journey, it is a more expensive option than the Tube ( London Underground). A taxi can also prove to be an expensive choice; the journey from the airport to central London will take around an hour and cost from GBP 35.00. Tourist Information Centre - desks can be found at Heathrow Airport  tube stations in Terminals 1, 2 and 3 (daily from 08.00-18.00.)   Gatwick Airport. 45 km (28 miles) Distance from London Centre Telephone: 0870 5301 530 Gatwick Airport transfers The Gatwick Express (www.gatwickexpress.co.uk) provides a high-speed rail link between Gatwick Airport and London Victoria Station (where you can connect with other trains, buses and the London Underground network to reach your destination). The service runs every 15 minutes and takes 30 minutes. The cost is from around GBP 14.00 (single) but check the website for details and current fares. National Rail trains are a cheaper alternative to the Gatwick Express- they run from the Airport station to London Victoria, London Bridge, King's Cross and various other stations in central London at around 15 minute intervals and take 40 minutes. London budget travel - If you are not in a hurry with your airport to london transfer - you could travel to London cheaply using a National Express coach. Prices start from around GBP 6 and the journey time to Central London is around one hour but at peak time traffic periods it can take much longer .website:www.gatwickairport.com and website:www.nationalexpress.com to plan your journey. By taxi - from GBP 55.   Stansted Airport. 55 km (34 miles) Distance from London Centre Telephone:0870 0000 303 Airport to London transfers The Stansted Express offers a non-stop rail link between the airport and London Liverpool Street Station, where you can connect with other trains and the London Underground. The service runs every 15 minutes on weekdays; every 30 minutes at other times and operates from 6am until midnight.The journey takes around 45 minutes and the cost is from GBP 13.00  (single). To book on-line and for other details visit the website:www.stanstedexpress.com  London budget travel - National Express Bus coaches depart every half hour to London Victoria (stopping at Golders Green tube station, Finchley Road tube Station, St Johns Wood, Park Rd. Marylebone, Baker Street, Marble Arch, Oxford Street, Hyde Park Corner on the way) and are around a third cheaper than the Standstead Express, but- the journey time is longer at 80-110 minutes (allow much longer). National Express Coach Fare : GBP 10 Single,GBP 17 Return. (Children  - Half Price By taxi - from GBP 55.   Luton Airport. 51km (32 miles) Distance from London Centre Telephone:01582 405100 Website: www.london-luton.com Luton airport tranfers - Luton to London The Green Line (www.greenline.co.uk) bus runs from Luton Airport to Victoria Coach Station (next to Victoria Rail Station) every 20 minutes - check their website for journey times and current prices. Train - The other option is to use the free shuttle bus from Luton Airport to take you to Luton Station where you can connect with regular train services into London. The journey time is around 30 minutes to either London St Pancras or London King's Cross Thameslink stations.   London City Airport. 10 km (6 miles) Distance from London Centre Telephone:020 7646 0088 website:-www.londoncityairport.com london City Airport transfers The airport is served by the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) which connects with the London underground. Shuttle buses - these link the London City airport to the London Underground Jubilee (tube) Line. Taxi - from GBP 20   Disabled Travellers - Tripscope:-Website:-www.tripscope.org.uk offers information on transport for the disabled and elderley. Travel Information Centre Travel information centres can be found at the following locations: Euston - London mainline station King's Cross - London mainline station Victoria - London mainline station Oxford Circus - Underground Piccadilly Circus - Underground

Free time in London

Getting around the Areas, Neighbourhoods and Districts of London   Tube (Underground) London Underground is usually the fastest way to get from one part of London to another. During the day, the time between trains is usually only a few minutes and trains run from around 5:30AM to about 1am at night. Tube (London Underground) maps are available from any London station and from tourist offices. Stations are split into six zones, depending on location,  and fares are charged accordingly.  Zone 1 contains most of the primary London tourist attractions. Single tickets can be expensive (A single cash fare starts from GBP 3.00 depending on the zone) and you will find that the best way to get cheap London budget travel is by using Travelcards - daily, weekly and monthly travel passes that allow unlimited travel in the zones specified on your Travelcard. Travelcards offer you much better value if you intend making several journeys - an off-peak Day Travelcard for Zones 1-2  is available after 9.30am each day. Using a pre-pay Oyster card, reduces fare prices even more. London discount travel - Oyster cards are available at train and  London Underground stations but require payment of a small deposit; this is refunded when the card is returned. Another advantage of using an Oyster card is that it is automatically capped to a relevant daily London Travelcard price. Weekly tickets are available which reduce the price of travel even further and they do not restrict travel before 9:30AM. Bus Buses can be quicker for short journeys in London and you can buy a One Day Bus Pass for cheap London travel from bus ticket machines, rail and tube stations and some newsagents, which allow unlimited bus journeys for an entire day (and night - up till 4:30AM the next day on the night bus network) across the whole of Greater London. Travelcards and Oystercards can also be used on bus services. Routemaster buses, with an open rear platform and on-board conductor to collect fares, run on Heritage Routes 9 and 15 every 15 minutes, every day between about 09:30 and 18:30. DLR Docklands Light Rail (DLR) is a dedicated light rail network operating in east London, connecting with the Underground network at Bank and Tower Gateway. By taxi London's famous black cabs can be hailed on the street or found at one of the many designated taxi ranks. Black cabs charge by distance and by the minute and can work out to be a cheap transport option for a group tour or group transportation where the passengers can share the cost.   Useful Bus Routes - cheap London travel The Number 11 Bus will take you to many of the major attractions and sights in London.  If it is your first time in London you may want use the number 11 bus to see where all the sights and attractions in London are located. A single journey costs around GBP 1.50, or if you wish to hop on and off, a day travel card can be bought for GBP 3.50. The Number 11 bus starts from Liverpool Street Station but you can get on and off at the following stops in the route. Aldwych Strand Charing Cross Station Strand Charing Cross Trafalgar Square Whitehall Parliament Street Westminster Station Parliament Square Victoria Station Buckingham Palace  Road Victoria Coach Station Buckingham Palace Road Pimlico Road Lower Sloane Street Sloane Square Station Kings Road Chelsea Kings Road New King's Road Fulham Broadway Station The route of the number 11 bus will take you to or near to the following places: The City of London  Bank of England,  Fleet street,  Trafalgar Square  Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace , (close by). Chelsea,, Royal Hospital.   River Services from London Piers One of the most rewarding and pleasant ways to travel in London is to go by river. Services run frequently from Westminster and Embankment piers to Greenwich, stopping at the Tower of London on the way. Journey time to Greenwich is 1 hour A London river service operates to Kew from Westminster pier and takes around 90 minutes. Bateaux London offer lunch and dinner cruises from the Embankment Pier. If you have the time to spare you can journey like Henry VIII to Hampton Court by river (check on the duration of the journey). For a list of river boat operators, times and routes - pick up a Thames Boat Services Guide from London Piers or Tube Stations.   Walking Because central London is quite compact, walking can sometimes be the quickest way to get to the sights you want to see.  With a London A-Z guide in your pocket; you can slow down and look around you and find many hidden and interesting buildings that you may otherwise miss. Driving in London If  you really want to drive in central London, in spite of the Congestion Charge, scarce parking and Yellow Lines - try to avoid the rush hour when traffic is so slow; you could probably walk faster.  Buy a copy of  the Highway Code and don't park illegally or you could find that your car has been wheel-clamped.   <

Time out of London

Spend some time out of London on a day trip - travel from London to some of these favourite tourist destinations. Brighton is a just one hour away from London by train from Victoria. Highlights - Pebble seafront, pier and funfair, the Royal Pavilion.  Hampton Court Palace can be reached in 30 minutes from Waterloo station. Highlights - King Henry VIII's state apartments, a real tennis court and a maze to take you back in time. Eastbourne; The journey time out of London is 1 hour 30 minutes from London Victoria. Highlights - A sand and Shingle beach, a very large leisure complex and indoor and outdoor attractions and playgrounds.  Bath; the train time out of London is just under two hours. Highlights -  rich in Georgian architecture, excellent shops, American Museum.  Oxford is a university city which can be reached in a journey time of just over an hour from Paddington Station in London. Highlights -Ancient collegiate buildings, river walks, good bookshops and a lively atmosphere. Windsor is a nearby Thames-side town  and is only a short journey time of 30 minutes from London's Paddington Station. Highlights - The Queen's magnificent castle and royal residence. Canterbury is just a one hour journey time from London's Victoria station and its cathedral is one of the most ancient sights in England. Southend-on-Sea is reached by train  from Liverpool Street station and the journey time is 1 hour  from London. Highlights - A sandy beach, Lot's of kid's entertainment and the world's longest pier Eurostar Travel from London to Paris - Eurostar trains link London St.Pancras with Paris and Lille in France, and Brussels in Belgium. (On many services you can also join the train at Ashford in Kent). website:-www.eurostar.com London St.Pancras to Paris Gare du Nord (near to Centre of Paris) has a journey time of around 2 hours 40 minutes. London St.Pancras to Brussels has a journey time of around 2 hours 20minutes. Rail Services The following London mainline rail stations connect with the main cities and areas of the U.K and are all interconnected by the Underground (tube). Kings Cross - The northeast, Leeds, Cambridge, York, Hull, Newcastle, Edinburgh. Euston - the Midlands and northwest, Coventry,Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, Glasgow. Victoria - Southeast, Dover, Brighton, Eastbourne, Gatwick. Paddington - the West Country, Exeter, Plymouth, Bristol, Swansea, Bath, Oxford, Gloucester. Waterloo - the south of England, Bournemouth, Portsmouth, Southampton, Winchester, Salisbury - : . Liverpool Street - Colchester, Cambridge, Norwich, Harwich. Charing Cross - Folkestone, Hastings. St.Pancras - north of England, Nottingham, Derby, Leicester, Sheffield, Eurostar - London to Paris . Rail Tickets Rail tickets can be purchased  at the railway station or on the Internet (website-www.trainline.com). For travel within Greater London, London Travel Cards may offer the best option. For longer journeys, Cheap Day Return tickets offer considerable savings but travel before 9.30 am. is usually restricted with the Cheap Day Return option. London travel tip - If you are able to book your journey at least one week in advance, it is usually possible to get a considerable saving on a standard rail ticket.   Coach Services from London Victoria Coach Station - travel from London Getting to Victoria Coach Station: Victoria Coach Station is on Buckingham Palace Road, London SW1W 9TP, about 600 metres walk from Victoria Railway and Underground Stations (served by the Victoria line, District line and Circle line). Bus numbers 11, 211, 239, C1, C10 and N11 all stop outside the Victoria Coach Station. If you are driving - there is a NCP car park on Semley Place next to Victoria Coach Station. Coaches (long-distance express buses are usually called coaches) travel to and from many European cities. National Express goes to 356 destinations in the U.K (United Kingdom) from London Victoria. Funfares from £5 one way - are available to over 50 destinations in the U.K. - it's advisable to book early to get these budget travel special offers. Also check out their Travel Cards for discounted travel. Greenline buses (website-www.greenline.co.uk) travel between London and Luton.    Eurotunnel The drive on train service between Folkestone and Calais runs frequently with a journey time of 35 minutes. Website:-www.eurotunnel.co.uk Ferry Services  - cross Channel Ferry services operate between Britian and the Continent. Website:-www.brittany-ferries.com Website:-www.hoverspeed.com Website:-www.poferries.com Website:-www.seafrance.com   Areas of London for more details of the nearest Tube / London Underground Stations for London Sights and Attractions. Plan your trip to London - flights and booking Getting to London