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Getting Around |
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Public
Transport
Transport
for London (telephone: (020) 7222 1234 (24-hour enquiries) provides
comprehensive information on all forms of transport within London,
as well as operating the buses.
Buses
London’s famous red ‘Routemaster’
double-decker buses have bee replaced by more modern single and
double deckers. There is now only one fare zone for all buses. Flat
fare of £1 applies for adults on all buses and trams. Tickets
have to be bought prior to boarding and there is a £5 fine
for travelling without a valid ticket. Services operate 24 hours
a day, with night buses, prefixed by the letter ‘N’,
replacing the standard services on most routes after midnight. Fares
on night buses are the same as regular buses.
There are also three tram routes in the Croydon
area; it is unlikely that visitors will use these, however, a Cross-River
tram from Camden to Brixton via central London is planned for completion
in 2011.
London Underground
The London Underground
(telephone: (0845) 330 9880 or (020) 7222 1234) commonly referred
to as the ‘Tube’, is the oldest and
most extensive underground system in the world and pervades both
the life and layout of London. The network consists of 12 underground
lines, each with a different name and colour, supplemented by the
Docklands Light
Railway, connecting the City of London and the Docklands.
The entire network is divided into six concentric zones, which determine
the price of tickets. Tickets should be purchased at the station
and must be passed through the barrier ticket gates in order for
the passenger to enter and leave the system (and avoid a £10
penalty fare). The London Underground operates daily approximately
05:30-24:30 but should be avoided during rush hour (Monday to Friday
08:00-09:30 and 17:00-18:30) when it is extremely crowded.
Rail Services
Various regional and commuter rail services, such as Silverlink
Metro (telephone: (0845) 601 4867) and Thameslink
(telephone: (0845) 748 4950), operate between numerous stations
in the capital and often cover routes not served by the London Underground.
All passes, and carnets for bus or London Underground, are available
for purchase at Tube stations and participating newsagents.
Transport on the Thames
There are many transport services operating on the River Thames.
Thames Clippers,
commuter ferries running between Savoy Pier (central at Embankment)
and Masthouse Terrace (east of Greenwich) are operated by Collins
River Enterprises (telephone: (020) 7977 6892).
The River Taxi Service, operated by Connoisseur Charters
(telephone: (020) 7352 5888), is a high-speed commuter service from
Chelsea Harbour in the west to Blackfriars; a separate river bus
also continues on to Greenland Pier (Greenwich).
Tickets for the various services available are available for purchase
on board. Interested visitors can view the history and development
of the city’s transport system at the London
Transport Museum in The Piazza, at Covent Garden (telephone:
(020) 7379 6344 or 7565 7299).
Taxis
London’s distinctive black taxi cabs are a pleasant and a
pricey way of getting around the city, as well as meeting the legendary
‘cabbies’. Fares always start at £2 and go up
in increments of £0.20. The lowest tariff is in effect Monday
to Friday 06:00-20:00 (except public holidays). Tariffs are higher
20:00-22:00 weekdays and up to 22:00 on Saturdays and Sundays and
then even higher 22:00-06:00 every day.
Visit www.transportforlondon.gov.uk/pco/taxi_fares.shtml
for more fares information. A tip of 10-15% to ‘round up’
the bill is customary. Each taxi has a licence number and badged
drivers must comply with official regulations.
Black
cabs can be booked through Dial-a-Cab
(telephone: (020) 7251 0581) and Radio
Taxis (telephone: (020) 7272 0272). London taxi drivers’
unsurpassed understanding of the city has been tapped by Black
Taxi Tours (telephone: (020) 7935 9363), London sightseeing
tours in a black cab. Any complaints about black cabs should be
directed to the Public Carriage Office, 15 Penton Street, London
N1 9PU (telephone: (020) 7941 7800).
Minicabs
can be booked over the telephone or direct from local offices throughout
London. One particularly efficient and reputable city-wide firm
is Addison Lee (telephone:
(020) 7387 8888). Although generally cheaper than black cabs, there
are numerous illegal and unscrupulous operators, so it is always
wise for travellers to check that the company is registered. In
particular, offers of lifts by unlicensed drivers off the street,
late at night in the West End or anywhere else for that matter,
should not be accepted.
Transport
for London (telephone: (020) 7222 1234) can provide a list of
licensed Private Hire companies, as well as information on black
taxis.
Limousines
Chauffeur-driven luxury cars can be hired from several companies,
including Carey
Worldwide Chauffeur Services (telephone: (020) 7235 0234) and
London Chauffeur Drive (telephone: (020) 7633 9410).
Driving
in the City
London infamous congestion charge (telephone: (0845)
900 1234) came into force in February 2003. There is now
a daily charge of £5 for all vehicles entering the
central London congestion charging zone Monday to Friday
between 07:00 and 18:30.
The attempt to reduce congestion has been successful and there are
plans to extend the congestion charging zone. However, the M25 ring
motorway and major routes into and out of the city are often at
a standstill, particularly on Friday and Sunday evenings.
Car Parking
Off-road parking is available 24 hours at NCP
garages (telephone: (0870) 606 7050) situated around the city. The
tariffs vary from garage to garage. The cheapest NCP garage in London
can be found at the Brunswick Centre, Marchmont Street, WC1, with
prices here ranging between £4 for up to two hours and rising
to £14 for nine to 24 hours.
Street parking in central London can be extremely expensive. Meters,
pay-and-display bays or resident’s parking bays operate throughout
central London.
Cheap and improved bus services combined with the congestion charge
and high parking charges mean that visitors are much better off
using public transport than they are driving in central London.
Car Hire
All major car firms have locations all over the city, such as Avis
(telephone: (0870) 606 0100), Budget
(telephone: (0800) 181 181) and Hertz
(telephone: (0870) 599 6699). The London congestion charge does
apply to all hire cars and drivers will usually be liable for this,
in addition to the price quoted for hiring a car.
There has been a recent growth in budget/Internet car hire companies,
spearheaded by easyCar
(telephone: (0906) 333 3333), the first Internet-only car hire company.
The easyCar depot at the Barbican is one of the only places in central
London where the congestion charge is included in the price of hiring
a car.
Bicycle Hire
Both bicycles and motorcycles avoid the congestion charge, so they
are sensible modes of transport in London.
The London Bicycle
Tour Company, 1A Gabriel’s Wharf, 56 Upper Ground SE1
(telephone: (020) 7928 6838).
Although About
Town Motorcycle and Scooter Hire (telephone: (020) 8871 1112;
fax: (020) 8875 9192) is based in Wandsworth, in the southwest of
the city, motorcycles or scooters will be delivered to all London
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