Want
to find your way around then explore the
London A-Z
before you go. Excellent maps covering the whole on
London.
Quick orientation of London -
take a double-decker tour. You can also hop on and off these buses if something
catches your eye - there's always another one coming your way (there's
something familiar about this saying!)
around every 15 minutes. The full tour generally takes about 2 hours.
The Big Buses
with live guides
are marked in front with a picture of a blue bus, non-guides show a picture of a
yellow bus and headphones. The
Original Sightseeing Bus has live guides if there is a Union Jack and yellow
triangle on the front. If no Union Jack then its a recorded guide. Phone 020
8877 1722.
You probably don't need to take a car into
London - the underground, taxi and bus services make it unnecessary.
You'll also be charged a
congestion toll of around £5 a day between 7am and 6.30pm Monday to Friday within
the Inner Ringroad. For further information on the congestion toll phone 0845
900 1234 or click here
A recorded phone guide to London run
by Visitorcall. Try 0839 123 456
Taxis - you can't miss them.
Big and black. If the light on the roof is on then flag it down, doesn't matter
which way it's going - they're like 'toon cabs and can turn anywhere. Cabs are
not a bad price - to give you an idea Kings X to Kensington High Street, about
20 mins, costs about £20. If you're more than one and don't have a lot of time
then its a good idea, if you're three or more then its a brilliant idea but then the
underground has to be experienced just to say you've done it. Beware of
unlicensed cabbies
trying to pick you up at stations - you don't need to go with unlicensed people,
there should be plenty of licensed taxis at the station exit.
The buses are easy to use and you get
to see sights while moving to your next destination. Get a Central London Bus
Guide from a TIC or tube station.
If you're doing more than a couple of days then a Travelcard is a great idea. It is valid for unlimited
travel by underground , Brit Rail, Docklands Light Railway and most buses. You
can get on and off wherever you like and is priced according the the number of
areas included and how many days you want it for. Travel Information centre will
be able to help you. You may need a photo card. There is a Travel Info'
Centre at Victoria Station. It gives free maps of bus routes and the Underground
system and other advice too. There are other smaller centres at Euston, Kings X,
Liverpool St, Piccadilly and Oxford Circus. The Original
Sightseeing Tour. This is a 90 minute tour in an open topped bus. Join at
Victoria St, Grosvenor Gardens, Marble Arch. Piccadilly Circus or Baker St
Station. or, the London Plus where you can buy a ticket for the whole day and
hop and off where you like. See also buses above.
Want to
check train times or book a ticket on line then save time try the TrainLine
>
The tube is generally the
fastest and cheapest way to travel, especially if you're travelling any distance
in town. If you've got a load of luggage then its one big grind. Again, get an
underground map beforehand (most city maps have them on the back or fly leaf)
and work out where you're going, takes stress out of it. Tube and bus
passes can be brought at any station and if you're doing a lot of moving around
then it will pay to get one.
River Info. Good idea to check
when, where and on so try tel: 0839 123 432. This is run by Visitorcall.
The least crowded way to travel in
London is by boat. There are 9 piers from which to stop or start your journey.
Hampton Court Pier, Richmond Pier, Kew Pier, Putney Pier, Westminster Pier,
Charing Cross Pier, Tower Pier, Greenwich Pier and the Thames Barrier Pier.
See our London by River Page
Stations:
On Wednesday, 14 November 2007, Eurostar launches services from St Pancras
International, our new home in the heart of London. Tickets are now on sale,
book now and be one of the first to experience faster journeys on High Speed
<
King's X
does the north east of England and Scotland. Paddington covers west and
southwest and south Wales.
_______________________
Airport Related Travel:
For Heathrow's airport, flight and transfers
information call the switchboard at 0870 000 0123. There are four terminals at
Heathrow: T1 for domestic and some European; T2 mostly
European; T3 mostly flights from the USA; T4 British Air transatlantic
flights and BA flights to Paris, Amsterdam and Athens.
The taxis seem to know
automatically where to take you if you tell them where you're going! Magic.
You'll find cafes, chemists, information desks, car rentals, bureau de
change, cash machines and a VAT refund desk at each terminal.
Taking the tube into London costs about £5 and takes about
50 minutes. Bear in mind that if you have a lot of luggage this is not the most
comfortable way to travel, especially if it's a busy time. The Piccadilly line connects the
airport to Central London and the rest of the underground system. The trains have special
luggage areas. The journey to Piccadilly Circus takes about 47 minutes. There are trains
every few minutes. There are two stations in the airport: Heathrow terminals 1.2.3. and
Heathrow Terminal 4. Check which terminal applies to your flight. Tel: 020 7222 1234
The Heathrow Express
train runs between Heathrow and Paddington Station. With departures every 15 minutes and a timetabled
journey of 15 minutes
Taking the Bus. The Airbus runs between the airport and London central. For
times and tickets >
Taking a taxi is an
easier way if there are four or more travelling together which keeps the cost
down.
There's a check-in at Paddington station if you're flying out of Heathrow. You
can get a boarding pass and check your luggage, daily between 5.00 and 21.00.
This should be a lot less hassle than at Heathrow's crowded avenues and you'll
be able to do a bit more sightseeing knowing check-in is done.
Airport Parking - >
Gatwick Airport is a lot further out than
Heathrow and the train is probably the best way into London.
Gatwick Express
offers
dedicated, high-speed travel between central London and Gatwick Airport. With
departures every 15 minutes and an average journey time of 30 minutes (35
minutes on Sundays),
You can take a taxi but its pretty expensive.
Stanstead Airport > The Airbus will take you to Victoria Coach station. There is
also a rail link >
For
further travel information visit our main
activities page
