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Getting Around
Public Transport
Transport for London (tel: (020) 7222 1234 (24-hour enquiries); website: www.tfl.gov.uk) provide comprehensive information on all forms of transport within London, as well as operating the buses. Interested visitors can trace the history and development of the city’s transport system at the London Transport Museum in the Piazza at Covent Garden (tel: (020) 7379 6344 or 7565 7299; website: www.ltmuseum.co.uk).
| The London Underground (website: www.thetube.com), 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. An on-going programme is replacing old rolling stock, modernising stations and improving efficiency, however, escalator and station closures are still a regular problem and long-term solutions are not helped by the fact that the system is effectively in limbo at the moment, with the Government and the Mayor of London at loggerheads over whether it should be part-privatised. Twelve underground lines, each with a different name and colour, are 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. Within the city centre (zone one) a single ticket costs £1.60, while to travel from zone one to other zones costs from £1.90 (to go to zone two) to £3.60 (to go to zone six). Carnets of ten zone-one-only tickets cost £11.50. 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 runs 0530-2430 but should be avoided (where possible) during rush hour – 0800-0930 and 1700-1830 Monday to Friday.
Regional and commuter rail services, such as Silverlink Metro (tel: (0845) 748 4950), run between numerous stations in the capital and often cover routes not served by the London Underground.
London’s famous red ‘Routemaster’ double-decker buses are slowly being superseded by more modern single and double deckers. There are now only two fare zones for buses. Any journey that includes the city centre zone is £1 and any journey outside this zone is 70p. Single tickets are bought from the driver or bus conductor upon boarding and there is a £5 fine for travelling without a valid ticket. Carnets of six tickets (for any zone) can be purchased from newsagents for £3.90. Night buses, prefixed by the letter ‘N’, replace the standard services after midnight. Fares on night buses are the same as regular buses.
There are a number of passes available, including the One-day Travelcard, which can be used on buses and London Underground. This costs £4.10 off peak (only valid after 0930) and £5.30 peak (valid from 0001). Both are valid all night until 0430 the next morning. A Weekend Travelcard, which is valid all Saturday and Sunday, costs £6.10. Prices quoted are for zones one and two only. The One-day Bus Pass is only valid on buses (zones 1-4) and costs £2. Weekly, monthly and annual passes must be accompanied by a photocard. All passes, as well as carnets for bus or London Underground, can be purchased at participating newsagents and supermarkets.
There are a number of transport services operating on the River Thames. Commuter ferries between Savoy Pier (central at Embankment) and Greenland Pier (east at Greenwich) are run by Collins River Enterprises (tel: (020) 7977 6892; website: www.thamesclippers.com). A single costs £3. Connoisseur Charters (tel: (020) 7352 5888; website: www.connoisseur.co.uk) operates a high-speed commuter service from Chelsea Harbour in the west to Savoy Pier, which also continues on to Greenland Pier. A single from Chelsea to the Savoy costs £4. These commuter services operate approximately 0600-2000 Monday to Friday and 0930-1730 Saturday and Sunday. Full details of all river ferries (operators, timetables, routes and prices) can be obtained from Transport for London (tel: (020) 7222 1234; website: www.tfl.gov.uk). Tickets for the various services available can be bought on board.
Taxis
London’s distinctive black taxi cabs are a pleasant – if pricey – way of getting around the city, as well as meeting the legendary ‘cabbies’. Fares start at £1.40 and increase by £1.80 per mile (or 30p per minute if travelling less than 10mph) up to £12, then by £2.55 per mile (or 45p per minute). Tariffs are higher on Saturdays and Sundays and even higher after 2000 every evening. Increased rates at night were introduced to get more cabs on the street, which has worked, although longer journeys can now be prohibitively expensive. 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. London cabbies have undergone intensive training – known as the ‘Knowledge’ – which involves riding around London on a moped learning all the street names, followed by a gruelling examination.
Black cabs can be booked through Dial-a-Cab (tel: (020) 7251 0581; website: www.dialacab.co.uk) and Radio Taxis (tel: (020) 7272 0272; website: www.radiotaxis.co.uk). London taxi drivers’ unsurpassed understanding of the city has been tapped by a tour company, who offer black cab tours (tel: (020) 7935 9363; website: www.blacktaxitours.co.uk). Any complaints about black cabs should be directed to the Public Carriage Office, 15 Penton Street, London N1 9PU (tel: (020) 7941 7800).
Minicabs (usually standard saloon cars) can be booked over the telephone or direct from offices throughout London. One particularly efficient and reputable city-wide firm is Addison Lee (tel: (020) 7383 5858; website: www.addisonlee.co.uk). Although generally cheaper than black cabs, there are numerous illegal and/or 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, should not be accepted. Transport for London (tel: (020) 7222 1234; website: www.tfl.gov.uk) 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 (tel: (020) 7235 0234) and London Chauffeur Drive (tel: (020) 7633 9410; website: www.lcd.uk.com). On average, stretch limousines cost about £50 (plus VAT) per hour in London, while a car with chauffeur starts from £30 per hour in London.
Driving in the City
London mayor Ken Livingstone infamous ‘congestion charge’ comes into action in February 2003. The aim is to ease traffic congestion, with a toll charge of £5 for entry to the city centre, as congestion currently makes driving one of the city’s least appealing pastimes. The M25 ring motorway and major routes into and out of the city are often at a standstill, particularly on Friday and Sunday evenings. Heavy traffic within the city centre has made many drivers bullish, with aggressive driving techniques increasingly common. Transport for London (website: www.tfl.gov.uk) can provide information on driving in London and on the congestion charge.
Off-road parking is available 24 hours at NCP garage (tel: (0870) 606 7050; website: www.ncp.co.uk) around the city. The tariffs vary, however, 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 £3 for one hour and rising to £15 for 12-24 hours. Parking elsewhere can be much more expensive, especially street parking on central meters or pay and display bays. Street parking is prohibited within any area marked with a zigzag or double yellow line. On a red line, or a double red line, even stopping is forbidden. The minimum penalty for illegal parking is a £40 fine – wheel-clamping and impounding vehicles, both of which incur additional fines, are not uncommon. For further information, visitors can contact the 24-hour clamping hotline (tel: (020) 7747 4747). Many residential areas require residents’ permits to park and visitors should read the signs carefully for the operating hours of the pay spaces and the permit spaces.
Essentially, since London combines terrible traffic with high parking charges and there is now the added uncertainty surrounding the implementation of the congestion charge, visitors are recommended to use public transport in central London.
Car Hire
Regulations vary but car hire companies usually require drivers to be around 25 years or older. A foreign national driving licence is valid in Britain for one year, although an International Driving Permit may be preferred if the licence is not in English. A credit card is essential and it is important to check what level of insurance is included in the price of car hire. All major car firms have locations all over the city, such as Avis (tel: (0870) 606 0100; website: www.avis.com); Budget (tel: (0800) 626 063; website: www.budgetrentacar.com) and Hertz (tel: (0870) 599 6699; website: www.hertz.com). Rates start from around £30 per day. There has been a recent growth in budget/Internet car hire companies, spearheaded by easyRentacar (website: www.easyrentacar.com), the first Internet-only car hire company with prices starting from just £7 per day.
Bicycle Hire
The London Bicycle Tour Company, 1A Gabriel’s Wharf, 56 Upper Ground SE1 (tel: (020) 7928 6838; website: www.londonbicycle.com), hires out bicycles for £2.50 per hour, £12 per day or £36 per week.
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