London City Guide - Getting Around

Transport for London (tel: (020) 7222 1234 (24-hour enquiries); website: www.tfl.gov.uk) provides comprehensive information on all forms of transport within London, as well as operating the buses. It is worth noting that using Oyster, TfL's prepaid electronic smartcard, is the cheapest way to get around, as buying individual tickets is prohibitively expensive. Enquire at a Tube station for details, or visit www.visitbritaindirect.com.

London's famous red ‘Routemaster' double-decker buses have now been phased out and been superseded by more modern single and double deckers, with the exception of on a couple of ‘heritage routes' (buses 9 and 15, every 15 minutes) for the nostalgia. There is only one fare zone for all buses. You can buy a carnet of six tickets (reduced price) in advance from newsagents and Tube stations, though using a pre-paid Oyster card is cheaper or of a similar price. On many routes, you have to buy tickets prior to boarding and there is a 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.

The London Underground (tel: 0845 330 9880; website: www.tfl.gov.uk/tube), commonly referred to as the ‘Tube', is the oldest and most extensive underground system in the world. An on-going programme is replacing old rolling stock, modernising stations and improving efficiency, however, escalator and station closures are still a regular problem. The network consists of 12 underground lines, each with a different name and colour, supplemented by the Docklands Light Railway (website: www.tfl.gov.uk/dlr), connecting the City of London and the Docklands. The entire network is divided into six concentric zones, which determine the price of tickets. The London Underground operates daily approximately from 0530 to 0030 but is best avoided during rush hour (Monday to Friday 0800-0930 and 1700-1830) when it is extremely crowded.

There are a number of passes available, including the Day Travelcard, which can be used on buses and London Underground. An off peak card (only valid after 0930) is cheaper than a peak one (valid from 0001). Both are valid all night until 0430 the next morning. There is also a Three Day Travelcard, which is valid on any three consecutive days (peak). Travelcards including other zones cost more. The one-day bus pass is only valid on buses. Weekly, monthly and annual passes must be accompanied by a photocard. You can buy all passes, as well as carnets for bus or London Underground, at Tube stations and participating newsagents.

There are a number of transport services operating on the River Thames. Thames Clippers (tel: 0870 781 5049; website: www.thamesclippers.com) commuter ferries run between Savoy Pier (central at Embankment) and Royal Arsenal Woolwich Pier. There is also a high-speed commuter service from Chelsea Harbour in the west to Blackfriars. Full details of all river ferries can be obtained from Transport for London (see above). You can buy tickets for the various services on board.

London's distinctive black taxi cabs are a pleasant (if pricey) way of getting around the city, as well as meeting the legendary ‘cabbies'. The lowest tariff is in effect Monday to Friday 0600-2000 (except public holidays). Tariffs are higher at night and at the weekend. 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) 7426 3420; website: www.dialacab.co.uk) and Radio Taxis (tel: (020) 7272 5471; website: www.radiotaxis.co.uk).

Minicabs (usually standard saloon cars) can be booked over the telephone or direct from local offices throughout London. One particularly efficient and reputable city-wide firm is Addison Lee (tel: (020) 7387 8888; 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 or anywhere else for that matter, 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.

London's infamous congestion charge (tel: 0845 900 1234; website: www.cclondon.com) came into force in February 2003, and was extended in February 2007. There is now a daily charge of for all vehicles entering the central London congestion charging zone Monday to Friday between 0700 and 1800. The new zone boundaries reach (and include) North Kensington, Notting Hill, Kensington and South Kensington in the west; Chelsea, Pimlico, Lambeth, Newington and Borough in the south; the City in the east; and Clerkenwell, Finsbury, Euston, St Pancras, Marylebone and Bayswater in the north. This is clearly marked on roads and signposts. You will find a downloadable map of the zone and how to pay on the website above.

Off-road parking is available 24 hours at NCP garages (tel: 0845 050 7080; website: www.ncp.co.uk) situated 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. Street parking in central London can be extremely expensive. Meters, pay-and-display bays or resident's parking bays operate throughout central London. Visitors should read the signs extremely carefully for the operating hours of the different bays and note that, although a pay space might only operate up to 1830, the adjacent resident's parking bays could require permits 24 hours a day. Parking on a single yellow line is prohibited within the hours of operation of the nearest meter or pay-and-display bay. Parking within any area marked with a zigzag or double yellow line is prohibited. On a red line, or a double red line, even stopping is forbidden. Drivers caught parking illegally will incur a hefty fine.

Improved bus services in the capital, 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.

Regulations vary but car hire companies usually require drivers to be around 25 years or older. A foreign national driving licence is valid in the UK 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, including Avis (tel: 0870 606 0100; website: www.avis.co.uk), Budget (tel: 0844 581 9998; website: www.budget.co.uk) and Hertz (tel: 0870 599 6699; website: www.hertz.co.uk). 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. Car hire companies vary but most do not even arrange the payment of the charge and leave it up to drivers to sort this out independently (see Driving in the City).

There has been a recent growth in budget/Internet car hire companies, spearheaded by easyCar (tel: 0906 333 3333; website: www.easycar.com), the first Internet-only car hire company. Prices are considerably cheaper than for traditional car hire companies. 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.

Both bicycles and motorcycles avoid the congestion charge (as well as traffic and parking charges), so they are sensible modes of transport in London. Mayor Boris Johnson is trying to make London bicycle friendly and there are many new cycle paths and cycle routes throughout the city. The London Bicycle Tour Company, 1A Gabriel's Wharf, 56 Upper Ground, SE1 (tel: (020) 7928 6838; website: www.londonbicycle.com), hires out bicycles by the hour, the day or the week.

About Town Motorcycle and Scooter Hire (tel: (020) 8871 1112; website: www.abouttownbikehire.co.uk), based in Wandsworth, in the southwest of the city, hires motorcycles or scooters which can be delivered to all London hotels.