TRAVEL ESSENTIALS Travel essentials GETTING AROUND Transport for London (www.tfl .gov.uk) operates
an extensive transport network across the
capital, covering six fare zones. TUBE The London Underground, or the Tube to most,
is usually the quickest and most convenient
way of getting around. There are 11 working
Tube lines, along with the Docklands Light
Railway (DLR) and an interconnected rail
network, with the fi rst trains operating from
around 5am Monday to Saturday and around BUS London’s bus service offers an easy way of
getting around the city — longer journeys can
be slower than the Tube, but it’s a more
comprehensive network that saves on
changing trains as well as reaching areas not
served by the Underground or trains. The fare
is �2 for any journey and you often have to buy
tickets from a machine at the bus stop. TRAIN The overground train network links many areas
not served by the Tube, as well as offering
direct east-west and north-south routes.
National Rail Enquiries: 08457 48 49 50.
www.nationalrail.co.uk DLR The DLR connects with the Tube network at
Bank and Tower Gateway (Tower Hill) stations
and also at Shadwell, Stratford and Canary
Wharf. The DLR serves Beckton and Stratford
to the east and north-east and Docklands,
Greenwich and Lewisham to the south. RIVER There is a variety of riverboats serving
numerous points and attractions along the
Thames, as well as special cruises. TAXI London’s black cabs are available for hire when the yellow light above the windscreen is lit — just raise your arm to hail one. Cabs are metered with a minimum fare of �2.20 and will cost from �8 for a 10-minute journey. Minicabs cannot legally be hailed on the street, so ensure the car is licensed. TO/FROM AIRPORTS London’s airports are all less than an hour
from the city centre and are served by trains,
buses and taxis. HEATHROW Heathrow Express (www.heathrowexpress.com)
departs for Paddington every 15 minutes, the
journey taking 15 minutes. Trains run from Heathrow Connect (www.heathrowconnect. com), runs trains every hour between 5.29am and 11.26pm, calling at Hayes & Harlington, Southall, Hanwell, West Ealing, Ealing Broadway and Paddington (25 minutes; approx. �6.90). Dot 2 dot (www.dot2.com) offers a bus shuttle into central London (20 minutes; �19) or Canary Wharf (30 minutes; �30), 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The Piccadilly Line, part of London
Underground, services all terminals, with
trains to terminals 1, 2, 3 and 4 or 1, 2, 3
and 5 (45 minutes; approx. �4). The fi rst
train leaves Terminal 4 at 5.03am (5.47am
on Sundays); the last train leaves Heathrow
at 11.36pm (11.13pm on Sundays). At night,
bus N9 connects Heathrow with the centre. GATWICK Gatwick Express (www.gatwickexpress.com) is fastest to central London, with departures every 15 minutes to Victoria, taking 30 minutes. A single costs �16.90 and a return �28.80. Trains run from 4.35am to 1.35am. First Capital Connect (www.fi rstcapital connect.co.uk) and Southern (www.southern railway.com) offer services taking 35-40 minutes, with fares from �8.90. Taxis can be very expensive, with journeys taking about an hour and costing in excess of �50. Dot 2 dot (www.dot2.com) offers a bus
shuttle into central London (20 minutes;
�25), 24 hours a day, seven days a week. LONDON CITY The DLR is now connected to the City, taking
22 minutes from the airport to Bank and
costing from �4 one way. A taxi costs around
�25, depending on the destination. LUTON Luton Airport Parkway is around 35 minutes
from St Pancras International and First Capital
Connect (www.fi rstcapitalconnect.co.uk)
operates a fast service to central London.
EasyBus (www.easybus.co.uk), Green Line
(www.greenline.co.uk) and Terravision STANSTED The quickest rail link is the Stansted Express
(www.stanstedexpress.com) to Liverpool Street
via Tottenham Hale (45 minutes; �17). National
Express (www.nationalexpresseastanglia.com)
operates rail services to Tottenham Hale T IME OF PRIN T AT T T FOR LONDON 2005. PRICES CORREC IN THE KNOW: TRAVELCARDS ANSPOR Electronic smartcards called Oyster Cards offer the best fares when travelling in London (www.oystercard.com), but if you’re in town for only a few days, a Travelcard may be more convenient. These give unlimited travel on the Tube, DLR, buses and overground rail, plus a third off scheduled riverboat fares. Travelcards can be bought for one, three or seven days, plus longer periods, with the cost depending on the zones you need to travel through. An off-peak, one-day Travelcard for zones 1-2 costs around �5.60. www.tfl .gov.uk R IMAGE: � T W2L SUMMER 2009 95 |