Following her recent trip to London our blogging friend Katy has written a series of three posts of hints and tips for those visiting London for the first time. They are excellent advice even if you’ve been to London before. I recommend that you go and read them.
And when you’ve read them, come back here for a few things I, as a Londoner born and bred, can add.
London Transport
London for Beginners ā The Basics
London for Beginners ā Tourist Attractions
OK. In general I will echo everything that Katy says in these three posts. But here are a few additional thoughts which I’ve arranged roughly by each of Katy’s posts.
London Transport
Although Katy isn’t a Londoner, she’s been visiting London for many years and has lived here, so in many ways she knows more about travelling around London than I do.
Driving in London
My first piece of advice here would be what Katy doesn’t say in as many words: DON’T. If you thought the one-way systems, restrictions, traffic etc. were bad in your city they’re worse in London.
If you must drive in central London then something to watch is fuel. Fill up before you get into the centre. There are very few petrol stations in the central area. OK I’m not a driver but I can think of only two fuel stops in the West End area: one on Park Lane and one on the Marylebone Road. Doubtless there are others, but they’re pretty well hidden.
Take Katy’s words about parking restrictions to heart. Yes you can find convenient on-street parking but it is rare; near Oxford Street you can try Manchester Square which sometimes has available parking especially at weekends. (And while you’re in Manchester Square visit The Wallace Collection.)
Do not dice with the parking/traffic restrictions. Not only are there lots of Traffic Wardens, but there are lots of cameras, including on mobile vans and buses. If you get caught (and you will be) flouting parking restrictions, stopping in yellow boxes, jumping lights or using bus lanes you will find you’re stuffed with a Ā£100+ ticket. Don’t risk it.
Trains
If you are eligible, get a Senior Railcard. They are Ā£28 a year (Ā£65 for three years) and give you around 30% off many train fares; you could save the cost on your first train trip to London.
London Underground (The Tube)
As Katy says: get an Oyster Card, if possible before you arrive. This will allow you to swipe through gates and will save you money as Oyster fares are significantly cheaper than paying cash for single tickets. Once you have the card you can also top it up online as well as at stations.
If you have a Senior Railcard, take it with your Oyster Card to any Underground Ticket Office and ask them to attach the Railcard to the Oyster card. This will save you around another 30% on all your tube fares. Many people do not know about this facility!
Buses
If you have a “granny free bus pass” issued by your local authority then it may also give you free travel on London buses.
If you live in one of the London boroughs and are over the female pensionable age (its moving nationally from 60 up to 65 at present, so you’ll have to check) or have one of a range of disabilities you are entitled to Freedom Pass. This is the London-wide version of the “granny free bus pass”. But it does a lot more. You don’t just get free bus travel at any time, you also get free tube travel and mostly free rail travel (there are a few restrictions) in the London area; also free trams and free DLR. (But note freedom Pass doesn’t cover Inter-city journeys from the mainline termini.)
There are over 600 bus routes in Greater London. Where they start, finish and the routes they take are often far from obvious. You need to do some research before you arrive if you’re planning to use the buses.
You can find out about almost all London travel, including Oyster cards, on the Transport for London website.
Taxis
This is something Katy didn’t cover. Everyone knows about the London Black Cab, which is ubiquitous in the central area. Use them. Yes they are more expensive than the tube if you’re on your own. For two, or especially more, they could work out cheaper than the tube. All Black Cabs are metered and you pay by a combination of distance and time, so the meter keeps ticking even if you’re sitting in traffic. Cabbies know this and while a few will use it to their advantage, in my experience most won’t. They know where the bottlenecks and roadworks are. And they are masters at knowing every back double and cut-through going so they generally will do their best to get you to your destination quickly ā after all the sooner they drop you, the sooner they get another fare and most would prefer to keep moving.
If a Taxi has it’s yellow light on it is plying for hire and you can wave it down, or you can pick up a cab at a Taxi Rank. A cabbie is required by law to take you to any destination within 6 miles (25 miles from Heathrow Airport, I think) regardless. If it is over 6 miles he may refuse if he has a “reasonable excuse”. You will find a few ladies driving cabs and the vast majority of cabbies are London born and bred.
All taxis in London are registered with, and regulated by, the Public Carriage Office and the incidence of problems is rare. The London Black Cab driver is in general very knowledgeable not just about what’s where and how to get there but they often have interesting historical/trivial facts about places. I’m a great admirer of the London Cabbie; I don’t know how they manage to learn all this stuff ā and they do have to learn it thoroughly (it’s call The Knowledge) to get their licence. They really are a breed apart, in the nicest possible way.
Outside the central area Black Cabs are rarer and you’ll likely have to know where the nearest cab rank is, which may be only the nearest decent-sized station.
But outside the central area there are also minicabs. These are the private hire cars; they are not allowed to ply for hire and by law all journeys must be pre-booked ā which means you have to call their office and ask for a pick up. They’ll want to know where you’re going and will generally quote you a price. Be sensible with minicabs: when your car arrives ensure the driver really is for you: ask him to tell you the name of the person he’s picking up and if in doubt don’t get in. If necessary call his office and ask for the details of the car (make, model, registration number) picking you up, and check they match. Many firms are now converting to a computerised system and if you have a mobile will text you the details of the car they’re sending to you.
Minicabs are also licensed by the PCO and generally use saloon cars which can be identified by round yellow licence tickets on the top near-side corner of the windscreen and rear window. Minicabs are not metered but charged by the mile (as registered by the car’s trip meter) so it helps to have an idea where you’re going before you start.
Apart from the need to book a minicab the downside is that the vast majority are driven by immigrants who don’t have to have a good knowledge of their area (although many do); most do satnav. On the upside, they are generally around 30-50% cheaper than Black Cabs.
Bicycles.
Frankly, DO
N’T unless you have a death-wish. Yes, you can hire bikes from the organised stands (the so-called Boris Bikes, after the current Mayor, Boris Johnson, who introduced them). But frankly the London traffic is so horrendous that I think cycling in London is no longer safe, especially if you’re not familiar with the roads. The same goes for rickshaws. And I say all that as a long-time cyclist.
London for Beginners ā The Basics
Buy a good London Street Map before you arrive! A-Z and AA maps are both good. Make sure it covers the area you will be trampling over. Maps are good if you want a view of a wide area. Map books, where you get a small area on each page may be larger scale and more detailed, but you won’t get the wide view and they aren’t as comfortable/easy to carry.
Also get a tube map, you can download one from the Transport for London website.
As Katy mentions, things in London are expensive so be prepared to pay. London is one of the most expensive cities in the world; nothing is cheap unless it’s free! Even Westminster Abbey and St Paul’s Cathedral now charge for entrance. Expect any exhibition to charge at least Ā£10 per head and Ā£15 or more is not unusual.
Remember too that London is one of the biggest cities in the world. The central area is 5 miles from east to west. And it is almost 10 miles, in a straight line from the Tower of London to Kew Gardens. Do not underestimate the distances you may have to cover or the time it will take.
Keep tight hold of your valuables and luggage. Like all cities there are some very clever pickpockets around. And if you are unlucky enough to be the victim of crime, do report it to the Police. It’s a pain but the Police should give you a record number which will help you with any insurance claim. And they might even be able to take the perpetrators off the streets.
Food.
Yes you will want to eat out, sometimes at least. See if you can get recommendations for good places to eat. Most pubs will allow children in if you are eating, but under 18s are not allowed to buy or drink alcohol. Most pubs these days do reasonable, if basic, food at reasonable (for London) prices; some are absolutely excellent.
If you want a sandwich lunch then Marks & Spencer (M&S) probably do the best take out pre-prepared sandwiches. And with a bit of looking you can often find a garden or park where you can sit and eat your sandwiches ā although if you do this be prepared for an audience of hopeful sparrows and pigeons.
Money.
Yes, you’ll need loads of this. Personally I don’t like cash machines as they are too open to criminal minds, but you may not have a choice. If you’re happy with cash machines then there are lots around; you’ll seldom be more than a few minutes walk from one!
If you need to change foreign currency you will often get the best deals by going to a Post Office. Their rates, certainly for Euros and US Dollars) tend to be reasonably good and they do not rob you of a commission!
I would say don’t give money to anyone begging on the streets. Yes, London does have a problem with the homeless living on the streets. While some of those begging are genuine, many are known not to be. In my view it is better not to encourage any of them.
London for Beginners ā Tourist Attractions
Katy provides a pretty good list of the things to go and see. I would add:
- Westminster Abbey
- National Gallery
- National Portrait Gallery
- Tate Britain
- The Wallace Collection
- Borough Market (especially on a Saturday)
- Hampton Court
- London Eye (it isn’t cheap for a 30 minute ride but the views are worth it)
But I would also add a list of things that really are not worth bothering with:
- Madame Tussauds Waxworks (boring and unreasonably expensive)
- London Planetarium (part of Mme Tussauds and thus also a gigantic rip-off)
- London Zoo (interesting if you like zoos, but in their small space not outstanding and another which is very expensive)
- Personally I won’t go in churches & cathedrals that charge on principle. I’d give St Paul’s Cathedral a miss anyway because I think it’s hideous, but not many agree with me.
- London Aquarium (which I thought was pedestrian compared with many other large such)
- Oxford Street (yes, it’s the iconic shopping street but frankly it is mostly just the usual chain-multiples, with just a couple of good department stores: Selfridge’s and John Lewis)
Katy mentions the round London bus tours. Yes they aren’t cheap, but the tickets are valid for a whole day (so start early to get best value) and you can hop on and off most of them repeatedly. They are a good way of seeing lots of the sights and deciding what you want to come back to — or if you have only one day of getting a glimpse of a lot. They are also very good at helping join together all the different bits of the city.
Finally as Katy also says, don’t buy tickets from ticket touts. The tickets may well not be valid (they are often trackable and non-transferable) and touts are often operating illegally. If you really want tickets for a particular show you may have to depend on one of the ticket agencies, or queue on the door on the night for returns. Almost all London shows get sold out.
Don’t let any of this deter you from coming to London. Most of what is less than positive really is only good common sense which should apply anywhere. Use what Katy and I have written and enjoy your visit. You won’t regret it; almost everyone ends up loving London!
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