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Getting around London on a shoestring is within your grasp by using a few insider's pointers. Get started on savvy savings straight away by purchasing an Oyster card for a transfer by the Tube from Heathrow International Airport or by train from Gatwick Airport. Transport for London provides home delivery of an Oyster card by mail for visitors who pay postage and allow two weeks or more in advance. However, an Oyster card purchase can also be done at the station in the airport. Remember, children 11 and under travel free on the London Tube and buses.
Getting in From the Airport
While Heathrow Express and Gatwick Express trains provide frequent service to London's Paddington Station and Victoria Station respectively, they are pricey and require an onward taxi or a Tube ride. At Heathrow, follow circle-shaped red, white and blue signs for the London Underground instead. At Gatwick Airport, opt for Southern Railway to London's Clapham Junction where train and the Tube connect. Oyster cards are valid on many trains, plus the Tube and buses. The card delivers on convenience, time savings and money over purchasing journeys separately and will never exceed the daily price cap, no matter how many trips you take with it. Load value onto Oyster with cash or credit card at a machine or ticket window, calculating initial spend for a round-trip airport transfer, plus more for days spent in the city. Oyster cards can be topped up at any Tube station in London and at most news agents.
Using the Tube and Buses
Avoiding taxis is the main objective when watching the wallet. With 250 miles of tracks and 270 stations on 11 lines, London Underground covers all of Greater London. Fares are determined by zones; the more zones you pass through, the higher the fare. Hefty penalties apply for having the wrong ticket at the exit, so swipe an Oyster card in and out for the best possible savings on every journey. Any underground trips taken during peak hours attract a premium, so avoid Tube travel Monday to Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 9:29 a.m. and again from 4:00 p.m. to 6:59 p.m. If you're not in a hurry, save even more by taking one of the thousands of London buses that blanket the city 24 hours a day. Tube stations are gated closed between the last train around midnight and the first train pre-dawn, but the schedule varies according to each station stop.
Sightseeing on a Budget
Some of London's bus routes are ideal for a self-guided sightseeing tour, enhanced by taking a seat on the upper level. London highlights visible from some public buses read like a guidebook's must-see list. Route 74 passes South Kensington's three famous museums -- the Natural History Museum, Science Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum -- plus Royal Albert Hall, Albert Memorial in Hyde Park, Harrods, Marble Arch, Speakers Corner, Baker Street and Madame Tussauds. From the windows of Route 9 buses, passengers see Kensington Palace, St. James's Palace, Trafalgar Square, the Savoy Hotel and West End theatres. Route 11 travels down the King's Road in Chelsea, then provides a good look at world famous landmarks such as the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, 10 Downing Street, Tower Bridge, St. Paul's Cathedral, the Bank of England, Mansion House, Royal Courts of Justice in Fleet Street and the Tower of London.
Riding a Bike
See London from the seat of your rental bicycle. Barclays Cycle Hire Scheme has hundreds of highly visible blue bicycles at docking stations throughout the city where they can be collected or returned any day, all day. Register online for an unlocking code that gives access to an inexpensive way to get around, especially suggested for cycling in the parks. Visitors must be aware that helmets are not mandatory nor provided, sidewalk riding is illegal and Londoners do drive on the opposite side of the road. In fact, even the traffic signals and the rules of the road at intersections are different than in the United States. Nonetheless, a spin around Richmond Park to see the deer, into Kensington Gardens for a picnic by the Serpentine or through St. James's Park to glimpse Changing the Guard at Buckingham Palace are at the top of the list.
Getting in From the Airport
While Heathrow Express and Gatwick Express trains provide frequent service to London's Paddington Station and Victoria Station respectively, they are pricey and require an onward taxi or a Tube ride. At Heathrow, follow circle-shaped red, white and blue signs for the London Underground instead. At Gatwick Airport, opt for Southern Railway to London's Clapham Junction where train and the Tube connect. Oyster cards are valid on many trains, plus the Tube and buses. The card delivers on convenience, time savings and money over purchasing journeys separately and will never exceed the daily price cap, no matter how many trips you take with it. Load value onto Oyster with cash or credit card at a machine or ticket window, calculating initial spend for a round-trip airport transfer, plus more for days spent in the city. Oyster cards can be topped up at any Tube station in London and at most news agents.
Using the Tube and Buses
Avoiding taxis is the main objective when watching the wallet. With 250 miles of tracks and 270 stations on 11 lines, London Underground covers all of Greater London. Fares are determined by zones; the more zones you pass through, the higher the fare. Hefty penalties apply for having the wrong ticket at the exit, so swipe an Oyster card in and out for the best possible savings on every journey. Any underground trips taken during peak hours attract a premium, so avoid Tube travel Monday to Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 9:29 a.m. and again from 4:00 p.m. to 6:59 p.m. If you're not in a hurry, save even more by taking one of the thousands of London buses that blanket the city 24 hours a day. Tube stations are gated closed between the last train around midnight and the first train pre-dawn, but the schedule varies according to each station stop.
Sightseeing on a Budget
Some of London's bus routes are ideal for a self-guided sightseeing tour, enhanced by taking a seat on the upper level. London highlights visible from some public buses read like a guidebook's must-see list. Route 74 passes South Kensington's three famous museums -- the Natural History Museum, Science Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum -- plus Royal Albert Hall, Albert Memorial in Hyde Park, Harrods, Marble Arch, Speakers Corner, Baker Street and Madame Tussauds. From the windows of Route 9 buses, passengers see Kensington Palace, St. James's Palace, Trafalgar Square, the Savoy Hotel and West End theatres. Route 11 travels down the King's Road in Chelsea, then provides a good look at world famous landmarks such as the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, 10 Downing Street, Tower Bridge, St. Paul's Cathedral, the Bank of England, Mansion House, Royal Courts of Justice in Fleet Street and the Tower of London.
Riding a Bike
See London from the seat of your rental bicycle. Barclays Cycle Hire Scheme has hundreds of highly visible blue bicycles at docking stations throughout the city where they can be collected or returned any day, all day. Register online for an unlocking code that gives access to an inexpensive way to get around, especially suggested for cycling in the parks. Visitors must be aware that helmets are not mandatory nor provided, sidewalk riding is illegal and Londoners do drive on the opposite side of the road. In fact, even the traffic signals and the rules of the road at intersections are different than in the United States. Nonetheless, a spin around Richmond Park to see the deer, into Kensington Gardens for a picnic by the Serpentine or through St. James's Park to glimpse Changing the Guard at Buckingham Palace are at the top of the list.
Posted in: Travel UK
