Arriving In London
There are several ways to arrive in London. Namely by air, sea, rail, road or if you are Sir Richard Branson, by deflating balloon. If statistics are anything to go by, it’s most likely you will join the other 59, 999,999 or so people who use Heathrow airport each year. Other London airports include Gatwick, Stansted, Luton or London City.
Where you arrive depends on where you are departing from and which airline you fly. If you're on a flight across the Atlantic from the US, Canada or South America, you'll arrive at Heathrow or Gatwick. If you're on a flight from Europe, you may land at Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, or London City. Luton is much smaller and services charter flights from the Continent.
1.By Air
a) From Heathrow
Getting into London from Heathrow,15 miles west of the city,is easy.The fastest route is on the Heathrow Express Train, which runs non-stop between Heathrow and Paddington Station. The trip takes fifteen minutes and leaves every 15 minutes from all 4 terminals. You can connect at Paddington to tube lines and other trains. Heading back out, most major airlines offer check-in at Paddington, including baggage check. Fares - £13 each way for Express Class or £21 each way for the posh seats.
You can also catch the Piccadilly underground from Heathrow to central London. Trains depart every few minutes, cost £3.80 and run between 5am and midnight, taking just under an hour to reach the centre. If you don’t have jetlag and feel like exploring, get a multi-zone one-day travel card that costs £3.90 at Heathrow so you can ride the tube all day.
If you feel like getting acquainted with the city above ground, buses run from outside all 4 Heathrow terminals to several destinations in the city: Airbus A1 (every 30min; daily 5am-8pm) drops passengers at Earl's Court, South Kensington, Knightsbridge and Victoria; Airbus A2 (every 30min; daily 5am-10pm) goes to Notting Hill, Paddington, Lancaster Gate, Marble Arch, Baker Street, Euston, King's Cross and Russell Square. Both take about an hour and cost £6-£10. If you have a lot of luggage to drag around, you’ll be thankful you took this option.
Another bus service is the National Express, which runs to Victoria Station for £10 (every 30min; daily 8am-9.45pm). After midnight, the night bus #N97 runs half-hourly from Heathrow to Trafalgar Square, but at this time you are probably better off using the Heathrow Express.
If you have negotiated all the timetables, people and luggage you can stand for one day, taxis are plentiful at Heathrow Airport. Depending on your time of arrival, it takes approximately one hour to reach central London and will set you back around £55.
Tip: If you ask the Airport information desk for a minicab quietly out of the side of your mouth, they will look around to make sure no-one is watching, and slip you the number of a private company from their secret list. The cost of these cabs is around £30.
Website: www.heathrowexpress.com
b) From Gatwick
Gatwick Airport is 25 miles to the south of London. The Gatwick Express Train runs between the airport's South Terminal and Victoria Train Station in central London. It costs £11 and takes 30 minutes. They depart every 15 minutes between 5.30am and 8pm, 30 minutes up to midnight and hourly through the night.
Thameslink offer trains to King's Cross Station and run every fifteen minutes (Mon-Sat) from 9am to 8.45pm, and thereafter every 30 minutes (plus all day Sun). Note that there are no trains in the early hours of the morning. Tickets cost £10 and the journey takes an hour. Flightline 777 buses depart Gatwick hourly for Victoria Station; they operate Mon-Fri 6am-8pm, Sat and Sun 6am-8pm, take 70 minutes and cost £7.50. www.Gatwickexpress.com
c) From Stansted
Stansted Airport lies 35 miles northeast of London. Trains run directly to Liverpool Street Station in London every 30m 5am-11pm. It takes 45 minutes and costs £13.80.
Website:www.stanstedexpress.co.uk
d) From Luton
Some cheap or package flights arrive at Luton Airport, 35 miles northwest of London, in which case simply catch one of the Thameslink trains to King's Cross Station.
2. By Train
Another way to arrive in London is by the Eurostar train, which travels under the English Channel through the “Chunnel” from Paris or Brussels in Europe. For time and convenience, Eurostar beats flying hands down: You'll depart from Central Paris or Brussels to Victoria Station in Central London in around two and a half hours. There is no baggage claim since your bags ride with you. From around USD112 round-trip it is a very attractive option when you consider all the additional costs of ground transport, time and taxes you are up for when flying. If you are traveling by motorbike, car, bus or freight vehicle, you can use the Eurotunnel service between terminals at Folkestone in the UK and Calais in France.
3.By Sea
London is located just a few hours drive from the south and south-east coasts, where the major ferry ports such as Dover, Folkestone, Harwich, Ramsgate and Newhaven are located. Along with regular ferry services, certain ports (such as Calais) operate faster Seacat and Superseacat vessels. If you arrive by cruise ship you will probably arrive at Dover.
Trains into London run from Dover, Folkestone, Ramsgate and Newhaven into Victoria Station. For those arriving at Harwich, One Railway runs regular services to Liverpool Street.
4. By Car
May God help you. For more information as to why, see Getting Around By Car.
5. Private Transfers
There are a number of companies in London offering private car transfers between your airport and hotel.
Despite the fact that London goes on and on forever in every direction, it is possible to get around the city on the cheap. Here are some ways you can save some money making your way around the city:
1. Travelcard - Buy one. There are a number of different tickets available depending on which zones you wish to travel in (1-6), and the number of days you wish to use the card. It can be used after 9.30am on Monday to Friday and all day Saturday, Sunday and public holidays on all forms of transport in London: the tube, suburban trains, the DLR and buses (including night buses). Most visitors will find that a Travelcard covering Zones 1 and 2 will be sufficient.
Prices to January 2006:
One-day, off-peak,
Travelcard: £4.70 zones 1- 2, £ 6.00 all zones
7 day zone 1 only card: £18.50
7 day zone 1-2 card: £21.40
7 day zone 1-6 card: £39.50.
1-month zones 1-6 card: £151.70
You can buy Travelcards on the day or from stations several days ahead. They can be bought from tube station ticket offices, most National Rail stations, and from self-service ticket machines at tube stations. There is also weekend, weekly, monthly and annual Travelcards available. It's much cheaper than individual tickets plus it also means you will spend less time in those dreaded queues!
Then there's the oddly named Oyster card, which is valid for 7 day, monthly and longer passes. Oyster cards are touched to a pad at the entrance and exit to the tube gates, busses and tram links and are generally prepaid amounts with a daily maximum charged.
2. Make friends with locals - This isn’t easy on the streets of London as everyone is in rush to get somewhere. Make conversation with people at the pub, local markets, or fish and chip shop. Not only do they know the best places to go in London, they also know the best ways to get there and the cheapest ways to do it.
3. Walk - Use those funny looking things at the end of your legs. I know it sounds absurd, but you can do it, especially in London. The great thing about walking, apart from the fact it’s good for you, is that it provides intimacy and insight into a destination that no other form of moving around can offer.
Unlike in North America and Europe, traffic drives on the left hand side of the road. Keep this in mind when you step to the curb to cross the street.
London is a big city, but generally quite flat, so bring along a pair of decent walking shoes. Don’t worry if they look like they should have been banished in the eighties along with iron-on tuxedo t-shirts, just as long as they are comfortable and sturdy. You might hear a few sniggers as you clomp down Oxford St, but as the saying goes, “back in the hotel at the end of the day, he who has no blisters laughs loudest.”
4. Underground - Once you get used to the map (which is very easy to follow), you will be able to get just about anywhere you want to go in London on the "tube."
5. London buses – The same view as those seen through the curtains of an expensive coach tour, without some irritating guides voice constantly in your ear. Ride for a whole day for £3, hopping on and off as much as you'd like; A suggested route is the No. 94 bus from Piccadilly Circus to Notting Hill Gate. It passes Soho, Oxford Street, Bond Street, Hyde Park Corner, Hyde Park and Notting Hill.
The most cost effective way to travel by bus is to buy a book of Saver tickets. A book of six single bus tickets can be bought in advance from newsagents or post offices for £6.00 for an adult and £2.10 for a child. They can also be used by anyone you wish to give them to. They are not valid for tube travel.
6. Walking Tours - companies such as Original London Walks offer a wide variety of reasonably priced walking tours through the London of Shakespeare, Dickens, Sherlock Holmes and Jack the Ripper, and more. There are even pub-crawls for the thirsty and inquisitive.
7. Avoid taxis if possible. Take a taxi only in an emergency or if you need to visit an area that could be dangerous after dark.
8. By Car - Do not drive in London unless it is absolutely necessary or you have an unfulfilled masochistic streak. At the start of the 20th century the average speed of road traffic, which consisted mainly of clomping horses pulling creaking carts, was 17.7kmh. One hundred years, and some major advances in vehicle capabilities later, the average traffic speed in London in the year 2000, was a mind-boggling 17.7kmh.
The difference these days is that Transport for London require a congestion charge from every driver that ventures into Central London.The cost is £8 if you pay by 10.00pm on the day of travel and a £2 surcharge if you pay from 10.00pm until midnight on the day of travel. The total charge for paying between 10pm and midnight is £10. In other words, when it comes to driving in London, car rental sure is a great way to see the English countryside.
9.Compass - Carry around a small pocket compass as some directions are in compass-speak eg SW, NE. Many tube stations have more than one exit, and it can sometimes be difficult to get your bearings. If you are worried that people will point at you and say “look at Mr Scoutmaster trying to find the Oxford St exit”, take a reading inside your daypack
10. AtoZ - Invest in a copy of "London A to Z." This book of detailed maps is indispensable to anyone visiting London for more than a few days - even most London residents carry a copy.
