London Guide
Getting Around
Thanks to London's first mayor, Ken Livingstone, the city's highly complex transport system definitely improved during the first eight years of this century. The congestion charge reduced traffic by thirty percent within central London, and much of the money was ploughed into improving the buses. That said, London still has one of the most expensive transport systems in the world.
Transport for London (TfL) provides excellent free maps and details of bus and tube services from its six Travel Information Centres: the most central one is at Piccadilly Circus tube station (daily 9.15am–7pm); there are other desks at the arrivals at Heathrow (terminals 1, 2 & 3), Victoria, Euston and Liverpool Street train stations, and Camden Town Hall, opposite King's Cross St Pancras. There's also a 24-hour helpline and website for information on all bus and tube services (020/7222 1234, www.tfl.gov.uk).
For transport purposes, London is divided into six concentric zones (plus a few extra in the northwest), with fares calculated depending on which zones you travel through: the majority of the city's accommodation, pubs, restaurants and sights lie in zones 1 and 2. If you cannot produce a valid ticket for your journey, or travel further than your ticket allows, you will be liable to a Penalty Fare of £50, reduced to £25 if you pay within 21 days. Try and avoid travelling during the rush hour (Mon– Fri 8–9.30am & 5–7pm), if possible, when tubes become unbearably crowded and hot, and some buses get so full they literally won't let you on
Oyster cards
The cheapest, easiest way to get about London is to use an Oyster card, London's transport smartcard, available from all tube stations and Travel Information Centres, and valid on the bus, tube, Docklands Light Railway (DLR), Tramlink, overground and all suburban rail services. You can use an Oyster card in one of two ways: you can use it simply to store a weekly/monthly/yearly Travelcard, or you can use it as a pay-as-you-go card – you can top-up your card at all tube stations and at most newsagents. As you enter the tube or bus, simply touch in your card at the card reader – if you're using pay-as-you-go, the fare will be taken off your card. If you're using the tube or train, you need to touch out again or a £4 maximum cash fare will be deducted. A pay-as-you-go Oyster operates daily price-capping so that when you've paid (slightly less than) the equivalent of a daily Travelcard, it will stop taking money off your card, though you still need to touch in (and out). Oyster cards are free for those purchasing monthly or yearly tickets; everyone else needs to hand over a £3 refundable deposit; visitors can buy a pay-as-you-go Oyster card for just £2
For transport purposes, London is divided into six concentric zones, with fares calculated depending on which zones you travel through: the majority of the city's accommodation, pubs, restaurants and sights lie in Zone 1, the central zone. If you cannot produce a valid ticket for your journey, or travel further than your ticket allows, you will be liable for an on-the-spot Penalty Fare of £10 on the buses, £20 on the tube and £30 on Tramlink. Try and avoid travelling during the rush hour (Mon– Fri 8–9.30am & 5–7pm), if possible, when tubes become unbearably crowded and hot (the lack of air conditioning doesn't help), and some buses get so full they literally won't let you on.