Transport
Transportation is very easy to organise in London and includes a wide range of methods of transportation, including: local cabs, private car services, rental car, tube, trains, buses, bikes and river ferries along the Thames.
Transport for London (TfL) operates more than 24 million weekday trips, mainly from 5:00am to 00:30am, including:
London Underground (Tube): 11 colour-coded underground lines and 270 stations.
Buses, 700 routes, 8.000 buses and 19.000 bus stops.
Barclays Cycle Hire, a public bike hire offering 10.000 bikes for hire and 700 docking stations.
London River Services is a great alternative to the tube or buses to discover London via the River Thames.
A single fare on the London Underground costs £2.90 and a bus fare costs £1.50.
Buying an Oyster smart card is the best and cheapest way to travel around London. The Oyster Travelcard comes with a pre-loaded credit value to cover the cost of your travel around the city.
Keep in mind that when driving in London, you must drive on the left side of the road.
Taxis
According to the Transport Department, there are 22.000 taxis in London and more than 67.000 licensed private hire vehicle drivers.
London's black cabs can be hailed on the street, found at taxi ranks or booked in advance through a London taxi company.
The initial charge is £2,40 and each additional 126 meters is £0,20. Some additional charges may apply.
Tip of 10 to 15% are not included.
Credit card and debit cards are usually accepted, with an additional charge.
Getting to & from the airport
There are five major airports in London:
- Heathrow International Airport, where the majority of trans-Atlantic and long haul flights arrive.
- Gatwick and London City for European flights.
- Stansted and Luton, mainly dedicated to low-cost carrier flights.
Metered taxis are available and private transfers can be arranged at the airports.
By cab between Heathrow and London Paddington, expect a 45 minutes journey to cost a minimum of £65 (depending upon traffic and the time of day). The Heathrow Express train takes only 15 minutes from the airport to London's Paddington, costing approximately £21.50 for a one-way ticket. Gatwick Express is also very convenient when travelling between Gatwick Airport and London Victoria, where this 30 minutes journey costs £17.70 for a one-way fare.
