Transport in the UK

A to Z

When you first arrive in London and work out where you are going, do yourself a favour and buy an A to Z street directory at the airport and hang on to it for your entire stay. They are bloody useful, with a tube map on the back and comprehensive street guides to the London area (larger sizes cover more territory but cost a few pounds more).  The size of London means there are often several streets of the same name - divided across several postcodes. Meeting your friend in King Street for example means you have a possible 15 option in the Greater London area!   You’ll find getting around in London a lot easier than trying to make your way blind. You can buy them at most newsagents, bookstores and train station kiosks. There is also an excellent website  http://www.streetmap.co.uk which covers the whole of the UK

Travelcards

If you land a job that requires daily travel around London, you can buy weekly or monthly travelcards. These are valid for London Buses, the Underground, British Rail, Docklands Light Rail and the Night Bus system, as long as you travel within the Zones you purchase for. There are six Zones, beginning with the centre of London (Zone 1) and radiating out to as far as Heathrow Airport (Zone 6). Travelcards can save you plenty in the long run. Daily off-peak travel cards are also available but only after 9.30am. A daily Travelcard for Zones 1 to 4 will cost about £8.00 peak time and £5.20 after 9.30am. There are also new OYSTER cards - a credit card shaped 'ticket' which, once applied for, can be credited with funds depending on your travelling requirements. However they are currently not available for use on all but a few British Rail services. The plus side though is the Oyster cards are cheaper per journey than the old style tickets.

For a full rundown of prices log onto http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/fares-tickets/2006/index.shtml

The London Underground

The world’s famous underground transport system, operating at varying degrees of punctuality, depending on which line you are using, and whether or not there is strike action. The saying, ‘The Tube is London – London is the Tube,’ is no understatement. It moves millions of people to and from work every day, relatively efficiently and in comparative safety. If it’s rush hour, you can be jammed into a carriage with your face squashed up against the window, stuffy and stifled, cursing your day, while around you people complain about the weather, stare at the floor, or sneeze and sniffle their way to work. There’s not a lot of smiling on the tube, which is a shame since people spend up to two hours a day on it, but as hard as it can be, it’s essential for London.

You’ll work out the nuances of the tube after a few attempts. Underground Staff are generally pretty friendly and helpful if you have a query about the best route, or the appropriate ticket for your journey. Good luck and ‘Mind the Gap between the train and the Platform’ (you’ll understand when you get here).

The one major surprise and frustration is the hours it operates. Out for a late night in London? Forget the warmth and ease of the tube -  it ceases operation around 12.30 am and starts back up again at 5.30am.

Buses

Another famous icon of London transport, the double-decker buses are a very good way to get around, not to mention a brilliant way of seeing the town as you travel. In contrast to the tube where you pop down a hole and emerge a while later at your destination, the London Buses allow you to float above the melee of traffic, cyclists, pedestrians, mopeds, rollerbladers, tourists and shoppers, giving you a birds-eye view of the day’s proceeding and often giving you a chance to see some famous landmarks on the way. The bus network spreads right through every part of the greater London area making it viable to get around even if the tube isn’t your cup of tea.

However the very last 'Routemasters' - the old fashioned double decker buses with the  open entrance at the back were phased out in November 2005, and all are now replaced by the more modern 'doored' variety and the long single deck 'banana buses'.  Many bus routes require a prepaid ticket before you board now. A single bus journey in London, irrespective of where you are going will cost a flat £1.20 (cheaper if you have an Oyster card - see Travelcards above), so it wise to purchase a bus pass if you are making more than one journey.

Night buses

Operates after the tube has finished with all services departing from Trafalgar Square. Buses have an ‘N’ before the number and run hourly. It pays to know your night bus number before you hit the town and get howling drunk...... and be warned, it ALWAYS has its fair share of very drunk people on each journey. While heavily used and generally safe, it is not recommended for single women particuarly if on a long journey to more remote areas of the London suburbs.

For full details about London’s public transport go to: http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/

National Rail / Brit-Rail

Otherwise known as the Overland Service, the Brit-Rail connects the perimeter areas of London so commuters are not required to go into town and then back out again. It’s particularly handy across north London, and in south London where tube services are not as comprehensive as they are north of the river. To travel out of the Greater London Area, there are several hub stations that service particular destinations. Waterloo is for southern England services and the Eurostar for Brussels and Paris. Liverpool Street, King’s Cross, Euston, Paddington, Marylebone and Victoria are other major National Rail Stations. Britain is divided into regions that are serviced by different private companies including GNER, Virgin Rail and Connex. Thameslink and Silverlink are the two main inner London service providers.

For all information on timetables, departures, prices, delays and bookings on all the rail carriers across Britain call the National Rail on  log onto www.nationalrail.co.uk

Black cabs

The third world famous mode of London transport after the Tube and Double-Decker buses. Black cabs are pretty expensive but they are all registered and fares are metered so unless you get driven all over town, you won’t be ripped off. The drivers must have 'the knowledge' - the qualification to be allowed to drive a black cab, and takes on average, three years to gain!  Black Cabs are probably the safest option for late night, and most seat five so if you are splitting the fare with others it can work out fairly economical.

Mini cabs

The seedy underworld of the London transport system, although having said that, there are plenty of reputable mini-cabs companies that provide an excellent service at reasonable rates. The ones to watch out for are the dodgy blokes hanging outside bars and clubs. They are not all registered so it pays to make sure they have business cards at least. They do not use meters, but work on a set rate per mile. Negotiate your fare before you get in because they will start high if they think they can get away with it. Women – be careful. There have been cases of sexual assault by mini-cab drivers on drunk females travelling alone. If you’re not comfortable always take a Black Cab. Mini-cabs are best used with a few friends or during the day when their rates are very attractive compared with the alternatives.

Getting your own vehicle

Foreign licences

You can use your foreign licence for up to one year as long as it remains valid. To arrange for a British licence go to http://www.dvla.gov.uk.

Buying

Insurance is compulsory in the UK - minimum cover being thrisd party, fire and theft. It  can be unbelievably expensive, especially in London, where car-related theft and criminal damage is rife. Make sure you can afford it before you plunge headlong into your purchase. Ensure the vehicle has all the correct papers including an MOT, which is an annual roadworthy check, and a Tax Disk which is a bi-annual or annual registration permit. You can’t insure a vehicle without these.

Motorways

Britain is well serviced with a Motorway system if you’re of the ‘Get there as fast as possible,’ type. If you prefer sneaking about on country roads and ducking and diving through quaint villages, then take the back roads, many of which date back to the Roman times, but whichever you prefer, get a map. Joining the AA or RAC or Green Flag breakdown services isn’t a bad idea either, especially if they have European plans that will cover your rickety old Combi on the continent.

Coach Travel

London Victoria is the centre of long-distance coach travel from London. Buses are about half the price of trains and take roughly twice as long to get there. Comfort is generally on the minimal side, especially if you’re taller than five-ten, but for economy it can’t be beat, unless you like hitching.

Hitching

It’s a pretty personal choice. You either do or you don’t. The UK is pretty safe (in Ireland it’s apparently as common as catching the bus), but I will leave it up to your discretion. Hate to say it, but it’s not advisable for females. If you have to hitch, use your mobile phone to call someone and tell them the registration of the vehicle you’re looking at. If the driver isn’t cool with that, don’t get in. Pedestrians are not allowed on the Motorways so use service stations and on/off ramps for finding rides.

Discount Flights

London is the mecca of riduculously cheap flights and is the dream city for all who wish to use it as their hub for travelling abroad.  There are a huge variety of fares available through a variety of websites so it pays to shop around.

There are downsides to these budget prices, which include

leaving from smaller London airports which are as expensive if not more so to get there than the destination themselves, and can take longer to get to

departure/arrival times at invonvenient hours which can also limit your public transport options

arriving at airports miles away from your actual destination

no free food or booze, nor seat allocation on the planes

Popular operators include Easyjet and Ryan Air.

Eurail passes

If you know you’re going to do a heap of train travelling in Britain or Europe, it will pay to buy a Britrail or Eurail pass before you depart. They are much cheaper when purchased internationally.  Go to http://www.eurail.com/   for more information.