Getting Around London, Taxis & Buses
by Anastasia Watkinson
For as spread out as London is (you won't see many
skyscrapers here, matey!), visitor's London is relatively
compact. The boundaries of most things people want to see
in London lie between two points - Hyde Park on the west,
and the Tower of England in the east...about three
miles apart!
Now that you have your reference points, how are you going
to get around? There are many options, except, of course,
borrowing my car. This article will focus on taxis.
The Black Cabs
London Taxis are easy to spot. They aren't always black
now though, but have become a beacon of advertising
hilarity, disguised as giant Snickers bars and so on
(see photo opportunity link at the bottom of the article).
All taxis are regulated and inspected, and the drivers all
must pass stringent medical and police checks. In addition,
each licensed taxi driver has to pass "The Knowledge," a
tough exam covering not only streets, but also pretty much
anything in London. It takes most drivers up to
three years!
If you want to take a cab, look for a lit yellow light
above the windscreen, and just stick your arm out to hail
it. If there are none about, ask for directions to the
nearest taxi stand...but taxis are all over, so don't worry
about getting stranded anywhere.
London taxi drivers are very friendly, and lurrrvve Yanks
and talking! They can give you some inside tips on what
to see, do and eat. 10 minute rides and under should be
under £10.00. There are extra legitimate charges levied
for things like waiting, and evening hours, but they won't
add a great deal to your fare.
You can arrange a taxi to take you on a tour sometimes
(be sure to ask the driver how much, etc., before getting
in). If you want to arrange this ahead of time, check out
Taxi Tours' web site at http://www.taxitours.demon.co.uk.
They offer several set price tours that can be pre-arranged
by email or phone from your hotel. While they are pricier
than a bus tour, it would still be a good value for four
people, and might be ideal for those with less time or a
more tailored itinerary.
Minicabs
Minicabs have sprung up all over London. They are
"unofficial," and generally less reliable on the whole than
black cabs, but considerably cheaper. Most aren't metered so
be sure to ask the fare before you book one or jump in.
My personal feelings about minicabs here... some are
reliable, some will make you late for appointments (can you
tell I'm still bitter?). Some of the drivers I can't even
understand, so it can be frustrating sometimes. But it is
a heck of a lot cheaper if you are trying to save a few
pounds.
Minicabs are not allowed to pick you up off of the street.
You will find stands all over town that you can walk in to
pre-book or wait for the next one, or you'll find business
cards for phoning them everywhere.
Now some serious bits. If you are a woman travelling alone
in the evening, please take a black cab. There have been
some reported problems with rapes, and even murders.
I've heard good things about Ladycabs, who guarantee women
drivers (telephone: 0171/254 3501).
Ana's Top Taxi Tips
- You can hail a taxi travelling on the opposite side of
the street as you... U-turns are legal on most roads
in the UK!
- Choose taxis when there are 3 or more of you for a short
ride. Quite economical and fun too.
Buses
Buses and taxis are my favourite way to get around London.
Visitors often seem to rely on taxis, which can get
expensive, or the Tube (the subway system), which is easy to
use, but has its drawbacks as well.
London has a very efficient and extensive bus system. With
around 17,000 stops, you're never more than five minutes
away from hopping on. Buses are also one of the best ways
to see London on the cheap. One obvious advantage it has
over the Tube is that you can see London as you ride, and
the view from the top of the double deckers is
unsurpassable.
Lastly, and most importantly to me, the bus network is also
a great way to explore London's neighbourhoods and nooks and
crannies that are off of the tourist beat. Once you get
used to the system, you'll be playing Random Bus Ride with
me!
Hopping On
You won't have a problem spotting the buses in London, as
most are bright red and they are everywhere you turn. Buses
have a red and white sign on the front of the bus,
accompanied with the words "London Transport Bus Service."
There are several styles of buses though, and they come in
double and single decker varieties.
Start by getting a free map at one of the Tourist
Information Centres, or pop into a tube or bus station to
pick one up. Stops are clearly signposted all over the
city, with the detailed routes and itineraries noted at each
stop. White background signposted stops are compulsory
stops, which means buses will automatically stop unless
full. If the sign has a red background and says "Request"
on it, this indicates that you must hail the bus to get on.
On the front of each bus, next to the number, you'll see the
major stops listed. Sometimes the routes are printed on the
side of the bus as well.
Now, here comes the bus, it's stopping, you're getting on...
oops! How are you going to pay? You have a few options
here. One option is to simply pay the driver when you get
on. There's no need to even tell him/her where you're going
anymore, as all journeys within, across, going into and
going out of London are £1.00. Children aged 5-15 ride for
40 pence, although note that children of 14 and 15 need a
Child Rate Photocard. If there is a conductor on the bus,
sit down immediately, and then pay the conductor when he/she
comes around.
Pre-paid Passes
The other way you can pay is to use the various pre-paid
cards that are available...just show it to the driver or
conductor once boarded. One such card is the Saver 6, which
allows you to take six journeys for the price of £5. You
can buy the Saver 6 in advance of your journey at most Tube
stations and London Transport ticket outlets, and it can be
used on the Tube as well as on the bus.
One Day Travelcards are a smart option if you are going to
be travelling a good deal by Tube or bus on a particular
day. You can make as many journeys as you want for £3.90
for adults or £2.00 for children. You'll find these at all
Tube stations within London. These cards are valid after
9.30am Monday through Friday, and all day on weekends and
public holidays.
Weekend Travelcards act is the same as a One Day Travelcard,
but allow you to travel the two days of the weekend with one
card at 25% off of the cost of two single Travelcards. The
cost is £5.80 for adults and £3.00 for children.
Night Buses
For travel after 10.00pm, running into the wee hours of the
morning for you clubbers, there is a network of night buses
which serves London from central hubs. Luckily, nearly all
the night buses pass through Trafalgar Square and all the
major entertainment venue areas. To avoid getting stranded,
pick up a Night Bus brochure and timetable from an
Underground Station or one of the Travel Information Centres
in advance. Pre-pay cards may not be used on the night
buses, and the fare is £1.50. There are no child fares, but
hey, you're not dragging your six year old to clubs, now,
are you?
An important safety note: while these buses are fairly
safe, there have been incidences of people getting robbed
when sitting on the top level of the bus, so sit close to
the driver and you'll have nothing to worry about. Don't
get me wrong, buses are a very safe way to travel. Most
buses have CCTV and all have two way radio equipped as
standard safety features anyhow.
Eek! My stop's coming up!
When you want to get off at a stop, ring the bell once with
enough notice to let the driver know your intention without
having to slam on his brakes. On major routes, ringing
isn't necessary at compulsory stops unless the bus is packed
and you think the driver might bypass stopping for those
people waiting in the rain. If someone's rung already,
you're set. Night buses treat all stops as request stops,
which means you always need to ring the bell to get off of
a stop.
If you want some help, ask the driver or conductor nicely to
remind you of your stop when you board. Both are helpful,
but drivers often will rush you because they are on a tight
schedule and London traffic inevitably makes them run late.
It's not uncommon to see two buses for the same route pull
up together at a stop!
Organised Bus Tours
Another popular way to see London is to take an organised
tourist bus. While a bit on the pricey side, the advantages
of being able to hop on and off when and exactly where you
want, while learning a bit about what you are seeing, are
great. A summertime advantage is that many offer "Fast
Track" tickets to top attractions, which means you can jump
the queue to get into popular attractions. All of them have
open air double decker tops too, so you can take pictures as
you go, and hopefully not get too wet!
The Original London Sightseeing Tour
Over 50 years old, The Original London Sightseeing Tour is
one recommended tour bus company. They offer four routes,
with over 90 hop-on, hop-off stops, around all the key
sights of London, and your ticket is valid on all routes for
24 hours from the time of purchase. They offer language
commentary in seven additional languages, and have a new
Kids Club with dedicated commentary designed especially for
children aged 5-12 with free activity packs included.
Adult price for tickets is £12.50 and child price is £7.50 -
children under 5 travel free. For £2.50 more on any ticket,
you can get a Choice 2000 ticket, which gives you a choice
of a river cruise, fish and chip meal, or entrance ticket to
the Museum of London or the London Aquarium. Choice tickets
are valid for 48 hours.
In addition to Fast Entry attraction tickets to top
attractions such as Madame Tussaud's, The Original London
Sightseeing Tour has a box office, which may help tourists
sort out tickets for top shows and events like the
Millennium Dome and Chelsea Flower Show.
To catch the Original London Sightseeing Tour buses, jump on
at any stop. First timers may want to board from a main
departure point (outside Baker Street Tube station, Speakers
Corner in Hyde Park, Charring Cross tube, to name a few) so
they can get assistance on routes, and discuss their ticket
choices at leisure. Buses run every 5-15 minutes.
You can contact the Original London Sightseeing Tour at
44 20 8944 7810. Their box office phone number is
44 20 7486 9645 (in the UK, replace 44 with a 0).
Alternatively, visit their web site at:
http://www.londonpride.co.uk
The Big Bus Experience
The Big Bus Company is another recommended tour bus company.
I can personally give a nod to this company after I took my
Mancunian niece and nephew "London virgins" on this tour.
They offer two routes, with over 60 stops, and again,
covering the key sights of London. Their ticket is also
valid on all routes for 24 hours from the time of purchase,
and the tour is offered in live English language commentary,
or on a Language Bus in 12 other languages.
Adult price for tickets is £15.00 and child price is £6.00.
Children under 5 travel free. You can save £1.00 off of
adult tickets by booking online. With your ticket, you also
get a free Thames river cruise and three walking tours to
try.
In addition to offering the standard Fast Entry attraction
tickets, The Big Bus Company has discounts to popular shows
like Cats and Les Miserables, as well as special offers
around town.
To catch the Big Bus tour, again, you can jump on at any
stop. Their office is close to Victoria Station on
Buckingham Palace Road, so you may want to begin your trip
with a visit there to sort out your tickets and discounts.
Buses run every 15 minutes.
You can contact the Big Bus Company at 44 20 7233 9533.
Their phone number is 44 20 7486 9645 (in the UK, replace
44 with a 0). Or, visit their web site at:
http://www.bigbus.co.uk
(they have an excellent Virtual London on their Flash site,
by the way)
Ana's Top Bus Tips
Don't try and get a free ride on the buses... if you get
caught, there's a £5.00 on the spot penalty fare.
Tourist Heaven Bus Routes! Try these routes to see the
sights on the cheap:
- Bus 10 - see the British Museum, Tottenham Court Road
(excellent and stylish shops for house wares), Oxford
Street, Marble Arch, Hyde Park, and Knightsbridge (posh
shop heaven including Harrods and Harvey Nichols).
- Bus 24 - Tottenham Court Road, Leicester Square, Covent
Garden, National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, Whitehall
Street (10 Downing Street, off of there, is the Prime
Minister's residence), Houses of Parliament, Westminster
Abbey, St. James' Park
- Bus 30 - Madame Tussaud's, London Planetarium, Baker
Street, Marble Arch
- Bus 38 - Soho, Piccadilly Circus, Green Park, Grosvenor
Place (5 minute walk to Buckingham Park from there)
Once you've become comfortable with the buses, play Random
Bus Ride with me to explore the London outside of FPA
(frequently photographed attractions). It's a great way
to find out about the little nooks and local districts
that you won't find mentioned in most guidebooks. Great
fun! You can't get lost either, because you can always
take the bus back the other way!
Print out a bus map before you leave home! Download a map
from the London Travel Information web site:
http://www.londontransport.co.uk/info/b_info00.htm
The author, Anastasia Watkinson, is the Editor of Great
Britain Travel Guide, a fun and insightful resource for travel
to England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. To read
more about her travels and subscribe to the free newsletter,
visit the web site at: http://www.greatbritaintravelguide.com
or send an email to: mailto:subscribe@greatbritaintravelguide.com
Anastasia, an American expatriate, has lived and worked in
England for over five years, and is the Managing Director of an
Internet Consultancy. Anastasia may be contacted at:
mailto:Ana@greatbritaintravelguide.com
