Getting Around

For information and advice on reaching your destination by bus, light rail, Tube or water taxi, call the London Transport Authority's 24-hour information line. Phone 020-7222-1234, Free public transport maps are available from information offices at train and Tube stations.

Buses
Although contemporary-style buses are becoming more common, most London buses are still of the red double-decker variety. Buy tickets on board, except in some parts of central London where new ticket machines have been introduced alongside bus stops. Where these machines exist, you must purchase tickets before boarding. Fares start at 70p for adults, 40p for children. One-day bus passes are available from newsagents. Fare collectors usually can make change, but not always. An infrequent night-bus service supplements the day timetable (look for routes beginning with the letter N). Green buses provide a service to outer London and surrounding towns.

Docklands Light Railway
This rapid transit system runs from the Tower of London to the redeveloped Docklands area. Although there's not much to see once you get there, the train (which runs on an elevated rail) offers an impressive view of the city.

Subway
The London Underground, otherwise known as the Tube, is the system of subways in London and out to the suburbs.

Water Taxis
Boats carry passengers from the center of London to destinations along the Thames, including Greenwich, the Tower of London, Kew Gardens, Hampton Court, Canary Wharf and Bankside. A handful of boat operators are used, and timetables vary by route.

Taxi
Taxis are plentiful in London in the regulated form of the distinctive black cab. Hail them when the yellow "For Hire" sign is illuminated, or call 020-7272-0272 or 020-7286-0286. There are taxi ranks at major train stations such as Victoria, King's Cross and Waterloo.

All taxi drivers are put through an arduous examination, known as "The Knowledge," which ensures that they know every street and building on their turf. Fares are metered but complex, taking both time and distance into account. Ask the driver for an approximate fare before getting in. Most will accept credit cards.

Train
In the great age of steam, the Victorians built a series of imposing railway stations around the fringes of central London, with lines slicing boldly outward through the suburbs to the far corners of the island. They include the following: Euston (trains to Midlands, north England and east Scotland); St. Pancras (trains to northwest England); King's Cross (trains to Midlands, north England, west Scotland); Paddington (trains to west England, Wales); Victoria (trains to south and southeast suburbs); and Waterloo (trains to south coast, English Channel and the Continent). For information on train services, phone 0845-748-4950.