Travel

Historic City Of London

Getting Into/Around London:

2.London By Train:
London is served by one international rail link, currently operating out of Waterloo International. High-speed trains travel under the sea for 22 miles (35 km) through the Channel Tunnel from Paris (2h35) and Brussels (2h15) and are operated by Eurostar.London is well connected by regular "above ground trains" which link London to its suburbs and the rest of England and also by tube trains which run on the Underground.
A.Docklands Light Railway (DLR):
The DLR runs an independent driverless service to the newly developed Isle of Dogs. A recent extension to the DLR runs under the Thames to Greenwich and beyond to Lewisham.
B.Suburban Trains:
Some areas of London are better served by trains than the tube, notably the northern suburbs. The North London Link stretches from Richmond across northern London to North Woolwich. Another useful rail service travels from Hampstead Heath to Kew. Often these suburban trains are cheaper than similar tube trains and leave the traveler closer to popular tourist destinations. The Thameslink is an overcrowded line which runs from London Bridge in the south, through the City, as far north as Luton.
C.British Rail Trains:
The former British Rail was broken up by government mandate several years ago to create 25 smaller, regional companies, each serving a different area of the country. In theory this was done to encourage competition, but in practice it makes it difficult to predict fares and calculate timetables.Check the online service at www.rail.co.uk/ukrail.
D.The London Underground or The Tube:
The London Underground is a transit system that serves a large part of Greater London, England and some neighbouring areas. It is the world's oldest underground system, and is one of the longest in terms of route length. Colloquially called the Tube, The Underground serves 275 stations and runs over 408 km (253 miles) of line. The London Underground can be properly said to have begun in 1890 when an electrically-powered line was opened between King William Street and Stockwell. There are now 12 lines apart from the Docklands Light Railway serving London. Regular underground service runs from 0530 to just after midnight. The gap in service during the night is bridged by a new night bus service.There are Travelcards and Visitorcards available apart from the regular Tube Tickets. Greater London is divided into 6 transit zones. Take a good look at the zones on a transport map (available free at any tube station or at the London Transport web site). Most of the major tourist attractions are located in Zone 1.Apart from these trains there are trains that run intercountry such as Eurostar which is a train service connecting the UK with Paris (Gare du Nord), Lille and Brussels (Brussels South). Trains cross the English Channel via the Channel Tunnel.

3.London By Bus:
Most international and domestic long distance bus services arrive at and depart from a complex of coach stations off Buckingham Palace Road close to London Victoria rail station. All services operated by National Express or Eurolines serve Victoria Coach Station, which actually has separate arrival and departure buildings. Services by other operators may use this station, or the Green Line Coach Station across Buckingham Palace Road.The London Bus is one of London's principal icons, the archetypal red rear-entrance double-deck Routemaster being recognised world-wide. The AEC Routemaster is a model of double-decker bus that was unveiled in 1954. It was introduced in London on 8 February 1956 and has become one of the famous icons of London. It is still in service on two heritage routes in central London. Fewer than 20 Routemasters have been retained for use on a tourist service running during daylight hours between some of London's notable landmarks. Regular fares apply. The buses were specially restored for this service and have clean environmental engines and modern electrics and sealed windows.
A.Local Buses:
All other local bus services are now operated by modern low-floor buses, which may be single-deck or double-deck. Some of the single deck buses are articulated and locally known as bendy buses. Bendy buses have three sets of doors, and passengers with season tickets or Oyster cards can board articulated buses using any set of doors. Some local bus routes in the outer areas of London cross the London boundary.
B.Night Buses:
Night buses began running as early as 1913, and they form part of the London Buses network. Originally they had their own (premium) fare structure(but now night buses have adopted standard London bus fares) and all the routes were distinguished by an N prefixed route number. Most night bus services operate from a central London terminus in Trafalgar Square.
C.Heritage Routes:
Although the rear-entrance double-deck Routemaster has now been withdrawn from all regular service routes, they are still in use on two heritage routes in central London. The heritage routes are operated as part of the standard London Buses network, and issue and accept the same fares as the rest of that network. The two routes are heritage route 9 from the Royal Albert Hall to Aldwych, and heritage route 15 from Trafalgar Square to Tower Hill. Routemaster buses are not accessible to passengers in wheelchairs and other mobility impaired passengers. Because of this, each heritage route is operated as a short-working of a regular service route bearing the same route number, thus ensuring that passengers unable to board the heritage buses are offered equivalent alternative transport arrangements.
D.Tour Buses:
A common sight in central London are open-top buses. These are double-decker buses with a fully or partially open upper deck, which provide tourist services with either live or recorded commentary. Most of these services allow passengers to embark and disembark at chosen stops along their route, continuing their journey on a later bus. Fares are set by the operators and usually involve a flat fee for a day (or multiple days) usage; there is no need to pre-book and tickets can be bought from the driver and/or bus stop ticket sellers. Other more formally organised tours use luxury coaches and generally need to be booked in advance through travel agents.
E.Long Distance Coaches:
Long-distance coaches link London with the rest of the UK and with other cities in Europe. Most of these services are run by National Express and their European affiliate Eurolines. Other coach services link London to medium-distance destinations, and unlike National Express or Megabus provide walk-on fares. Good examples of this are the Green Line services to the Home Counties, mainly operated by Arriva, the service to the city of Oxford, where Stagecoach's frequent Oxford Tube service competes with both Go-Ahead's similar Oxford Espress service, and the many commuter services to medium-distance destinations operated by individual coach companies during peak times.
F.Airport Buses:
National Express is also the principal airport bus operator, serving Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted with its National Express Airport brand. Unlike their longer distance cousins, these are walk-on services, which serve stops throughout central London.

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