Whether you are a family on vacation, a backpacker looking for adventures or just on a business trip, it is important to know a little bit more about the city you are about to visit. London is without a doubt a very big city and for this reason it was divided into different zones. Zone 1 is called “central London”, where the famous Big Ben and London Eye are located, just to mention a few. The zones’ numbers increase as you travel further away from central London.
London offers several options of travelling. The most important one is undoubtedly the Underground, also called the Tube by Londoners, due to the shape of the tunnels in which trains travel through at high speed. Certainly, the Tube can take you nearly anywhere in London at no time. So if you’re in rush or have a busy sightseeing schedule this would be the best option for you. On the other hand, if you have more time to wander around and want to see London for the way it was really built, buses could be your choice. Surely, you must take into account the busy London traffic when travelling by bus. Nevertheless buses run very frequently and cover almost every street of London. Certain buses also run at night.
Other travelling options include River Buses, Overground, DLR (Docklands Light Railway), National Rail, Trams and the new cable-car Emirates Air Line. So the choice is yours! Whichever option you choose, in order to board one of these public transportations you need either a travel card, which can be purchased as a 1 day travel card valid from the moment of purchase until 4am next day or as a 1 week travel card, or an Oyster card. This smart card is what most Londoners use, not only for its flexibility but also because it enables you to top up any amount of money you need to reach your destination. You can also top up your Oyster card with a 1 day, 1 week or 1 month ticket.
The newest addition to ticket options are contactless credit/debit cards. If your card has the contactless sign on it you can use any transport option in London. Please be advised that cash is no longer accepted in any of the London buses. So you will have to have a paper travel card, Oyster card or contactless card to board a bus. To buy an Oyster card or travel card simply visit any Underground station. At the station you’ll need to pay a £5 deposit which you will get back upon return of the Oyster card. Paper travel cards can also be purchased at the station. Good news for families: children up to 11 years travel free of charge with one paying adult!
For more information on how to travel around London please visit www.tfl.gov.uk,
Extra tips
From any London airports, there are plenty of coaches and trains during the day and night that take you directly to central London in less than 1 hour where you can easily find a Tube station nearly anywhere.
