TRANSPORT AND TOURS
TRAVEL ESSENTIALS Our easy-to-follow guide to help you get your bearings in the capital
GETTING TO THE CAPITAL London officially has six airports, but most international visitors come into either Gatwick Airport or Heathrow. From the former, Southern trains serve London Victoria, as well as London Bridge and
Clapham Junction (tickets from £12.00 single; journey time around 35 minutes to Victoria). Thameslink trains run to London Bridge, London Blackfriars, St Pancras International and Farringdon (from £12.40 single; journey time around 30 minutes to
This image: Inside King's Cross, a major London railway station and northern line Tube stop Right: A handy map of the London Underground subway lines can be picked up for free at Tube stations or viewed on the TfL website
London Bridge). At the time of writing, the Gatwick Express, a dedicated direct service from the airport to London Victoria, has been suspended, but check before you travel (especially if you are travelling in a group of three to nine adults, as booking together in advance will save you up to 34 per cent off the normal price). Heathrow Express is a non-stop service from the airport to Paddington station and takes as little as 15 minutes, depending which terminal you are travelling from. Trains run every 15 minutes. Singles cost from £22, with returns at £37, while if you book at least 90 days in advance you can get tickets for just £5.50 each way. Alternatively, TfL Rail trains take around 30 minutes to get to Paddington and cost from £11.20 for a single ticket (you can pay with your Oyster card). Trains are useful if you’re staying near the Paddington, Lancaster Gate or Bayswater areas; if further afield consider travelling from the airport by Tube on the Piccadilly line, with central stops such as Knightsbridge, Green Park, Piccadilly Circus and Covent Garden (50-60 minutes).
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www.thetrainline.com; www.gatwickexpress.com; www.heathrowexpresscom; www.tfl.gov.uk
GETTING AROUND While London is undoubtedly huge, many of the biggest attractions are within walking distance of each other, and sometimes taking a stroll between Tube stations (say from Piccadilly Circus to Leicester Square) makes much more sense than travelling underground. That said, Londoners are very proud of the Tube network and you can pick up a colour map from all Tube stations, which will www.britain-magazine.com
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