TRAVEL ESSENTIALS

Our easy-to-follow guide to help you get your bearings in the capital

GETTING TO THE CAPITAL London of cially 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 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 a eld 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). 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

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

This image: The Emirates Air Line cable car links travels above the Thames Below: Oyster cards can be used to pay for most modes of public transport in London

help you navigate the different lines.

When it comes to buying tickets, though single fares are still available, by far the most economical way to travel is to use a tap-andgo Oyster card. This smartcard is a quick and easy way to pay once you’re in the city, reduces the cost of fares and can be used on Tubes, buses, trams, the DLR, most train services, Thames Clipper River Bus services and the Emirates Air Line.

If you’re in London for at least five days, it’s worth getting a seven-day Travelcard loaded onto your Oyster card, so you can hop on and off public transport as many times as you like. A seven-day Travelcard covering zones 1 and 2 costs £37.

Visitor Oyster Cards can be bought in advance and posted to your home address. They cost £5 (plus postage) to activate, plus however much credit you’d like to top up by. You can reclaim any unused credit at the end of your trip, or (since they don’t expire) save the card for your next visit.

If you are in a rush or simply want to travel in a bit more luxury (and don’t mind being held up in traffic), then hail a black cab, which can be spotted on all main roads and often line up outside train stations. Taxis are run on meters and cost more than the Tube (about £15-20 for a journey of 10-20 minutes) but can be a nice way of seeing the city, plus most of them now accept credit and debit cards. Uber and Bolt are the cheaper options. www.tfl.gov.uk

TOURS The choice of sightseeing tours is seemingly endless. If you’re short of time and want to cover a wide area, ticking off the big sights as you go, a hop-on-hop-off bus tour can be a good bet. Try Big Bus London, which offers four different routes on one-, two- or three-day tours, including a one-way river cruise. Tickets cost from £31.20 online for a one-day pass (£39 on board). Alternatively, walking tours provide a more in-depth perspective. Blue Badge Tourist Guides are reliable and experienced and offer tours on everything from royal London to Harry Potter (see also p51). www.bigbustours.com; britainsbestguides.org