English Studio - Language School London » transport for London

Getting from A to B in London.

Philb — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 16:36:50 +0000

When you think of London, a typical scene that comes to mind is that of a red bus driving along the streets of the city. The red bus is an iconic symbol of the capital and is one of the best known ways for getting around the place. However, it is not the only way of travelling around the city. London is very well connected and, in order to discover as much of it as you can, it might be useful to familiarise yourself with some of the other ways of travelling before you arrive.

Airports

There are many airports which can connect you to the city. Heathrow airport is the most famous and is located approximately 20 miles (32km) away. Other popular airports include Gatwick airport which is around 28 miles (45 km) outside the centre, Stansted airport, which is 40 miles (65km) outside of the capital and finally Luton airport, which is approximately 32 miles (52 km) away.

All of the major airline operators run from these airports. Although the airports are outside the city centre, all of them are well connected by trains, private cars, coaches or taxis.

Red Buses

There are over 700 different bus routes which operate around Greater London. The buses often run from 5am until midnight, every day of the week. After midnight there are night buses which run, serving around 100 routes within the most popular areas for going out.

With the buses it is possible to pay for a single ticket, but if you plan on using the bus regularly, it is best to opt for a travel card or oyster card. This card can also be used on the tubes, trams and even trains.

Tube

The London Underground, or the Tube as it is more popularly known, is one of the easiest ways to travel around London. The Tube is one of the most extensive underground systems, meaning you are never too far from a station.

The trains are very frequent, often starting around 5.30am and finishing around midnight, although it is always best to check the time of the last train, at the station.

A map of the Tube.

Trams

Trams run within the Croydon area of London. The trams arrive regularly (usually no more than 6 minutes apart) serving the south of the city.

Black Cabs

Hailing a cab is by far the easiest way to get home. Whether you’re loaded with bags from a day shopping on Oxford Street or coming home from a night out, taxis are available at all times of the day. In London, taxis can be hailed from the street, found in taxi ranks or called for over the phone.

Traffic on the streets of London.

Car

If you plan on driving, then the first thing to do is familiarise yourself with the roads of Britain. For all those coming from Europe be sure to pass over your Highway Code, as it will be necessary to get used to driving on the other side of the road. It is also important to be aware of the London Congestion Charge, when driving in and around the city.

Cycling

Within London it is possible to hire out bikes, with some companies even offering cycling tours so you can get to know the city better. The city has many cycle routes available, which take you in and around the city.

Walking

This is the cheapest possible mode of transport- it costs you nothing! With lots of parks and gardens in and around London, you won’t be short of places to go to.

Take a ride

david — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 16:05:38 +0000

Cycling in London is becoming more and more common and to some extent I would say fashionable in an attempt to be healthier and also collaborate for less Co2 emissions on the environment. Cyclists have as many rights as automobiles around the city, but also duties like stopping at traffic lights, signalling when they are turning right or left and they are not allowed to ride their bike on the pavement. One day, I was riding my bike around the Southbank, although I knew that doing so was against the law, I thought that it would not be a big problem as the police would not really bother with me. I was totally mistaken. In that day two policemen stopped me and asked me if knew that I was not meant to ride the bike, I started panicking and I answered that yes, I did. Well, they spent some time with me checking my details and sent me a fine of 30 pounds. I was very upset, but after that day I have never done the same anymore. I learnt the lesson.

There are so many advantages of being a cyclist in London; you are actually protected by law to have your space on the streets but not on the sidewalks. According to a recent research on average, approximately 450,000 cycle journeys are made across London every day, the number of cyclists seriously injured in London has fallen 42% in the last year, 51% of Londoners own at least one bike and 41% said that they never ride on the pavement. Nevertheless, there are still so May accidents every day, between January and September last year, 67.8% were injured by cars, 3.3% by taxis, 9.2% by buses or coaches, 9% by mopeds or motorbikes – and 1.2% by bicycles. 82% of people in our poll believe that there are not enough cycle lanes in the capital. In order to raise more tolerance and awareness, every year there is naked cycling in London, it is one way to show people that bikes are a good alternative transport and everybody should respect it more.

That’s a bit more of London, when are you coming for a ride?

Take care!!!

David Vieira/Brazil

First impressions

Luis — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 12:30:11 +0000

I think that all the people in the world know about London, the famous Big ben, the traditional double Decker buses and the red telephone boxes, things that are utterly fantastic and make us dream about visiting one of the biggest cities in the world.

there are people who think travelling is a waste of time, but it’s time to wake up, open your eyes and realize that there are wonderful places beyond your borders. What I’m enjoying about this expirience is the fact that I’m learning the value of life, nowadays I realize how beautiful the world is and how many beautiful things it can show me. In my opinion to have a nice room in a luxury house is in second place because I have my dreams as the most important goal in my life.

I remember my first day in London, everything was absolutely bizarre, i felt completely lost. All the streets, the people, even the food was very strange, I wanted to cry and a kind of desperation made me feel shit, fortunately in less than one month I started to feel that all those stranges streets and strange people, became my own streets and my own family. Today I feel if i had lived in this city for ages, I’m absolutely in love with the thames river, with the beautiful landscapes, with the warm people, with the amazing parks and with the fascinating freedom that makes me feel one hundred per cent myself, I can do whatever I want and nobody is gonna say bad things about me, London is a city without prejudices and i really like that.

If somebody ask me why I’m here and what I like about London I’d answer what I really like about London is the fact that it’s a city that makes me feel happy because not only is a new language that I’m learning, I’m growing as a person at the same time. Being here I’ve chaged my mind and I’m sure that the Luis that is gonna go back to Colombia is not the same that arrived here.

I would be lying if i said that I’ve never wished to take a plane and go back home, I’ve missed my family, my friends, even my dog but inmediately I think about my future and about all my goals and it makes me stronger to move on. It’s not easy being here, is quite hard but is an experience that I wouldn’t change for anything in the world.

Luis F. Salazar