If you’re moving, just moved, thinking
about moving to, or just visiting London then there is 99% probability that you
are moving from a much smaller city, with a much less complicated public
transport system!
Buses and a train every now and then (which
I definitely wasn’t sure how to use), was the extent of my public transport
knowledge before moving to London. Just the sheer size and scale was overwhelming,
and I’d never used an underground system before. That being said I was also
equally impressed with the way London actually manages to run it’s public
transport on time and about ten times faster and more frequently then little
old Brisbane.
Never fear, like all things, with time
comes familiarity and soon you’ll be riding a double-decker and running the
rabbits warren like you were born in the big smoke. But in the mean time, here
are some explanations about different public transport and some tips to make it
easy to get around!
The
Underground/Tube
This is generally the quickest way to get
around, and (depending where you live) will probably be your main source of
public transport. It can be a little daunting at first with so many lines and I
spent a lot of my first few weeks getting on the right tube line…but going in
the wrong direction.
A few tips:
1.
If you have a smart phone (is
there anyone who doesn’t?) Then get a tube map app! They are free, and can tell
you the quickest route to and from your destination, the route with fewest
changes, any delays on different lines or closures, a map of the entire tube
system including the Overground lines as well as working without wifi!
2.
Always avoid the tube in peak
hour (generally from around 7am-9:30am, and 5:30am – 7pm) because people will
LITERALLY trample you to get on. I have had a full-grown man shove me to the
side so he could get on. If you are going to travel in peak, or have no choice
as I do for work, then make sure you’ve got some guts about you to stand your
ground.
3.
When riding the escalators you
stand to the right and walk on the left. No expecptions, people will get
annoyed at you if you don’t.
4.
It is hard to tell which
direction your tube is going once you get on the actual carriage – though the
little man that speaks to you will tell you at every stop so you’ll work out if
you’re going the wrong way after one stop.
5.
Mostly only drunk people will
talk to you, (I’ve had two drunk men ask me on dates while riding the tube) but
other than that people stick to themselves, their headphones or their books. No
eye contact or smiling is accepted.
The
Overground
Basically an above ground train – like any
other you may have had in your home town. Though if your hometown was anything
like mine, they definitely run more frequently and they run on time (a crazy
concept for a Brisbanite like me).
Compared to the underground the run
significantly less frequently – about every 10-15 minutes – and take a bit
longer.
The
DLR (Docklands Light Railway)
This is a fairly new addition to the public
transport system in London and reach from central London out East as far as
Beckton. It’s frequent and relatively fast and is particularly useful for
getting to the London City Airport.
Double-decker buses have been an enduring
symbol of London and most tourists want to get their first ride on one – though
they usually do it on one of the big red tour buses.
Buses take ALOT longer then any other mode
of transport, but if you are only travelling short distances then they are
worth the price difference alone. I like catching buses when I know I don’t
have to rush anywhere. I actually get to see my surroundings and get to know
the area a little bit better, it’s easy to forget there’s an outside world
sometimes in the rabbit warren that is the tube system.
Night
Buses
Night buses are amazing. I can’t stress
this enough. If you are going to have nights out in London and have ahhh ehhh
umm…. A ’few’ drinks…. then they are going to be your best friends. Black cabs
and unmarked cabs (which are unsafe to get, though I must admit have caught a
few home before) are ridiculously expensive. If they can tell you’re not a
local they will charge you about double the price they would a Londoner! So the
best way to get home in the early hours of the morning is a night bus. Be
prepared for it to take a little longer …. But you never who you’ll meet at 3am
in the dredges of East London to spice your journey up.
Note: Not to be confused with Harry Potters
Knight Buses – have yet to see one of these.
General Tips
1.
Get yourself an oyster card –
even if you’re only in town for a week or two. If you hand it back in you can
get the five quid back that it costs to buy it, and the tickets you get on an
oyster work out to be much cheaper than paper tickets.
2.
The transport system is divided
into 6 zones – 1 being central London, 6 being the outskirts. Obviously the
more zones you have to travel across the more expensive it becomes. Buses only
cost a fixed amount per ride, no matter the distance.
3.
There are a high number of
suicides in the underground. As a
new Londoner they still make me upset, but for Londoners they regard them as
mere inconveniences of their day. They can be slightly callous about it. Perhaps
this comes from their constant exposure and familiarity, and has thus become
familiar and therefore no longer shocking. For us small-towners might find it a
little bit more difficult to dismiss.
Good luck!
