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Getting around London can be achieved through a variety of transport methods: by foot, car, bus, taxi, mini-cab, tube, or train. London is a city of narrow streets built more for horse-drawn transport rather than the busy flow of cars and heavier vehicles. Self-drive in London is not recommended and can prove a very stressful experience even for those people working and traveling in London everyday. The public transport system for the city consists in the main of an extensive underground train network ('The Tube') and fleets of bright red double and single decker buses.
The recommended form of travel is The Tube (underground train
system). The system extends to every place you could wish to go in London
and even out to the suburbs. Its only drawback is that it does not remain
open much after mid-night - so be sure to check the times of the last trains
when out for the evening late.
A series of night buses do run through, to, and from London, but we
(onview.net Ltd) do not recommend their frequency as being very useful.
A day or weekly travel pass can be purchased from underground stations with a choice of zones defining the overall costs. These tickets cover both the bus, train, and tube network so a single ticket can be used on all three modes of transport. They can only be used after 9.30 am but it is a cost-effective solution. The transport system is put under extreme pressure at two distinct times of the day - the morning and evening rush hour! During these two periods, millions of passengers use the tube and bus network to get to and from their place of work. It is not a good time to travel if you don't like crowds! The morning rush hour is worst from 8.00 am to 9.00 am, and the evening one - from 5.00 pm to 6.00 pm. Plan to travel on the buses and tubes at least 30 minutes before or after these periods and you should avoid the worst discomfort. This also fits in with using the one-day travel passes, which as mentioned above, are only usable from 9.30 am onwards.
London Taxis are acknowledged throughout the world as being a well run and properly licensed service... but they are not cheap! London cabs can be 'hailed' from the side of the street and also 'pick-up' from main-line stations.
Another, but less controlled, car service is available via the numerous mini-cab businesses operating in and around London. These cabs are not allowed to pick-up passengers directly from the street through 'hailing' and must be telephoned, or their offices visited to arrange the ride. Mini-cab businesses can vary dramatically in quality and prices - but are normally less expensive than the London Black Cabs. It should be remembered - as at the time of writing (Dec 1998) - the mini-cab services are not comprehensively regulated by the UK authorities. It is best to use a recommended mini-cab service!
The overground train system is more commonly used for inter-city journeys or for traveling to and from London from the suburbs. The network centre is almost naturally formed in London. The mainline stations 'feeding' other major cities in the UK are Euston, Kings Cross, St. Pancras (feeding the North); Victoria - the South & South East; Paddington - the West, and Liverpool Street - the East.
There is also a coach network connecting London with most other parts
of the UK. The london Coach terminal is located at Victoria.
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