British Airways jet leaving London from LHR Airport; source Wiki Commons
London Transportation
Airports
Heathrow International Airport (LHR) is the busiest airport in Europe, greeting 75 million passengers per year. It won’t win architectural awards but is well-used by over 90 airlines flying to 170 destinations worldwide.
HEATHROW INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT MAP
Check the luggage policy for your airline and confirm your flight 24 hours in advance. Make a copy of your passport/flight itinerary/hotel reservations and leave it with someone at home. Pack headache and other medicines in your hand luggage. There is free WiFi through the airport. Taxis and shuttle buses await you at the Arrivals roadway.
LHR Airport is the primary hub of British Airways and a base for Virgin Atlantic Airlines. LHR Airport has four passenger terminals (numbered 2 to 5).
ATMs are available before and after security control in every terminal. For relaxation, book into one of the airport lounges to enjoy complimentary drinks, snacks, newspapers, and magazines. Several bars and grills are available to relax before your flight.
Connecting the terminals is an Automated People Mover (APM) traveling the 1.3-mile distance. Central London is 12 miles and 15 minutes away by Heathrow Express trains to Paddington Station. You can also catch the National Express Coach Bus to/from Victoria Station.
Gatwick International Airport is primarily used for regional flights. It’s particularly useful on flights to Ireland. London has an extensive Underground (Metro Rail) or commuter rail service to each of its 5 airports.
Gatwick Express, a non-stop train from Gatwick to Victoria Station is the fastest way to central London. The train ride is 30 minutes with departures every 15 minutes.
The National Express Airport Bus. The ride to central London takes about an hour, but you don’t have to worry about transferring and walking through huge train stations. Your luggage will be stored underneath the bus. It is a nice way to travel to Central London if you have time.
The most economical way to get to Central London is to ride the London Underground Train but it is the slowest and most difficult. If you don’t have much luggage it is okay. The trick to navigating the Tube with a lot of luggage is to get the Handicap Tube guide that will show you all the stations that have elevators.
It will also show elevator access as well as which line has access (some stations have multiple lines and different ways of access depending on which line you come in on). A taxi from the airport to central London costs about $100.
Eurostar trains capable of 186 mph, parked at St. Pancras Station, London; source Wiki Commons
Train Stations
Since the 1830s, London has remained a mass-transit culture that preserved its train stations and expanded its rapid transit system.
Opened in 1852 at the northern edge of London, Kings Cross Station serves the East Coast Main Line for trains to Yorkshire, the North East, and Scotland.
Virgin Trains East Coast is the main inter-city operator with destinations including Leeds, Newcastle, and Edinburgh. Kings Cross is also a terminus for Great Northern commuter rail to North London, Hertfordshire, and Cambridgeshire.
Immediately to the west is St. Pancras International Station, allowing the two stations to share Kings Cross-St. Pancras Underground Station forms one of Britain’s biggest transport hubs.
St. Pancras Station is one of the greatest Victorian buildings in London. Fully restored, it is the place to connect, with 3 high-speed train lines and 6 London Underground lines, including two that go to Heathrow and Gatwick Airports.
Plenty of car rental options, shuttles, and taxis dwell at the station as well. St. Pancras is best valued for hosting Eurostar trains that reach 186-199 mph to Lille, Paris, Lyon, and Marseilles on one route and Lille, Brussels, and Amsterdam on the other route.
Southeastern and East Midlands trains running 140-186 mph within the United Kingdom hub at St. Pancras Station too. Showcasing performing artists and art shows every week, St. Pancras also contains a luxury hotel, shops, restaurants, cafes, coffeehouses, and the longest champagne bar in Europe, St. Pancras handles an average of 250,000 daily patrons.
Trains arrive on the Grand Terrace with escalator service to the passenger amenities. If you have questions, just ask a friendly Customer Service Assistant at the station.
Opened in 1874, Liverpool Street Station is a restored railway terminus and Underground station in northeast London. It is the railway terminus of the West Anglia Main Line to Cambridge, Great Eastern Main Line to Norwich, local and regional commuter trains serving east London, East of England, and Stansted Express to London Stansted Airport.
With nearly 60 million annual passenger entries and exits, Liverpool Street Station is one of the busiest in London.
Opened in 1848, Waterloo Station remains the busiest station in London. It was the terminus of Eurostar before it switched to St. Pancras Station in 2007.
Located near the South Bank of the River Thames, Waterloo Station serves 100 million passenger entries and exits as the 15th busiest passenger terminal in Europe.
Waterloo is the Central London terminus for the majority of commuter & regional trains to South West London, Surrey, Hampshire, Dorset, and Berkshire. Major destinations served include Wimbledon, Epsom, Dorking, Guildford, Woking, Basingstoke, Winchester, Southampton, Salisbury, Portsmouth, Bournemouth, Weymouth and Exeter.
Victoria Station, with over 80 million passenger entries and exits, is the second-busiest train terminus in London. Victoria is a London terminus for the majority of commuter/regional services to South London, Sussex, East Surrey, South East London, and Kent. It’s the terminal for the Gatwick Express train to Gatwick Airport.
Catching an Underground train at Brixton Station; credit Luke Stackpoole
Rapid Transit
London Underground system has the 11th highest Metro system ridership in the world. Locals often call it the “Tube”, but only 45% of it is underground.
Though some of its 270 stations opened in 1890, its 250 miles, 12 lines, and Docklands Light Railway. Underground trains run between 5 am to midnight from Monday to Saturday, with reduced operating hours on Sunday night.
24-hour service is available on Friday and Saturday nights on the Jubilee, Victoria, and most of the Piccadilly, Central, and Northern Tube lines. Mind the gap between the train floor and the platform at some stations. You can easily trip, if not watching.
The Victoria line crosses the River Thames, south to Brixton. As you see from the London Underground Map, lines are color-coded. Atypical of Metro systems worldwide, some lines are named for midpoint stations, rather than the last station on their line.
Use public transport in London via Oyster or Travelcard. Oyster card, a credit-card-sized electronic ticket, offers almost unlimited use on the London Underground, London Overground, Docklands Light Railway, Tramlink, London Buses, and National Rail, but is not valid outside the London fare zones or on certain airport express services.
Paper-based Travelcard offers the same intermodal access everywhere in Greater London but is used everywhere in Greater London until all stations switch to Oyster Card’s electronic ticketing system.
Travelcard and Oyster card fares are calculated by using a system of fare zones dividing the transport network into 6 concentric circles. When your ride is within 1 or 2 zones, the fare is lower.
Tourists in the know, purchase an Oyster card with their Travelcard or Oyster Card for the least expensive, convenient transport and access to more than 60 attractions in London.
You must try the Underground for one day to experience this slice of London life. Using the Underground, plan on spending $5 to $30 fare per person. If you can, avoid riding during commute hours since a congestion up-charge will apply.
Youth Pass pricing is available until age 18. Like most Metro systems worldwide, put the ticket into the slot on the side of the turnstile. It pops out of the top of the turnstile. When the lights turn green, remove them for the turnstile to let you through.
Mind the Gap subway signs mean watch out for the gap between the platform and the train. It can be as wide as a foot. Stand on the right on escalators – so that people in a hurry can walk on the left. Before exiting a Tube station, look at the wall-mounted Tube map and figure out exactly where you are going. Use the exit nearest your destination.
Buy an all-day pass so that you don’t waste valuable time waiting in line to purchase individual tickets.
If traveling alone, avoid reading paper maps or tourist books on the Underground. Instead, study the London Underground Map on your computer/tablet in your hotel room or at a cafe. If you have questions about the Metro, ask the concierge or English-speaking waiting and tip them. Then stash away paper maps.
Then after catching a Metro train, a glance at maps in stations and on trains will not draw undue attention.
The Big Bus Company offers 24-hour passes that allow you to hop on and off buses that hit all the major tourist attractions in London.
The fee usually includes free tickets to some tourist attractions, including a cruise on the River Thames. Open-air seats on the top of the bus provide the best views.
The London Black Cab can be fun for a short ride, just so you can experience what it is like to have a well-trained cab driver. The cab drivers in London are required to speak the Queen’s English and go to school for several years of training.
A City Cruise boat on the River Thames
River Cruises
City Cruises and Clipper Cruises supply nice options to explore attractions along the River Thames. Based on warm-day ridership numbers, visitors seem to like them a lot. Clippers have ports at 17 stations.
City Cruises competes with them for ports along the River Thames as well. In this case, competition is good.