I'm 27, a freelance hack based in London, where I've lived all my life.
I'm 27, a freelance hack based in London, where I've lived all my life.
Member since:15.12.2000
Reviews:154
Members who trust:129
A couple of years ago, I had a boyfriend who lived in Bristol. He was from the midlands and had never lived in London (bear with me, I do have a point here). He used to tease me constantly, about being a London snob in general (I don't deny it) and about my obsession with the tube in particular. He thought it incredible that Londoners could spend hours discussing the relative merits and speeds of tube route options from A to B.
Then he moved to London himself. Now, he understands.
There are plenty of ops elsewhere on the relative merits of tubes, buses and taxis. All I am proposing to write here, therefore, is a list of my top tips for travelling around London, as based on 25 years of experience gained the hard way.
#1 Unless you really don't care how long it will take you to get somewhere, don't even consider buses. They take absolutely forever and have never, ever adhered to the timetables you find stuck on bus stops, so don't be fooled. If you do travel by bus, be prepared to wait (possibly in the rain) for up to an hour, and to be at least an hour late arriving at your destination. And take a good book. At £1 for anything over a journey of a few stops, they aren't even cheap. The exception to this rule are night buses, which you might have to use because the tube stops so early in London. These aren't very regular but can be an absolute godsend. Be warned that they are often very full of drunk people and not nice for girls on their own - and that they don't accept one-day travel cards.
#2 Unless you live outside zone 2, don't even consider a car. Parking is an absolute nightmare in London, especially in the centre of town - finding a place can take longer than your entire journey. Drunk drivers are clamped down on, so you can't drink if you're going anywhere and you can expect to be treated like a free taxi by your friends. Most residential areas will also expect you to pay for a parking permit which can be up to £120 a year and that doesn't even guarantee you a place - an these resiential permits are rigorously enforced. All in all, driving in London, unless you have small children or live in the south east, is more trouble than its worth.
#3 Minicabs. To listen to London cabbies, they're the spawn of the devil, but although everything they say about them not being licensed, drivers often having criminal records and some cars being in a terribe state is true, I rely on them a lot and have very rarely been let down - and they're a lot, lot cheaper than black cabs. In a city with virtually no public transport after midnight, they're almost a necessity. The golden rules are: know where you're going as the drivers often don't, don't be afraid to haggle especially if picking them up outside a club as they often ask a fortune and try if possible not to travel alone - and never if you're a woman. There are mini cab firms run by and for women, if there's one in your area then find it - for peace of mind alone its worth it. It helps if you can always carry a card from a company you trust too, so you're never stranded. Oh, and book in advance if you want to travel at a peak time, ie saturday night.
#4 Residents, consider cycling. It's cheap, green, often remarkably fast, very good for you and much more convenient than driving. Its also less dangerous than you might think, as long as you're sensible and wear a helmet and have lights and all that. There are actually an awful lot of cycle lanes in London including lots of nifty short cuts that aren't available to cars - your local authority should be able to help with a map. My dad has cycled here for 30+ years and swears by it. I am carrying on the family tradition.
#5 If you want to retain a shred of credibility, don't go near mini-scooters.
That's all for now as this is a terribe keyboard (not my computer) and my fingers hurt. I'll upate later.... commments and suggestions welcome.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Great review. I would also say ring up a mini cab rather than hailing one...especially after some rather unpleasant incidents round our way with men posing as cabbies.
LBoy 27.04.2001 20:22
I would never advise women to use minicab in London, some of the drivers are dangerous. Please don't take chances!
Freddydog 27.04.2001 17:49
I found cycling in London far safer than cycling in Cambridge or was it the two year child sat in the seat behind my saddle either way traffic in London tended to give me a wide berth and my lights were still there when i returned!
NH Hotels, the hotel chain leader in Europe, with more than 300 hotels in 20 countries in Europe, Latin America and Africa. Enter into our web site and find the best available tariff at all times
Advantages: Lots to see, lots to do, comprehensive travel deals Disadvantages: Quite expensive, you need to stick with the programme to make it worthwhile.
Advantages: A wide range of transport available for getting around in LONDON!, Travel card cheapest way to travel... Disadvantages: Can get busy, tacky buses/trains, can get hot....
Advantages: Buses and trains come evry 15 minutes and taxis r found evrywhere. Disadvantages: The buses and trains are very dirty and some have broken seats.
very helpful by (95%):
helpful by (5%):
