Getting around in London generally > Reviews

Advantages: Lots to see, lots to do, comprehensive travel deals
Disadvantages: Quite expensive, you need to stick with the programme to make it worthwhile.

The allure and free availability of foreign travel these days has tended to cloud the attractions of destinations closer to home. Turning our eyes away from the distant west for once we recently spent a delightful week in London on a City break holiday. Even though it was April, the weather was cold and windy but dry and we filled our time with a variety of activities. I had no problem finding accommodation in the heart of the city (we booked an apartment ... Read review

Advantages: Easy to negotiate when you know how
Disadvantages: Learning how can take decades

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 ... Read review

Advantages: Can use it all day
Disadvantages: none

I've been living a short way outside London for 3 years but am always impressed by the number of buses around in London. I suppose I'm still in tourist mode but I would recommend that if you have the time to spare you consider buying a Travelcard from newsagents underground stations or many other places and ask for a bus map at the same time. We have travelled all around Inner and Greater London and if the traffic is bad then we just hop off ... Read review

Advantages: Comfort and the experience
Disadvantages: can be difficult to track one down

When travelling about London one of the easiest ways is to go by taxi, normally or perhaps I should say hopefully, your driver will know the quickest and therefore the cheapest route for you to take,. They normally seem experts at diving in and out of traffic, where the average driver would fear to go. Add to this ,the fact that most are excellant tour guides, if you are a vistor and will normally give you their opinion( hopefully unbiased )on most ... Read review

Advantages: Fast and comfortable
Disadvantages: Hardly Any!

Trams have made a comeback in London. There is a network in and around the bourugh of Croydon - Croydon Tramlink. It is a brilliant way to get around. You may think they will trundle around the roads in traffic, but once out of the Central Area they speed away at 50 m.p.h! Trams are exellent value - 90p single to nearly every stop. Frequenceys are high, on route 3, croydon - neew addington, there is one tram every 6-7 min. Ticket Machines are a bit ... Read review

Advantages: Money back
Disadvantages: You have to travel on the tube in the first place!

We've all experienced delays on the Tube, but you can get a refund for all delays over 15 minutes! London Underground don't publicise this very well (understandably - think how much money they stand to lose!) but it is really easy to claim your refund. Each tube station now has 'Customer Charters' outside the ticket booth - just keep your ticket, fill in the details and post it off (freepost of course!) I got my refund for my entire journey back ... Read review

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London taxies are the best in the world. They are large and spacious and vey frequent. All London black-cab drivers have an enormous knowledge of the area not just about roads, but offices, shops etc and can get you to virtually anywhere whether you have the slightest idea where it is or not. Cabbies themselves get a bum rap in my opinion. I have always found them affable and willing to talk about anything. perhaps this is what many Brits do not ... Read review

Advantages: easy, cheap and convenient
Disadvantages: none as of yet

We always use this way to get into the city. We drive to Lewisham train station and park in the station carpark which costs £1 for the day (last time we parked it did anyway. If we can't park there we go to New Cross and park by the police station just down the road from the train station. We then buy a travelcard and hop on the underground train. The train goes straight to the main tube stations and from there you can explore London to your hearts ... Read review

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What a great idea it was to have an easilr recognisable taxi cab for London. So why do we see cabs of different colours these days. By the time you recognise one they have disappeared down the road. The truly great thing about the London cab is that you meet such fun drivers and characters. Don't you? Sorry. OK They are always clean and tidy and very comfortable. Aren't they? Sorry OK They are in plentiful supply and you can always get one ... Read review

Advantages: See london in safety and confort
Disadvantages: Rush hour can be a drag

This year I went to London on holiday. Having heard the chilling tales of taxi drivers leaning out of windows to shout at other drivers while taking sharp corners at high speed, I was a little apprehensive when I got into the taxi outside King's Cross Station. My fears were quickly neutralised when we arrived at our hotel without incident. I actually enjoyed the trip back to the station when it was time to leave. Our driver was a South African young ... Read review

Advantages: safe , journey from door to door
Disadvantages: can not always find one , expensive if travelling alone

So first of all lets put all those horror stories to rest , London taxi drivers are not ignorant money grabbing monsters , they like most other people have a job to do and generally do it very well , Of course they like the rest of us can get stressed , lets face it how would you like to be driving round London all day .I do not live in London , but frequency visit the city , I have always found taxi drivers to be polite , knowledgeable and helpful ... Read review

Advantages: Good when in a hurry
Disadvantages: Expensive over long distances

As a Londoner, I use taxis and I also drive. I often spend about 7 hours a day driving in central London and thought I would share my observations on London black cabs with you. TAXIS DO - Cut you up at any opportunity, think they are the knights of the road, blantantly ignore your frantic gesticulations from the road side, have an opinion about every subject under the sun, all think they could win mastermind, prefer to hang around outside expensive ... Read review