All Your London Transport Questions Answered HERE! (Q&A on page 4)

Katzr2000

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Hey guys and girls.

I have notice many many seprate threads floating about with regards to transport while your in london so I thought I would create one thread to answer all these questions in one place. This will make it easier for people looking for the same information, saving them from having to ask again. As I am born and bred in London, I should be able to answer most questions. This will be a work in progress so please bare with me. Its a lot of things to cover. I will start with the basics, and anything else you need to know, just ask and I will add it to the first post, for easy reference in the future.


Useful Websites
TFL - This is the official site for Transport For London. Here you will find plenty of information on Tubes, Rail, Busses, Taxis and more, including maps and time tables.

National Rail - This site deals with trains which run through london, greater london and beyond. Helpful for those who are coming from other parts of the uk, or for those who want to see more than just london while in England.

National Express Coach services running throughout the UK and from major London Airports.

Thames Clippers Boats running express service to and from the o2.

Zones
The London transport system works on travel zones, starting with zone 1 in central london increasing to zone 6 for the outskirts of london. You can view what stations are in what zones on the maps HERE. The standard tube map is what you will mainly need. North Greenwich for the o2 is on the border of zones 2 and 3.



Ticket Information
On London transport you can pay for your fair in numerous ways:

Oyster Card: This is the best way to travel round London as it more convenient and cheaper to paper tickets or cash. You can purchase an Oyster card from many local newsagents (look for oyster sign in window), Tube stations and online HERE for a small fee. There are also special Oyster cards for visitors to London, which I believe are cheaper to purchase. You can either use them pay as you go or with travel cards but cannot be loaded with 7 day travel cards. They can be purchased from Stansted and Gatwick Airports as well as many other places. More information on these HERE

You can use Oyster cards on tubes, buses and some rail lines. Information on where you can and cannot use an Oyster cards, as the machines have not been installed in some places yet, can be found HERE for National Rail services, HERE for Overground, and HERE for DLR. Generally Oyster card with travelcards on them are usable on most lines, it is Oyster cards with pay as you go which is generally less available to use (more information on this to follow).

To use your Oyster card you must swipe in and out of station (swipe when getting on for buses). If you fail to do this it could result in a fine or you paying more for your journey than you require. In some stations which have rail lines and tube lines, the oyster swiper will be on the platform. If you are ever unsure always ask someone who works at the station.

Pay As You Go
If you can get to grips with this system and you are only in london for a few days then this will be the best option for you. You top up your oyster with money (online, at stations or at ticket stop newsagents - which you can find HERE), and then you are charged for each individual journey which is deducted from your credit. It is a lot cheaper to pay for single journeys this way than paying cash at a station. You can search for the cost of single journeys HERE. Also PAYG Oysters are capped to the price of a daily travel card. More info HERE.

Travel Cards
Travel Cards is one ticket allowing you to travel on trains, tubes, buses etc as many times as your require in the time period stated on one ticket. You can get travel cards for 1 day, 3 days, 7 days, Monthly and annually. You can purchase a paper ticket or have the ticket places on an oyster card, there is no difference in cost. The price of your ticket is dependent on what zones you want it to cover and if it is for peak or off peak travel. You find more information on Travel cards and their prices HERE

Make sure you understand how to use your oyster card before coming to London, as I have often witnessed overseas visitors having the cards checked to realise they are not covered for their journey. This can result in fines.

Cash Fair / Paper Ticket
To pay cash on a bus or to purchase a single paper ticket is generally a lot more expensive than using an Oyster card. However some people may find it simpler to use and you can find more information HERE. You can purchase a single ticket from ticket counters in all tube and most rail stations (if you find there is no ticket counter or ticket machine at a train station there will be information signs telling you where to pay, but it usually means you can pay on the train when the ticket inspector comes round).

Before you leave for London, look into the journeys you expect to take to work out what type of ticket will be best for you. If you would like any advice, feel free to contact me with information of your potential journeys and I will try my best to work out what ticket is best for you, but is better if you try to work it out yourself first to help you understand the system.



Buses
Although you can pretty much get anywhere via tubes and trains in London, some people prefer to use the buses and it is also sometimes easier for shorter journeys.
You can find information on bus routes HERE. Fares on buses are £2 cash or £1 on Oyster PAYG. This is for one bus journey regardless of how far you will be traveling on that bus.
Most buses run till just after midnight, but there are plenty of night buses or 24 hour buses to help you get around. More information on night buses HERE.
Bus routes which go to the o2 are : 108 (24hrs) / 129 / 132 / 161 / 188 (24hrs) / 422 / 472 (24hrs) / 486. You can find more information on there routes HERE and HERE.



Getting To London From The Airport
As most of you reading this will be coming from overseas I thought it would be helpful to outline how to get from the major London Airports to Central London.

Stansted
The main way to get to and from Stansted Airport is via Stansted Express. Stansted Express operates up to four trains per hour to and from Liverpool Street station. Journey time from 45 minutes. Trains depart from Liverpool Street station between approximately 04:10 and 23:25 and return from Stansted Airport between approximately 05:30 and 00:30 (later at weekends). Connections from the Tube are also available at Tottenham Hale which is 11 minutes from Liverpool Street on the Stansted Express. From Liverpool Street you can connect to Central / Hammersmith and city / Circle / Metropolitan Lines and Rail services. To book tickets and find fares please see the official site.
You can also get Express Coaches to Stratford (A51 / A9), Victoria (A6 / A50 / EB2) and King's Cross (A60). These services are run by different companies so for information regarding booking please see HERE.
For a map of all services running to and from Stansted Airport click HERE.

Luton Airport
The main way to travel to and from Luton Airport by First Capital Connect. First Capital Connect (formerly Thameslink) operate up to six trains per hour to and from St Pancras International, London Bridge, Farringdon, London City Thameslink and Blackfriars stations (see Gatwick for more information about Blackfriars Underground station closure). Journey time from 35 minutes. An hourly service operates through the night to and from St Pancras International and Blackfriars. However, please note there are no trains between approximately 01:00 and 03:00.
I have done this journey myself and unless you are staying close to one of the other stations listed I would recommend travelling to St Pancras, as it is a one minute walk down the road to the main Kings Cross Station (Zone 1) which has connections for Northern / Hammersmith and city / Piccadilly / Victoria / Circle / Metropolitan Lines.
Another way to travel to and from Luton Airport is by easyBus. easyBus offers a high frequency, low cost express bus service between Central London and Luton Airport. easyBus coaches run 24-hours a day between the airport and Central London. There are stops at Brent Cross, Finchley Road, Baker Street, Oxford Street/Marble Arch and London Victoria. Online Fares start at £2 one-way and vary according to demand. You should book early to get the best fares.
For more information on all travel services running from London to Luton Airport please see HERE

Gatwick Airport
The main way to get to and from Gatwick Airport is via Gatwick Express. Gatwick Express operates four trains per hour to and from London Victoria. Journey time 30 minutes. There is no service between 00:30 and 03:30 from London and between 01:35 and 04:35 from Gatwick. Other rail operators run services through the night.
An alternative train service running from Gatwick to London Victoria is Southern.
For coaches from Gatwick to London Victoria you have the option of easyBus and National Express. National Express operates an hourly coach service to and from Victoria Coach Station. Journey time 65-95 minutes. easyBus service eb4 operates from Fulham Broadway from 06:00 to 22:00 and Gatwick from 06:30 to 23:00.
From London Victoria (zone 1) you can then transfer to the victoria / circle / district lines to continue your journey.

Heathrow Airport
The main way to travel from Heathrow Airport to London is via the Piccadilly Tube Line on the London Underground. The Piccadilly line connects all Heathrow terminals including Terminal 5, with frequent services to central London between 05:00 and 23:40 (Heathrow Terminal 4 station closes at 23:35 Monday to Saturday, and 23:05 on Sunday).
You can also travel from Heathrow to Paddington station via Heathrow Connect.Heathrow Connect operates between Heathrow and Paddington via five intermediate stations in west London. Journey time to Paddington is 25 minutes and trains operate every 30 minutes. Trains depart from Paddington between 04:42 (06:12 on Sundays) and 23:03 and return from Heathrow Terminals 1,2,3 between 05:29 (06:13 on Sundays) and 00:06. Passengers for Terminal 5 should use the free inter-terminal service from Terminals 1,2 and 3. Oyster pay as you go is not valid on the service and Zone 1-6 Travelcards are only valid between Paddington and Hayes & Harlington.
Along with the above rail service there is also Heathrow Express. Heathrow Express operates four non-stop trains per hour to and from Paddington. Trains depart from Paddington between 05:10 and 23:25 and return from Terminal 4 between 05:23 and 00:01 and Terminal 5 between 05:07 and 23:42. Journey time15-20 minutes. There are three stations at Heathrow, Terminals 1, 2, 3, Terminal 4 and Terminal 5. Passengers for Terminal 4 must change at Terminals 1, 2, 3 for the free and frequent transfer service to Terminal 4. Travelcards and Oyster pay as you go are not valid on Heathrow Express.
From Paddington station (zone 1) you can continue your journey via Hammersmith & City / Circle / District / Bakerloo Lines.
Lastly there is also the option of coaches from National Express. For more information please see HERE and HERE.


For anyone worrying about how the closure of the Jubille Line due to planned engineering work here some info that might help.

The rail replacment buses are nothing to be scared off. They are free of charge and follow exactly the same route overground as the the affected tube line. There are TFL staff, who wear blue jackets at every station. They are very helpful and are well used to lost and confused people. The buses are very frequent, about every 5 to 7 minutes, and when each bus arrives at a station, the station and direction of the bus is announced both by the driver and the station staff.

Also, if your concert is affected there will be a special travel page on The O2 website and on the TFL website and most likely you will be sent an email by The O2.




Q&A has been moved to page 4 due to lack of space
 
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Re: All Your London Transport Questions Answered HERE!

This is a great idea for a thread... I was just wanting to ask someone if there are trains between Luton airport and central London. I know there are buses but how about trains? Me thinks it would be easier....
 
Re: All Your London Transport Questions Answered HERE!

Anyone from Norwich going in July and what is the cheapest travel option?
 
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Re: All Your London Transport Questions Answered HERE!

okay one question :) i am going to land in luton airport and our hotel is in eltham. how is the best way to go from the airport to the hotel? we are planning to go to the o2 that day and the other days go to central london to do some things. what is the best and cheapest thing for me? an oyster card or a travelcard? and which zones do i need if i stay in eltham? i have used travelcards before so im used to it but im somehow confused by that oyster cards. are oyster cards and normal travelcards valid on railway?
 
Re: All Your London Transport Questions Answered HERE!

I was wondering, as I probably won't get any special ticket/card since I'll only be in London for two days, do I have to buy a separate ticket for the tube/train/bus/DLR? I willAt least here in Finland we can use the same ticket in all of those during a certain time period, but is it the same in London?
 
Re: All Your London Transport Questions Answered HERE!

Great job, I will definitely be trying to figure out what's the best way to get to my hotel and then if I have any questions I might ask you. Thanks again for helping.:yes:
 
Re: All Your London Transport Questions Answered HERE!

thankyou for answering my question katz,one thing i don,t understand when i booked my coach the man said victoria was the only drop off point,he should have told us you could get the coach to bow or canary warf,it would have been better for us,thankyou your information is very helpful.
 
Re: All Your London Transport Questions Answered HERE!

thankyou for answering my question katz,one thing i don,t understand when i booked my coach the man said victoria was the only drop off point,he should have told us you could get the coach to bow or canary warf,it would have been better for us,thankyou your information is very helpful.

The coach from victoria to bow is a different coach! x
 
Re: All Your London Transport Questions Answered HERE!

Hi. I have a question about the Oyster travel card. The children card is for people in what age? Because I'm 17 and in my country you pay the discounted fare as long as you're a student, but how it is in London?
 
Re: All Your London Transport Questions Answered HERE!

Anyone from Norwich going in July and what is the cheapest travel option?

Could you please give me more information on you situation to enable me to help you. Are you staying at a hotel? For how many nights? Where? What date are you attending the concert?
 
Re: All Your London Transport Questions Answered HERE!

nyone from Norwich going in July and what is the cheapest travel option?
national express bus unless u can get a cheap train ticket
 
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Re: All Your London Transport Questions Answered HERE!

cant see there being anything cheaper than a fun ticket on n express for a few quid.
 
Re: All Your London Transport Questions Answered HERE!

cant see there being anything cheaper than a fun ticket on n express for a few quid.

Is that an open return tho? Or if they are travelling back the same night...no late night coaches...Thats why I asked the questions I did! :yes:
 
Re: All Your London Transport Questions Answered HERE!

well they just asked what the cheapest travel option was. so i said. NE run pretty much 24 hrs.fun fares are singles u book them literally upto 5 mins b4 u go. there no real need for open returns anymore with these fares. back in the day opens were best when these werent available
 
Re: All Your London Transport Questions Answered HERE!

well they just asked what the cheapest travel option was. so i said. NE run pretty much 24 hrs.fun fares are singles u book them literally upto 5 mins b4 u go. there no real need for open returns anymore with these fares. back in the day opens were best when these werent available

wasn't 24 hrs when I searched... Anyway I will wait till they give me all the info before I research and give them a proper answer. Don't want to confuse people with the discussion. Supposed to be an easy access information thread :)
 
Re: All Your London Transport Questions Answered HERE!

I have been looking at transportation..

If I was to go straight back to my hotel from the gig then I could use the jubilee to Canary Wharf fine..

But if i choose to go to the aftershow which i already have paid for that probably wont finish till at least 1am , there are no underground services then, so how would i get back ?
 
Re: All Your London Transport Questions Answered HERE!

I have been looking at transportation..

If I was to go straight back to my hotel from the gig then I could use the jubilee to Canary Wharf fine..

But if i choose to go to the aftershow which i already have paid for that probably wont finish till at least 1am , there are no underground services then, so how would i get back ?

Hey what hotel are you staying at so I can answer the best way possible..
 
Re: All Your London Transport Questions Answered HERE!

If you're in the docklands on the north side of the river, how can you get to the southside on foot or via paid transport? Is it quick, or does it take time? And is it easy to get across 24 hours per day?
 
Re: All Your London Transport Questions Answered HERE!

Hey Katzr2000,
I have a question for you.
I was looking at the journey planner website and it's pretty cool, it shows the easiest routes and everything but they say that they're going to have major engineering works throughout this summer... How do I know where and when exactly?
I was debating between taking the EasyBus or the train, which would you say it's easier?

We're arriving at Luton and our hotel is in Russel square. The train seems to be easier, we wouldn't have to change, go to St.Pancras and then walk for about 30 mins but they may be working on lines.

The bus I think we'd have to go to Marble arch and then take the subway to Russel Square, not sure if we'd have to change again but the thing is I've heard it's best to get tix online in advance...


So... what would you advise us to do? Also it's a bit more complicated bc my friends are arriving on the 26th then they will be picking me up on the 27th from Luton.... I know the bus tix are assigned for certain times and it makes me a bit weary about getting them in advance bc you know flights, they may be delayed and stuff... You never know...


Tell me what you think. Thanks a lot for your help.:yes:

Oh, one more thing... What would you say is the best route to go back to the hotel after the concert? I don't really kno what time it will end ( or when we'll be able to get out with that sea of ppl and all LOL) so what are our options?

Also, when we get the Oyster, which zones should we get it for? The center of London is zone 1 right? We don't need the O2 area since that's a one night thing but what about other 'touristy' things that aren't included in zone 1?
Thanks!!
 
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Re: All Your London Transport Questions Answered HERE!

hey :) me again!

i have another question now. since my travelplans have changed cuz of the rescheduling things from the concerts, i had to change my hostel. i am not staying in eltham now, but in miles drive, woolwich. could you please tell me the best way to go to the o2 from there (it doesnt seem so far away) and to the city center? which travelcard do i need? and how will i reach there from luton airport? would be happy to hear from you again :)
 
Re: All Your London Transport Questions Answered HERE!

hey guys sorry ive been busy lately. I will try and sit down 2moro afternoon and answer all ur questions! :)
 
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