Transport Options Within London
London is one of the top tourism and business destinations in the world. With 15 million tourists visiting London every year it is all the culture, history, shopping and entertainment and the English language that makes it the second most popular city for tourists, after Paris. As a location of doing business London is with New York and Tokyo one of the three key economic cities in the world. It has the biggest centre of banking of any city and there are substantial support services for any company doing business in London.
As with many large cities London`s residential, entertainment and commercial districts are tightly packed which makes travelling through the city by private car extremely difficult. Fortunately public transport services, administrated by Transport for London (TFL), are extensive and cover virtually all areas of central London. TFL divides London into almost circular travel Zones, with Zone 1 being the innermost zone including the central tourist and central business district. The most popular way of navigating London is by underground train, known as the Tube and there are many Tube stations in London with most central destinations within walking distance from a Tube stop. The iconic red London buses offer an alternative to travelling underground and may get you closer to your destination albeit at a slower pace. A very expensive but convenient option is the ubiquitous classic Black Cab.
Travel fares are reasonable as long as you buy the optimal ticket. Buying a single fare ticket for every trip can be expensive so consider your travel requirements in advance. When you purchase a travel card you specify which zones it should be valid for with fares rising the more zones the travel card covers. If you`re spending only a day or two in central London buying a one day travel card (£ 7.20 any time, or £ 5.60 off-peak) would be the most cost effective. If you`re staying three days or more a weekly (£ 25.80) or even monthly (£ 88.10) travel card will save you a lot of money even if the upfront fee seems high. TFL recently rolled out the Oyster Card system which replaces paper tickets and offers more flexibility - for example allowing you to pay for travel outside your travel card out of prepaid credit not with a single trip ticket. In areas outside Central London facilities such as the DLR, London Overground and Croydon Tramlink have the same function as the Tube. The different modes of transport can be daunting to navigate making planning trips tricky. Fortunately the TFL website has a powerful Journey Planner that gives easy directions.
There is no doubt that London is an expensive destination with accommodation a big budget breaker. You can minimise accommodation costs by using budget hotels or hostels. Camping out on grounds outside London will save you a packet as long as you`re willing to spend time travelling into London. what tent you buy is important because of the possible cold and rainy weather.