Page 214 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - England's South Coast

212  SUR VIV AL GUIDE

Getting Around London buses and smaller single-deck
buses that are able to weave in
Public transport in London is extensive, efficient and busy. and out of traffic more easily. The
The city and its suburbs are served by the Underground, buses iconic old Routemaster still exists
and railway, all coordinated by Transport for London (TfL). in London, but only as a Heritage
There is a common ticketing system for all TfL transport in bus on route number 15, linking
Trafalgar Square with Tower Hill.
the form of the Oyster Card, which affords passengers reduced Visitors should note that bus
fares. Taxis are easily available on the street and at ranks in fares cannot be paid in cash.
the centre. Among the best ways to see London are by bicycle One-day passes can be bought
and on foot, though try to avoid the rush hours from 8am to from Oyster Ticket Stops. You can
9:30am and 5pm to 6:30pm. Downloading real-time apps such also use your TfL Travelcard,
Oyster or contactless payment
as Citymapper can help you navigate and plan your routes.
card. The standard pay-as-you-
go fare of £1.50, using an Oyster
Underground and Train railway stations, and at Oyster or contactless payment card,
The Underground network (also Ticket Stops. It can also be applies to all buses displaying
known as the Tube) is run by TfL bought online and from some the red roundel. However you
and has six main fare zones with outlets abroad. pay, touch your pass or card on
270 stations, each marked with If you are visiting for a day, the yellow card reader as you
the London Underground logo. opt for a paper ticket if you are enter the bus. You do not need
Trains run every day, just making one or to touch out when you leave. If
except Christmas two journeys, or a you need to changes buses you
Day, from about Travelcard if you only can make a second journey for
5:30am until just plan to use public free within an hour of touching
after midnight. With transport a few in on the first bus.
the launch of the times within a single Buses generally run from
Night Tube in 2016, An Oyster card day. If you use an 5am until 12:30am, with night
some lines now run Oyster Card or services available on many major
for 24 hours on Fridays and contactless card and make routes from around midnight
Saturdays. Fewer trains run on multiple journeys on the same until 5am. Night buses are pre-
Sundays and public holidays. day, TfL will automatically cap fixed with the letter “N”, and day
The 11 Underground lines, the cost of your journey when passes are valid on these buses
the Overground (a suburban you have been charged a certain until 4:30am. Be careful when
rail network) and the Docklands number of fares (paper tickets travelling alone late at night,
Light Railway (DLR), the driverless are not capped). Check the TfL when there may be few other
train system linking the East End website to see if a Travelcard passengers on board, and sit
suburbs with the City, are colour- or capped Oyster fares will be downstairs near the driver.
coded and full maps are posted more cost effective for you. All main bus stops have
at every station, while condensed illuminated signs displaying
maps are displayed in all trains. the number of the next buses
Tickets and Travelcards can be Buses that are due and their times.
bought at stations, but paper Buses in London come in all Destinations are shown on the
tickets are expensive and most shapes and sizes, with automatic front of buses. For routes and
travellers use a contactless debit doors and spacious interiors for timetables, check TfL’s website
or credit card, or an Oyster Card, wheelchairs and buggies. There or the Citymapper app.
a prepaid electronic card that are driver-operated double- At bus stops, the driver will
can be topped up for use on all deckers, sleek environmentally not halt unless you signal that
forms of TfL transport. Using an friendly New Routemaster you want to get on or off. If you
Oyster Card or one of the several
mobile payment applications are
the cheapest ways of travelling
on Tubes and buses, but passen-
gers must tap in and tap out at
stations or they will be charged
the maximum fare. Visitors should
note that not all contactless
payment cards issued outside
the UK can be used; those that
can include American Express,
Visa, MasterCard and Maestro.
There is a dedicated Visitor
Oyster Card that can be bought
at Tube stations and some London’s famous red double-decker buses in Parliament Square

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