London may seem like a big city, but once you get to know the public transport routes it’s easy to get around. There’s also an excellent government-run website www.tfl.gov.uk that provides all the information you need on tube, bus and rail routes, along with downloadable maps and a route planner showing you the fastest combination of public transport to get to your destination. Tubes stop running at around 12.30am, but there is a night bus network that runs throughout the early hours until they start up again at around 5.30am.

Buying travelcards
London is divided into Zones, and the cost of your travelcard depends on the Zones you will be entering. Most of your journeys will take place in Zones 1 and 2 only, and the fewer the Zones included in your ticket the cheaper the price. All sorts of ticket options are on offer, from single-journey tickets to weekly, monthly and yearly travelcards. You can use most travelcards on all forms of public transport.
London has recently installed a new system of paying for travel known as Oyster. The Oyster card is a smart travelcard that is used to ‘touch in’ on public transport instead of paper tickets. They are reusable, and can work in a pay-as-you-go style – topping up as and when you need to – or as a pre-paid season ticket. While paper tickets are currently still available they are more expensive than Oyster and are in the process of being phased out. Oyster cards can be bought from any tube station, while paper travelcards can be bought from most cornershops and stations. For more details on Oyster cards click here.
Remember, cash payment on buses is also no-longer available, so you’ll either have to have a paper travelcard or Oyster card, or buy a single ticket from the machines at selected bus stops.

Driving in London
Central London operates a Congestion Charge, which anyone driving into a specified zone has to pay. The charge allows you to enter and exit the zone as often as you like that day, and is in force Monday to Friday from 7.00am to 6.30pm. The cost is £8 per day if you pay before midnight on the day of travel, and £10 if you pay by midnight the day after – forgetting to pay could lead to a charge of up to £100. Go to www.cclondon.com for more details.

Taxis
There are several different taxi services available in London, and it’s important to know the difference. ‘Black cabs’ are hailed in the street and tend to be the safest but most expensive option, charging you a fare depending on the time and distance travelled. However, it’s hard to get a black cab late at night, and you may need to get a ‘minicab’.
Minicabs are licensed taxis (often the driver’s own car), and are required to undergo regular safety checks and display an identification disc in the front and back of the car. They can be booked at minicab offices or telephoned in advance, and state a set fare for the journey. Always check the identification badge in the car, ringing the main office if necessary, and always ask for the amount of the fare in advance. Addison Lee is one of the most reputable cab firms in London; call + 44 20 7387 8888.
Remember, it’s important to beware of ‘touts’. These are people that hang around outside clubs who often pretend to be minicab drivers but are unlicensed, and may not even have a driving license. Never get into a car until you have seen the identification badge, and try not to travel alone.