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Travelling in London can seem daunting with a range of different modes of transport as well as a range of different prices correlating with each journey. However, the best thing about London is that it has one of the largest transport networks in the world since some of these transport methods travel even further than the 32 boroughs in the city. There are always constant improvements made to these transport methods to make them more efficient and beneficial to the people using them in London.
These forms of transport include:
Buses With nearly 20,000 bus stops all across London and some bus stops on the outskirts buses are one of the cheapest and convenient options when travelling in London. There is only one price for a bus journey which is £1.50, it doesn't matter if you get on for one stop or stay on the bus until it terminates at its destination, the price stays exactly the same. A "Hopper Fare" has been introduced in which allows the passenger to make as many journeys as they want within the hour for the price of £1.50. This benefits those travelling to and from work who may need to change buses within this time, which in turn saves them money since they would be spending £1.50 rather than £3. There's a daily cap of £4.50 which allows passengers to ride as many buses as they want that day, this being incredibly useful for tourists and people only spending a small amount of time in the city. With night buses being introduced and becoming more popular there is more options for people wanting to use public transport after a night out. There are restricted routes on night buses but many buses go through most popular locations in London. For example, the bus 188 goes from North Greenwich to Russell Square during the day and night as this allows passengers to either use the bus, River Buses, the London Underground or taxis to get home from the O2 after an event (which prevents overcrowding). London Underground & DLR (Docklands Light Railway) The London Underground currently serves 270 stations through 11 different lines: Bakerloo, Central, Circle, Hammersmith & City, Jubilee, Metropolitan, Northern, Piccadilly, Victoria, Waterloo and City as well as the District line. Each of these lines come with a specific colour which is easily recognisable and easy to follow if you're unfamiliar with the London Underground. Unfortunately the London Underground bases its fares on the zones that the passenger is travelling to and from as well as the time of day the passenger is travelling. For example, if I travelled from Stratford to Bond Street it would cost me £2.90 during the times 6:30-9:30 from Monday to Friday but if I travelled outside of these times it would cost me £2.40. These prices represent the cost with use of an Oyster card but if I purchased a one way ticket by cash through a machine then it would cost me £2.90. The DLR (Dockland Light Railway) serves mainly East and South London with only 45 stations and providing mainly an overground service, it's very useful when travelling to these areas. The DLR also follows the same rules of the London Underground in terms of pricing as it depends on what zones the passenger is travelling from and what zone their destination is. River Buses An unusual mode of transport but a one with scenic views and fresh air, nothing could beat River Buses. With a limited service of only 6 routes serving 22 piers this service is more focused on seeing the sights of London such as stops from North Greenwich to Westminster allow passengers to see sights such as Westminster Pier and the London Eye. I would recommend this route to tourists since it can work out cheaper than paying for a specific river cruise along the River Thames through companies targeting tourists. Like the London Underground and the DLR there is also a zonal fare for passengers travelling on this service. The cheapest price being a standard rate at £4.10 for a passenger with an Oyster card or £4.60 for a passenger without an Oyster card. As mentioned before there are specific prices for River Tours, such as the London Eye River Cruise costing £12 for a 40 minute cruise. Trams The only tram system running in South London is Tramlink which covers 39 stops across 18 miles. Just like buses, tram fares are capped at £4.50 per day but has a single fare of £1.50. However, trams don't unfortunately have a "Hopper Fare" but there is an option to buy a Bus & Tram Day Pass which is priced at £5 which is only available for passengers with an Oyster card. During the day there is a frequent between 5am to 1am with trams arriving around every 10 minutes, there is no night service currently. On public holidays and Sundays there may be a reduced service as well as if there are any planned engineering works, most of this information is easily accessible and it's important to check the status of the tram route you're going to use. Cycle Hire Scheme Santander Cycles currently has nearly 14,000 bicycles located around 839 stations across London. This scheme was introduced to reduce the amount of people using public transport or driving to work, it's a healthier option to cycle as well as cycling producing no emissions at all as the Mayor of London is trying to reduce pollution in London. There is an initial charge of £2 for the first 24 hours but the first 30 minutes of your journey is free but each journey that goes over 30 minutes faces another £2 for an extra 30 minutes. For example, I rent a bike (£2) and do a journey for 25 minutes (completely free) but then I do another journey that takes me 35 minutes (I'm charged another £2). The reason behind this being Santander Cycles had the intention of only being used for short journeys rather than people trying to do the Tour de France. The one downside to using Santander Cycles is that the only form of payment is through bank card which can be paid through the app or at a docking station. Taxis When people think of London and taxis most people remember the saying of Black Taxis, in which are the taxi services which can be hailed down from the street. These are deemed to be one of the safest options when travelling through London late at night but sadly it comes with a hefty price tag even though the driver would be using a regulated taximeter. The fare starts at £3 before the taxi has even moved and it can cost up to £10 for an 15 minute journey. There are three tariffs that drivers go by: Tariff 1, Tariff 2 and Tariff 3 - each one correlating to different times during the day, the actual day and whether this day falls on a public holiday. However, this price doesn't go unjustified since you will never see a taxi driver looking at their phone for directions since they have passed their Knowledge of London Exam which means they know the streets of London off by heart. These taxis are also licensed by TFL (Transport for London) as well as the drivers being previously DBS checked so there is no doubt these drivers are legitimate and safe. However, in recent years taxi services such as Uber and Addison Lee have become more popular, especially in London, as they're deemed to be a cheaper alternative. Through downloading an app onto your phone you're able to order a taxi, see the drivers picture and see the number plate of the car - Uber take safety very seriously. If you're in an Uber and feel unsafe then there is a part of the app which can alert the needed authorities to where you are as you have your tracking location on to which can be followed. However, Uber only accepts card payments only rather than cash, this might be more convenient for some but there may be instances where you don't have your bank card on you. Cable Carts Emirates Air Line now offers passengers a way to travel which is very quick as it only takes 10 minutes each way as well as including scenic views of the O2 and Canary Wharf. There is only two routes available at the moment which goes from the O2/Greenwich Peninsula to the London Royal Docks and vice versa. This mode of transport is helpful if there are events at the ExCel Exhibition Centre and you want to avoid the chaos of the DLR. The standard price for a one way ticket is £3.50 and a return being £7 if you have a Travelcard (not the same as an Oyster card or a Freedom Pass). If you hold neither of these passes then it will cost £4.50 for a one way ticket or £9 for a return ticket. If you hold an Oyster card you're eligible for a 26% discount which makes the price for a one way ticket is £3.50 and a return being £7. More information on each mode of transport:
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