Transportation in London: how to move to London?

How to move to London effectively thanks to the various transports of the city? We're telling you everything in this complete mini-guide!

London is an ultra cosmopolitan and lively city! You will discover the monarchy by visiting the Buckingham Palace and the Royal Guard. Likewise, the main monuments and museums will plunge you into British history. Do not forget to pass in front of the famous Big Ben or London Bridge . If you want a little more modern and shifty atmosphere, feel free to stroll around the Camden area or Soho. In short, there are for all tastes in the capital of England ! To take advantage of this groubling city of world, you have to travel to London.

So to fully immerse yourself in London’s culture, it is obviously necessary to move to all areas of London. For this, it is better to find the best means of transport in the English capital. You're lucky, Wanderlix prepared a guide to travel to London.

The essential: the pass transport

Online Travel Card

If you want to visit every tourist site in the English capital, you will need to travel a lot to London. This falls well as there is a travel card designed specifically for travellers to London.

This card offers you three days of unlimited transport throughout the city, as well as a transfer to London airports or major railway stations. The transfer is carried out with a private driver for optimal comfort, up to your hotel or rental apartment. When you arrive, you don’t have to worry about transport in London. Just relax.

You just need to order the online map and you receive it directly from you before your trip. Note that this card combines with the London pass. So you get discounts at attractions and public transport! Why do you deprive yourself of it?

1 day Travel card

The London Travel Card allows you to travel freely to London by metro, train, tram or bus. In this way, you have one ticket for all day and for all transport London. This allows you to avoid queues in front of each desk to buy a new ticket. As its name suggests, the One Day Travel Card is valid for one day, and more precisely until 4:30 a.m. the next morning.

In addition to being very practical, the One Day Travel Card is also very economical. It allows you to benefit from many discounts on the Thames Riverboat (which makes you travel on the Tamise ) or the Emirates cable car.

However, there are two types of One Day Travel Card:

• Anytime: They allow you to travel to London throughout the day.
• Off-peak: They can only be used from 9:30 a.m. during the week

Note that it is also possible to buy the travel card for a period of time Two, three or seven days.

Oyster Card

The Oyster Card is a card that is distributed to London residents . If you stay for the long term, it will allow you to move to London easily. With the Oyster Card, you benefit from reductions on transport prices s in London whatever they are.

There are two payment methods for the Oyster Card:

• Pay as you go : In this case, you charge your card the amount you want and each journey is then deducted.
• Subscription: You can pay in the month, quarter or year.

Know that it is possible to accumulate these two methods at the same time. For example, you can use the subscription system for restricted areas, and Pay as you go for remote areas.

London pass

Thanks to the London Pass, you can enjoy exceptional offers on many sites and activities . Indeed, you enjoy free admissions to 20 monuments, but also many discounts for attractions or restaurants in the city.

Plus, you can take free public transport of the city unlimitedly!

The fastest: the metro

The metro is definitely the easiest and fastest way to travel to London. With her 11 lines The English capital offers you an efficient transportation network, one of the largest in the world. Metros are all over London. So it will not be complicated to find one.

We need to know that London is divided into nine zones .

• The main tourist sites are located in the Areas 1 and 2.
• The more you get away from the center, the more expensive your metro ticket will be. If you buy tickets to the unit, it is best to check upstream the areas where you go.

London Metro East open every day between 5am and midnight. In addition, some lines are available 24/7 on weekends.

The most comfortable: the taxi

Even if they are among the most expensive of Europe , the famous black taxis are among the must-sees of the English capital. Then why not move to London with a Black Cab, the time for a short ride. It will be an opportunity for you to truly put yourself in the skin of a Londoner.

Also, if you get out of central London in the middle of a nui, it can sometimes be difficult to find a bus or metro. The taxi is then an alternative that allows you to return safely.

The most economical: the bus

The last way to travel to London: the famous two-storey red bus. This allows you to enjoy the atmosphere of the capital of England, while visiting the main sights of the city. There is no less 400 lines bus and more 15,000 stops London. Just say it will be easy for you to find a nearby bus.

Moreover, many bus lines also make the Nightlife . You can do this party until the end of the night in the city that never sleeps.

From London airports

Heathrow Airport

Heathrow Airport is London’s main airport. It is located in the Area 6 from London and is accessible in several ways:

• Heathrow Express Train: In just 15 minutes, you arrive at Paddington Station.
• National Express: this bus takes you directly to the Victoria Station in 40 minutes.
• London Underground: In 50 minutes you can access the main metro stations in central London. Here it is possible to use the Oyster Card or the Travel Card.

Gatwick Airport

If you want to travel to London from Gatwick Airport, it’s very simple! With the Oyster Card or the Travel Card, you can go to the center of the capital of England. You will then have to board the boat Thameslink Southern or Gatwick Express.

Stansted Airport

Standsted Express is the fastest way to get to London from Standsted Airport. The transfer lasts approximately 45 minutes with a 15-minute train frequency. Standsted Express is available every day between 4h and 23h30.

Luton Airport

An express train takes you to St Pancras Station from Luton Airport in London. This train leaves every 15 minutes with a length of travel 30 to 45 minutes . Attention, it is not possible to use the Oyster Card or the Travel Card from Luton Airport.

The other solution for a transfer between Luton Airport and the centre is the taxi. The black-cabs are certainly more expensive but it is better to be available at any time when you exit your terminal. You can also book your taxi in advance, in order to be quiet once landed. An online platform such with TaxiTender allows you to book your taxi. Once the confirmation email has been received, you only have to find your driver and you are gone for the center!

Map of transport in London

There are many apps that help you move to London:

• The most famous is CityMapper which allows you to find several routes.
• You can also use Mtrip to find the main tourist places or OysterCatcher to locate the nearest metro or bus station.