One of the things I wish I knew before traveling to London was the best ways to get around the city. I knew about the Tube and a few other options, but I really didn’t know what would be the best option for us.
After spending 5 days in London and trying almost all of the transportation options, I wanted to write a brief post about what worked for us. This guide is really geared towards first-timers in London, so if you are planning a trip soon, keep reading!
- Cabs
- We took a cab a few times during our stay in London. There are plenty of cabs around, but it is definitely the most expensive transportation option. We took a cab from Heathrow to our hotel on the first day – our fare came to about $120!
- Also, something to note is that traffic seemed to be pretty bad in London! Taking a cab wasn’t necessarily the quickest option. That’s just something else to consider if you want to go the cab route. You are going to pay more and you might not save any time.
- Uber
- We used an Uber a couple of times while in London and it worked well for us! It was so much cheaper than a cab. Every Uber we requested came quickly, so we didn’t have to wait long. It charges your card on file just like Uber in the United States.
- We actually took an Uber to London Stansted Airport at 5 AM! The Uber was there within 3 minutes and we had no issues. We only paid about $70 for a 41 mile journey, so it wasn’t terrible. A cab would have been well over $150.
- Tube/Underground
- I will admit that I was extremely nervous to use the underground train system, but after the first ride, I was fine. I am really claustrophobic, and I don’t like the feeling of being trapped underground with a ton of people. Anyways, I got over my fear and we ended up using the tube a lot! I think this is the best transportation option in London.
- We purchased and Oyster Card for £5 because we figured we would be using the Tube every day. With the Oyster Card, you save money on each ride. We typically paid about £2.40 per ride, so the price wasn’t that bad. You can also return your Oyster Card before you go home to get your original £5 back.
- I definitely would recommend the Oyster Card vs. paying for a ticket every time. You are going to save both time and money.
- You can pick up an Oyster Card at any Tube station. You will see the ticketing machines, so just make sure to read the instructions on the machine and you will be fine! You will also re-load your cards at these machines. It is really easy to re-load the card with more money.
- Bus
- I can’t really comment much on this form of transportation because we never used the bus system. I will say that the buses were pretty popular! There were always people using them and there were lines at some bus stops. Depending on where you need to go, this could be a great option.
- You can use your Oyster Card like you do on the Tube. Also, it looks like you will never pay more than £4.50 in a day when you use the Oyster Card on buses.
- Water Taxi
- Believe it or not, you can take a water taxi to get between destinations in London! It was convenient for us one day, so we decided to try it out. It was really fun to take a little cruise down River Thames.
- You can use your Oyster Card on the water taxi, so if you purchased one to use on the Tube, it will also work for the ferry.
- Walking
- We did walk a fair amount around London, and I would highly recommend this. We were able to see a lot more because of all the walking we did. Make sure to pack some comfortable shoes before your visit! This is obviously the cheapest option as well 🙂
Overall, I think most people can get by with a combination of walking and using the Tube. You really don’t need to use a cab or Uber. Obviously, if you get in a pinch, you could always hop in a cab last-minute.
Whatever you do, I would not rent a car. The roads do not make any sense and everyone was driving crazy. There were a couple of times when I thought our cab or Uber was going to hit someone else. It just isn’t a fun place to be driving!
I hope this is helpful for you if you are planning to visit London anytime soon! Please leave me a comment if you have any further questions about how to get around the city. I am always happy to help!
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