When you arrive in London, we recommend that you buy an A-Z street map. They’re inexpensive and very handy for sight-seeing on foot!
Transport costs around the UK do vary, but public transport offers a fairly reliable and reasonably priced services which are not subject to city centre congestion charges. Advance tickets are often cheaper, and season tickets offer good savings if you can afford the initial outlay.
The London Underground or the Tube is probably the most efficient way to travel around London.When travelling in London the Oyster Card is generally the cheapest way to make single journeys. An Oyster card stores ‘pay as you go’ credit, and daily price capping automatically calculates the cheapest fare for all the journeys you make in a single day. The Oyster Card can be used on the bus, Tube, trams, DLR, London Overground and some National Rail services in London.
For more information such as timetables and general transport information you can visit the following website:
www.tfl.gov.uk
Other public transport information for major cities in the UK can be accessed at:
www.ukwebsmart.co.uk
Taxis
Black cabs operate locally within each major city of the UK. However they can be expensive, particularly in London where the traffic is always bad, as you are charged for the time you spend in the cab. There are a number of commercial taxi companies that can be hailed, booked in advance or hired from taxi ranks. Beware of unlicensed minicabs, there is no guarantee they have the appropriate insurance or even a driving licence!
Car
If you intend on driving in the UK you will need to produce your own national driving licence or apply for an international driving permit. This will permit you to drive any class vehicle for up to 12 months in the UK.
For car hire, Hertz, Avis, Thrifty and Budget all have offices based in the UK. For more information visit:
www.avis.com
www.thrifty.com
www.hertz.com
www.budget.com
