When it comes to sightseeing, how you get to your sight is the biggest decision. Other than the hotel, this is the biggest decision to make when planning out your sightseeing adventures. I hope this part of my book helps when you are planning your trip. Transportation London is known for the big red double-decker buses. But, it is not as some people believe, the only way to get around London. London has probably the best known subway system in Europe. It is called the “Tube”, although you won't see signs for the Tube, you will see the word "Underground. It is probably the fastest way to get around London. You just have to make sure you get on the right train on the right line. Another way to navigate around London is the public bus system. With either a paper ticket or bus pass, you can hop on and hop off when you want. Believe it or not one of the cheapest ways to get around is in a taxi. The big black taxis are highly regulated by the government and the fares are reasonable. The drivers of the taxis are highly trained in the knowledge of London. You can strike up a heavy conversation with a cab driver. Tell them about your tour schedule and just maybe they can give you some helpful tour secrets on London. Of course, the cheapest way to navigate London is…walking. If you plan your itinerary smartly as explained earlier, you can easily walk from one destination to another. Biking is also very popular. There are several bike rental spots around London. Do your research and find one with good rates. There is also one way to get around that no one thinks about. You can take a ride on a river boat. There are several piers along the Thames. You could take a river tour from Westminster pier all the way down to Greenwich and back, or hop off as you wish. The one thing you do not want to do is to rent a car for London. You will pay very high prices and then you will have the absolute nightmare of finding somewhere to park. Most places do not have tourist parking spaces or garages. Only rent a car if you are leaving London for a side trip to Bath or Cornwall or some other part of the country. London is just entirely too congested to have need for a car. Now let’s talk about transportation payments. One of the most commonly used methods of payment for London transportation is called an “Oyster Card”. It is a blue card that can be used for the Tube, buses, Railways, and most other methods of transport. The only thing it can’t be used for is taxis. It is a prepaid card that you use instead of a ticket. You can load it up online or at a tube station. When your credit runs out, just top it up. For info on the Oyster Card check out the website by clicking on the link at the bottom. If you don’t want to get an Oyster card you can still go for the classic old paper ticket. You can pick them up at a ticket booth in a Tube station or other ticket office for other forms of transport. Earlier I talked about the London Pass. One benefit of this is you can opt for the London Pass with Travelcard. It gives you full access the Tube, buses, rail, River Boats, and other methods of transport (excluding taxis) throughout London in the time window you select. It is a bit more expensive to get the London Pass with Travelcard, but it is well worth it when you see how much you save on transport fees. I hope this is good information. If you want more info on London Transport, the Oyster Card, or Rick Steves tips, click the links below! Cheers!
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