Getting There
& Away
London is one of
the busiest transport hubs in the world, meaning there are
plenty of opportunities for cheap flight bargains.
Heathrow is a monster airport which in true London style
has grown organically and now has four terminals (a fifth
is being planned). It has two tube stations. Gatwick is
also a large airport, but much smaller than Heathrow,
followed by Stansted and Luton. All domestic flights and
those to EU countries from London attract a £10 departure
tax. For flights to other international destinations you
pay £20.
For the first
time since the ice ages, Britain has a land link (albeit a
tunnel) with mainland Europe. Two services operate through
the Tunnel: Eurotunnel operates a rail shuttle service (Le
Shuttle) for motorbikes, cars, buses and freight vehicles
between terminals at Folkestone in the UK and Calais in
France; and the railway companies of Britain, France and
Belgium operate a high-speed passenger service, known as
Eurostar, between London, Paris, Lille and Brussels.
London's main rail terminus for Europe is Waterloo
International.
Even without
using the Channel Tunnel, you can still get to Europe by
bus - there's just a short ferry/hovercraft ride thrown in
as part of the deal. Bus travellers arrive and depart from
Victoria Coach Station, about 10 minutes walk south of the
Victoria railway and tube station.
Getting Around
Heathrow airport
is accessible by bus, London Underground (Piccadilly line)
and the Heathrow Express, which makes the journey from
Paddington Station to Terminals 1-3 in 15 minutes and to
Terminal 4 in 20. A cab to or from the airport will cost
around US$35 to US$50. The Gatwick Express runs between
Gatwick airport and Victoria station in 30 minutes, or you
can get a cab for around US$60. The Stansted Express will
get you to Stansted airport from Liverpool Street station
in 60 minutes or you can get a cab for US$100 (as if!).
London's tube is
legendary, but mainly because it's not that much fun to
use. Although the tube network is immense, buses are more
pleasant and interesting, as long as the traffic's not
gridlocked. Travelcards can be used on all forms of
transport. Several rail companies now run passenger trains
in London, most of which interchange with the tube.
London's famous
black cabs are excellent but expensive. Minicabs are
cheaper competitors, with freelance drivers, but you can't
flag these down on the street. If you'd rather drive
yourself, you're in for a parking nightmare - it's almost
impossible to get a park in the city centre, and the
punishments for parking illegally are cruel and unusual
indeed
|
