Bus, Tube & Train
London’s public transport is organised into zones 1 to 6, central London being Zone 1, with the zone numbers rising as one moves out from the centre.
You must buy a ticket before boarding any central London transport. Tickets are available from many newsagents & all Tube Stations. All Bus Stops have ticket machines for bus tickets.
Prices are now complicated with big discounts if you have a Oyster Card. Generally, Oyster is London’s travel smartcard in that you top up the card with cash. When you run out of credit on the card you simply top it up. Oyster cards can be used on Tubes, Buses & Trains. The savings can be significant. A single bus journey is around 90pence with an Oyster card, but £2 if paying cash for a ticket. On Tubes it is £1.50 for a single journey in Zone 1 if paying with an Oyster card, but £4 if paying cash for a ticket. (NOTE: There is an admin charge of around £5 to acquire an Oyster).
If you are planning on using the transport system regularly then a 1 Day, 3 Day or 7 Day Travecard may be best. Travelcards can be used on Buses, Trains & Tubes
Prices around:
1 Day Travelcard for Zones 1 - 2 (Peak time £6.80) ( Off-Peak £5.30)
3 Day Travelcard for Zones 1 - 2 £17.40
7 Day Travelcard for Zones 1 - 2 £24.20
NOTE: You can also get Travelcards for Buses only, which are cheaper!
See the official web site of The Transport for London for timetables for Tube, Trains, Buses, bikes and more about prices at:
Transport for London
Taxis
London’s famous taxis (black cabs) can either be booked in advance or hailed on the street or from designated taxi ranks.
Prices for a journey of 2 miles that takes 10 minutes is approx:
£8 from 6am to 10pm
£9 from 10pm to 6am, and bank holidays
A tip of 10-15% of the fare is expected!
There is a £2.20 minimum fare at all times. The fare shown on the meter at the end of the journey is the maximum cash fare that may be charged. Unless the driver and passenger agree on the final fare to be charged before the start of the journey.
To book a Taxis:
Taxi One-Number bookings: 0871 871 8710
Call-A-Cab: 020 8901 4444
Computer Cab: 020 7908 0207
DataCab: 020 7432 1540
Dial-A-Cab: 020 7253 5000
Radio Taxis: 020 7272 0272
Xeta: 0845 108 3000
There is an extra charge of up to £2 if the taxi is booked by telephone.
The taxi numbers above are taken from the Transport for London web site.
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