The London Traveller’s Basic “Tube” Howto
As an American from a small town without a subway, I was a little concerned I'd get lost in the comprehensive London Underground system. I was wrong.
My only other subway experience is with the Metro in Washington, DC, which I still find confusing and lacking instruction and direction for a newbie. The London "Tube" is much, much better. I did have help from a coworker who lives in London and that helps a lot.
Since I was in London for a span of several weeks, he recommended I buy an Oyster Card for unlimited weekly rides. The London Transportation system is spread into "Zones" which you can find in lightly shaded areas in their Tube Map. The Map is laid out differently than the real-life courses each line takes, so you can't rely on it geographically. In other words, you can't look at a Tube Map and know exactly where, say, Buckingham Palace is. You need to look at regular map, find the nearest Tube station, then look at the Tube Map to see where you need to get on and off. I used Google Maps (google Tube trip planner here). There are iPhone Tube apps, too (some free, some for pay). They helped. Just open the App Store and search "Tube" for a list. On Google Maps, search "London" and then click "More" (in the map's upper right corner) and choose "Transit". It's invaluable.
I liked the iPhone app because if I was looking at a paper Tube Map, I'd be broadcasting my tourist status, which I like to avoid in places where you may be targeted by a pick-pocket or such. As I write this, part-way through my stay here in London, I've had no trouble and have even been asked (twice) by tourists for directions. I think blending in a bit in this context is wise. If you wear "I (heart) London" hoodies and have bags full of souvenirs then you don't blend in much. Having a map on the phone just makes me look like any other local reading a text or surfing the web. It's not a cure-all, but an ounce of prevention. If you like to buy souvenirs, by all means do so, just take extra care to know where your passport & wallet are.
When I arrived I walked to the closest tube station and got a map. I called my friend who proceeded to tell me I wanted to take the "Jubilee Line" then "Central". I had no idea what he meant but I had my map folded so I couldn't see the color-code line names. You really, really want to know the names of the line(s) you will travel. Do this in the hotel. I wrote a cheat sheet on my phone's Notes app. When you are on the Tube the soft female voice says stuff like "Approaching Bond Station, change here for the Central line". So, know the stations you want to use and the names of the lines.
I bought an Oyster card for Zones 1 & 2, which was necessary because I stayed in Cricklewood, in Zone 2, while work was in Zone 1. It was 28.00 GBP, plus a deposit on the card (3 GBP). It was good all week with unlimited usage. I had to renew the night before it ran out. It's a bargain and can be used on any non-sightseeing bus, too.
To use the card, just put it in your wallet and when you pass the turnstiles, hold it to the big yellow round pad. You don't need to take it out, it can sense it through your wallet. I'm not sure about other bags & purses, but it worked in my wallet every time. Keep it out when you are leaving the station at the destination, too, as you need it to get out.
Even if you are only in town for a few days, this weekly pass may save you time and effort and possibly money, depending on how much you will travel and is more convenient than repeatedly purchasing tickets from a machine.
Can you take bags on the trains? Yes, I saw lots of people -- locals and tourists alike -- hauling big piles of suitcases on the Tube. Just know that you need to travel in off-hours -- not 6:30-9:30a or 5:00-7:00p -- or else you aren't going to fit on the crowded trains then. I rolled a big suitcase and a smaller carry-on at 10a one Monday morning and had gobs of room. It might be best to toss $30 on a cab in those situations, though. I got tired of spending on cabs by that Monday morning, though. I had used a cab several times already in the previous few days.
The weather I had while in London was exceptional. The first two weeks was sunny every day, not a drop of rain and I sweated more than I was cold. Yes, sweated. I like to walk up stairs, or walk up the left side of the escalators while others stand to the right. But, that left me overheated when I got on a crowded train. If it's packed sardine-style then it's HOT in there. I started standing on escalators, walking a little slower to the platforms and it was a lot better. Shared body heat can make things pretty warm. And, get used to being squished in there; there are times when you couldn't fit another person on and though everyone was very polite, you may be close enough to easily kiss the person next to you, or be rubbing elbows-to-boobs. It's rather comical how people can be inches from each other but go on listening to music or reading about last night's futbol match and acting like you aren't there. These squished-in times are probably a pick-pocket's dream, too, so take care of that wallet!
A note about the buses. They have stops everywhere and the system is pretty good. You can use the Oyster card for the buses just the same as for the Underground. The rules about what Zones you buy applies. Just know that if you are at a bus stop at the sign is white background with red foreground, you have to "request" the stop. If the sign at overhead at the stop is red background with white foreground, they stop always. To request while on the bus, press the red buttons you see everywhere. While at the stop, you have to stick out your hand like you are hailing a cab so the driver knows you want that bus.
Some buses travel slightly different routes, so look at the board at each stop. For instance, I wanted to go from my hotel in Cricklewood to Paddington station and bus 332 would take me all the way there. But, a half-dozen other buses also stop along the street I was on. I can get on any of them, but most would leave me short of Paddington. Only 332 went all the way there. So, I would have to pass up a couple of those to get there correctly.
London's transportation system is mostly clean, felt safe and was efficient. They move a lot of people every day (it amazes me that there are jobs where the people think of nothing more than efficiently getting crowds of people one place to another). It takes awhile to get places but it's the best you can do in a big city. Seeing that I could get from one place to another for a week for $40 (28GBP) and one cab ride one time would cost about that and take longer, it's a bargain.
One note about paying: the 3rd week I was in London I tried to use an automated machine to re-up for another week and both of my cards, when I inserted them, said "Bankcard transaction limit ceiling exceeded". I thankfully had another day before it expired so I called from work to make sure the cards were okay (I had called my card companies to alert them that I was traveling so they wouldn't stop the cards thinking they were stolen). They were, so I went back and it happened again. So, I went to a window where the attendant told me that it was because I was using chip-less American credit cards. Most machines take them fine here but the Underground system wouldn't. The guy could swipe it fine behind the counter, though. So, be aware of that issue if you get that message. It spooked me a bit, seeing how at the time I was indefinitely stuck in London with that Icelandic Volcano fiasco.
Hope that helps!
