Commuting in London

Hi, Jack. I’m calling for some advice about my trip to London. I’ll be in town for a week and will be visiting lots of different places. Should I use cabs or public transport?

I use public transport in the centre. Why not buy an Oyster card when you get here?

What’s that?

It’s a plastic card that costs a fiver, which you can top up with credit.

Is that cheaper than buying tickets for each journey?

Absolutely. And you can use them on every form of public transport in London. On the Tube, you just touch the card on the yellow card reader at the gates when you start and end your journey. On the buses, you just touch it when you get on.

That sounds easy. Where can I get one?

Lots of places. You can buy them at station ticket offices and ticket machines. Or you can get them in local shops and newsagents that have the Oyster sign in their window.

Mary, what’s the best way to get to London Bridge from here?

I’d take the bus. The numbers 48 and 49 go there from the stop across the road.

How long will that take?

It depends on the traffic, but about a half an hour.

I do like travelling on London buses. We don’t have double-deckers where I live.

If you go upstairs and get a front seat, you’ll have a great view!

How do you know when it’s your stop?

There are announcements and screens on most buses, except the old Routemasters. On those, you just press the bell on the handrail when you want to get off.

What are Routemasters?

Old double-deckers that you get on through an opening at the back. They have a conductor. But there are only a few of them running now.

I’ve got to get to White City. Is the Underground the best way to get there?

Definitely. Take the Tube from Holborn.

Why do you call the Underground “the Tube”?

It’s a nickname from Victorian times.

I suppose the tunnels are a kind of tube. When was the first Underground built?

I think it was in the 1860s. I know from a pub quiz that the first line was what we now know as the Metropolitan Line.

Is it easy to get to Greenwich from here?

You could get a train from Charing Cross, but if you want an experience, I’d go by Thames Clipper. You get a great trip down the river and it takes only about 40 minutes.

That sounds great. Where do I get on?

Westminster Pier is the closest from here. You can use your Oyster card, too. There are six or seven stops, at places like Canary Wharf and Surrey Quays.

That sounds perfect.

Look up “river bus” online and you’ll see all the routes and timetables.

Do people also use the riverboats for commuting?

They certainly do. I’d love to, but I live outside town, so it’s the train and Tube for me.