THE LONDON
UNDERGROUND
If you want to see London, you may travel by tube
or by bus. London's underground is familiarly called tube because it looks like a tube.
It consists of 12 lines and has got more than 273 stations.It's very crowded
during rush hour (Monday-Friday 7.00-10.00am and 5.00-7.00pm), but at all other
times it is a fast and comfortable way of travelling. Most tubes stations do not
have public toilets. Underground trains run from 5.30am until midnight Monday to
Saturday and from 7.00am until 11.30 on Sundays.
If you decide to
travel by underground you must:
1. Look at the underground map;
2. Look at the list of the fares;
3. Buy your ticket before travelling;tickets
inspectors are everywhere and an on-the-spot fine for not having the correct
ticket on a bus or train is £10;
4. Go to the platform;
5. Check the indicator board or the front of the
trains.
Key to lines
Fares
Tube fares are based on a six-zone
system. Under-14s travel at a reduced-rate fare (children aged 14 and 15 years need
a Child Photocard which is available free from all tube stations and London
Post Offices). Under-fives travel free.
Travelcards
The most economical way of getting
around is to buy a Travelcard. A daily, weekly or monthly Travelcard allows
unlimited travel in Greater London on the rail network, buses, underground and
the Dockslands Light Railway. You can travel on any combination of tube, train,
bus and DLR within your selected zones as many times as you wish, for as long as
your ticket is valid. The standard card for central London covers zones 1 and 2,
but you can also buy a Travelcard tha covers all the six zones. It's the most
convenient way of getting around (eliminating the need to queue and carry change)
and it is cheaper if you do more than two journeys in a day.
The daily Travelcard (off-peak) can only be bought after 9.30am on weekdays and it cannot
be used on night buses; the weekly and monthly ones are without limitations, but
they need a photocard, which can be bought at the station.
Visitor travelcards
Visitor travelcards are perfect if
you want to go on a trip to London. You can enjoy total freedom or travel
on London's public transport whatever you want to see or do during your
stay in the capital. All zones (1-6) Visitor Travelcards are available for
varying periods of travel from 2 to 7 consecutive days. Central zones (1 &
2) Visitor travelcards are available for 3,4 or 7 days consecutive travel. With
a Visitor travelcard you also receive a free book of discount vouchers for
entries to London's main tourist attractions and restaurants. Visitor
travelcards are generally only available for purchase overseas and cannot be
purchased in London.
The Docklands Light
Railway
The DLR is a special railway which
runs on raised tracks from Tower Gateway (near the Tower of London) to the Isle
of Dogs. It is the most convenient way to see the Docklands area, but the
service is limited in the evenings and at the weekends.
for more information visit the
official site of London Transport: www.londontransport.co.uk
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