London has some of the worst traffic in the whole of Europe. In fact it has the third worst in Europe according to London free paper The Metro. The newspaper states only Brussels and Warsaw have higher volumes of traffic on a daily basis than London.
Thus, avoiding such tedious traffic jams should be something that all travelers consider when heading to London. There will be times that you want to use the iconic London buses and cabs but what’s important is to know when to use them otherwise you could spend the majority of your day stuck in traffic.
So, what are the best pieces of advice we can decipher from the boundless information available on the Internet and the recommendations of seasoned travelers? Here’s some information first hand from a resident of London to help you on your way.
For scenic trips, enjoy the bus tours
Although not particularly time efficient during rush hour, bus tours are some of the best ways to see the capital. Usually they are fairly affordable, and for family outings these are very practical and enjoyable, as they will take you past all the major landmarks in the city such as Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, the London Eye and much more. The Express published an interesting list of what are considered the best and worst bus tours around the city, which you can read here.
Affordable and efficient underground trains
The London Underground is the go-to travel option for most people in and around the city. It’s affordable and can transport you to anywhere in London with relatively no fuss. Day tickets can be purchased via TFL’s official website, with off-peak tickets being considerably cheaper if you are on a budget. However, the off-peak day tickets will restrict you from traveling at peak times – which isn’t such a bad thing due to the high volume of people trying to use the service during these times.
Hire a car to see more than just London
Hire cars are a commonly used option for visitors that want to travel outside of the realms of London to places like Oxford, Cambridge and other surrounding cities. Hire cars can be picked up from the major airports Gatwick and Heathrow from the parking and valet services situated at the airports. When you’re finished with the hire car at the end of your vacation, Parking4Less states “you simply return your hire car at the parking facility’s reception check-in and hop on one of the regular shuttle buses to the airport.” This is also a preferred method of transport for businessmen and women who find the efficiency of this service ideal for their hectic schedules.
Walking around London
Although London is extremely large, selecting certain areas to focus on during a set time will make walking from place-to-place attainable. Many seasoned travelers will select an area such as Mayfair or Notting Hill to focus on in one day. Walking around London during the summer months is especially wonderful as there are so many parks to experience in and around the city.
Author Bio: Danny Williams graduated from University of East London in 2010. Upon finishing his degree, Danny took two years out traveling around Asia with his girlfriend and two fellow UAE graduates. After returning from his travels, Danny now works in the center of London for a Recruitment Agency. In his spare time he likes to write about travel, plays football and enjoys watching documentaries about wrestling.