Remember. You're not in America anymore. Even the tone of your voice can cause the most disastrous events. Here are some tips for surviving...the London Underground. No, this is not a Punk rock venue or survival guide, that would be Surviving...The Camden Underground. These few brief, calculated, and quite important tips could make the nightmare of the Tube system seem almost like a dream, that is if you're stumbling home from a pub before twelve thirty.
What is the "Tube?" The Tube is very much not like your television set. Underground, tube, train, all refer to the London Metropolitan rail transportation system. This is one of the easiest and most effective ways to travel through London.
Tip one. Oyster Cards. By ordering an Oyster card through the London Transportation authority TFL (Transport of London) the average city-goer can save a large amount of pound (money). An Oyster Card works as a swipe-and-go card. By visiting the TFL's website (tfl.gov.uk) anyone can obtain an Oyster card and be free to go on the rails in the zone they prefer. The card is great because it works not only for the rails but for the bus service as well.
Note: You swipe in at a turnstile, board the tube of your choice, and then swipe again at the destination to leave the station, this is to prevent people from hopping the turnstile and riding for free.
Tip two. Know your lines. There are numerous lines that run around London. If you glance at a map while bustling through any station it would look something like rainbow colored spaghetti. The primary lines that most visitors should be concerned about are the Piccadilly, Victoria, District, Circle, and Northern lines. These lines all interconnect in one way or another and can get to most stops relatively easily. The other lines not mentioned are all important but are easy enough to figure out. The Piccadilly is great for getting from Heathrow airport to Kensington all the way to King's Cross. The District Line follows the Thames (pronounced "Tems") river and stops by Westminster (Parliament and Big Ben) Tower Hill (The Tower of London and Tower Bridge) and many other great attractions. The Circle Line runs in a circle around Hyde Park and stops in Kensington, Piccadilly Circus, and many other great attractions. Victoria and Northern are the lines used to go North and South, such as south on the Victoria to Brixton, or North on the Northern to Camden. Both lines head in either directions but meet in central London.
Tip three. Be quiet and try not to stare. Londoners' do not like to stare. In the states, catching someone quickly looking away can be considered flirtatious, but in London they may just be wondering who is making so much noise down the aisle on the tube. Try not to be that person.
Tip four. Seats are reserved for the elderly, disabled, pregnant, and people less able to stand. If you sit or take a seat while an elderly-disabled-pregnant woman is forced to stand most people will probably make an ugly face, and no, they weren't all born looking that way. And if they were, you might want to just give up your seat for them.
Tip five. If the tube is closed, which it will be from around twelve-thirty to six in the morning, topside is a network of double decker buses. Buses are great because there are no zone restrictions and they run virtually anywhere.
Tip six. Zones. Your Oyster Card will only be valid for the limited number of zones you pay for. Zones one and two are enough to go to all the great central London attractions. Heathrow is in zone six. No worries though. You can Top Up at any tube station and access zones outside your plan. With an Oyster Card extra zones should only cost one to two pounds.
Tip seven. Top Up. This is the term they use for putting extra credit on your Oyster Card to travel to areas not outlined in your plan. Before any tube turnstile is a Top Up machine, usually rows of them, just swipe your card and follow the directions. The machines take coin, cards and paper notes.
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