Survival in London

Survival in London

Private hire – The best choice for transport from airport to your host family, hotel, etc… This form is more expensive as other forms, but if you don’t have good English language skills, this form is still better as stay at the airport, looking around and don’t know what to do and in the final consequence is very safe.
Stansted airport– Use Stansted express (train) from the airport to Liverpool Street (ticket cost ₤ 20)

For transport from place to place we should use tube, bus, cabs, overground and of course we can use our feets (it’s very cheap but who want be nonstop walker ?)

a) Oyster card (OC) and Tube

On sale at every underground (tube) station.
OC you can use on buses, tubes, DLR, tram, London overground.
OC is the best choice if you have to stay in London for over 1 month.
You must pay a refundable deposit ₤5 ( by cash or credit card).
So how to do it? As first you need find the tube station (ask your host family where is nearest tube station) and look for window with blue light “assistance and tickets” or if you can’t find this service ask a member from underground staff (base is good sense of orientation)
How to ask, what do we need?
Also step by step:

‘Good morning’, ‘Afternoon’, ‘Evening’, or just ‘Hi’, I would like a OC for zone …

* London is split into 9 zones, for which zone do you need OC ask your landlady/lord

* If you know name of station, where you`re living in London, check zone at the tube map.

* Tube map is free and you can gain map on every tube station.

Member of underground staff will ask you, if do you have OC already, answer is NO:-)
For order of OC you need to fill some basic informations to short questionnaire as “firstname, surname, real address in London, your phone etc.. be good if you write real informations, because if you lost OC, the new one will be send to your host-family address.
Buy 1 month ticket for your OC (by cash or credit card).
Now if we have OC in right hand and tube map in left hand, look for access gate to tube
Touch your card on the yellow reader (yellow will change to green) and access door opened
If you need use escalator, keep stand at right side (why? you will see:-) )
Before you join to simple tube train, would be nice to check which station the train is going (we have just 2 choices, West and East or North and South)
On tube map check on which tube station we need change tube for other one (maybe you don’t need to change and then you`re lucky guy).
Tube is working from 6am to 12.15am.
In the morning and late afternoon be ready for “FACE TO FACE” and warm is your friend:-D
For exit of tube station (Way out) apply same rules as for entrance.

b) Bus

Other way (not so dark as tube) how to transport not only to the school is Mr. Bus.
The colour of bus is red:-D
Bus-road map system, you can find at tube stations.
Right entrance to join to the bus is front door (close to driver).
Again use your OC on the yellow reader

* for exist you don’t need use OC as for tubes.

Bus stops on every stations, but for sure push red button.
If you don’t have OC you can buy single ticket from machine at bus station (cash required) or from bus driver (₤2.30 cash only).
Bus passenger leave via back door!
Night bus is signed as “N” and stops only for request (use red button inside the bus, or if you’re waiting at the bus station us your hand).

c) Cabs

III. Newspaper and magazines free

Every morning at every tube station you can take free newspaper called “Metro”.
Every evening but not at every tube station (in central of London yes) you have free newspaper called “Evening Standard”.
Every morning in the front tube stations (in central of London yes) you can tak e “AM City” newspaper.
Every Thursday and Friday is for you ready to take for free “ShortList” and “Sport” magazines.