We recently had an opportunity to travel to London and spend a few days exploring the city before embarking on the Virgin Voyages Celebration Voyage out of Portsmouth with Richard Branson, Boy George, and other select Virgin executives and friends.
One area of concern for us was how to get around the city. London is huge and if we wanted to see a lot of things, walking would not work. We were hesitant to use public transportation because we didn’t have cash and had little experience navigating such an expansive underground train network. We shouldn’t have worried though – navigating the Tube, which is what people in London have affectionately named their underground train system, was simple!
Paying to Ride on the Tube
As mentioned before, we were concerned because we didn’t have cash. Our first day, we purchased a one-day ticket for lines 1-9 for £17 each. There was an option for lines 1-6, which would have suited our needs just fine, but we opted to get the biggest one. The ticket machine gave us a printed ticket with a magnetized strip that we could use to travel around. It was beneficial, but overall expensive for the trips we used it for. Also, one member of our group had their ticket de-magnetized at some point, which we were told is a common occurrence!
After this, we saw people using “tap to pay” with both credit cards and mobile devices at our specific gates to enter the Tube. This appeared simple, so we decided to give it a shot. This was absolutely the way to go, and we paid between £2.95 – £3.85 per trip.
Is the Tube Safe?
Another concern that people have is with the safety of the Tube. We never felt unsafe in our travels and people were polite and helpful to us on our journey! However, there are times when the Tube is extremely busy, and people will pack themselves in like sardines in a can! In fact, we saw a passenger bring a sousaphone on board during one of those busy times. Yikes!
The Tube also has constant voiceovers telling riders where they are, what to do if they see illegal activity, and upon entering/exiting the train to “Mind the Gap.”
How Do I Know Where to Go?
Understanding how to navigate the London Underground may seem overwhelming, but we found it to be super easy with a few simple tools. The best tool we had available to us was right in the palm of our hands – our mobile devices!
Map apps have come a long way in recent years and will give you a complete breakdown of how long it takes to get to the station by walking, then how long you’ll be on the Tube, which stops to take, and approximate cost.
Likewise, there are adorable maps on the Tube that show landmarks and where to exit the Tube to see them.
Conclusion
London’s Underground is a fast, cheap, and easy way to get around the city. Once we were able to wrap our heads around it, we became quick converts to it as an effective way to travel around quickly to see even more of the city in the short amount of time we had.