Travelling throught London – the tube
London is famous partly because of its underground train service called “The Tube”. Liverpool, Newcastle and Glasgow also have their own underground systems, but London’s is still bigger than all their lines combined. The Tube (called London Underground in more formal terms) is the largest of its kind in the world. It is also the oldest underground train system in the world, having started in the early 1860s. There are currently over 300 stations in use, whilst there are a further 40 unused stations on the network’s 255 miles (408 km) of tracks.
The Tube is in places one of the most modern underground systems in the world. The latest extension to the Jubilee Line, with its futuristic stations, is worthy of an outing on its own. The Tube is convenient, running for 20 hours every day, shutting in totality just after midnight. A Tube station within walking distance serves most of London. Each Underground line (service or route) has a different name and colour. This makes it easier to plan your route on a Tube map. When arriving at a station, look up for the colour-coded signs that will direct you to the line and direction you want.
The Tube system is divided into 6 concentric fare zones. Imagine an onion cut in half with its layers visible from above. The core of the onion is Zone 1. The city centre of London is Zone 1. The furthest zone away from the city centre is Zone 6. The price of your ticket depends on how many zones you travel through. It also costs more if you travel through Zone 1. You can buy a ticket for a single or return journey, valid for travel only on the date shown on the ticket. You can buy your ticket from a ticket machine or ticket office at any station, at selected retailers or newsagents near stations or online for a weekly, monthly and annual travelcard.
Travelcards offer the best value.
The ticket machines can save you time and at certain times of the day, at certain stations, are the only way to buy a ticket. The newer machines are touch-screen operated with a typical transaction taking just 2 presses on the screen. These machines are also multi-lingual in display and all instructions are on-screen. They even accept debit and credit cards. Cash is still the most common way of paying. The older machines require you to press a few buttons too, but only accept cash. Both types of machine give change, but try to give the correct money if you can.