Transportation in and around London-reviews and how to
The Elizabeth Line from Heathrow to Paddington
The Elizabeth Line is the newest train line in the London area. It’s similar to the Heathrow Express train from Heathrow airport directly to London Paddington Station. The Elizabeth line, however, costs less but stops at a number of stations along the way to Paddington Station.
We found the Elizabeth line, which we used on our last two trips to London, to be very efficient, and the cost was about half as much as the Heathrow Express, and easier than the Tube. It took us around half an hour to get to Paddington from Heathrow, plus the train is newer and very comfortable.
If you’re at Heathrow airport, just follow the signs once you get past Passport Control and Customs. It’s quite a walk to the station from the arrivals area, but all of the trains are. If you can’t walk a long way or have a lot of luggage, I’d suggest taking an Uber or a taxi from the airport. We traveled with just our carry-on luggage, so it was do-able for us.
You don’t need to buy an Oyster card or tickets for the train. You just tap in and tap out with your Mastercard or Visa. It does not take Discover. Be sure to use the same card to tap in and then tap out at your destination. And each person needs their own card. If you have children, you can buy them an Oyster Card of their own.
With any kind of transportation in London there will be someone in the area who can help you, so don’t be afraid to try a new to you mode of transportation. You definitely can do it!
Big Bus “Hop on Hop off”
For the first two days of our stay in London we decided to use the Hop on Hop off bus. We chose to use the Big Bus brand because it was included in our London City Pass. I’ll include more about the City Pass on a future blog. And I am extremely glad that we decided to use the Big Bus for two days, it made it so easy to see everything and scope out the city. I do have to say that some of the other hop on hop off busses seemed way less crowded than Big Bus, so you may want to look into one of the others.
If you stay in the Paddington area, the Big Bus and the Toot Bus, which is also a hop on hop off bus, will pick you up on London Street right near Paddington Station. It’s near the McDonald’s and Dickens Pub, just look for all the people waiting at the bus stop. It was so convenient to walk a block from our hotel right to the bus stop. The busses can get crowded, but there’s always another bus coming soon. We found that the blue route took us to many more stops, you’ll be able to tell on the announcement banner on the front of the bus if it’s the blue route, red route, or green route. And the bus stop will say Big Bus on it’s sign if Big Bus stops there.
They do sell tickets right at the bus stop, there will be someone there with a ticket machine at all times. If you want to use the City Pass they can scan that and give you your ticket. Hold onto your ticket, you’ll need to show it each time you get onto the bus.
We did manage to sit on the top for most of our trips. However, towards the end of the day on day two, it got pretty chilly. Then it was not fun being on the top and we moved down into the bus on the lower level. But during our times on the top of the bus we managed to get some really good pictures, including the horse guard coming back from the Changing of the Guards. Also, as you get onto the bus you will pick up a map and a pair of ear buds that you can plug into the speaker system and get a humorous guided tour of the entire trip.
I would recommend Big Bus, or at least a Hop on Hop off bus, in London. It will save your feet and take you all over the city. You will get to see things that you won’t have time for on your trip. There is so much to see in London we couldn’t see most of it in five days. Walking, you’ll see even less. And it will give you ideas of where you might want to come back to. You can get off at any stop, and get back on at any stop. Well worth it.
The London Tube
The Tube is the London area underground railway system and pretty easy to figure out and get around on, so don’t let it intimidate you. I’ve found that London is so much easier to get around in than anywhere I’ve been in the United States without a car. Basically, you can take the Tube from anywhere in London to anywhere else in London.
Our starting point was always Paddington Station. They have the Circle line, the Hammersmith and City line, and the Bakerloo line all at the station. These lines will get you anywhere, although sometimes you have to change trains part way. I used the CitiMapper app, and Google maps to figure what train to start with and where to change trains if I needed to. Also, there will be maps in any tube station that you can look at, and people around to help you out if you need it.
The easiest way to use the tube is with a contactless Visa or MasterCard. You can also buy tickets at the station or use an Oyster Card. You will hear the announcement “Mind the Gap” countless times during your stay in London. It means to be careful of the gap between the train and sidewalk so you don’t fall between. Watch your children also, it could be dangerous.
But I love the Tube and wish that every city could have a transportation system just like it. It’s so efficient, fast, and affordable. It only gets crowded during rush hour, so avoid those hours. We only had to stand up once, and a couple of very polite teenagers gave up their seats for us. There is a cap on how much you pay for a day which is quite reasonable. I definitely recommend the Tube as a great way to get around London.
The GWR Train going to Windsor Castle
We took the GWR (Great Western Railway) train on our trip to Windsor, England. I bought the timed round trip tickets before we left for London online, printed them out, and then I had to go to the ticket office in Paddington Station to actually get them. A gentleman helped me use the machine, it was easy, and you can get your tickets days ahead of time if it’s more convenient for you. We had tickets for 9:30 am but were at Paddington early, so we decided to try and get onto the train early. There are multiple trains throughout the day. I was a bit confused because there were turnstiles for the train, but at the other side of the track was an open area where you could get to the trains. I asked the gentleman by the turnstiles what to do, and he told me that you don’t use your ticket until you get off the train, and then you go through the turnstiles with the ticket on your way out.
We did end up leaving around 9:05 am and had no trouble with it. There were plenty of comfortable seats, and we had a very nice thirty-five-minute ride through the English countryside. We had to change trains at the Slough Station. I had worried about that, but it seems everyone was going to Windsor, so I just followed the crowd up the steps, over the bridge, and down the steps on the other side. There was a train to Windsor at the far end of the tracks that said Windsor, so we got on. It was crowded but it’s not a long trip to Windsor from Slough. There are some great views of the Castle on the left side of the train, and you’ll see a Ferris Wheel just before you get to Windsor Station.
There was no turnstile getting off the train in Windsor Station, and no one ever looked at our ticket on the way to Windsor. I don’t know how they know who has tickets and who doesn’t. However, coming back they did check our tickets on the train, and we did have to use them at the turnstile in Paddington Station, so be careful not to lose it. Another thing is that they really don’t seem to care what time you travel, no matter what the time on your ticket says. So, you can use it early or late, don’t worry about picking a time to come back. You just don’t know how long you’ll be in Windsor with all the things to do and look at. We ended up coming back earlier than I had planned because it was a rainy day.
I do suggest a trip to Windsor and Windsor Castle, it’s a lovely town and the Castle is beautiful and historic. The train ride was easy and fun also. Buy your Castle tickets ahead of time, it’s very crowded. I’ll do a review of that soon.
The Quiet Cruiser 