GETTING AROUND - London - page 336

who hang around outside venues alongside licensed cabs, and always establish the fare be-
forehand as minicabs are not metered.
Last, and definitely least, there's currently a plague of pedicabs or bicycle taxis in the
West End after nightfall. The oldest and biggest of the bunch are Bugbugs ( 020 7353
4028, www.bugbugs.com ) . The rickshaws take up to three passengers and fares are nego-
tiable, so you should always agree a price beforehand, based on a fare of around £3-5 per
person.
BOATS
Unfortunately, boat services on the Thames are not fully integrated into the public trans-
port system. Time-tables and services are complex - for a full list pick up a booklet from a
TfL information office (see Getting Around ) or visit www.tfl.gov.uk/river . You can pay
for your fare using your Oyster card (and get 10 percent off single fares), but price-capping
doesn't apply. One of the largest companies is Thames Clippers (
www.thamesclippers.com ) , who run a regular commuter service (Mon-Fri 6am-11pm, Sat
and Sun 9am-10.30pm; every 20-30min) between Waterloo and Greenwich (including the
O2), with some boats going as far as Woolwich. Typical fares are £6.50 single, with an un-
limited hop-on, hop-off River Roamer day ticket costing £15.
Other companies run boats upstream to Kew, Richmond and Hampton Court (see River
transport ) . Look out, too, for the MV Balmoral and paddle-steamer Waverley , which make
regular visits to Tower Pier in the summer and autumn ( 0845 130 4647,
www.waverleyexcursions.co.uk ) .
SIGHTSEEING TOURS AND GUIDED WALKS
Standard sightseeing tours are run by several rival bus companies, their open-top double-
deckers setting off every thirty minutes from Victoria station, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly
and other conspicuous tourist spots. You can hop on and off several different routes as of-
ten as you like with The Original Tour ( 020 8877 1722, www.theoriginaltour.com ; daily
8.30am-6pm; every 15-20min; £29). Alternatively, you can climb aboard one of the
bright-yellow World War II D-Day amphibious vehicles used by London Duck Tours (
020 7928 3132, www.londonducktours.co.uk ), which offers a combined bus and boat
tour (daily 9.30am-6pm or dusk; £21). After departing from behind County Hall, near the
London Eye, you spend 45 minutes driving round the usual sights, before plunging into the
river for a half-hour cruise; advance booking is essential.
A much cheaper option is to hop on a modern London double-decker - the #11 bus from
Victoria station, for example, will take you past Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parlia-
ment, up Whitehall, round Trafalgar Square, along the Strand and on to St Paul's Cathedral.
Alternatively, you can take an old double-decker Routemaster , with open rear platform