Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
River Cruises:
A Travelcard gives you a 33 percent discount on most Thames cruises
(see “Cruises,” later). If you pay for Thames Clippers (including the Tate Boat museum
ferry) with your pay-as-you go Oyster card, you'll get a 10 percent discount.
Sightseeing Deal:
By buying a paper One-Day Travelcard at a train station, you can
qualify for two-for-one discounts at many popular sights. If you and a companion will
be visiting a pricey sight (such as the Tower of London, Churchill War Rooms, London
Eye, or Madame Tussauds) and getting a One-Day Travelcard anyway, this is a smart
move. But it only works if your paper Travelcard is issued through a National Rail train-
station machine or ticket counter, and the sight discount must be used on the day the
ticket is valid. Note that it doesn't get you in the Fast Track entrance. The deal doesn't
work if your Travelcard is loaded onto an Oyster card, or if you get your Travelcard in a
Tube station. Look for brochures with coupons at major train stations, or print vouchers at
By Tube
London's subway system is called the Tube or Underground (but never “subway,” which,
in Britain, refers to a pedestrian underpass). The Tube is one of this planet's great
people-movers and usually the fastest long-distance transport in town (runs Mon-Sat about
5:00-24:00, Sun about 7:00-23:00; Central, Jubilee, Northern, Piccadilly, and Victoria
lines run Fri-Sat 24 hours). Two other commuter rail lines, while technically not part of
the Tube, are tied into the network and use the same tickets: the Docklands Light Railway
(called DLR, runs to the Docklands, Greenwich, and Olympic Park) and the Overground.
