London is a city that spans 32 boroughs and nearly 1500 square kilometres. Walking from Walthamstow to Brixton then, is probably out of the question. The many districts of the city hold their own unique attractions, and guests of accommodation in London Paddington are well placed to reach all of them – in more ways than one.
So if you’re planning a trip to London, will you be best off renting a car or leaving your travel to public transport? This blog will outline the best modes of transport to get the most out of the city. Whilst much of Westminster and the City of London is walkable from hotels in Paddington London, you may want to consider these transport options if exploring further afield in the English capital.
London Underground
The London Underground is the (mostly) below the ground rail system that consists of more than 200 stations and 12 different underground lines. This is your key to easy travel across London, and could have you speeding from north to south, zones 1 to 6 in a fraction of the time it would take to walk or drive. You can pay for single journeys via contactless debit cards, or buy an Oyster card for just £5 from stations. The latter allows you to buy travelcards and utilise railcard deals on off-peak journeys.
Trainlines
The army of commuters travelling in and out of the city every day are serviced by 14 different train terminuses and hundreds more stations. From Thameslink to Southeastern and Abellio Greater Anglia services, the whole of Great Britain is served from London stations. You can use the transport links and terminuses to navigate the city too, all via contactless payment and Oyster cards.
For first time guests of hotel deals in Paddington London, it’s worth noting that individual tube and rail journeys will be a third more expensive during peak hours. These are between 6am and 9am and 4pm and 7pm, when the city’s workforce arrive and leave for the day. Weekends have no peak hours, so tube journeys will remain the same on Saturdays and Sundays.
Buses
Sometimes, tube stations just aren’t close enough to your destination. London has over 700 bus routes, covering almost all of the city. They may take longer than a tube ride but whether you have a reservation for breakfast in Paddington’s outer areas or you’re visiting a friend in the suburbs, there’s always a bus route. Single bus journeys can be p[aid for in the same manner as the tube and rail services. Moreover, the city hopper fare means that if you catch two buses within one hour, you’ll get the second journey for free.
Santander Cycles
For visitors to London looking to enjoy a spot of sightseeing, Santander Cycles have hundreds of docking stations across Westminster and the City of London. You can rent a bike for £2 per half hour via the card machines at the docking stations. Simply redock your bike when you reach your destination. This does mean that you’ll have to return your Santander Cycle to a docking station, the furthest of which are in White City and Hackney Wick.
