London is one of the busiest transport hubs in the world, meaning there are plenty of opportunities for cheap flight bargains. Heathrow is a monster airport which in true London style has grown organically and now has four terminals (a fifth is being planned). It has two tube stations. Gatwick is also a large airport, but much smaller than Heathrow, followed by Stansted and Luton. All domestic flights and those to EU countries from London attract a £10 departure tax. For flights to other international destinations you pay £20.

For the first time since the ice ages, Britain has a land link (albeit a tunnel) with mainland Europe. Two services operate through the Tunnel: Eurotunnel operates a rail shuttle service (Le Shuttle) for motorbikes, cars, buses and freight vehicles between terminals at Folkestone in the UK and Calais in France; and the railway companies of Britain, France and Belgium operate a high-speed passenger service, known as Eurostar, between London, Paris, Lille and Brussels. London's main rail terminus for Europe is Waterloo International.

Even without using the Channel Tunnel, you can still get to Europe by bus - there's just a short ferry/hovercraft ride thrown in as part of the deal. Bus travellers arrive and depart from Victoria Coach Station, about 10 minutes walk south of the Victoria railway and tube station.

GETTING AROUND

By London Underground

London’s extensive Underground, the world’s first underground rail network which opened in 1863, is also known as "the tube" and is the most often used form of transport as well as usually being the quickest and cheapest.

From Monday to Saturday trains start shortly after 05.00 and finish between 23.30 and 00.30 depending on what station. On Sunday they start about two hours later and finish about an hour earlier.

They are very frequent and are every 5-10 minutes depending on the route and time of day.

Fares for both the Underground and buses are based on London being divided into concentric Zones from 1 to 6 with Zone 1 being the very centre of London including the West End where most hotels and attractions are.

The most economical way of getting around is to buy a Travelcard, which you buy for all the zones through which you want to travel. It gives you unlimited travel in Greater London on the Rail Network, Buses (for Night Buses see each category below), Underground and the Docklands Light Railway, whereby you can travel on any combination as many times as you wish. Travelcards, although valid for use on buses, can only be bought at Underground, Railway Stations and selected newsagents.

By Bus

London is renowned for its bright red double-decker buses. It is a fine way to travel around the city and can be a great way to see a lot of London along the way, and often for short distances buses are cheaper than the Underground and can sometimes be quicker, but do avoid the rush hours

As with the Underground, fares for buses are based on London being divided into concentric Zones from 1 to 6 with Zone 1 being the very centre of London including the West End where most hotels and attractions are. The most economical way of getting around is to buy a Travelcard which you buy for all the zones through which you want to travel and it gives you unlimited travel in Greater London on the Rail Network, Buses, (for Night Buses see each category below), Underground and the Docklands Light Railway, whereby you can travel on any combination as many times as you wish. The Travelcard although valid for use on buses, can only be bought at Underground, railway stations and selected newsagents.

By Black Taxi And Minicabs

Probably the best in the world, London’s black taxis are part of London’s tradition, you will see them everywhere and they tend to know Central London very well. When the yellow "For Hire" sign on the top is lit then the taxi is available. You can either, pick them up from a taxi rank, (normally found by the bigger hotels and main tourist areas), hail them down in the street or book by phone

Every black taxi has a meter so you know exactly what you are being charged. Charges are based on distance travelled or time elapsed and there is a minimum fare of about £1.50. A standard journey from the City to the West End will cost about £6.00 outside rush hour. Tipping although discretionary is common with 10% being the norm.

Minicabs are unlicensed and do not always know London that well. They cannot be hailed in the street and have to be booked by phone when it is worth negotiating a fare. They usually work out cheaper than black taxis especially for longer journeys. There is usually a minimum fare of about £3.00.