| Many students live in zones 1,2 or 3. (private accommodation is cheaper the further it is from the centre). Full-time students can obtain a Student Travelcard which gives 30% discount on fares. A monthly pass (you can use any tube and any bus) for zones 1 and 2 will cost £85.30 with the discount. A monthly pass for zones 1,2 and 3 will cost £99.90. For more details, go to the Transport for London website. You will be given an application form when you enrol on your course. Language Centre Students should be able to apply in the Summer before the course starts. |
| The Tube |
London Underground is divided into 6 'zones'. When you buy a ticket, you must cover all the zones that you will travel in. There are white boards on all the walls in the stations with names of all the stations in alphabetical order and it tells you which zones they are in.
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| If you are found travelling with the wrong ticket or you arrive at your destination with the wrong ticket, you will have to pay a 'penalty fare' of £10. |
It is cheapest to buy a Travel Card for one week, one month or one year.
Cards for Tube can also be used on Bus, DLR, tram and some railways in London (e.g.Thameslink).
Student Discount Cards - collect a form from the Language Centre. Save 30% on all fares.
Check the date on your student card - you cannot use a discount ticket after your student card expires (not everyone in the Language Centre will get a ticket with exactly the same date although you are on the same course). If your card is not valid - you may be fined over £100. |
| Transport for London website.Using the Journey Planner on the TfL website you can plan your journey by Tube, Bus, Train or on Foot. Using the Routefinder you can plan your Tube journey. Check Interactive tube map |
You can plan you bus journey by searching by Bus number, Stop Name or Street name
London Travel Information - 0207 222 1234 or Customer Service Centre 0845 330 9880 (this is a free number)
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Travel Information Centre
Piccadilly Circus Underground Station,
Piccadilly Circus,
London W1V 9LB
Open from 7.15 am - 9 pm Mon- Fri and
8.15 am - 8pm on Sundays
Lost Property
Call 0207 918 1028 or go to the website |
| Platform for Art |
Platform for Art is a public art project. Click on the website link for more details.
Safety on the Underground |
- No Smoking anywhere.
- Stand on the right on escalator.
- Pickpockets work on the tube - be careful.
- When leaving the station avoid using your mobile phone. This is the most common place to have your mobile phone stolen. it is best to wait until you are further away before using it.
- There is a passenger alarm in every carriage at the end in case of emergency.
- Check the times of your last Tube and avoid walking home alone late at night.
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| Tube Guru |
Your indispensable, interactive Tube map and guide to going out from London Underground and Visit London. Information is supplied from several organisations including VisitLondon, Lonely Planet, Itchy, Top Table, Fancy a Pint, Rough Guides and Thomson Local.
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| Launch TubeGuru |
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| Buses |
| Buses are much cheaper than the Tube. You can buy a bus only pass or you can use your tube pass for both.
If you don't have a ticket, you have to pay before you get on the bus - look out for yellow signs and the machines at bus stops (everywhere is £1.50, there is a cheap option of buying bus saver booklet, check Transport for London website) |
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| Night Buses have an N on the front of the bus number. Check the routes and times early on in the evening.
Bus maps - you can order one for your area on line or collect from the Transport Information Centre at Piccadilly. |
| Trains |
| The Student TravelCard does not cover travel outside London. You need to buy a Young Persons Railcard (if you are over 26 need to show you are a full-time student). |
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This costs £18 a year and you get 1/3 off all rail tickets. Pick up an application form from the national rail station (not Tube).
For more information on the Young Person's Railcard, click on the website. |
| For information on travelling by train go to the National Rail website or call National Rail Enqiuries: 08457 48 49 50
Tickets are very expensive if you buy on the same day even if you have a card so try to book tickets as far in advance as possible. |
| DLR - Docklands Light Railway |
One of the first light rail systems in Britain, with one of the world’s safest and most advanced automatic train control systems, DLR has expanded faster than any UK railway.
The DLR opened in 1987 as a modest £77 million railway, to serve the first brownfield London Docklands developments, with an 11 vehicle fleet and 15 stations. |
| Cycling |
Cycling is the fastest way to travel short journeys in London.
Collect a map from your nearest Tube station or Transport Information Centre in Piccadilly.
For more information on cycling groups in London, click on the links below:
London Cycle Network
London Cycle Campaign
Order Cycle Maps online |
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Driving |
UKCOSA website - for information on Driving. There is a 'Congestion charge' in London. This means that you must pay £8 each time you enter central London.
Pick up a leaflet from the Tube on Congestion charges and how to pay. |
| Taxi |
Black taxis are more expensive than minicabs (ordinary cars that work as taxis) but black cab taxi drivers know London extremely well. If you are travelling late at night, try to share with friends and share the cost.
Never get in a minicab on the street (they often park outside pubs and clubs) as many are unlicensed - you do not know who this driver is. |
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| Walking |
It is often quicker to walk between Tube stations. Walking will help orientate you in London but you should avoid walking around alone late at night.
If you enjoy walking, you may enjoy guide books about London and outside -
Time Out Book of London Walks (2 books)
Time Out Book of Country Walks- all around 1 hour from London starting and finishing at train stations. |
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| Safety in London |
- Central London is safe but you should be careful when out at night.
- After dark try not to travel alone, and keep to well-lit busy streets. Look confident, not nervous.
- Study a map before you leave the house so you know where you are going.
- If you know that you are going to be out late at night, plan your return journey. Check the times of the last tubes and the night buses.
- Never carry large amounts of cash
- When using bank machines, make sure that no-one is looking over your shoulder and avoid using machines at night.
For more information on staying safe in the UK , pick up a booklet 'Student Survival Guide' from Student Services or go to http://www.good2bsecure.gov.uk/ The British Council have also produced a very useful document on personal safety which can be downloaded here - Safety First - A personal safety guide for international students. |
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| Travel Outside London |
| STA Travel (Student Travel). Take your NUS card to any STA office and get an International Student Identity Card (ISIC Card). This costs £7 and allows you cheap travel in and around Europe. |
| Coach |
| Travelling by coach is a very cheap way to get about Britain and a nice way to see the countryside too. You can buy a Student Discount Coach ticket for £10. There are special offers for students.
The main station is Victoria coach station but you may be able to leave from other parts of London. For more information, go to the website. International Students House has a Travel Club which organises very cheap trips around UK and in Europe. For more information, go to the ISH website. There is a special Offer on at the moment on National Express and you can travel for £1 in UK. For more information go to theNational Express website and click on 'fun fares'.
There are also very cheap travel deals in Europe. |
| Flying |
There are very cheap flights in UK and Europe. For more information click on the links below
http://www.ryanair.com/
http://www.easyjet.com/
Before travelling in Europe, please check the immigration rules. |
| Boats |
| There are many kinds of river trips along the Thames including 'Tate to Tate' where you can take the boat from Tate Modern to Tate Britain. |
| Pick up a 'London River Services' booklet from the Tube or Transport Information Centre or telephone London Travel Information on 0207 222 1234. |
| Some boat companies offer student discounts. Many have discounts for Travel Card holders. Click here to order River maps |
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| Christmas and New year In London |
| If you are planning on staying in London over Christmas, be aware that many shops close on the 25th and 26th December and there is very little public transport on Christmas Day (December 25th). Long distance transport stops early on 31st December although the Tube and buses runs all night and travel is normally free from 11.45pm on the 31st until 4.30am on 1st January.
To make travel arrangements, check the Transport for London website. |
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