Driving into London, for the first time.

Ransom · 27 Apr 2006 at 16:04

Would love to visit London sometime as ive not been for the past 11 years and my g/f has never been.

London being trafalga square / those huge lions if there still there?
Oxford street / the london eye an any other big london landmarks

basicly whats putting me off is the driving into london and parking without getting totaly lost an geting charged huge ammounts for parking / congestion charges or just parking then geting very lost an wasting a day.

so does anyone have any advice / tips for someone visiting london for basicly the first time really

i will be traveling from derbyshire so over to chesterfield and join the M1 motor way then travel south

cheers in advance for the info

KaHn · 27 Apr 2006 at 16:05

Get a train.

KaHn

Morba · 27 Apr 2006 at 16:06

park up in north london and get the train to kings cross, then tube it if needed?

Jimmeh · 27 Apr 2006 at 16:06

Park in somewhere like St Albans and train it in fella.

Yas786 · 27 Apr 2006 at 16:06

Yup get a train, more convenient in that you dont pay any congestion charges and the stupidly high extortionate parking charges.

Von Luck · 27 Apr 2006 at 16:07

Ransom · 27 Apr 2006 at 16:10

going on the tube would be cool

are there plenty of big car parks close to the motorways ?
sorry for the totally noob questions but would love to go but so many aspects are daunting,

Haylee Jayne · 27 Apr 2006 at 16:12

mate park at luton train station (junction 11 of the m1 - follow signs to the town centre) then buy a zone 1 day ticket (£14.30) then you can go anywhere in london on that ticket, any train, any bus, any where!! much cheaper, less hassle and youl probably get there quicker lol

hope thats helps!

Ransom · 27 Apr 2006 at 16:14

Haylee Jayne said:
mate park at luton train station (junction 11 of the m1 - follow signs to the town centre) then buy a zone 1 day ticket (£14.30) then you can go anywhere in london on that ticket, any train, any bus, any where!! much cheaper, less hassle and youl probably get there quicker lol

hope thats helps!

that really really helps thanks for that

Haylee Jayne · 27 Apr 2006 at 16:16

no problemo

the ticket price may not be dead on but its about that much!

Vonhelmet · 27 Apr 2006 at 16:17

I've heard it said that the average speed in London is 9 miles an hour and 1 in 4 drivers is lost. Sounds like a barrel of laughs.

Get the train and walk around. You'll see more that way and it'll be a lot less stress.

Ransom · 27 Apr 2006 at 16:18

say we got the train at luton into london

where would you advise getting off for the best sight seeing thats all we will be going for no other reason just to see the sights an take some pics an have a nice day out

ill have to dig my manopoly board out see what roads are on there

loopylou · 27 Apr 2006 at 16:21

Make a list of places you would like to see, and maybe a kind person could suggest a route for you to follow, as there isn't a tube station that will be close to all the sites.

Jimmeh · 27 Apr 2006 at 16:25

Ransom said:
say we got the train at luton into london

where would you advise getting off for the best sight seeing thats all we will be going for no other reason just to see the sights an take some pics an have a nice day out

ill have to dig my manopoly board out see what roads are on there

I believe Luton is served by London Blackfriars. Thus you're placed right in the middle anyway pretty much. You'll walk out of Blackfriars and see the Thames, head West along the North bank and you'll come to Embankment, and eventually the London Eye and Houses of Parliament.

This is a good site should you need any information on how to get to certain attractions.

Haylee Jayne · 27 Apr 2006 at 16:35

ok well if i was goin sight seeing in London i would get on the thameslink train to london kings cross,st pancras, then figure out where i wanted to go...

so if i wanted to go to the london dungeons id get on the northen line (BLACK) to London Bridge

If you want to go to Harrods thats the Picadilly line (Dark blue) and get of at Knighsbridge

If you wana go to the london eye, head for the River Thames so you can get of at Westminster, Embankment (not sure what lines they are on)

Oxford street just get off at Oxford circus!! (victoria line from kings cross st pancras)

buckinham palace is in the city of westminster so head that way....

Leister square and Convent Garden are good if the suns out....Picadilly line again and they are next to each other.....china town is there too if you fancy that!

lets us know if ya need any more lol

Hamish · 27 Apr 2006 at 17:02

This is a useful map of central london you can print out: http://www.o2.co.uk/abroad/pdfs/Quickmap_O2_walk.pdf

spirit · 27 Apr 2006 at 17:30

Haylee Jayne said:
If you want to go to Harrods thats the Picadilly line (Dark blue) and get of at Knighsbridge

If you wana go to the london eye, head for the River Thames so you can get of at Westminster, Embankment (not sure what lines they are on)

Leister square and Convent Garden are good if the suns out....Picadilly line again and they are next to each other.....china town is there too if you fancy that!

if you wanted to goto london eye from kings x you wouldnt take northern down to Waterloo and go that way?? (or picc then north trust me you should

)

Harrods is a complete waste of time

leicester square is s'ok bit of a waste of time to see that in imo (unless u wanna see where some premiers are and theres that whole star thing outside it)

Haylee Jayne · 27 Apr 2006 at 17:33

i like leister square, its pretty lol

Noxis · 27 Apr 2006 at 17:52

Dont forget the ladies always love covent garden, and LOL @ "the tube would be cool" god I do my level best to avoid it at ALL costs. (Buses 4tw).

spirit · 27 Apr 2006 at 18:15

OT

ps haylee

criticise