London Transport – helpful apps and websites

Transport for London's website is pretty comprehensive but can be a bit daunting if you don't know where to start. Here's some tips on how best to use TFL and other tech/sites to help you get around London – we've already touched on some general advice on getting around London.


STEP ONE: Sign up to TFL's weekend DLR, Tube and Overground closures email for the weeks you'll spend in London here. That way you can plan ahead and rule out ridiculous, roundabout routes.

STEP TWO: Download the Bus Checker app for iPhone so that you can find out exactly when to leave your apartment to catch the next bus to your chosen destination. It's £1.99 and well worth it if you're in London for more than a few days and want to explore by bus.

STEP THREE: Use Google Maps before you leave or on your phone instead of TFL if you're walking. TFL often overestimates how long it will take you to walk to destinations. So just check Google Maps before you leave and it will show you a route to take and approximately how long it will take.

STEP FOUR: Walk It "the urban walking route planner" is also great for walking around the city - make sure you check the site before you leave.

Getting around in London - Top Five Tips

The River Thames in Teddington, South West London

As much as we love London here at Boutique London Lets, we know the transport system can sometimes make even the most well-executed holiday plans go pear-shaped. So here's a quick guide to getting around in London.

1. Walk as much as possible - this way you get to see much more of the city. Just get your AtoZ or Google Maps if you have a smartphone, and go. I lived in London for a year before I walked around anywhere other than Covent Garden and I couldn't believe what I'd been missing. My favourite areas to walk through are Bloomsbury (for the British Museum, the squares and the quaint white buildings) and Spitalfields (for the market, the graffiti, the cafes and Brick Lane). The walk from Victoria up to Bond Street is only about half an hour and you'll bump into Buckingham Palace and Green Park on the way.

2.If you are planning to cross the city the only way to do this quickly is on the tube. But make sure you check the TFL website before you travel - like a real Londoner. On weekends a lot of tube lines have maintenance work done. So if you know which ones are down, you can walk to the second closest station and hop on a line that's running. In tourist hotspots, tube stations are rarely more than 10 minutes walk apart. The Piccadilly line (for Covent Garden, Harrods, and eventually Heathrow airport) is particularly busy on weekends so avoid it if you can.

Royal Wedding Oyster Card

3. If you're staying for more than 2 or 3 days (or you plan to come back to London again) it's worth getting an Oyster card. Pick one up from any tube station and once you've filled in the details and paid the £5 fee you are good to go. You still have to top them up but the fares are around half the price for the tube and the bus. Look out for the special Royal Wedding Oyster cards going on sale next week.

4. If you don't want to sign up for a card, get a Zone 1 and 2 day pass. Buses are cheaper than the tube and if you plan to visit attractions in central London only it can be much more pleasant. I love sitting on the top deck of buses to cross the river - Waterloo Bridge at night is especially magical.

You can't see the boat but it is there...

5. Try the River Thames by boat. It's really interesting to see the different aspects of the city - from the political playgrounds of Westminster to the pubs, shops and galleries of the South Bank and even the village type atmosphere further down past Chelsea and into South West London. If you visit the O2 in Greenwich, the ferry across from there is a quick and unusual way of getting back into town.

Here's me - BLL's resident blogger Sophie - passing under Tower Bridge on a night tour of the Thames. And the first picture is of the boats in Tedddington, South West London - where you forget how close you are to the hustle and bustle of the city.

Click here for a handy interactive map of our London locations so you can choose how best to zip around the city.