Home |
Search |
Today's Posts |
![]() |
|
London Transport (uk.transport.london) Discussion of all forms of transport in London. |
Reply |
|
|
LinkBack | Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
![]() |
|||
|
|||
![]()
Hi,
I'll be visiting London for the first time and, as such, can't gauge what's walkable. This will determine whether I need to pick up 7-day Travel Cards or just work with day offpeaks. I'm a decent walker, but not ready for primetime marathon walking. I'll be staying in Victoria Station. So far it doesn't look like I'll be sightseeing out of Zone 1 except for several sidetrips that wouldn't be covered by a Travel Card, anyway. I'm trying to find out what's walkable. For example, (1) can I walk from Victoria Station to Trafalgar Square, stop/rest/eat, and then walk through Picadilly/St James, Hyde Park Corner to return to VicSta? (2) Can I walk from VicSta to and through Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens down to Albert Hall, then back to VicSta as a day's walk, with rest stops? (3) How about from the Strand through the Inns of Court to the British Library? I'm from New York City and am very familiar with Paris, so if it's easier to juxtapose the walks I asked about to similar distances in these two cities, that would also be very helpful. Many thanks for any help. Bonnie |
#2
![]() |
|||
|
|||
![]() "clio22" wrote in message om... Hi, I'll be visiting London for the first time and, as such, can't gauge what's walkable. This will determine whether I need to pick up 7-day Travel Cards or just work with day offpeaks. I'm a decent walker, but not ready for primetime marathon walking. I'll be staying in Victoria Station. So far it doesn't look like I'll be sightseeing out of Zone 1 except for several sidetrips that wouldn't be covered by a Travel Card, anyway. I'm trying to find out what's walkable. For example, (1) can I walk from Victoria Station to Trafalgar Square, stop/rest/eat, and then walk through Picadilly/St James, Hyde Park Corner to return to VicSta? (2) Can I walk from VicSta to and through Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens down to Albert Hall, then back to VicSta as a day's walk, with rest stops? (3) How about from the Strand through the Inns of Court to the British Library? I'm from New York City and am very familiar with Paris, so if it's easier to juxtapose the walks I asked about to similar distances in these two cities, that would also be very helpful. All of the above sound quite walkable. I suggest you check out this website: www.multimap.com I have zoomed in on Victoria station, if you can fit this URL in your browser: http://www.multimap.com/map/browse.c...up.x=11&up.y=1 As a guide, the distance between Victoria Staion and Green Park underground station is a 20 minute leisurely walk. Tube stations are typically placed 1/2 to 1 mile apart, the spacing varies much more than in other countries. But suffice to say, doing about 5 stops takes around an hour, if that helps? Many thanks for any help. Bonnie |
#3
![]() |
|||
|
|||
![]()
I'll be visiting London for the first time and, as such, can't gauge
what's walkable. This will determine whether I need to pick up 7-day Travel Cards or just work with day offpeaks. I'm a decent walker, but not ready for primetime marathon walking. [..snip..] You will be fine with all of the examples you gave and indeed might be surprised how little time they take to walk. From the Albert Hall right across zone 1 to the Tower Of London on the other side is probably less than five miles. |
#4
![]() |
|||
|
|||
![]() |
#5
![]() |
|||
|
|||
![]()
clio22 wrote:
[..] For example, (1) can I walk from Victoria Station to Trafalgar Square, stop/rest/eat, and then walk through Picadilly/St James, Hyde Park Corner to return to VicSta? The transport authority for London (Transport for London or TfL) has a Journey Planner which you can use to plan walking trips. It doesn't seem to like requests for a "via" point in the middle of a walk, so you would have to submit each section as a journey. Go to http://journeyplanner.tfl.gov.uk/use...T2?language=en Enter your start and finish points. You can use station names such as Victoria, or you can select a Place of Interest such as Trafalgar Square or Houses of Parliament. Click on More Options and clear the ticks from all Means of Transport (Rail services etc.). This will force it to offer walking routes only. Change the walking speed from Average to Fast if your walking speed is 20 minutes per mile, and set maximum walking time to, say, 60 minutes. Then click on Submit. You will get an estimated time for the walk. If you click on Show These Route Details, and then click on Start Map and/or End Map, you will get a detailed street map (.pdf file) showing the recommended route. (2) Can I walk from VicSta to and through Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens down to Albert Hall, then back to VicSta as a day's walk, with rest stops? (3) How about from the Strand through the Inns of Court to the British Library? I'm from New York City and am very familiar with Paris, so if it's easier to juxtapose the walks I asked about to similar distances in these two cities, that would also be very helpful. Victoria to the Royal Albert Hall via Hyde Park Corner is about the same distance as from the Arc de Triomphe to the Louvre (straight down the Champs-Elysées and through the Tuileries Gardens). Strand (Aldwych) to the British Library is a similar distance. -- Richard J. (to e-mail me, swap uk and yon in address) |
#6
![]() |
|||
|
|||
![]() |
#7
![]() |
|||
|
|||
![]()
"Richard J." wrote in message ...
clio22 wrote: [..] For example, (1) can I walk from Victoria Station to Trafalgar Square, stop/rest/eat, and then walk through Picadilly/St James, Hyde Park Corner to return to VicSta? The transport authority for London (Transport for London or TfL) has a Journey Planner which you can use to plan walking trips. It doesn't seem to like requests for a "via" point in the middle of a walk, so you would have to submit each section as a journey. Go to http://journeyplanner.tfl.gov.uk/use...T2?language=en Enter your start and finish points. You can use station names such as Victoria, or you can select a Place of Interest such as Trafalgar Square or Houses of Parliament. Click on More Options and clear the ticks from all Means of Transport (Rail services etc.). This will force it to offer walking routes only. Change the walking speed from Average to Fast if your walking speed is 20 minutes per mile, and set maximum walking time to, say, 60 minutes. Then click on Submit. You will get an estimated time for the walk. If you click on Show These Route Details, and then click on Start Map and/or End Map, you will get a detailed street map (.pdf file) showing the recommended route. (2) Can I walk from VicSta to and through Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens down to Albert Hall, then back to VicSta as a day's walk, with rest stops? (3) How about from the Strand through the Inns of Court to the British Library? I'm from New York City and am very familiar with Paris, so if it's easier to juxtapose the walks I asked about to similar distances in these two cities, that would also be very helpful. Victoria to the Royal Albert Hall via Hyde Park Corner is about the same distance as from the Arc de Triomphe to the Louvre (straight down the Champs-Elysées and through the Tuileries Gardens). Strand (Aldwych) to the British Library is a similar distance. This Paris comparison proved to be even more useful than I realized. It's just terrific! It gives me a much better grasp now when I look at a London map. Not only didn't I realize that the Journey Planner plotted walks, but I didn't know it gave the times for the same. This is especially helpful also. Merci beaucoup, Richard! |
#8
![]() |
|||
|
|||
![]()
Buy an A-Z of London!
"clio22" wrote in message om... Hi, I'll be visiting London for the first time and, as such, can't gauge what's walkable. This will determine whether I need to pick up 7-day Travel Cards or just work with day offpeaks. I'm a decent walker, but not ready for primetime marathon walking. I'll be staying in Victoria Station. So far it doesn't look like I'll be sightseeing out of Zone 1 except for several sidetrips that wouldn't be covered by a Travel Card, anyway. I'm trying to find out what's walkable. For example, (1) can I walk from Victoria Station to Trafalgar Square, stop/rest/eat, and then walk through Picadilly/St James, Hyde Park Corner to return to VicSta? (2) Can I walk from VicSta to and through Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens down to Albert Hall, then back to VicSta as a day's walk, with rest stops? (3) How about from the Strand through the Inns of Court to the British Library? I'm from New York City and am very familiar with Paris, so if it's easier to juxtapose the walks I asked about to similar distances in these two cities, that would also be very helpful. Many thanks for any help. Bonnie |
#9
![]() |
|||
|
|||
![]()
On 27 Oct 2003 12:04:56 -0800, (clio22) wrote:
Hi, I'll be visiting London for the first time and, as such, can't gauge what's walkable. This will determine whether I need to pick up 7-day Travel Cards or just work with day offpeaks. I'm a decent walker, but not ready for primetime marathon walking. I'll be staying in Victoria Station. So far it doesn't look like I'll be sightseeing out of Zone 1 except for several sidetrips that wouldn't be covered by a Travel Card, anyway. You can get walking maps for Central London from TfL Travel Information Centres - there is one at Victoria Station beside one of the main entrances to the Main Line Station. The maps show all the interesting buildings and show designated walking routes. http://www.transportforlondon.gov.uk...ing/home.shtml might be a place to start! I'm trying to find out what's walkable. For example, (1) can I walk from Victoria Station to Trafalgar Square, stop/rest/eat, and then walk through Picadilly/St James, Hyde Park Corner to return to VicSta? no problem whatsoever. Lots of parkland and interesting sites to look at. I often walk between two offices at St James Park and Leicester Sq - takes 20-25 mins and I'm not a very fast walker. As you're a visitor you can amble along and enjoy the vistas - St James Park, The Mall, Buckingham Palace, Horseguards Parade, Admiralty Arch, Trafalgar Square. (2) Can I walk from VicSta to and through Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens down to Albert Hall, then back to VicSta as a day's walk, with rest stops? no problem. (3) How about from the Strand through the Inns of Court to the British Library? No problem at all. I'm from New York City and am very familiar with Paris, so if it's easier to juxtapose the walks I asked about to similar distances in these two cities, that would also be very helpful. Well I suppose Victoria to Trafalgar Square might be equivalent to 34th Street to Greenwich Village or possibly Jardin de Tuileries to 2/3s of the way up the Champs Elysees. Just a lot more scenic in London :-) HTH. -- Paul C Admits to working for London Underground! |
#10
![]() |
|||
|
|||
![]()
In article , clio22
writes Hi, I'll be visiting London for the first time and, as such, can't gauge what's walkable. This will determine whether I need to pick up 7-day Travel Cards or just work with day offpeaks. I'm a decent walker, but not ready for primetime marathon walking. Just as an aside to the helpful information you've already been given: Walking is often the *best* way of seeing places. Indeed, I'd recommend it as something far too few visitors do. You can plan some delightful walks where you'll see far more than you would on the Underground (obviously!). Buy a book of "Saver" tickets for the buses (not valid on the Underground). They cost GBP3.90 for six rides (valid indefinitely), working out at 65p per ride, where the cash fare is GBP1. That way, if you feel a bit tired or simply want to walk one way and bus it another, you can just hop on the bus (which is *almost* as good as walking when it comes to sightseeing, especially if you go upstairs!). If you're familiar with Paris, they're the London Bus equivalent of the Carnet. Let's look at some examples: I'm trying to find out what's walkable. For example, (1) can I walk from Victoria Station to Trafalgar Square, stop/rest/eat, and then walk through Picadilly/St James, Hyde Park Corner to return to VicSta? Yes and what a splendid walk that would be. You'll pass Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament, Whitehall (and Downing Street), Saint James's Palace and Buckingham Palace, the latter only passable on foot. (2) Can I walk from VicSta to and through Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens down to Albert Hall, then back to VicSta as a day's walk, with rest stops? Even at a leisurely pace, that shouldn't fill a whole day. Unless, of course, you get caught in the Museums at South Kensington, in which case allow, oh a lifetime should suffice! (3) How about from the Strand through the Inns of Court to the British Library? Less exciting than some.# Instead try The Strand, along Fleet Street, via the Temple and into The City (what Londoner's call "The City" is the "Square Mile" of the ancient City of London, nowadays the capital's Financial District. Here you'll find Saint Paul's Cathedral, a vast array of Churches and - just beyond the boundary - the Tower of London. The South Bank of the Thames is another interesting walk, from Southwark via Tate Modern and the London Eye to Westminster Bridge. I'm from New York City and am very familiar with Paris, They're probably the only other two true "World Cities", so you need to complete the set! Have a very pleasant visit! -- Ian Jelf, MITG, Birmingham, UK Registered "Blue Badge" Tourist Guide for London & the Heart of England http://www.bluebadge.demon.co.uk |
Reply |
|
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
Display Modes | |
|
|
![]() |
||||
Thread | Forum | |||
Criminal tourist | London Transport | |||
Help me i'm a tourist? | London Transport | |||
A confused prospective tourist writes | London Transport | |||
a tourist coming to the Docklands | London Transport | |||
I've Been a Tourist In London! | London Transport |