Creative ways to get around London during a Tube strike?

It sounds like you may be able to write off your transportation since you're there on business? If you are, then you won't mind paying for a cab perhaps? There are also car services such as Uber or Green Tomato that will come with the swipe of an app to pick you up. Buses are very easy to use but since they're part of the London Transport system maybe they'll be affected as well - invest in a good pair of roller skates? Boris bikes?

Unfortunately there are going to be millions in the same boat. We are arriving on the second day of the three day strike. Luckily we had already reserved a car to pick us up at Heathrow, but I can only imagine how crazy it will be with everyone trying to figure out how to get to London. Even if you are willing to spend the money how impacted will Taxi's and buses be. I think we will be doing a lot of walking. I just hope that they will decide to resolve this on the first go road in April.

Buses will run but will be crowded. The 211 goes from Victoria to Hammersmith.

The underground will not be completely closed down on past experience as it is one union on strike not all of them. However, the stations open and the services will depended on exactly who turns up on each shift and where.

Just so that folks can understand why the RMT (this time, TSSA on others) are fighting these battles including strikes, TfL are trying to destaff and permanently close every single booking office (ticket window) throughout the entire London Underground so that all passengers would have for tickets are the machines - both commuters and tourists. They also want to remove the drivers from all the Tube trains so they would go around unstaffed.

The unions don't like this.

BTW - that's not an April Fools joke... TfL really are trying to accomplish both of those.

We feel for you in England. Eliminating jobs seems to be the way of the world. Does not make any sense to put their citizens out of work. I have been in other countries as a tourist with no help, and it is not easy to buy tickets and know where to go without a real person there. My son said that the workers are very helpful in England, and made riding the Tube very easy. Hopefully this will help the cause.

For the sightseeing portion... London is a very walkable city, and you can likely cluster things and just walk from one sight to another. Walking in London is a pleasure all on its own - you might want to check out a book on London walks to get some inspiration! Or check out this great planning site: https://walkit.com/cities/london/

For early May visitors to London, the latest from London news sources, as of April 22, is that the part of the RTM/Underground strike that is scheduled for after the early May Bank Holiday is: "3 days starting at 9pm May 5."

In other areas (traveling early morning to an airport), we often reserve taxis a day ahead through hotel staff. Maybe this would work in London, as well, during the strike.

TfL claim that already fewer than 3 journeys out of a 100 are made using a manned ticket office at the start. This can only decline further when the underground gates will accept credit / debit cards directly. I have been trying to remember the last time I personally used a ticket office; possibly some time in the late 1970s.

I guess my biggest question is will those machines accept swipey cards as I call them. Most American tourists do not have a chip and pin credit card. I know I got my card from ticket office for that reason a couple of years ago. Maybe things have changed? American credit cards for the most part have not. I really can't believe that they haven't thought of this, but stranger things have happened.

Here in NYC there are still lots of staffed ticket booths. They may not be open 24 hours, and there is at most one per station. I don't see how roving staff will help these tourists if you have to have the chip and pin.

Pam

Marco, I think I've bee using your unused visits- I know I had to use the manned booths at least twice last trip. Once for my ticket not working and they just had to verify and then at least once to buy something.

One question I have is: last time we were there during a strike it didn't hit all the lines at once. Do you think they will shut some lines or all lines? I do realize this is still conjecture and we do thank all who are "on the ground" for you advice and explanations

If you can't work out how to get a ticket, or which ticket is right, or how to get that Oyster card - how much help is another person on the platform?

As i understand it staff are proposed to still be around, only not confined behind locked doors and thick glass but out in the halls, clearly identifiable to help people in situations such as not understanding the machines etc. Currently people often have to rely on the goodwill of fellow travellers for this because staff are inaccessible.

American contactless cards should work in the barriers when this is activated; they do not require PIN.

It is only one of the unions involved presently in this strike. Some people who belong to another union or none in past disputes have decided to continue to work - for example a proportion of drivers are in ASLEF. However, the distribution will change from one shift to another. Even if there some trains running on a line, there might not be enough staff to open a particular station for example.

Issues aside, here are some practicalities.

Tfl issued advice here: http://www.tfl.gov.uk/cdn/static/cms/documents/strike-advance-travel-advice-28-to-30-apr.pdf

Third party map drawn from above advice: http://www.stationmasterapp.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/StrikeMap.jpg

I have been following this thread closely since we will arrive at Heathrow the morning of May 7. I read the TFL advice and want to thank Marco for providing the tube map showing available services for the April 28-29 strike. The map is easier to follow and very helpful.