Navigating London

If the tube strike goes ahead (they’re often called off at the last minute) all bus routes will be very busy. Also, I expect it’ll be hard to get taxis or Ubers. Depending how where you are staying, you might be best to try to plan going somewhere that you can reach by walking, or else a day trip away from London by train, if you can get to the station in London by walking.

Rome2rio not always reliable.
If the tubes strike goes ahead on that day, buses will be very busy.
Aim to visit local sites that day.
There are also black cabs.
Where are you staying|?

Rome2Rio site reliable?

No, but CityMapper is.

If you use Google Maps or Apple Maps in the states, it may be your easiest option to use what you are used to. We used Apple Maps constantly last year in London and it worked great. If you don't use a nav system now, you may want to practice before you leave home so you aren't standing on a street corner fiddling in vain. Have a great trip

A few thoughts.

Forget Rome2rio website. Not 100% reliable. City mapper and Tfl are much better.

Black cabs are more reliable than Uber because Black Cab drivers have taken the Knowledge test. They take pride in their abiltity to deal with traffic and knowing the proper routes to locations. Alas, they will also be more expensive. You can use tap debit and credit cards. Over 50 years of traveling to and staying I’ll always chose a licensed Black Cab over Uber.

Depending on where your accommodation is located ask the hotel staff about the bus routes.

Lastly, from someone born when Truman was in office I’ve found the best way to experience London is on foot and by using the Tube.

Peruse Google maps to discover what’s close to your accommodation. Coffee shop, Pret a Manger, market ( Tescos, ALDI, Sainsburys, Whole Foods) and Underground Station. Also closest bus stop.

Last bit of advice is to allow your senses to get use to the sights, sounds and smells of the city. Parks are plentiful and enjoyable.

Grab a coffee ( countless coffee places nowadays: Redemption Roasters, Paradox, Starbucks, Ole and Sheen bakery, et al ) and find a bench.

Great city. Enjoy it.

CityMapper is my go to navigation in London. It works great and I prefer it to the Tfl app (which I also have). My first trip to London was in 2022, I've returned 3 times since then and have navigated the city with confidence using CityMapper.

It may seem daunting at first, but if a West Virginia girl who grew up in a town with one stop light can navigate London successfully, anyone can.

Enjoy your trip! Happy travels!

If the tube strike goes ahead it will not be all tube lines out of action every day. I understand that the plan is to have different lines out of action on different days. In addition the Elizabeth line, London Overground lines and the DLR will not be affected. So there will be options on each day to get around as well as buses, river boats and just walking.

When there was a tube strike on one of our visits, we tried taking the bus, but the roads were so crowded and congested, it was quicker to walk.

I always use Google maps and find it to be quite accurate (e.g. it lets you know when lines are closed for engineering works etc). The TFL app is good as well and the best to use if you want to see any recent unplanned disruptions, including strike info.

The DLR will indeed be on strike in a separate dispute from 7 September

Last month we arrived in London Heathrow and planned to take the National Express Bus to Victoria Station that was three blocks from our hotel.
I was told on this forum that NE busses 2 o4 3 times an hour.

We found a the sales person for the NE busses at Heathrow and purchased tickets for us, by the time we found our way to the bus station (20 minutes later) the bus we were scheduled to take was late. We stood in the bus station watching the electronic boards for a change in departure for our bus, but it was still "pending" and not scheduled. Also, over an hour later, two more busses that were supposed to go to Victoria Station were cancelled. Finally, with the help of an attendant (NOT the board) we found a bus that would take us to Victoria Station. All this while we were tired and getting frustrated.

Finally, almost an hour later we arrived at the bus station at the rear of Victoria Station. We then got directions to our hotel from an attendant and drug our luggage three blocks, but our hotel was not where we were told. We had to backtrack a block, but finally made it to our hotel.
During this luggage dragging, my wife informed me that we were NOT doing this again when we went back to Heathrow for our departing flight.

So, we took a black cab to Heathrow, cost was more than 100 GBP or about $150 once converted on my credit card bill.

This is the most that I have ever paid in my life for a taxi.

I am a fan of black cabs over Uber and found the Gett app very useful when in London earlier this year.

The TFL app is great! CityMapper is also good, but always double check a route they offer: they can be convoluted. If you use Google maps you can enter an address, select the public transportation map view, and zoom in to see nearby bus and tube stops.

We are in our low 60s but I have busted knees, so I avoid the tube except for long trips. The bus is so far superior, IMHO. For one thing, it is cheap! For another, you’re able to actually see things - you can explore and sightsee as you get around, rather than being stuck in a tunnel.

The tube is also a nightmare of stairs. Yes, there are “step-free” journeys and stations, but lifts are frequently (FREQUENTLY) out of service.

TFL publishes what they call “bus leisure routes” that go by major tourist sites: https://tfl.gov.uk/travel-information/visiting-london/experience-london/bus-leisure-routes and I highly recommend checking them out.

Uber can be an excellent option. They allow you to lock in a price, whereas black cab meters keep ticking up and up and up when you are stuck in London traffic. And London traffic can be… BAD.

Black cabs are also not quite as amazing as they used to be. This is sad to report, but we are more and more frequently finding drivers who are clearly renting the hack from someone else, and do not have “The Knowledge.” As in, drivers obviously relying on a GPS unit that we can see from the passenger compartment.

So, TL;dr - TFL app is great. Look into buses! And Uber can help you avoid a spiraling black cab metered fare.

I never understand why TfL don’t include bus route 26 as a “Leisure Route”. From Liverpool St station to Victoria it goes past one tourist site after another.

https://tfl.gov.uk/bus/route/26/

If you can get one of the upstairs seats at the front, you’ll get a really good view at a discount price.

PS - Westminster Abbey and Westminster Cathedral are different places. The former is much older and where many monarchs are buried, the latter is just over 100 years old and is a Roman Catholic place of worship.

I wouldn’t stress too much - you already did the right thing with Citymapper, that app makes life way easier. If the strike really happens, buses will run but they’ll be crowded, so give yourself extra time. Walking is often nicer than you’d think, since a lot of sights are actually closer together than the map makes them look. Taxis/Ubers will be tricky, but if you’re near a mainline train station, a day trip out of London can be a fun backup plan.

Hi, I'm not a youngster either, one nice thing I found is that most riders are very polite and on the tube or bus will offer you a seat even if you don't need one. Note that the sidewalks (pavements over there) are in rather bad shape, so be a bit cautious
Regarding the busses, before you go, take a look at the TFL bus spider maps (they are also posted at most bus stops on the inside back of the bus shelter). You do have to know the area names they use, it might take a bit of reasearch. There is also one called Key Routes in Central London, it may cover what you need to get started.

https://content.tfl.gov.uk/bus-route-maps/key-bus-routes-in-central-london.pdf

The river boats provide good transportation across the city....handy when some of the tube lines aren't running. >> See the map.

If you have an oyster card, you tap in when you get on; tap again when you exit the boat.
Likewise, tap in if you're using contactless payment.

Thames Clipper route map:
https://www.thamesclippers.com/plan-your-journey/route-map

London is lovely from the water. You can ride the Uber/Thames Clipper boat from Westminster area to the Tower of London pier. (Or the reverse route) Easy way to see the Tower of London and Westminster Abbey in the same day.

From Tower of London Pier to Greenwich is a lovely ride. Look to the south bank of the river to see The Mayflower Pub. Passengers left on the Mayflower to come to America from here.

Good transportation without using the bus or tube.