'The Knowledge'

No trip to London is complete without at least one ride in a black taxi cab. These ubiquitous vehicles are unique insofar as that they are specifcally designed for just one purpose - to be taxis, and their drivers truly astonishing. The London taxi driver is simply the best in the world.
No need to call ahead for a cab if you're in central London, just walk out the door and flag one down in the street - you won't have to wait more than a few moments.
Here's the amazing thing: tell the cabbie where you want to go (Craven Hill Road, The Great Eastern Hotel, the John Soane museum, The Mitre pub....) and he'll get you there via the quickest route without using a GPS or asking directions. How so you ask. Because to be licensed as a London cabbie you have to pass a horrendous exam called 'The Knowledge'. To be successful the candidate must have memorized every street in central London, every point of interest and every hotel & pub etc. Additionally they must be able to promptly verbalise the optimum route from any point A to point B. Considering the size of London, the complexity of its ancient road system (it's not laid out on a grid system like Phoenix or Salt Lake City) and its numerous points of interest this is feat beyond most mere mortals.
It takes years of preparation to pass 'The Knowledge', and one can oftentimes spot candidates training as they drive round London on small mopeds with clipboard attached to the handlebars.
Given the arduous nature of the exam, and hence the amount of time needed to be invested to be successful, the London cabbie is a professional driver who may well spend his whole working life using his Knowledge to help the public move around town. I view it as an enjoyable privilege to ride in a London cab observing a true professional practice their craft flawlessly.
A few practical points: if the yellow light on the roof above the windshield is on then a cab is available, no one other than the driver sits in the front, the rear can comfortably accommodate four passengers.
Sit back and enjoy the experience.

'Cycle Hire' - Another Way of Getting Around Town

'Cycle Hire' is a relatively new scheme brought to us by London Transport, the folk that operate the Underground and Double Decker buses. It is therefore a government-run program that happens to be sponsored by Barlays Group (a large British bank).
You may already be familiar with the concept. Throughout central London there are 'Cycle-Hire' locations where one can rent a bike for, say, one hour or a whole day and then return it at any other 'Cycle Hire' locations around town. It is, as such, designed primarily to relieve congestion on the tubes and the buses by providing commuters (and visitors) another way of getting from A to B. One can, of course, return to one's original Hire location if one wishes.
Okay - full disclosure: I've checked 'Cycle Hire' out quite a bit but have never actually rented a bike as I haven't had the need! That being said I have to say the program looks really very sophisticated. For example, all 'Cycle-Hire' locations (of which there are many) are un-manned, the rental machines take credit cards. The system shows the availability of bikes and return spaces at all locations, and it is possible to reserve a docking station in which to return a bike at  any chosen destination before heading off. (Let's say each 'Cycle Hire' has twenty bikes; if no bikes have been rented and all twenty are there there would be no un-used docking station in which to return a rental. It would be problematic for a commuter not to be able to return their bike to the system before heading into work). Based on my casual observations, however, it seemed as though the availability of return slots was not generally an issue.
The bikes are locked-up in something that looks like an old fashioned bike rack. Having bought a rental the rider is issued a code that then gets entered by the bike of their choice to release it from the rack. The bikes themselves are of traditional design, very sturdy and no drop handlebars etc., and are blue.
I'm committed to actually using 'Cycle Hire' on my next trip to London and am really looking forward to the experience, however I'll probably plan my journeys to limit road use for obvious reason - I'm no Boris Johnson! A rental from, say, Bayswater to Buckingham Place would be perfect for me as it's almost all through a system of inter-connecting parks. The locals are clearly made of stronger stuff than me because many can be seen cycling fearlessly on London's busiest roads - it's a very popular program. (It should be noted that there are currently four 'Barclays Super Cycling Highways' throughout the city, with more on the way).
'Cycle Hire' looks like a fun and practical thing that offers another efficient and inexpensive way to get around town. And hats off to Boris Johnson, London's iconic mayor who's probably the city's best know and most recognisable regular bike commuter.
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/roadusers/cycling/14808.aspx

Getting Around London - The Underground (aka the Tube)

London is an astonishingly easy city to get around. Public transit is excellent, and frankly it has to be because driving and parking are a costly challenge.
I mentioned in an earlier post that the best way to travel from Heathrow Airport to central London is, in my opinion, the Heathrow Express. This is a high-speed train connection to Paddington Station which takes about 20 minutes; it's not part of the Underground system. Ticket purchase-wise, you're better off buying a return ticket as opposed to two singles (it saves about four pounds; the return has to be used within 30 days of purchase).
Paddington Station is a major National Rail terminal and is also a gateway to the famed London Underground.
When travelling on the Underground what you don't want to do is buy individual journey tickets - very expensive and lots of waiting in line every time you need a ticket.
The way to go is do what the Londoners do: pick-up an Oyster Card or Travel Card (they both look the same - something like a blue-colored credit card). You just swipe the card over the reading devise at the turnstile which then opens, go through and head down the escalator...
So the question then becomes, should I get an Oyster or a Travel? That depends on how long you'll be staying .Let's say you will be in London for a week, then I say get a Travel Card. This gives you unlimited* access to the Tube and London buses for that seven day period (*there's one small limitation that I'll come in a moment). By contrast the Oyster Card gives to access to the system based not on a time constraint but a financial one; for example one could load twenty pounds worth of travel onto an Oyster, or two hundred pounds etc. You can probably see the challenge for the visitor when it comes to Oyster Cards. A one week Travel Card costs about, I think, $40.00 but it's super worth it, and I believe you can buy any time periods you want, not just one week.

Okay, the limitation on Travel Cards I mentioned earlier; well it's not really a limitation but rather a practical choice for the consumer. The Underground system is broken down into concentric, roughly oval-shaped zones. London's core area is all Zone 1. If you're the typical visitor everything you will want to see (and get to) will be inside Zone 1. There are a total of six zones. When I am in London I buy a Travel Card for just Zone 1; presumably I could get one covering additional zones but that would increase the cost significantly. However if I do happen to ride the Tube to a station outside of Zone 1 can exit at that station okay, but will have to buy an new one-journey ticket to get me back into Zone 1 (the turnstile doesn't open when I swipe my card).

One quick final note. If there's any chance that you will re-visit London at some future time then keep your Oyster/Travel card. They're re-usable. London Underground charges about $8 for the piece of plastic, so you might as well bring along your old one and re-load it on your next trip.
(Footnote: London is generally a very safe city and this extends to travelling on the Underground. The system can and does, however, get extremely crowded and therefore attracts pick-pockets. Gentlemen, do NOT go on the Underground with your wallet  in the back pocket of yours jeans; ladies, please watch your purses at ALL times).

Lancaster Gate - A Fun Place to Stay

When I moved up to London I happened to end up in Lancaster Gate. I found it to be a great place to live as a denizen of the city, and now when I return to London for vacations I always stay in the old neighborhood. There are lots of reasons for this, and not all are sentimental.
Let's start with logistics. If you're flying to London there's a good chance you'll be landing at Heathrow. There is a direct, high speed rail link from Heathrow (the Heathrow Express) that goes to Paddington Station (one on the city's main National Rail terminals). The journey takes about 20 minutes, trains are frequent & run on a fixed schedule and once at Paddington Station it's about a five minute walk to  Lancaster Gate. I personally enjoy staying the Lancaster Hotel http://www.lancasterlondon.com/ directly opposite Kensington Gardens.
Lancaster Gate tube station is directly under the hotel. It's on the Central Line (colored red on the Underground maps), and it's easy to get anywhere from this underground station, including Oxford Street (just two stops to the east).
An enjoyable characteristic of Lancaster Gate, in addition to fact that it is right on the northern edge of Kensington Gardens/Hyde Park (two massive parks that are delightful to either stroll or jog around), is that it's inhabited by not just tourists but regular London folk as well. A trip to any of the local pubs such as The Swan (Bayswater Road) or The Mitre (Craven Terrace) evidences this fact - no shortage of visitors but lots of locals as well.
Both of the aforementioned pubs have a bit of history. The Swan (http://www.fullers.co.uk/) is located on the site where a vituals license has been in effect for several centuries, meaning there has been a public house at 66 Bayswater Road for hundreds of years. It claims to be the origin of two popular sayings: 'off the wagon' and 'one for the road'. Both relate to the fact there used to be a gallows for public hangings close by, and the unfortunates being escorted there often stopped off at The Swan enroute for a final drink. To get the detailed explanations go to The Swan, order up a pint and check-out the reverse side of their menu. The Swan is a very popular pub and as such is oftentimes quite crowded. The Mitre (http://www.mitrelancastergate.com/), just around the corner a couple of blocks away at 24 Craven Terrace, is quieter and has a distinctly more of a neighborhood feel. It first opened it's doors in the 1850's and is charming 'local' that's well worth a visit.
On a final note, if you happen to end up staying in Lancaster Gate you may want to check out the Bathurst Street Delicatessen (3 Bathurst Street, London W2). This is a European style deli that's open from 7.00am to 11.00pm. I personally enjoy having breakfast there; the menu is quite varied and offers choices from muesli to a full traditional English breakfast. It's a no-brainer for anyone staying at The Lancaster Hotel - just cross over the road to Bathurst Street and it's right there, less than 100 yards from the hotel's main entrance. The Bathurst Deli is owned by an Argentinian workaholic who always seems to be around and is staffed by a very pleasant group of young continentals.

What's it all about...

I was born in Britain, grew up in southern England and moved up to central London when I was a young adult. I had the good fortune to live and work in the heart of the city for several years before moving to America close to 30 years ago - I now like to return to London for vacations every year or so and still enjoy it immensely.
As such I feel that I have gleaned a certain amount of insight into various aspect of life in London and what it has to offer. Clearly there are many excellent travel guides for the London visitor, but the aim of this blog is to share some thoughts/tips/suggestions that probably aren't  included in those books.
Some topics that I hope to touch on are where to stay and why, the Underground, London taxis, the Barclays Cycle Hire program (who knew London was a bike friendly city - not me until recently), the Royal Parks, lesser known but highly worthwhile things of interest, and restaurants/food/drink (spoiler alert - don't go to London for the beer, particularly if you're from a quality micro-brewery city)...
If you choose to read on I hope that you'll find one or two things of use.
PJ Roastbeef