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Sydenham, this is Sydenham. The train now standing on Platform 1 is for London Bridge, calling at Forest Hill, Honor Oak Park, Brockly, New Cross Gate, and London Bridge, where this train terminates."
That's the message on the speaker whenever we go to the depot (about four blocks from our flat). If we happen to miss that train, we only have to wait 10 minutes for the next one. This is the direction we usually travel. London Bridge is the oldest station in London, and is centrally located. We can also get on the train on Platform 2 and go to Victoria Station, on the western side of London-- there are a few more stops that way. The in-city trains are all electric, the rails are welded, and the trains seldom sound their horns (there are no track level crossings for cars or people). It is a very fast and quiet way to travel, except for the incessant use of cell phones by passengers!
"Mind the Gap". This sign is at one of the train platforms at London Bridge but it is best known for the announcement at many Tube stops on the Underground. (It is correct to say either Tube or Underground, but not subways--the latter are under-street passageways that can be complex at some intersections)
When we're going further than the area around the train station, we pop on a LONG escalator and go down two or three flights to get on the underground.
These pictures are of the Jubilee Tube Line.
There are 12 underground and at least 10 above ground train lines in the city. Maps and route plans are available on the internet, so that you can enter your start and end destinations the night before and print out your own individual travel plan for the day.
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The distinctive underground sign (like on this building in Hampstead) makes it easy to find your station when you're ready to go home from wherever you've spent the day (not always the same station where you got off).
When you get back to London Bridge station after your journey on the tube, you have to check the reader board to see which platform your train will be on. Because the trains run so frequently, they don't have regular platform stops at the large stations. Here are a bunch of people at rush hour checking to see where to go next. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There are other ways to get around in London without a car.
Buses are great for errands or outings in nearby districts -- and for scenic tours. One day early in our stay, we hopped on one just to see those five districts where our usual train stops. You don't see the most interesting parts of an area from a train station, but can get a great overview from the bus, as you go down the high streets and some of the residential areas.
A bus will arrive at any stop every 8 to 12 minutes during the day, and night buses run every 30 minutes. You could go all over London just by transferring on the bus. It's cheaper just to buy a bus pass, so lots of people do that -- but of course it would take much much longer.
You can go a lot of places along The River Thames via a boat. There are regularly scheduled boats and several docks on the river, all part of the Transport For London System. We went to Kew Gardens on one and came back by bus/underground/train. And took a shorter hop from Greenwich to the Thames Barrier and back.
The Docklands Light Railway runs on the eastern side of the city. It is an elevated computer controlled system that runs without a driver--you can sit in the front seats at the windshield. It moves a lot of people fairly quickly from the edge of downtown, throughout the Docklands, crosses the river to Greenwich, and continues to the SE side near us. It has proven to be so successful that plans for future expansion of the Tube will also be above ground. It reminds of a model railroad layout, with all the trains switching around without engineers.
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