Figuring Out the Maze of London Transport







I've never been good with directions. Even probably with a full gear of detailed maps and a compass, I will most likely get lost. And that's putting it mildly. Perhaps, I am not wired for trekking unknown territories without a little bit of help. Oftentimes, I believe in the good of humanity and asked for directions. But in some rare circumstances, I got lucky and found my way :)

Put in some buffer time and install the mobile application

My first few weeks of trying to understand the London transportation were challenging ones. I placed a lot of buffer, especially when going to client meetings, in case I get lost. Thankfully, I always arrived on time. It was often in the routes going home when I had those 'where I am now'  moments. I have the Google Maps application in my mobile and that saved me.

Make sure you're heading to the right destination

My first rides were usually in buses because I was more comfortable seeing the landmarks when I go from point A to B. But travel time was longer. I also found out later (after getting lost several times) that I should take note of the bus number AND the bus destination (where the bus trip ends) because several buses with the same bus number may pass by the same bus stop. Case in point: 135 Crossharbour and 135 Old Street, with the two going in opposite directions - one going to my Canary Wharf office and the other passing by my Limehouse flat. The same applies to train lines; you have to check that you're in the right direction - eastbound, westbound, northbound, southbound, and the destination where the train terminates.

Study the tube map

Over time, I got more comfortable taking the tube and found it more convenient since travel time is much faster than taking buses (even with slight delays). Although the tube map seems like a maze of spaghetti wires, it later became easier for me to figure out my routes and I relied less on my mobile application. It is the "walking" bit that remains challenging. If getting to my destination involves at least four (4) minutes of walking, trust me that I will head off to the wrong direction for about 1-2 minutes before I will realise that and figure out the right one. Again, the point of putting in buffers, so I can make it in time. I guess I will just have to live with that :)

Buy the ticket that works for you

Since my client work requires me to travel throughout the City and I also plan to visit some destinations in certain zones, I got the annual season ticket (at a discounted price c/o my company) which allows me unlimited travel across the four zones in London. This link may be helpful in finding the ticket that works for you: https://tfl.gov.uk/fares-and-payments/where-to-top-up-and-buy-tickets. I haven't been to many places as of date, and below are the few ones which deserve invisible pins in my 'getting lost' map:

• Aldgate - My company booked my first two weeks of interim accommodation here. I'd walk around the place for early morning or late night groceries. Now that I've moved to my own flat in Limehouse, I still find myself going back to Aldgate. When the Northern Line gets too crowded at rush hours after work, I'd take the Metropolitan Line or the Hammersmith & City Line to Aldgate / Aldgate East and take a bus from there. Sometimes, I'd stop by this little coffee shop in St. Botolph Street just because.
• London Bridge - I had my first week of orientation in our More London Place office. Sometimes I'd go back here for a few meetings and administrative stuff.
• Canary Wharf - When I'm not at client sites or need to have face-to-face meetings, I'm usually in our Churchill Place office. When I need to take my mind off work on weekends, I'd go window shopping around the malls because it's generally more quiet here compared to those in Oxford street.
• Angel - I found this because of Turner & George, my go-to shop for fresh meat. I love the creative and 'small community' vibe here and this is a place I'd consider should I think of moving to another place in London.
• Camden Town - It gets touristy and crowded on weekends, but I came here for the creative stuff. I loved going around Camden Lock and while I ended up empty-handed, it was enough to dust off my artsy cobwebs.
• Bank - This is like the point of convergence for most train lines. In my mind, if I get confused, I'll just find a train that goes to Bank and take it from there.
• Monument - Can't miss this great monument which commemorates both the Great Fire that destroyed most of London and the rebuilding of the City.
• Moorgate - This will always be special. I spent eight of my 10 weeks in London (to date) in Moorgate. I'm usually here on Wednesdays and Fridays, and some weeks even more, for client-related work. I will remember both the good fun and stressful times.

Take it easy; you'll figure it out

There are journeys in life that we do not plan for. We allow ourselves to get lost in the process. Many times, we will lose some things and gain some memories, good and bad. But in all these times, we will find bits of ourselves that will make getting lost seem worthwhile.