One aspect of life in London to which I have become quickly accustomed is riding the tube.
Liebling and I have been squatting in Richmond, a really nice London suburb which is actually technically located in Surrey. We are staying here in a flat share for a few weeks until we can move into a new flat located in Central London. As Richmond is located at the extreme west of city, the last stop on the tube’s District line, Liebling and I spend a fair bit of time commuting into town. I have thus become quite acquainted with London’s main mode of transportation.
I’ll be honest: the tube is expensive and often a pain. While it has a very large network and great coverage of the city, the cars (they call them “carriages” here) are small (compared to what I’m used to) and crowded. Frequent disruptions and tube line closures on the weekend mean that you need to leave extra early if you want to get to your destination on time. This is a problem for me as I am frequently late for things, even in the best of circumstances *sheepish grin*. Oh well.
While I dread my (almost daily) 45+ minute trek into London city, I must admit that the London’s tangle of lines is, for lack of a better adjective, great. I have frequently lamented the inadequacies of Toronto’s metro system, which has two pitiful transit lines that run east/west and north/south, and a third stump of a line that leads to, well… nowhere. Getting anywhere other than the downtown core of Toronto via public transportation is frustrating. In Toronto you need a car. In London, the range and scope of the tube services mean that you don’t.
I’m not lying when I say that the tube, during peak hours, is busy as heck, though. I’ve been smushed up against people I don’t know, in positions that are way too intimate for strangers, more times this week that I can count. Yesterday, on a Saturday evening on the Picadilly line, we were wedged in like sardines and the air became so stale due to the number of patrons I buried my nose into Liebling’s jacket, preferring to smell the gore-tex lining of his coat than the odeur of the other passengers. We got off at Holborn station and look how busy it was!
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70 Comments
How does the London Underground compare to the NYC subway?
I rode the tube for the first time during a layover in London. I was very impressed! Then again I was only there for a few hours. But see I would prefer a 45min commute in public transport than in a car any day. I liked how I could get to-and-from the city to the airport. Maybe I am easily impressed.
The mind the gap photo makes me smile as my brother and I used to imitate that when we used to get on the tube.
http://www.thoughtsofpaps.com
I don't believe there is air conditioning either on the tube.
What I do appreciate is that in London the colors for the lines mean something.
In NYC, the colors are really arbitrary. I find it hilarious when I listen to tourists and they label the lines by colors. I just think, "That's not going to help you here!"
I've never been to London, but from the photos I see hear. I can definitely tell that the stations and trains are newer and MUCH cleaner than NYC!! As a native New Yorker that has to be my pet peeve with the MTA.
The subway in new york is becoming increasingly expensive and the service and conditions of the stations only seem to be getting worse.
Oh I hear ya! First, I know how you feel about the craptastic subway in the T-Dot. Is the city bus network any better?
And when I stayed with my uncle in Surrey a few years ago, I remember having to take the tube into London. It was my first time in Europe, so all the craziness and sardine-ness was cool at the time, but now I remember it with a shudder.
Paris's metro and RER system is not much better (too many people, too many strikes) but it IS a lot cheaper than London's Underground. How much is a Tube ticket now? When I left Paris in August, a metro ticket (zone 1 only) was 1,70euros….
The tube looks so clean and neat unlike the ones here, in Virginia/Dc our train system was really clean and neat too, but the UK one is very nice , new and looks well maintained.
The tube looks so clean and neat unlike the ones here, in Virginia/Dc our train system was really clean and neat too, but the UK one is very nice , new and looks well maintained.
I must admit, the tube (actually, the entire London transport system- buses, surface trains et all) are amazingly well connected. You can get to pretty much anywhere you want in London with any of or a combination of these.
I agree the morning rushhour is madness! I recall one really, really hot summer a few years back, I was working in City, my final stop was Russell Square..it was unbearable. Sweaty, smelly, packed liked sardines. I still shudder at the memory.
Now I work in Hertfordshire, driving North up the A1 to work and to be honest, still feel a massive sense of relief and gratitude at not needing to endure that peak period tube journey!
To be fair, the tube is fun as long as you're traveling at say…10am on a weekday morning, lol! At that time you also get to pay the 'off-peak' rate…
I didn't have a laptop or video camera in 2003 to record my year in London or Dublin but the automated voice sure does bring back fond memories.
The public transportation system in Seoul is amazing, too – between the busses and metro lines, you can get absolutely anywhere you want without needing a car. It's one thing that I REALLY love about living here…although it can definitely get packed as well 😉
How funny. I was just in London. I saw the title and was thinking "Mind the Gap" and then I saw your second pic. It took me right back. Good luck with everything there.
I do like how organized London's tube is. I got lost so many times on the metro in Paris.
"Mind the Gap" brings back so many memories for me!
The London tube is MUCH nicer than the NYC subway! Am use to the crowds, so that wouldn't turn me off!
There's something special about the London underground. Maybe it's the "mind the gap" thing. I think it's very well organized and easy to understand. But that could just be that common language thing, couldn't it.
Great post! I completely agree that the tube is both a blessing and a curse. It can be really frustrating a lot of the time, but it is so useful when it is actually working!
Looks like Santiago's metro in terms of the crowds! I grew up in a suburb where everyone had a car, but now that I live in a city with such good public transportation I really appreciate it.
I used to live in Richmond!!! Girl the district stays bruck up on the weekends. do you have time to meet some new people? i have two good friends that are amazing people. i can connect you! after richmond i moved to wandsworth common. richmond was so green.
cute coat!
Love the Underground, but not when it got dark and lonely. Though comparing it to NY subway is like comparing apples and pears in my opinion, juicy, both fruits, but taste completely different. I rode the NY subway as was TERRIFIED of some passengers aggression, while I lived in Ldn with my ex for almost 2yrs, taking the tube and never once felt scared even while I've often been back with our son to visit. In fact the little Swiss bube loves the underground, but then again he loved the NY subway(he was 4yrs old at the time though!).
Nonetheless, am so enjoying reading your discovering of such an awesome place and sharing it with us. Brings back tons of memories and I thank you heartily for this.
Merci vielmals!
Good public transport is sooo important. I've actually heard that public transport in London is cheaper than in Melbourne (may not be true). But I think a monthly ticket for the tube costs the same as 14 days, where in Melbourne a monthly ticket costs the same as 20.
You're in Surrey! That's where we shot the wedding in England! How crazy. You probably go to very train station we were at every single day.
And yeah, I was overwhelmed by the train system, but on a brighter note, the double decker buses are both iconic and fairly easy to use.
This is definitely piqued my interest since I love riding public transit, and I'm always wondering which city has the best system. As others have stated, the London's Tube appears a lot cleaner than the transits I have seen. I live in Dallas now and the rail really does suck, although their bus system is somewhat extensive. I really like Madrid's Metro, but I wish I would have explored other great European cities to check their transit systems. [sigh] One day . . .
@D: Way better, I think, the trains come more frequently and it's cleaner!
@kvowels: I agree! 45 mins on the tube beats dealing with traffic while driving!
@PAPS: I find myself imitating it as well.
@Natural Hair: Nope, no air conditioning which is a real drag.
@Anon: I was appalled at how dirty NYC's system was when I was there this past August.
@Crystal: Tickets are priced according to zone and what time of day you're riding. A one way ticket from Richmond (zone 4) to Zone 1 (Central London) is 3.50 GBP during peak! Way too expensive!
@Destiny: I went to DC years ago and remember that it was gorgeous. I think I really liked Union station?
@sprite: I agree, travelling during peak is not fun, I've often had to stand up the whole ride from Central London to Richmond during evening rush hour! How does the traffic compare, though?
@Faith: If I remember I'll do a video and post for you!!
@Naomi: I LOVED the system in Seoul and posted about it. I think it's even more extensive that London or NYC's systems!
@Of the Comely: Thanks! How long were you here for? Vacay or for work?
@Ashley: I haven't ridden Paris' metro for a really long time. Is it really bad? I just remember there were a lot of homeless people.
@Patricia: The tube is way cleaner for sure! Maybe less people as well?
@Monique: Speaking the language definitely makes things easier.
@Lady: The closures on weekends and disruptions really are annoying but when all is good the tube is pretty decent!
@Emily: I was extremely impressed by Santiago's system. Very extensive, always on time, and pretty cheap at 630 Chilean Pesos a ticket during peak!
@Nicole: Connect away! I love meeting new folks! Also I'm in Berlin Nov 11 to 13 so make some time for me. 🙂
@raven: Thanks! H&M… 🙂
@foosrock: I'm glad you're enjoying my impressions and happy that you can commiserate as a former Londoner! In general I feel really safe here and riding the tube even alone at night but a friend says that petty crime is an issue here.
@Deidre: How expensive is Melbourne's monthly tube pass? It's 160 GBP here- way too expensive!!
@Kyle: That's right I forgot!! It's pretty out here, no? Great venue for a wedding. Me and L took the bus the other day to go to the gym but I haven't been brave enough to figure out the bus system yet!
@Afromorena: I've never been to Dallas but have heard that the city is massive and really wide-spread which may explain the difficulties of making a good rail system? I liked Madrid's metro but the best one I've ever seen probably has to be Hong Kong's metro!!
I have been pushed and shoved off a NYC subway so for comparison, I'd take a crowded Tube ride any day. It does get sweltering hot the further underground you go but I do love that I can take the train not only through London but up north to Manchester and Cambridgeshire to see my in-laws and back to King's Cross Station without much hassle. Being from Los Angeles where subway is non-existent, I find the Tube fascinating (even if it does get super crowded during rush hour).
@clevagirl73: I think a few people have expressed that tube-goers are generally more polite than their NYC counterparts LOL. But having a subway/underground/metro in the first place is nice- can't imagine how one would get around LA on public transit!
Oneika, I am pretty blessed in that my journey to work is always against the flow – basically I am heading farther away from London to work, while majority of commuters are driving IN to London so though work is about 18 miles away I am usually at my desk in 15-20 minutes tops.Same with heading home! But I agree, London and it's surrounding 'burbs is so crowded that pretty much every mode of transport is affected!
AHHH! Holborn used to be MY station! Ahhhhh!!!! How awesome!
@Erika: Jealous! Looks like a great neighborhood to live in?
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