Expert: Michael - 6/1/2004

Question
Hi Michael.  I need some advice about the London Tube.  We are visiting from Australia at the end of the year and will be driving through from Scotland to Europe, therefore will unavoidably have a car with us.  I know cars are more a hindrance in London, so we are looking at staying outside of London.  I have tried to find easy to read maps on railway stations outside of London but haven't had much luck.  As an alternative, is it worthwhile driving to a station in the outer zones, 5 or 6, then using the Tube to get into London?  Is parking at the outer stations ample, and free?  Is it safe to park at a railway station, and if you know which ones are safest could you tell me that also?  I've never been to London but we're travelling with our 2 year old and just want to stay in the safest possible areas.  Thank you so much and if there's anything you think I should know about transport or good areas to stay, etc, please let me know.

Thanks again.

Lisa

Answer
Lisa,

Thanks for your email. I have to admit, that I didn't know the answers to your questions immediately, but I have enjoyed finding out, and think tht I might well use my new knowledge myself next time I head up to the city!

Anyhow, firstly, with regards to parking at tube stations: My first thought was that this would be difficult because of the lack of spaces, but London Underground have very kindly aided this by providing a list of their Top 10 "empty" car parks - or at least, the ones which seem to be under-occupied - so staying near one of these might be ideal. You can find their list on their website at this page:
http://tube.tfl.gov.uk/content/getting_around/carpark.asp
which also includes other useful links for visitors.

On the separate matter of maps of the railway network, there are some useful maps on the website of the National Rail Enquiries Centre (www.nationalrail.co.uk), in particular those here:
http://nrekb.com/maps.htm
which include two good maps covering all the stations in London and the South-East (one of which shows them in relation to tube lines also, which might be useful)

With regards to travelling and staying in London, it is actually a very safe city, in comparison in particular to most similar cities worldwide. It is hard to describe any particular area as unsafe. And in any case, those areas which are considered "less desirable" tend not to have hotel accomodation available. Even these areas tend only to be less desirable because of the run-down nature of the areas. Hopefully this will change as the continual development of the city goes on apace - particularly in an attempt to win the 2012 Olympics! We're hoping to follow in Sydney's footsteps I think!

I hope that this combination of information is useful to you, and that you have a fantastic stay in London, and enjoy your whole tour - it sounds wonderful!

Best Wishes

Michael