If you're traveling to London, one of the quickest and cheapest ways to get about is via the Underground. They've recently been updating it from the Victorian version and so some of the lines are pretty modern and cool. It's best to get a one day Travelcard, which should set you back about 6.50 English quids. ($10). For this, you can travel anywhere in London, tubes or buses, up to 12 o'clock at night. It's one of the best deals in town and considering how blooming expensive the rest of the city is, it's a good idea to take advantage of it. If you've got to outside of town, a lot of the train lines also do a link to the travelcard with it included in the price, so it's also a good idea to ask the nice ticket salesman if your ticket also works as a travelcard. A one day travelcard will allow you to travel in all six zones, which is basically inner London and the immediate suburbs.

Warning - do get your ticket BEFORE you get on the train. Some of the conductors can be real arsholes, or jobsworths as they're known over there ("No mate, that's more than my jobs worth…"). A friend of mine was traveling from Manchester to London and the ticket inspector tried to rip them off by saying it was the wrong kind of ticket and charge them more money even though they had the right one. This is an exception but it's better to be safe than sorry.

London is a bit like New York, sort of split up into various villages - which is basically what it was a couple of hundred years ago. Once inside the bowels of the earth it's pretty easy to navigate. There are Underground maps everywhere and you just have to choose your line and follow it.

A Grand Day Out.

A very jolly day out is to go to Hampstead Heath. It's one of most beautiful wooded areas in London and hundreds of years old. Plus most of the trees are really old oaks so it's a bit like stepping back in time. There's also a lovely rhododendron garden - you can wander around for hours. There is an air in Hampstead of how London was thirty or forty years ago. Is frequented by a lot of rich folks and artists and there are some beautiful old houses and nice restaurants. Get the Northern Line to Hampstead, turn left out of the station, down the hill, left again, go down two or three streets, left and straight on and you'll hit the heath. Basically the heath is behind the station. If you're going in the summer you can visit the man or woman's pond for a swim. Kensington House ( a large old white manor in the middle of the heath ) also does teas and lunches till five o'clock every day and if you're a classical music nut there is orchestral music played every Sunday night in the summer. If you get a Time Out, a weekly what's on type magazine, it'll have it in there. In fact, Time Out is the other must for London travelers. Armed with these two items you're just about set in London. If you miss Kensington House and want some tea, then retrace your steps to the traffic lights at the bottom of the hill, same street as the tube station. With the station on your right turn left and walk up the hill. First tea house you get to is an old Hungarian run place that just rocks. Fantastic old cakes and chocolates for days. Then just roll yourself home or visit one of the very fine pubs for a tipple of your choice. Yes, they drink their beer warm. Eh, whachagonna do?

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