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Rick Steves' London

Updates since the 2012 edition

Orientation

London Transport prices have risen for 2012. Single fares (zones 1–2) are now £4.30 for Tube rides (or, with an Oyster card, £2.70 at peak times, £2 off-peak), and £2.30 on the bus (£1.35 with Oyster card). A Tube ride between the city center and Heathrow Airport (zones 1–6) is up to £5.30. Travelcard fares are also up: One-day Travelcards for zones 1–2 are now £8.40 at peak times (£7 off-peak) and for zones 1–6 £15.80 at peak times (£8.50 off-peak); seven-day Travelcards are now £29.20 for zones 1–2. A seven-day bus pass now costs £18.80.

Sights

Apsley House (Wellington Museum) is now closed on winter weekends (April–Oct Wed–Sun 11:00–17:00, closed Mon–Tue; Nov–March Sat–Sun 10:00–16:00, closed Mon–Fri).

At King's Cross Station, Platform 9 3/4 is missing its marker and telltale half-trolley, at least while the station's construction work is underway. Muggles will have to use their imagination to find the platform (the replacement trolley outside the station, near Platform 1, isn't worth the visit).

The Museum of London Docklands will be closed during the 2012 London Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.

Connections

Tickets for Gatwick Express trains are no longer available on board; tickets must be bought at the ticket gates, or in advance, online.

Day Trips in England: Greenwich, Windsor, Cambridge, Bath

Bath

The 2012 Bath Literature Festival takes place March 2–March 11.

The 2012 Bath International Music Festival happens May 30–June 10.

The correct phone number for the Apple Tree Guest House is 01225/337-642.

Three Abbey Green Guesthouse has new rates: Db-£90–140, four-poster Db-£140–180, family rooms-£140–220, self-catering Qb apartment-£170–250. A minimum three-night stay is required for Bank Holiday weekends.

For more updates on these day-trip chapters, see the updates for our England guidebook.

Updates for those still traveling with the 2011 edition

Orientation

The deposit price of Oyster cards has gone up from £3 to £5, and some Travelcards now also have slightly higher prices.

Barclays Cycle Hire, London's new citywide bike-rental program, is now up and pedaling. The bikes, known locally as "Boris Bikes" (named after mayor and cycle enthusiast Boris Johnson), are easy to rent from one of approximately 400 stations scattered throughout the city. To rent a bike, you need to pay an access fee (£1/day or £5/week). The first 30 minutes are free; if you hang on to the bike for longer, you'll be charged (£1 for 1 hour, £4 for 1.5 hours, £6 for 2 hours, etc.; credit cards, including US cards, are accepted).

Sights

Services at Westminster Abbey are running according to a new schedule: Mon–Fri 7:30 (prayer), 8:00 (communion), 12:30 (communion), 17:00 evensong (on Wed the evensong may be spoken — no song); Sat 8:00 (communion), 9:00 (prayer), 12:30 (communion), 15:00 (evensong; June–Sept it's at 17:00). Sunday services generally come with more music: 8:00 (communion), 10:00 (sung Matins), 11:15 (sung Eucharist), 15:00 (evensong), 18:30 (evening service).

The Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms are now simply called the Churchill War Rooms.

The British Museum is now open late only on Fridays (no longer on Thursdays).

London continues preparing for the 2012 summer Olympic games and building up its Olympic Park site. You can see the park's major landmarks — Olympic Stadium, the Orbit tower, and Aquatics Center — from a spot called the View Tube, a covered shelter with a lookout tower and café that sits at the park's southern perimeter. From the View Tube, you can stroll along the Greenway, a 500-yard-long sidewalk atop a berm, providing other viewpoints. Blue Badge guides continue to lead Olympics-themed walking tours, though you won't see any more of the park itself than you would on your own.

Sleeping

The website for booking dorm rooms at the University of Westminster in the summer is now www.westminster.ac.uk/business.

The website listed for Barn Cottage is incorrect. For reservations or information about the hotel, call the number listed.

Day Trips in England: Greenwich, Windsor, Cambridge, Bath

For updates on these day-trip chapters, see the updates for our England guidebook.