Download London theatre travel guide 2015

Official London Theatre & Transport for London
London
theatre travel
guide 2015
Introduction
Top tips
This guide will help you find your
way around London’s famous
Theatreland so your journey is
as smooth as possible; you can
enjoy the wealth of entertainment
on offer and make the most of
London’s buzz and excitement.
01Plan your journey ahead
02Order your tickets
beforehand
03Check the show
information
04Use your contactless bank
card and save time and
hassle
05Keep up to date with travel
alerts
06Make the most of your trip
07Alternative ways to get
around
08Explore theatres outside
the West End
(click to jump to section)
01
Plan your journey ahead
02
Order your tickets beforehand
Even if you’re a regular visitor to London’s theatres,
we still advise you plan your journeys carefully to
make sure you get to your show on time. It’s always
a good idea to allow extra time too, as some stations
and Tube lines get very busy.
Many of London’s productions announce ticket
availability well in advance so it’s best to book the best
deal in advance via your theatre ticket agent or online
safely and securely at officiallondontheatre.co.uk
or other booking agencies.
Use Transport for London’s Journey Planner to find
the quickest way to your final destination, including
step-free routes – all the major theatres are listed, as
well as the most popular shows:
tfl.gov.uk/plan-a-journey
It is important to check that booking agents or online
systems are a verified member of Secure Tickets from
Authorised Retailers (STAR) star.org.uk.
For more information about accessible transport
options visit: tfl.gov.uk/transport-accessibility/
03Check the show information
It’s always wise to check your show’s start and finish
times so you can plan your journey – these can be
subject to change, especially around holiday times
such as Christmas and Easter.
Pick up a free copy of the Official London Theatre
Guide from London’s theatres, hotels, mainline
railway stations, airports and tourist information
centres. This gives a complete what’s on listing as
well as show times and locations with a handy map
of Theatreland and a Tube map. It also often includes
information on theatrical events such as the Olivier
Awards with MasterCard and West End LIVE.
All the latest theatre information and show times can
be found online at officiallondontheatre.co.uk
If you normally collect your theatre tickets from the
box office, why not have them posted to your home
instead to avoid any last minute delays?
04Use your contactless bank card
and save time and hassle
It is now possible to pay for your travel in
London with a contactless bank card. Simply
look for the contactless symbol on your card,
and tap in and out on the yellow readers as you
would with an Oyster card.
Buying travel tickets in advance
You can buy a Visitor Oyster card from visitorshop.
tfl.gov.uk before you leave home – it will be posted
to your home address. It costs £3 plus postage.
A Visitor Oyster card is a travel smartcard that holds
‘pay as you go’ travel credit which you use to pay for
travel on bus, Tube, DLR, tram, London Overground
and most National Rail services in London. It’s much
cheaper than buying a paper Travelcard ticket or
paying in cash.
To pay for your travel, simply touch your Visitor
Oyster card in and out on the yellow card readers at
the gates on Tube, tram, DLR, London Overground
and most National Rail services to pay the correct
fare. On buses and trams, you only need to touch
your card on the yellow reader at the start of your
journey. If you run out of travel credit, it is easy to add
more at the ticket machines in any of our stations.
There is also a range of special discounts and
promotions available with your Visitor Oyster card
to help you save money on shopping, eating out and
entertainment, while enjoying your trip to the capital.
Find out more about the Visitor Oyster card:
tfl.gov.uk/visitinglondon
05Keep up to date with travel
06Make the most of your trip
You can keep up to date with all the latest Transport
for London travel news by:
Why not come into the capital for the afternoon or
the day and take advantage of the range of things to
do or get yourself settled at the theatre early with a
pre-show drink?
alerts
• V
isiting tfl.gov.uk/status-updates
• Following @TfLTravelAlerts on Twitter for updates
on Tube, DLR, London Overground and Emirates
Air Line services
• Following @TfLBusAlerts on Twitter for updates
on bus services
You can also register for email updates on weekend
station closures or maintenance plans:
tfl.gov.uk/emailupdates
Many shows will have matinee performances which
are a great way to enjoy your favourite show and
make the most of your evening afterwards. Make a
stress-free evening of it and enjoy a pre/post-theatre
meal close to your venue – perhaps even using one
of the special deals on your Visitor Oyster Card.
And don’t forget: from 12 September 2015, Transport
for London is introducing a 24 hour Tube service on
five key lines at weekends! So you can have an even
more leisurely post-theatre meal.
Photo: Mark Foley
07
Alternative ways to get around 08
Explore theatres outside
Many of London’s theatres are within a short walk
of major rail stations. For the West End in particular,
it is often quicker to walk from Charing Cross or
Waterloo mainline stations, for example, than to take
public transport.
Official London Theatre has developed access
maps which can be printed off for easy navigation
to theatres around the capital. The routes shown
are all step-free to make travelling easier for those
using wheelchairs, pushchairs and mobility scooters.
For our overseas visitors, the routes are easy to
understand, with photographs and a simple time-bar
that shows travelling times between each part of the
journey. Visit officiallondontheatre.co.uk/access/
enabled-maps for details.
You might also enjoy using your bike or hiring one
from Santander Cycles to get around central London.
This is a fun and cheap way to get around. Find out
more: tfl.gov.uk/modes/cycling/santander-cycles
the West End
Don’t forget there are hundreds of theatres outside
central London which are all really easy to reach on
public transport.
If you don’t fancy the hustle and bustle of the West
End, why not visit a local theatre in one of London’s
suburbs? These smaller venues run fantastic shows
and entertainment and can be closer to home than
you think.
Find your nearest Greater London theatre with
Transport for London’s Small theatres, Tube and rail
map – visit tfl.gov.uk/maps/visitors-and-tourists
How to use
Journey Planner
Example: Charing Cross station to Novello Theatre
1.
Visit tfl.gov.uk/journeyplanner
2.
Enter your journey details and click:
‘Plan my journey’
3.
See your detailed journey plan. You can click
on the tabs at the top of the page to see the
different times it takes to travel on public
transport, by bike or on foot.
4.
Click on: ‘View details’ for full information about
the route – you can also print this for ease of
use.
•
You can specify the time of day you are
travelling, and any accessibility requirements.
•You can choose how you want to get there:
on public transport by bike or on foot. It is
sometimes quicker to walk.