Now that we've covered basics like booking a trip overseas, packing, and prep, I wanted to get right into London, from which we just returned. I'll be interspersing posts about getting around with posts about actual sites.
But, once landing, I think crossing the street is the FIRST thing to learn for an American, or frankly, anywhere that isn't British in origin!
I'll cover other forms of getting around later, but wanted to devote this post just to walking. You'll see why in a moment!
Crossing the Street in the U.S.
We take some things for granted here in the U.S. such as which way to look when crossing the street. If we look. Too often now, we are looking at our phones instead of making sure no one is racing toward us. And in our area, we REALLY take this for granted, as it's a generally accepted practice for cars to stop for pedestrians crossing.
Except, often, drivers in my city are from out of state, or they hate pedestrians, or they just don't care. It's ALWAYS a good idea to look before crossing, even if the crosswalk icon says it's good to go.
We've had a lot of hit and runs in the past few years in my area. OK, done with the lecture!
They Drive on the Wrong Side of the Road!
When we first decided to go to London, we KNEW we wouldn't be renting a car there.
Why, you ask?
I am a good driver in the city that I know. Andy is a good driver on the open road in the U.S. Put us in a strange city, and we both freak out, get lost, get confused by the Google Navigator app, in short, we hate driving in unknown cities. When we're in the city where I live, I drive. When we go on a road trip, he drives. When in a strange city, we try to always take public transportation or Uber. Or we walk. Otherwise, arguments ensue.
So, we knew up front that we would be dependent on others while in London. Especially because THEY DRIVE ON THE LEFT!
How Did This Happen?
Andy read that driving on the left comes from JOUSTING! Yes, think Knights of the Round Table. Well, this turns out to be true and there is more. The truth does involve swords.
BBC America did a very good article on how and why 2/3 of the world drives on the right, and 1/3 (British for the most part) drive on the left. Besides swords in England, there were wagons in America. And, don't forget to bring in the traditional English and French rivalry, which goes WAY back. Yes, the U.S. and most of the world followed the French. Go read the BBC article. You'll enjoy it. But, please come back here when you're finished! 😊
And, of course, both teams think we're correct in how we do it!
If you do travel to a country that drives on the left, BEWARE! Not only do you need to watch out for cars and motorcycles, but also bicycles!
Bicycles!
Along the Thames, at rush hour, we encountered a wide lane in which bicycles ride both directions, right next to the sidewalk! This adds another layer of complexity to an already hazardous walk. You can't even get to the car traffic until you get through that. And, the bike riders don't seem to care that pedestrians are trying to cross. They just GO! So, to avoid any bicycle vs. most-person-in-the-world collision, keep a watchful eye on those bicycles, if, indeed, you can see them, going almost as fast as the cars!
Wish I'd had the presence of mind to take a picture of them, but frankly, they moved too fast!
Cars!
Cars are a different story. London and vicinity has thankfully put friendly words at most crosswalks saying, "Look Left" or "Look Right." Thank goodness for that! I'm sure this is out of necessity, and trying to keep the other 2/3 of the world that doesn't drive like they do, from being run over. Even so, we still looked both ways, just to be sure!
Walkways, Escalators, etc.
Well, I don't have definitive answers on this. It seemed as though each train station, escalator or hallway had its own flow. Just watch what others are doing. Keeps you on your toes!
Some of the escalators are also VERY steep! I had to hold on and lean!
Conclusion
Plan to walk a lot in London unless you have money to take Uber or cabs. We are able-bodied, so we do walk as much as possible. It's expensive to do most things in London. For us, it was more expensive than Paris last year. So, we save where we can; and walking, either from site to site or from train/bus to site is the most inexpensive way to go! I walked anywhere from 10,000 to over 13,000 steps each day we were there, according to my FitBit. I have no idea if that's accurate. I actually suspect it underestimates my steps! In any case, plan to walk. Take your favorite over the counter pain relievers with you! And, if you're like us, you'll be so tired at the end of each day that you'll sleep well on your hotel bed!
For more of my reflections on Boomers Traveling Cheaply, see my other posts.
In Service,
Sondra
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