Walking -- To find your way around London's streets, buy an A-Z. In this guide you'll be able to fin every street, lane, mews, square...The A-Z comes in different sizes: buy one that you can fit into your handbag, but not too small: street names are hard to figure out, and it has a limited coverage.

The Underground or "Tube" -- This is undoubtedly the fastest way to get around. London has a very extensive underground network, that'll take you virtually anywhere in town.

The tube system works on concentric areas: Zone 1 through Zone 6. Zone 1 is the central area including LBS. The closest tube station to the school is Baker Street Station, which is on the Jubilee, Bakerloo, Metropolitan, Hammersmith & City and Circle lines. A tube map, which you can get at any underground station, is a good thing to keep with you so you can figure out which line to take where. Every line is colour-coded and given a name. Trains have the "ending stop" on the front of them since not all trains go to the same ending place on the tube line.

TIP: the worst lines are the District, Circle and Hammersmith lines; the best ones: Central, Piccadilly, Victoria and Bakerloo. Have this in mind when you plan your journey. If, for example, you want to go to South Kensington from school (Baker Street), instead of taking a direct journey via the Circle line, take the Bakerloo and change for the Piccadilly line. You could also take Jubilee and change for Piccadilly, but you'd have to do this at Green Park, and it is a heck of a walk underground at this station (this is another thing you have to bear in mind). The downside of the Tube: you don't get to admire the city while travelling.

Buses -- Cheaper than the tube. Tickets can be bought on the bus out of town and at bus stops before boarding in town (1.20 pound for 1 way, 3 pounds for all day). If you buy a travelcard for the tube, you can also use this card for bus travel.

Buses also operate in zones with varying prices: check with the driver when you get on. Beware on the bus: (1) don't use big bills, and (2) avoid the buses at rush hour; they won't stop if they are too crowded, and you may end up walking home.

Note there's a night bus network in London; these buses start with an "N" prefix followed by a number.

National Rail -- The Tube is used to travel in London (Zone 1,2,3,4,5,6,7) but for travelling outside these zones around London National Rail is the option to take. If you will be using National Rail often, then having a young persons card (if you are 25yrs or below) gives a 30% discount and students irrespective of age can also avail of this discount.

Black Cabs/Taxis -- If you have mega money, this is the best way to get around: they're fast (traffic permitting), they know their way around town, and they're safe. Fares start at £1.40, and during the evening/night you are also charges a surcharge. But even if you're on a budget, taxi might still be a good option, if you can chare with other people (no more than 5).

Minicabs -- These can be dangerous to use if you pick them up on the street; you usually have no safety guarantees and problems are common, but sometimes (like at 4am) you don't really have a choice. The good news is, you can now get a list of the registered minicabs in you area at www.transportforlondon.gov.uk Never forget to negotiate the price before getting on board. Prices should be the same as a black cab or cheaper for longer trips.

Night Travel -- The tube stops running around midnight, which means your only other options after this time are night bus (bad) or taxi (bad on the budget).

Cycling -- Two problems with this: traffic and rain. Other than that, it's free and a good exercise. Second-hand bikes are advertised in The Loot or purchased at a market in Brick Lane on Sundays. There is also a shop on the East Side of King's Cross/St. Pancras train station. Make sure you have lights at night and a helmet.

Driving -- There's absolutely no reason to have a car in central London. However, if you do insist on owning a car, you'll face huge petrol prices, high insurance costs, and you'll need a parking permit to park on central London streets from your local council. Once you have the car, there are few places to park. If you really want to drive, rent a car first with a lot of insurance. Easy Rent a Car offers Mercedes A Class cars for something like £9/day. Driving in London should deter you from owning a car in London.

Rollerblading -- If you thought cycling was dangerous, don't even try rollerblading. If you still insist, you can rent a pair of blades at London Blade Skate Centre (229 Brompton Road) among other places. Rollerblading is not allowed in Regent's Park so you'll have to go over to Hyde Park to do your blading.

Flying - London has way too many airports, and you have to know how to get to and from them.

• Heathrow: How you get there depends on your time and budget constraints. The cheapest way to get there is by tube. The Piccadilly Line goes straight to the terminal; just buy a tube ticket for Zones 1-6. If you have a travelcard, you can get an extension on the card. Next cheapest is the Airbus, which will set you back about £8. Then there's the Heathrow Express, which leaves from Paddington Station and costs £12. Finally, you can take a taxi for around £50 (or more, depending on traffic) or a minicab for about £40.
• Gatwick: There's no tube that goes to Gatwick directly. You can catch the Gatwick Express or the Southwest trains from Victoria Station for £ 12 and £10 respectively. There are supposedly other cheaper trains that will also get you to Gatwick but make stops along the way. Don't bother taking a taxi, as this might be more expensive than your airfare.
• Luton and Stansted: Some of the low-cost airlines leave from these two less well-known airports. For Luton, you can catch a Green Line bus that runs near the school. For Stansted, there's a train, which leaves from the Liverpool Street station.
• City Airport: You can take the tube there: Jubilee Line straight to Canning Town; and there take the Airport Bus (5 minute ride). Otherwise, you could take a taxi; from school, it costs around £25-30 (or more, depending on traffic).

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