VIANOVATOJES LONDON: UNDERGROUND CIRCUIT

On this trip I mainly used the YELLOW CIRCULAR LINE " CIRCLE " for my journeys on the London Underground .

My approach was to divide the city of London into FOUR TOURIST SECTORS , each starting at a subway station , plus a fifth zone "PICCADILLY" where the city's commercial and leisure area is located.

Unlike the PARIS circuit 👉🔗 PARIS TOURIST METRO CIRCUIT , where the entrances to each metro station corresponded practically with the location of a monument, in LONDON the stations are located at a certain distance, with some exceptions, from the location of the monuments.

The London Underground has 12 lines designated by names and colours.

The main lines I have used are: CIRCLE ( yellow ), CENTRAL ( red ), NORTHERN ( black ), JUBILEE ( grey ) and PICCADILLY ( blue ).

The walking times between monuments are approximate and will depend on your physical condition, the amount of rain, and your ability to move around the city.

OTHER CITIES :

👉🔗 VIANOVATOJES PARIS: METRO CIRCUIT

👉🔗 VIANOVATOJES MADRID: METRO CIRCUIT

👉🔗 VIANOVATOJES ROME: MONUMENTS AND METRO

👉🔗VIANOVATOJES BARCELONA: MONT Y METRO

LONDON METRO MONUMENTAL CIRCUIT

As for the operation of the London Underground, it is a little bit, just a little bit complicated, since normally the trains on each line use a tunnel and always go in the same direction.

In London, especially on the CIRCLE LINE route , several LINES with the same direction but different destinations can run through the same tunnel and on the same track. At the end of this blog I will try to explain how it works.

The following image shows in more detail the circuit I made and which I divided into FOUR TOURIST SECTORS starting at a SUBWAY STOP , plus the PICCADILLY area. This circuit gives you the freedom to start in the SECTOR you think is most convenient:

For this trip I used the underground pass: " THE OYSTER CARD ". The price of the card is 7 pounds (reloadable). Once you exceed the amount of 8.50 pounds per day, the rest of the trips you make that day will be free. In 3 days for 33 pounds I was able to travel unlimited on the London Underground.

You know that all the information I present here may have changed a second after being published, so always check official sources before making a trip: LONDON UNDERGROUND: "TRANSPORT FOR LONDON"

For this journey, it is essential that you use Google Maps to get around and orient yourself in the city. Many monuments are relatively close to the metro stations, but to find others you will have to wander around the streets and find your way around.

In the UNITED KINGDOM you can connect to the internet using ROANNING as if you were in a country of the European Economic Community (APRIL 2024).

Important! To recharge your mobile phone, do not forget an ADAPTER for the socket.

TOURIST SECTOR ONE (1st)

LONDON UNDERGROUND - CIRCLE LINE : ( YELLOW LINE ).

MONUMENTS , start of the circuit, metro station 🚇ALDGATE:

🚇 ALDGATE (CIRCLE LINE)

⏩ 5 minutes walk to THE GHERKIN.
⏩ 13 minutes walk to TOWER OF LONDON.
⏩ 2 minutes walk to the LONDON BRIDGE.
⏩ 15 minutes walk to THE MONUMENT.
⏩ 5 minutes walk to BANK OF LONDON.
⏩ 5 minutes walk to ST´PAUL´S CATHEDRAL.
⏩ 10 minutes walking straight across the river on a pedestrian walkway to GLOBE SHAKESPEARE.
⏩ 10 minutes walk crossing the river again to the 🚇 BLACKFRIARS metro stop (CIRCLE LINE) to go to the next sector ( WESTMISTER metro station ).

I have included the 🚇MANSION HOUSE tube station (CIRCLE line) because from its entrance it is very close and you can even see ST. PAUL'S Cathedral, the Bank of LONDON and in 3 minutes you can reach THE MONUMENT.
NOTE: This area is ideal for walking, but if you don't feel like it, you can use the metro, as almost all the monuments have a metro stop nearby on the CIRCLE LINE.

We take the CIRCLE LINE at 🚇 BLACKFRIARS to 🚇 WESTMISTER.

TOURIST SECTOR TWO (2nd)

LONDON UNDERGROUND - CIRCLE LINE : ( YELLOW LINE ).

MONUMENTS , beginning of this sector at the 🚇 WESTMISTER metro station .

🚇 WESTMISTER

⏩ 1 minute walk to BIG BEN and THE PARLIAMENT.
⏩ 9 minutes walk to DOWING ST.
⏩ 9 minutes return to WESTMISTER ABBEY.
⏩opposite is QUEEN ELIZABETH II.
⏩ 12 minutes walk to WESTMISTER CATHEDRAL.
⏩ 11 minutes walk to BUCKINGHAM PALACE.
⏩ 18 minutes walking along a wide avenue through ST' JAMES PARK to TRAFALGAR SQUARE.
⏩ 4 minutes walk to the 🚇 EMBANKMENT metro station (CIRCLE LINE) to go to the next sector: 🚇 SOUTH KENSINGTON metro station .

I have not included a visit to the LONDON EYE , which is located across the bridge next to BIG BEN, about a 14- minute walk away, since if you are not going to go on this attraction it is not worth it. It can be seen perfectly from this location or you can return at any other time.
NOTE: You can start this section at the EMBANKMENT metro station and end at the WESTMISTER metro station , or vice versa.

We take the CIRCLE LINE at EMBANKMENT or WESTMISTER to 🚇 SOUTH KENSINGTON

TOURIST SECTOR THREE (3rd)

LONDON UNDERGROUND - CIRCLE LINE ( YELLOW LINE ) 🚇.

MONUMENTS , beginning of this sector at the 🚇 SOUTH KENSINGTON metro station .

🚇 SOUTH KENSINGTON ,

This station has direct access through a tunnel to the VICTORIA ALBERT MUSEUM (free in April 2024), but if we take the exit that leads outside, we will reach the museum in 4 minutes.
⏩ 2 minutes walk to NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM (free in April 2024)
⏩ 9 minutes walk to ROYAL ALBERT HALL.
⏩ 4 minutes walk to ALBERT MEMORIAL.
⏩ 11 minutes walk to KENSINTON PALACE.
⏩ 14 minutes walking through a LARGE PARK (THE GREEN PARK) to the metro stations 🚇 NOTTING HILL GATE (CIRCLE LINE) and 🚇 QUEENSWAY (CENTRAL LINE) , I chose this last station to finish the tour in the 4th TOURIST SECTOR.

TOURIST SECTOR FOUR (4th)

LONDON UNDERGROUND - CENTRAL LINE ( RED LINE ). MONUMENTS :

🚇We start at QUEENSWAY until 🚇 MARBLE ARCH to visit the MARBLE ARCH arch , we take the subway again to the station...
🚇 BOND STREET and we connect to the JUBILE LINE (round trip) if we are interested in seeing the SHERLOCK HOLMES MUSEUM , otherwise we continue on the CENTRAL LINE to the next underground station...
🚇 TOTTENHAM COURT ROAD to connect with the NORTHERN LINE to the next station...
🚇 GOODGE STREET

⏩ 9 minutes walk to the BRITISH MUSEUM , return and from the same station take...
⏩ 4 minutes walk to TELECOM TOWER , turn around and...
🚇 GOODGE STREET we take the subway to the last station of our tour 🚇 CAMDEM TOWN.

COMMERCIAL SECTOR AND RESTAURANTS

Famous leisure and recreation area: PICCADILLY.

To get there you can take the NORTHERN line with a stop at the 🚇 LEICESTER SQUARE underground station and then walk for about 6 minutes to PICCADILLY CIRCUS or directly by means of the PICCADILLY ( DARK BLUE ) and BAKERLOO ( BROWN ) lines with a stop at the 🚇 PICCADILLY CIRCUS station .

HOW THE METRO WORKS

The LONDON Underground has certain peculiarities compared to other undergrounds in large cities, which makes it a little bit complicated, although not so much as to be an insurmountable difficulty.

On my trip to LONDON , I basically used the YELLOW circular line "" CIRCLE "" for my travels .

Through the tunnels 🚇 through which this line runs ( CIRCLE ), unlike other metros in large cities, trains from other DIFFERENT LINES can run in the same direction but to different destinations (normally each platform is used by only one line and always in one direction).

In LONDON, the " CIRCLE ", " DISTRICT ", " HAMMERSMITH & CITY " and " METROPOLITAN " lines can all use the same route , sharing some common stops along their route.

What seems like a problem is not really a problem, because the front and sides of the trains have screens indicating the line and the direction they are going.

2) Another thing to keep in mind about the CIRCLE line is that , as it is circular, it has neither a beginning nor an end, which is a very simple matter. To help you get your bearings, when you enter the tunnels there are panels that indicate the station you are in , the specific metro line and the next stops that that line has on its route and the platforms you have to go to.

3) And finally, if you have any doubts, to know in which direction your train is going, especially on the CIRCLE line , the screens on the platforms will tell you the waiting time for the arrival of the next train and some of the important stops in the direction of its journey or the end of it . On the CIRCLE line, some of the most important stations that will appear when the subway is going in that direction are: LIVERPOOL STREET, VICTORIA, TOWER HILL...

Time is often too short for us to visit all the monuments we would like to, so here is a list in alphabetical order of the most important monuments and the metro stops that I consider to be closest, in case you want to do it on your own:

👉🔗 LONDON: INDEX OF UNDERGROUND STOPS AND MONUMENTS

OYSTER CARD

It is a RECHARGEABLE card whose cost in 2024 was 7 pounds .

It is easy to purchase it from ticket vending machines, in addition to English there is the option to choose several languages, including Spanish. You have to select the option in English " GET NEW CARDS " or in Spanish " BUY NEW CARDS ". The rest is simple, you just have to follow the instructions until you reach the end when it expels the OYSTER CARD with the balance you have entered.

In total, I spent £37 over the 3 days I used this service. I paid £7 for the card plus £30 for top-ups. On the last day I got £5 back from one of the ticket machines and despite the help of a metro employee, because I was in a hurry and I don't speak English, I don't know if everything was correct (they were supposed to give you back the amount on the card plus any remaining balance. On trips, 1 + 1 doesn't always equal 2). In any case, I left satisfied.

At all entrances there is an employee who can help you if you have any difficulties. There are other alternatives to this card, I suggest you find out more on other pages if you plan to stay for more days and if you have questions about how this card works.

The card has a daily limit of £8.50 ( for zones 1 and 2 ). Up to this amount, each time you use it, the price of a single ticket will be discounted, but at a lower price than if you bought a single paper ticket. Once you reach the daily limit ($8.50), the rest of your journeys will be free.

!!!VERY IMPORTANT!!! Once you have reached the daily limit of 8.50 pounds , all the trips you make that day will be FREE .

The tourist area I explain in this blog covers underground zones 1 and 2 and includes all the main tourist attractions in central LONDON .

You must always VALIDATE the card both when entering and leaving the metro. Even if the access control " TURNS " are open, you must do so, otherwise the maximum amount allowed will be deducted from the card.