Watch out for the speed traps... and hidden fees. Photo: Mint Imperial

By Justin Bergman in London—

This is a warning to anyone renting a car anywhere in Europe: know what you’re getting yourself in for!

The natural instinct when booking a car is to go with the absolute cheapest rate possible, but rental car companies are notorious for tacking on hidden fees and surcharges (some are worse than others) that can seriously inflate the cost of your trip. The one fee you must ask about up front in Europe is the cost of transferring your personal information to the police in cases of speeding or parking tickets.

I learned this the hard way. I never thought twice about this until a recent trip to the English countryside with my partner and two of our friends. I found a great deal for a two-day rental with Europcar (a nice, big car to fit the four of us)—all told, with insurance, it was around $100. Believe me, this is not bad for London. We had a great time driving through the picturesque villages in the Cotswolds, stuffing ourselves on fish and chips and waking up with sheep bleating in the pastures around our B&B.

Speeding tickets!

Then, in the span of six hours, on the same road, everything changed—and we suddenly found ourselves hundreds of dollars in the hole. Our car was photographed twice by speed-enforcement cameras—once going 35 mph in a 30-mph zone, and the other time going 38 mph.

I understand the need for drivers to keep their speeds down in and around country villages, but my partner (who was driving) was hardly channeling Mario Andretti here. Nonetheless, we knew we got nabbed when the flashbulb went off as our car passed the hidden camera. Anyone who has been in this situation in Italy, France, or Germany knows that sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach.

The tickets I can understand. They were excessive, but there’s really no way to fight them. We were assessed fines of about £60 per ticket, which we paid. (Friends who have received photo-enforced speeding tickets on trips to Italy have ignored the charges when they returned home to the U.S. and apparently been O.K. But I wouldn’t advise that.) We ponied up the $200 and figured we learned a costly lesson.

Hidden fees and surcharges

I didn’t anticipate I’d be hit with more fees weeks later from Europcar. The company charged my credit card twice (without my knowledge, mind you) for what they later told me were “administrative fees” related to the tickets, namely the amount they charge for passing our contact details on to the local authorities.

The amount: a staggering $50 PER TICKET.

Now, I know this is common practice for rental car companies—they maintain that this charge covers the cost of transferring your data to the relevant local authorities. But from a consumer’s standpoint, it helps to be informed of the rules and regulations before you rent, just so you’re aware of the possible tack-ons.

Make sure the amount of the surcharge is clearly stated in the terms and conditions of your agreement. And watch your credit card statements closely in the months after your rental to see if any charges show up without your knowing about it (as it did in my case).

For those who want to learn more about these rental car fees, here’s an excellent article on MSNBC’s website. Educate yourself, or you might find yourself in the same situation I’m in, paying three times the cost of your rental car in profligate surcharges.

Popularity: 5% [?]

The Heathrow Express. Photo by geordieb1.

By Justin Bergman in London—

Every traveler has been there: You touch down in an unfamiliar city and feel immediately discombobulated. Getting out of the airport, sleep-deprived, with all of your luggage in hand is one thing—then you’re faced with the sometimes gargantuan task of figuring out how to get into town. Some of us jump in a taxi—and pay dearly for it.

Fortunately, London has a number of cheap transport options to and from Heathrow, making the journey a much more pleasant—and wallet-friendly—experience.

Heathrow Express and Heathrow Connect

Without a doubt, the Heathrow Express express train is the fastest—and most comfortable—way into the city. Heathrow Express departs every 15 minutes from the airport and takes just 15 minutes to reach Paddington station in the city’s West End. (The trains also leave Paddington every 15 minutes going the other way.)

To save yourself even more time, you can buy a ticket online before you leave the U.S. and have the actual ticket sent to your mobile phone—a bar code in the text message will be scanned when you board the train. Plus, another bonus starting this month: Free Wi-Fi on board! What could be better?

Well, the price, for one. A one-way ticket on the Heathrow Express costs a whopping £16.50 online (or £18 at Heathrow); a round-trip ticket will set you back £30 online (or £32 at the station).

A slightly cheaper option is the Heathrow Connect train. It takes slightly longer to reach Paddington (25 minutes), but the price is only £7.90 for a one-way ticket and £15.80 for a return if you purchase online. Watch which train you board—both the Heathrow Express and the Heathrow Connect stop at the same platform at the airport.

The Tube to Heathrow

Heathrow, mercifully, is also served by the Piccadilly line on the Underground. (Why can’t La Guardia be this well connected?) With an Oyster card, which you can buy at the Heathrow Tube station for £3 pounds, the cost of a one-way journey into central London is just £3.80.

The only major drawback is the travel time—allow yourself at least an hour to get to or from the center of the city; sometimes, the journey can even take an hour and a half. Another annoyance: Parts of the Tube are routinely shut down on weekends for maintenance, meaning you may have some difficulty reaching your final destination if it’s not on the Piccadilly line.

Car Service to Heathrow

This is the biggest secret in London when it comes to Heathrow connections. It’s actually how I suggest most of my out-of-town guests go to the airport at the end of their stay—it’s far less trouble than trying to figure out the train schedules and worrying about being late for a flight.

There are numerous car service companies in London that will take you to any destination of your choosing for a flat rate (no tipping necessary). Most companies charge around £30 per trip from central London (anywhere in Zone 1) to Heathrow, which is actually cheaper than purchasing two one-way tickets on Heathrow Express.

It’s simple to find a company if you have a cell phone that works in London. Just text the word “home” to the Transport for London’s information number (62967) and within minutes, you’ll receive a message with the numbers of several car companies near you.

If you aren’t that technologically savvy, fret not. Try calling Bloomsbury Cars, a reliable company that I’ve used before, at 020-7631-1334. They’ll pick up passengers from any location in Zone 1 and charge £30 per trip to Heathrow. The journey usually takes less than an hour.

About the author: Justin Bergman is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in The New York Times and Monocle magazine. He’s also previously worked for Budget Travel magazine and the Associated Press.

Popularity: 8% [?]

Buying olives at London's Borough Market. Photo by Kulbowski.

By Justin Bergman in London—

If it’s a weekend in London, then it’s market time, no matter what season. Londoners are undeniably proud of their markets and not just because some of them date back to medieval times. The city’s markets are hands down the best places to find bargains, whether you are looking for vintage clothes, artisanal cheeses or bouquets of lilies. They also can’t be beat for people watching, particularly Broadway Market on a Saturday (see below).

So grab an eco-friendly cloth bag (nothing else will do in London), make sure you have lots of cash, and get shopping—here’s my guide for navigating the busy weekend market schedule and making sure you hit the right spots at the right times.

Borough Market

What it’s good for: Food, glorious food.
When to go: Thursdays (11 AM - 5 PM), Fridays (noon - 6 PM), Saturdays (8 AM - 5 PM)
Location: Underneath London Bridge on the Thames at the London Bridge Tube stop.
Website: www.boroughmarket.co.uk

The lowdown: One of the biggest outdoor food markets in the world, Borough Market is a must for any foodie… well, any visitor to London, really. You can find just about anything here: organic meats, gourmet cheeses, fruits and vegetables, unbelievable pork pies, venison burgers, giant cauldrons of Jamaican curries and paellas, and of course lots of sweets. Prices are relatively reasonable, too. Expect to pay about £5-10 for lunch.

Broadway Market

Broadway Market. Photo Mermaid99

What it’s good for: A little bit of everything and the best people watching.
When to go: Saturdays from 11 AM - 6 PM
Location: Broadway Market (it’s a street) in Hackney, East London.
Nearest train stop is London Fields on the National Express overground line (from Liverpool St. Station).
Website: www.broadwaymarket.com

The lowdown: What started off as a small neighborhood market has in recent years started to draw in folks from all over the city to pick up vintage clothes, organic meats and cheeses, artisanal cupcakes, and crafts from local boutiques.

It’s small—just one street—but you can easily while away an afternoon snacking and watching the East End fashionistas strutting up and down the road like it’s a catwalk. Finish off the day with a couple pints at one of the two local pubs—Cat & Mutton or the Dove.

Columbia Road Flower Market

Columbia Road flower market. Photo: Dinoboy.

What it’s good for: Flowers, plus shopping at independent boutiques.
When to go: Sundays from 8 AM - 4 PM
Location: Columbia Road in Hackney, East London. Nearest tube is Old Street.
Website: www.columbiaroad.info

The lowdown: Noisy, crowded and unmistakably London, this market gives you the best flavor of what market day was probably like in Victorian times. The flower vendors try to out-shout each other with their cockney accents and their impossibly low prices: “Ten roses for a fiver! Ten roses for a fiver! Get ’em before they’re gone!”

The other reason to go is the line of cute boutiques, cupcake shops, perfumeries, and art galleries lining the road, many of which only open their doors on Sundays. Be sure to check out Ryantown, where London artist Rob Ryan sells his quirky wall hangings made of cut paper.

Brick Lane

What it’s good for: Vintage and indie designer clothing, exotic foods.
When to go: Sundays from 10 AM - 6 PM
Location: Brick Lane, East London. Nearest tube is Liverpool Street.
Website: www.sundayupmarket.com

The lowdown: Heaving on weekends and as chaotic as East London gets, with vintage clothes sellers, student fashion designers, ethnic food hawkers and locals with all sorts of bric-a-brac spread out on blankets all vying for your attention.

Two spots not the miss: the Upmarket in the Old Truman Brewery (where most of the clothing is found), and the food vendors in the courtyard behind it—you’ll find everything from Sri Lankan to Mauritian to Mexican (spelled “Maxican” by the Chinese stall owners). Don’t waste your time at the Spitalfields Market next door—it pales in comparison to this raucous party.

Popularity: 8% [?]

London's famous double-decker buses. Photo by Salim Virji.

By Justin Bergman in London—

Any visitor to London will undoubtedly leave singing the praises of the Oyster card. Not only is the Underground’s “pay-as-you-go” card efficient—you just swipe in when you get on the Tube and swipe out when you get off and the fare is deducted from your pre-paid account—it can also save a traveler loads of pounds. A single-ride ticket on the Underground costs a whopping £4 (or $6.50… Yes that’s right, $6.50). A single ride with an Oyster card in the center of the city is only £1.60 ($2.50).

But the Tube doesn’t go everywhere. Here’s what you need to know about one of the city’s other major transport options—those giant cherry-colored double-decker buses.

Get On The Bus

It’s weird. In London, as in most of the rest of Europe, people actually use the city’s bus system. Having lived in New York for four years, I think I can count on two hands the number of times I took one of the grindingly slow city buses. You can probably walk across Manhattan on 14th Street faster than the M-14 bus can get you there.

The London bus system, aside from affording some of the best views of the city from the front seat on the top floor of the double-deckers, is also fairly speedy, thanks to dedicated bus lanes on most city streets. Most bus stops also have electronic screens telling you in real-time which buses are coming next and how long they’ll take to reach the stop. And unlike the Tube, the buses run all night long.

Plus, buses are cheap. The Oyster card works—just tap the card on the sensor when you get on; each ride is £1 ($1.60). Or, if you don’t have a card, you can buy a ticket with cash at a ticket machine at some bus stops or from the driver on the bus (£2, or $3.25).

Mapping the Route

The bus stop. Photo by Fabbio.

But here’s the big question: With so many buses whizzing about the city, how do you figure out where you’re going? Map out the route before you leave the hotel by using the handy Transport for London website. Here you’ll find bus maps for every section of the city, as well as a nifty journey planner.

This tool is absolutely brilliant. This is how it works: On the right-hand side of the home page, enter your starting point and destination point—it can be an address, a post code, a Tube station or even a place of interest. Then click on the “Leave Now” icon, and the site will give you up to a dozen different transport options on how to get there.

For instance, to get to the Tate Modern from my house in East London, the site tells me to walk to St. Thomas’s Square, jump on the 48 Bus to London Bridge and then walk to the museum. Or, if I want to include the Tube, I can walk to St. Thomas’s Square, take the 254 Bus to the Bethnal Green Underground station and jump on the Tube to St. Paul’s, a short walk from the museum. Each trip takes an hour. And maps are included on the site to show you ever step of the way.

Hailing a Bus

Here’s an extra tip, one I wish someone had told me when I moved to London. Buses don’t automatically stop at every bus stop on the route—you need to flag them down if you’re waiting to catch one. Otherwise, you’ll be left at the curb, frantically checking the screen to figure out when the next one is coming.

Oh, and while you’re waiting, stand back from the curb. I know this goes without saying, but the buses drive extremely close to the curb in London, so much so that you could be clipped if your backpack is hanging out in the street even a few inches.

The last thing you want to do on vacation is go head-to-head with a seven-ton double-decker bus. Believe me, you won’t stand a chance.

Popularity: 6% [?]

Signs guide the way outside London. All photos by Justin Bergman.

By Justin Bergman in London—

Getting out of London is remarkably easy. Sure, unless you’re taking a train, you do have to wind your way through the endless suburbs first. But once you cross the busy M-25 ring road, the scenery changes dramatically. Suddenly, you’re in the English countryside of Jane Austen novels.

The best way to explore the bucolic rolling hills, sheep farms, and stone villages outside London is not behind the wheel of a car, but on foot.

I had my first experience with country walking last weekend. My boyfriend and I rented a City Car (London’s version of a Zipcar) and drove about an hour to the west to the Chiltern hills, where I’d read there was good walking. We grabbed a footpath map and walking directions at a shop in the village of Hambleden and off we went. Seven miles seemed like a good enough challenge. We’d be back before dinner, no problem.

I should have known it wasn’t going to be that easy from the first set of instructions on our map: “At a right-hand bend, fork left onto the right-hand of two paths (LE38), a gravel drive. Now go straight on, soon joining and following a left-hand boundary bank and ignoring a crossing path.” We must have looked for that stupid left-hand boundary bank for a good 30 minutes.

A quintessential countryside scene.

We eventually got the hang of it, though, and figuring out the directions became part of the fun. Plus, the scenery couldn’t have been more magnificent.

Because the public is legally permitted to cross all private land in the countryside, the footpath cut right through people’s farms, bringing us up close and personal with the cows and sheep. It also took us into beech-tree forests that were so dark and dense, they felt almost primeval.

Here are some tips on taking your own countryside walk:

1. Get a good map

Many footpaths are not signposted, so you need to find a map that includes very clear instructions on how to find your way. In most larger towns, you’ll be able to find one at a tourism information office; in villages, look for a food shop.

The Chiltern Society has 27 different walking maps of the hills west of London. Another good resource is the Guardian newspaper, which published an excellent series of “Great British Walks” this summer.

2. Be prepared

It should go without saying, but don’t embark on a five- or seven-mile hike without proper walking shoes, water and a cell phone in case you get lost. (Some guides even recommend bringing a compass.) The weather in England is famously unpredictable, so plan for the possibility of rain even on a sunny day.

If you do lose your way, look for a well-groomed path (the larger ones are called “bridal paths”) and follow it until you reach civilization. England is a small country—every path leads somewhere.

Admiring a cow from a safe distance.

3. Respect people’s property

When entering a farm, make sure to close and latch the gate behind you. And keep a safe distance from cattle—there have been isolated incidents of people being chased and attacked by ornery cows. Most importantly: Never get between a cow and her calf unless you are looking for a fight.

4. Dress for the conditions

Footpaths can be overgrown with grass and prickly weeds in the summer and fall, and you may have to make your way through dense vegetation or even crops. Long pants and a long-sleeved shirt are recommended.

5. Don’t drink and walk

You’ll regret having that pint of beer with lunch when you’re three miles into an afternoon trek. Save the country pub until after your walk. A great pub in Hambleden is The Stag & Huntsman, which has picnic tables in the large garden out back and serves a delicious pork and apple burger.

About the author: Justin Bergman is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in The New York Times and Monocle magazine. He’s also previously worked for Budget Travel magazine and the Associated Press.

Popularity: 8% [?]

Affordable dining at "Little Georgia." Photo by AceDiscovery

By Justin Bergman in London–

Fear not, Cheapos, London is not going to drain your wallet when it comes to food. Sure, you can easily blow $200-300 on dinner at one of Gordon Ramsay’s famous restaurants, but you might be bitterly disappointed by the experience—the star chef’s London venues were just trashed by the Harden’s London Restaurants guide as being “dreary” and “outrageously overpriced”.

Instead, save your sterling for drinks at the pub and eat at one of these five stellar restaurants for under £10 a pop:

1.The Albion
2-4 Boundary St., 020 7729-1051

You wouldn’t normally associate Terence Conran, the London designer and developer, with inexpensive. The rooms at his just-opened East London loft hotel, The Boundary, for example, start at around $250 per night. The drinks at the rooftop bar are almost as pricey.

But the restaurant on the ground floor of the hotel, the Albion, is the exception: Almost all of the dishes on the menu come in at under £10. And the food is amazing—the restaurant serves very lovely and refined takes on classic British dishes like Welsh rabbit, fish pie and kedgeree. (Remarkably, traditional British food is making a comeback on menus all over the city at the moment.) This being a Conran restaurant, the design is impeccable, too, right down to the hand-knit cozies for the teapots on the tables.

2. Little Georgia
87 Goldsmiths Row, 020-7739-8154.

I stumbled upon this little gem one day on a jog through a quiet residential neighborhood in Hackney (East London). It’s a little hard to get to, but well worth the effort. When you walk in, you feel like you’re entering a warm Tbilisi kitchen, circa 1940—there are black and white family photos and an old map of Georgia on the walls and a number of Soviet-era phones on the shelves.

Skip the more expensive main courses and focus instead on the appetizers—you can share a meze of six different starters for £12 total. The best bets are the lobiani (bread stuffed with spicy beans and pork), khachapuri (cheese-filled bread) and pkhali (a minced beetroot and walnut salad). My other tip: Bring your own wine (there’s no corkage fee).

3. Song Que
134 Kingsland Rd., 020 7613-3222.

Unbeknownst to most tourists, London has its own Little Hanoi—a stretch of Vietnamese restaurants on Kingsland Road in Shoreditch. The best of the lot is undoubtedly Song Que, a massive restaurant short on style (the décor is bare bones to say the least) but incredibly popular for its delicious beef and seafood pho and summer rolls.

You’ll see all types here—local Vietnamese residents, club kids gearing up for a night out in Shoreditch, and always a handful of tourists who read about the restaurant in their Time Out London guide. This isn’t a place to linger—the staff will rush you out the door as soon as you’re done—but the prices can’t be beat. Expect to spend £10 a person, with drinks.

Gladstone Arms. Photo: Ewan-M.

4. Gladstone Arms
64 Lant St., 020 7407-3962

I’m not going to lie—I trust my Time Out guide. And it says that this may be the “coolest little pub in Southeast London.” I have to agree, not just because of the living-room-like set-up (comfy couches, lots of plants and board games)—it’s also got really tasty English pies made by Pieminister, a Bristol-based company that uses free-range meat and lots of yummy seasonal ingredients. Among the more interesting options are the Matador Pie (beef steak, chorizo, olives, tomato, sherry and butter beans) and the Mr. Porky Pie (west country pork, smoked bacon, apples, leeks, cider and sage). With a pint of Black Sheep bitter beer, your bill will total just over £10.

5. Brick Lane
120-122 Brick Lane, 020 7247-0397

Last but not least is the old standby, Brick Lane, a road stretching through the East End, famous for its Bangali restaurants. Yes, it’s touristy and yes, you’ll have to fight off the touts trying to push you into their restaurants, but it’s an experience worth having in London and the food couldn’t be cheaper.

There are a ton of places on the strip, so choose carefully—cruise the strip and check out the menus first. And if you loiter outside a place long enough, the tout will offer you a free bottle of wine with dinner. One of my favorite places is Preem & Prithi, which serves an excellent balti lamb vindaloo.

Popularity: 9% [?]

Billy Elliot makes a splash; photo by chrisjohnbeckett

By Justin Bergman in London—London’s many stages and playhouses have countless plays, musicals and operas on offer all summer long—and unlike in New York, tickets here can be had for a song if you know where to look.

As far as prices go, think under 10 pounds. In fact, at one theater, tickets go for 10 pence a head (more on this later)! Here’s how to find the best deals:

Scoring half-price seats for the splashy West End shows-

Chances are if you’re thinking about taking in a show in London, you’re going to want to get the most for your money, i.e. a big-time musical (Billy Elliot, Sister Act) with magnificent production values and perhaps a B-list celebrity star. There’s nothing wrong with that. Just read the reviews and choose wisely as there are more than a few stinkers on the West End. (We’re hearing that Priscilla Queen of the Desert the Musical, for instance, just doesn’t live up to all the sequin and rhinestone hype.)

Tickets for the biggest musicals—especially the most in demand—can run upwards of 60 pounds ($100) apiece. But there are a few ways to save.

1) First, check for discounts online at ticket broker websites. The best aggregator out there is comparetheatretickets.com, which lists all the discounted tickets available from numerous online brokers for every show. For example, a search for Avenue Q tickets on July 23 turned up an 11-pound ($18) ticket in the upper balcony from the retailer Seatem.

Checking out the TKTS offerings; photo by Andyrob

2) Another sure bet for discounts is the TKTS booth in Leicester Square (Tube to Leicester Square, Piccadilly or Northern line), which sells half-priced tickets for most West End shows the same day of the performance. For the best shot at a wallet-friendly price and a non-nosebleed seat, get there when the booth opens at 10 AM Monday through Saturday (noon on Sundays).

Get thee to the theater!

Individual theaters also offer reduced prices for tickets as part of a concerted effort to bring in a younger crowd. As we reported earlier this year, the National Theatre puts on an annual Travelex 10-pound ticket season in which tickets for quality plays like Richard Bean’s England People Very Nice and Hanif Kureishi’s The Black Album start at just 10 pounds ($16) apiece. Tickets are sold via the National Theatre’s website. The current season runs through the fall.

Some theatres even give away a limited number of free tickets for people under age 26. Yup, you read that right. Free. At the National Theatre, for example, all you have to do is sign up for an Entry Pass online and your first ticket to one of the theatre’s shows is absolutely free (after that, you pay 5 pounds per ticket, about $8). There are a ton of off-West End theatres with the free-tickets-for-under-26 deal, including the Donmar Warehouse, Hampstead Theatre, Soho Theatre, Arcola Theatre, Bush Theatre, and Gate Theatre.

Stand up for great theater!

You’d be surprised how many venues in London will let you stand and be counted for incredibly low prices. Both the Royal Opera House and the English National Opera sell standing room tickets in the back of the house starting at 4 pounds ($6.50) and 10 pounds ($16), respectively. At Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, you can experience As You Like It as a groundling would have in the 1600s—standing in front of the stage (cost: 5 pounds or $8). The National Theatre also offers standing tickets for 5 pounds for most shows.

Drum roll please…lest we forget those 10 pence seats-

And here’s the best deal I’ve seen in awhile (aside from the free tickets, of course): At the Royal Court Theatre in Sloane Square, eight standing, restricted-view tickets are sold for only 10 pence (16 cents) apiece an hour before the show. Sure, you have to stand and you may not be able to see the entire stage, but 16 cents is one heck of a deal!

Popularity: 10% [?]

Ernests Gulbis practices before taking on Andy Murray. Photo by e01.

By Justin Bergman in London—

Taking in the tennis at Wimbledon last week was a peculiarly British experience. Pimms cup in one hand, strawberries and cream in the other, I sat 10 feet away from the players, dressed all in white (of course), and watched them bash a ball at each other for hours on the magnificently green courts.

On a few occasions, the crowd would respond to an amazing backhand passing shot down the line with a spirited “Hoorah!” This being Wimbledon, though, what I heard most of the day was just polite applause.

Then there’s the queue to even get into the championships. This is by far the most British thing about Wimbledon—the fact that thousands of fans queue up (”line up” for you Yanks) at the break of dawn just for a chance to get tickets to the main courts or a day pass to the grounds. Some hardy folks even camp out over night. For tennis tickets. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge tennis fan, but this isn’t the Rolling Stones we’re talking about.

A “Guide to Queuing”

Queuing is part of the British identity—nobody complains about it, people just do it, and there are unspoken rules about how to do it. At Wimbledon, the organizers even hand out a “Guide to Queuing” that contains protocol for joining the queue.

For example, you are not allowed to reserve a place in the queue for your friend who slept in—he’ll have to go to the back of the line. And if you have to run to the toilet, you’re instructed to “negotiate your position with those around you and/or a steward.”

As I said, Brits take queuing seriously. But they also know how to make it enjoyable. Everyone around me was chatting with their neighbors, sprawled out on the grass in the sun. Picnic baskets came out; some people even cracked open beers (at 8 AM!). Every once in awhile, someone would come down the line selling newspapers.

On the ball for 2010

The championships may be wrapping up for this year, but it’s never too early to start planning for next. Here are my tips for queuing up, and avoiding the queue altogether:

Getting tickets through the ballot

Every year, a select number of tickets for the three show courts—Centre Court, Court 1 and Court 2—are sold in advance through a public ballot, or lottery. Entering is very “old school.” Anytime after Aug. 1, 2009, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to:

Ticket Office; AELTC; P.O. Box 98; London SW19 5AE; United Kingdom.

You’ll receive an application for the ballot, which you must complete and mail back by Dec. 31. You can’t download it from the website. You also can’t request specific dates or courts—lottery winners are picked at random. If you’re selected, you’ll receive notification by mail and then you’ll have to pay for the tickets online at wimbledon.org. (Prices vary by day and court, from £ 33 pounds ($54) for Court 2 in the early rounds to £ 100 ($164) for the finals on Centre Court.)

Queuing up

You can also try your luck by joining the queue on the day you want to attend. For show court tickets, you really need to camp out overnight to have a good shot. There’s a park near the Wimbledon grounds at the Southfields tube stop on the District Line where campers are permitted to set up their tents. Once you get your ticket in the morning, you can store your camping gear at the Left Luggage facility outside the grounds.

There are 6,000 grounds passes available for general sale each day, too. These tickets give you access to all 16 of the outer courts and are by far the best deal on the first few days of the tournament when you have a good chance of catching top players that haven’t been scheduled on the show courts. (They cost £ 20 pounds or $33 on these days.) Even though the grounds don’t open until 10:30 AM, you need to be at the park near the Southfields tube stop at 7:30 AM at the latest. Once you join the queue, you’ll receive a card guaranteeing your spot (and preventing queue-jumping). Two things to remember: You must pay with cash. And only one small bag will be permitted per person.

Popularity: 7% [?]

Consult Walkit.com for a route along Regents Canal. Photo: Ed.ward

By Justin Bergman in London—

As any visitor to London (and probably more than a few residents) can attest, getting around the city on foot can be maddeningly confusing. Because London grew over the centuries by swallowing up neighboring villages and towns, there’s little rhyme or reason to its layout. Hence the existence of mews, the charming narrow alleys where wealthy Londoners once had their stables. And even narrower passageways like the one behind Whitechapel Gallery, where Jack the Ripper is believed to have lived.

And roundabouts. Don’t even get me started on roundabouts. My partner and I had a couple of hairy experiences driving through those death traps this past weekend.

London: Step by Step

Fortunately, there’s a new website called Walkit.com that aims to help directionally challenged people like myself find their way around London, without the use of an “A to Z Guide.” (Although this detailed street map guide is always handy to have as a backup, should you really get lost.)

A 200-calorie walk. (Click to enlarge.)

Launched by environmentalist and walking advocate Jamie Wallace three years ago, Walkit maps out any route you’d like to take by foot in 14 different British cities. All you do is enter your starting point and desired destination, and the site will give you directions for the quickest walking trip between the two points, along with the distance, the time it should take you, the calories you’ll burn, and the carbon dioxide emissions you would have contributed to the environment had you taken the tube, car, or bus. It even tells you how many steps you’ll take (seriously).

There are also two alternate routes you can map—a “less busy” walk avoiding major roads and a “low pollution” walk that takes you along parks and through quiet neighborhoods.

The Test Drive… er, Walk

Naturally, I wanted to try the site out. I conducted two tests from my house on a tiny street in East London that’s probably a third of a block long and dead-ends on a park. I figure if the program can find my street, that’s a reasonably good start. (It did.)

For the first test, I tried a short walk to a restaurant called the Albion near my house. Although it’s probably only five minutes away, I spent 15 minutes looking for it the other night. (Tip: Know the exact address you’re looking for, right down to the postal code and the cross street. You’ll need these in case there are multiple streets in London with the same name as the one you want).

The site’s instructions were very clear—I was told how many meters to walk before each turn and when I’d pass an identifiable landmark (like a Pizza Express). But I noticed on the map that there appeared to be a shorter route along a side road called Holywell Lane. A flaw! I couldn’t wait to prove the site wrong.

When I got to Holywell Lane, though, I found it blocked off for construction work until the end of 2009. I was wrong… and duly impressed.

The Low-Pollution Route

For the next test, I wanted to see what a “low pollution” walk was all about. So I randomly picked a destination near Victoria Park in northeast London to see if the site would route me near or through the park. Not only did it do that, it also sent me on a very enjoyable, mile-long walk along leafy Regents Canal, via a hard-to-spot set of stairs from a main street.

The only pollution I encountered? Two lawnmowers and a guy burning weeds in his back yard. (Isn’t that how the Great Fire of London started?)

There’s something to note about the “low-pollution” routes, though. You may miss some of the city’s biggest sights (such as Piccadilly Circus) if you choose to avoid congested areas. Same goes for the quickest routes. Walkit doesn’t create routes specifically geared to tourist attractions, but there are plenty of free and inexpensive guided tours for that. (Check out our blog post on five free London walking tours.)

Wallace says Walkit is adding about one new city a month to the site, with Coventry and Sunderland next. We want to see this great resource expand to cities across Europe, too.

About the author: Justin Bergman is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in The New York Times and Monocle magazine. He’s also previously worked for Budget Travel magazine and the Associated Press. Favorite trip he’s taken–two and a half weeks in southern Peru, climbing mountains and outrunning overly aggressive llamas.

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The iconic London Tube sign, photo by wallyg

By Liz Holliday in London—

London, a sprawling city offering no shortage of things to see and do, can be a bit daunting when it comes to public transportation. But one huge advantage to getting from place to place in Her Majesty’s city is that many sights and attractions are in the most central neighborhoods.

Cheapos on-the-go can save quite a bit of cash on public transportation—and without walking everywhere, too. You just need to know how to get the best value out of the underground “Tube” system. Here’s a quick Tube primer:

London: The “Big… Onion”?

Transport for London, the main transportation authority, divides London into nine zones. “Zone One” is the city’s center, the “middle of the onion,” if you will. Think Trafalgar Square and Big Ben.  Zones two through nine work out in rings from there, and are the outer “layers of the onion.”

The price of a Tube ticket depends on how many zones you pass through on any given journey. (Tip: Remember, buses work differently. You can travel on them all over London, in all zones, for one price.)

Three ways to pay for the Tube

1. Single Tickets: You could always turn up at any London Tube station, buy a single ticket, and be on your way. But, as locals will tell you, this is the most expensive and least practical payment option, especially if you plan to make many trips on the Tube during your stay in London. (Read more about single ticket prices.)

2. Travelcard: A second option is to buy a printed “Travelcard” for 1, 3, or 7 days. The price of the card depends in which zones you expect to travel. Also, 1-day cards are more expensive if you travel before 9:30 AM.  Remember, most sights are within zones 1 and 2, so stick to those zones and you should be fine. (Read more about 1 and 3-day passes, and 7-day passes.)

* * However, travel agents (watch out!) will often try to sell tourists 7-day passes good for all nine zones, the cost of which is a hefty £68.  For only zones 1 and 2, the same 7-day pass will cost only £25.80.

Tip: If you do need to go further afield, you can buy an add-on ticket (or just go by bus, if you can spare the time - the Travelcard will be valid.)

3. Oyster card: Finally, I recommend that you buy an “Oyster card,” a pre-paid “smart card” that always charges the lowest fare. You pay a one-time refundable deposit for the card (£2 if you buy it from a special tourist outlet; £3 otherwise) and then load it up with money. You can put 1, 3, and 7-day “Travelcards” on your Oyster card, or use your Oyster for single trips (at reduced rates).

* * Pay-as-you-go fares using an Oyster card are half what they are if you pay cash. Also, there’s a price cap per day, so you’ll never pay more than the price of a one-day travel card. (For more info on the price cap and how it works, go here.)

The Oyster card also gives you some security, because if you register your card and it gets lost or stolen, you can claim back any money you had on it. You can’t do that with a Travelcard.

When you’re finished with your Oyster, you simply return it to a Tube station, where an agent will refund your deposit and any money you haven’t spent. (Note: If you’re owed more than £5, it will be given to you in check form, in British pounds, which might be a pain to cash.)

Bottom line

Oyster cards are probably better than Travelcards for most tourists visiting London, as they’re convenient and charge the lowest single-trip fare. Plus, if you plan to travel quite a bit (and for more than one day), simply put a 3 or 7-day Travelcard on your Oyster card.

For more information on using the Oyster card, check out the Tube’s website. A list of Tube fares for zones 1 through 6 can be found here.

One final note

Check with your hotel and in tourist information centers for special offers available to Travelcard and Oyster card users. Benefits typically include reduced entry fees, special deals in restaurants, and more. These offers change frequently, so look for leaflets at Tube stations, or ask a station agent.

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