The Tube, the trains and the English countryside

London is a traffic nightmare….or perhaps another way to put it is that it has one of the more comprehensive transportation systems in the world. There is the car, (avoid at all cost), the buses, the so called black cabs, the famous “tube” and the train system.

If you are going to spend anytime at all in this town you must master all of the above. Forget driving. The next easiest is the black cabs and while they are not all black they are almost all on particular make and model, The London Taxi Company. They appear to be great little cars and are fun to ride. The drivers go through a rigourous testing process memorizing the streets of London and I didn’t meet a one who was not chatty and charming. Unfortunately they are pricier then most cities but most assuredly are a great service. While I was here this time they held a somewhat brief “strike” protesting the likes of Uber who are undercutting them pricewise.

Then there is the tube. You can zoom all over town changing from one to the other. While intimidating at first once you dive in and take the plunge it is simply a great way to get around. A full day pass for unlimited rides is about 9 pounds and I promise you this is the best transportation value in town!

Today I had a business meeting in Wokingham, a small town West of London. I took the tube down to Waterloo Station where I bought a return train ticket to Wokingham. Leaving London I was soon in the beautiful green countryside going from village to village and in an hour and a half reached my destination. We had lunch in yet another pub with a deck just next to the River Thames. A lovely sunny day made it a perfect match for our business meeting.

My takeaways? Avoid driving, Get an all day “underground pass” (it also covers the famous London double decker buses), and when you need to get outside of town, the trains are just great.

TIP: Want to take vacations like this? One of the great things about travel nursing is not only the locales you go to work. You are able to control your non-work lifestyle more than any profession I can think of. Finish up your 13 week assignment and when they ask you to extend? “Sure, but I need a couple of weeks off to go to London!” Sound good? Contact me and we will make it happen! Contact Conrad.