Nervous London

[seanywal]

I am going into London tommorw afternoon I dont go in very often and i will be catching the tube from Waterloo to Hammersmith and back a bit later. What time does the tube stay open until and is it safe to travel at night?

[Buenchico]

The last underground service, tomorrow night, from Hammersmith to Waterloo is at 11 minutes past midnight. (Change at Westminster).

Travel, within central London, on the Tube at night is very safe. (It's some of the outer London areas which can be a bit 'iffy'). When you travel during the afternoon you should travel at either end of the train (because these coaches are usually far less congested than the ones nearer to the middle). When you return in the evening, you might well find that you can have an entire carriage to yourself if you travel at the ends of the trains. Alternatively, if you board nearer to the middle, you'll have the added security of 'safety in numbers'. Just look around you and apply some good, old-fashioned common sense.

I've often travelled at night in central London, both by bus and by tube, and I've never had even the slightest worry.

You can plan your tube journey here:
http://journeyplanner.tfl.gov.uk/user/XSLT_TRIP_REQUEST2 ?language=en

Chris

[raysparx]

couldn't agree more with last answer, walk with a confidence and use common sense, If you are travelling really late and trains have finished catch a cab,don't try to make your way on buses,

Good luck, Ray

[sense4all]

I am a woman and late night tube travel is not an issue. I often travel on my own , or in the hols with the kids after shows etc. My teenagers use it to return home after Chelsea matches too ( but they are not allowed to roam our village after dark) I always try to be prudent about where I leave my car, if at all possible. In the past I have asked station staff to watch me get in car and flash lights (having locked doors) if I have not been happy about anything or anyone during journey. The staff are usually very helpful.

[seanywal]

Thankyou all very helpful i shall be fine and i am very much looking forward to tonight. Thanks again.

[stoo_pid]

Don't forget that if you manage to miss the last tube there are plenty of nightbuses that run until the tube opens again the next morning. While they can get a little, shall we say, er, colourful, around 2-3am, they're usually quite busy, offering safety in numbers. Just get a seat near the driver. Having used them for several years I never saw any trouble (although it can sometimes be a little loud at weekends).

The only thing to watch out for is the timetable - Nightbuses are guaranteed to depart 2 minutes before you turn up at your stop!

Failing that of course, they are cabs all over the place (just don't ask one to go South of the river after midnight! ; - ). If you do use a taxi make sure its a black cab, don't be tempted to use a mini-cab.

[gessoo]

Just adding that I find the staff on tube stations in London really helpful and there seem to be a lot more of them around these days. I found it far nicer travelling by tube recently than I did years ago when I lived in London.

[seanywal]

Thankyou all for your answers i went in and came back with no problems what so ever. It was fine once i started the journey i think i was more nervous about the thought of it all. I met my friends at the apollo and we saw an amazing gig by sigur ros. Cheers