London Underground – Southgate Station

Still on the move – back in the UK, about to head offshore again – this time on a seismic survey vessel.
While waiting here, I was have a bit of a reminisce, looking back at our holiday pictures, and was reminded of some useful travel related ideas and websites that Karen and I have used on our trips here in England:

Spending some time in London? – Consider an Oyster Card. This can be used on the London Underground as well as the busses (though I have only used mine on the underground). It is much more convenient than buying a ticket each time, and there is a saving of about 50 pence on every trip. You swipe in and out at the stations and at the end  of the day it calculates the best fare for your travels.
They also do not expire, and you can pass them over to friends if you wish, or get your money back at the end of your trip.
To find out how to get and use your Oyster Card. (This is the Transport For London site)

Our Enterprise hire car in Scotland

Wanting to hire a car? – Have a look at Enterprise Car Hire. We have found them to be most reasonable.
The daily rate seems to be cheaper the further out of London you are.
At the moment you can get an A group car in Aberdeen for somewhere around £ 13 per day. The same car in London is around £ 22 per day.

Not to much different, or less than you would pay in SA at the moment.

The picture shows the car we had a few years ago in Scotland – visiting Broughty Ferry Castle on the East Coast near Dundee.

Inter city bus travel – If you are on a tight budget, try using Megabus. It is possible to get intercity tickets for as little as £1 plus a 50 pence booking fee. The trick here though is you need to be able to plan ahead. Online bookings open exactly six weeks in advance, and there are only a few of these very cheap seats to be had. We have done the London / Aberdeen trip a number of times at this price.
Looking for places to stay? – We use Laterooms.com. They have loads of reasonably priced hotels and B and B’s on their listings. There are plenty of reviews so you can see what you might be getting. They do not take any booking fee or deposit when you book, though they do ask for credit card details at the time. I have never had any money deducted by them, and have always paid at the end of our stay, cash or card. We have never been disappointed with our choices.
Bon voyage!