In London, two drivers near their cabs
Traveling by air, according to the International Air Transport
Association, is the safest form of transportation accessible today. However,
the reality is that many of the wonders of modern technology and the splendors
of natural creation are lost when one is in the air. Traveling by bus often
provides glimpses of diverse landscapes and natural views through the bus
windows.
The idealist who said, "All work and no play makes Jack a dull
boy," was aware of the fact that boredom, exhaustion, and even despair can
set in after working without taking a vacation. I therefore decided to travel to the United Kingdom
to experience a new atmosphere, take in the sight of blossoming flowers, see
urban and rural landscapes, and rejuvenate my thoughts.
As with all of my prior trips, I took the bus from Antwerp to London
rather than flying, and I loved this one as well. At 13.30, the bus
carrying people from various European nations departed from Brussels. With
his assistant to take over the wheel when he is tired, the experienced driver
traveled through the most breathtaking landscape of verdant trees and winding
bridges that connected in different directions.
An old notion that keeps coming back to me whenever I'm on these beautiful
roads is that the pristine environments are so amazing, stunning, and
unexpected that I wish my own nation, Ghana, were like this. After a two-hour
journey from Brussels, the first stop was Lille, a stunning city that is the
fourth largest in France. It boasts an exceptional culture and excellent
connectivity to three major European cities.
I must, however, provide adequate information about my journey to travel
enthusiasts before I continue writing. It is not an expensive journey. Traveling from cities in Europe to London or various areas of the UK is relatively inexpensive. There are enough promotions and discounted rates because there are
specific seasons and months to entice travelers.
For example, I only paid 29 euros for my ticket from Brussels, Belgium,
to London and returned to Belgium. That is less expensive than purchasing a high-quality
pair of jeans. However, due to a small amount of disappointment, several of the
bus's passengers didn't enjoy the ride, since they were expecting to cross the
channel with a ferry but not a Eurotunnel train.
The Channel Tunnel is an underwater passageway that connects northern
France and southern England. In addition to operating a railway shuttle between
Folkestone and Calais, Eurotunnel also transports people in cars, trucks,
and other vehicles.
We had to wait more than an hour to cross the channel after the drivers
discovered that one of the trains was stuck in the tunnel. It is very frightening to hear such news, but try not to be alarmed. It's a normal event that
doesn't happen very often.
We finally crossed the channel, and after three hours of driving through cities and wonderful scenery, we reached the Victoria Coach Station. The second section of this post will be about my amazing journey in the United Kingdom, with the caption:
Surprising and confusing London: How to find your way
London may appear to be a tiny city on the map, but it's actually much more
confusing and occasionally complex to explore, especially if you don't know
how to utilize the underground tubes or which train or bus to take to get where
you're going.
Probably the most well-known city in the world, London serves as the
capital of the United Kingdom. It is situated in the southeastern part of England,
extending across the River Thames, about 80 km upstream from its estuary on the
North Sea.
London is a global metropolis with the most ethnically varied population.
It is also one of the most costly, crowded, and busiest cities in the world.
More importantly, the city is crowded with visitors from all over the world
because it has so many famous sites to see, such as museums, Buckingham Palace,
Big Ben, etc.
In London, each bus has a number that denotes which route it is traveling
on. For example, the bus 38 goes to Victoria, the bus 157 goes to Crystal
Palace, the bus 15 goes to Trafalgar Square, and so on. Every bus stop on these
vehicles is announced to the passengers to be aware of where they are. You won't
ever get lost because the road-monitoring screen also shows the name of each
bus stop.
With its double-decker buses, underground trains, and tariffs, London has
one of the biggest metropolitan transportation systems in the world. From
Victoria Station, if you want to go to the Modern Borough, how do you connect to it? You'll join the underground tube heading to Brixton. At Stockwell Station,
you'll change your carriage and join the Modern Line.
This is accompanied by announcements, which remind the traveler of their destination,
as the name of each stop is mentioned. At
Stockwell Underground Station, you'll walk to the opposite platform to join the
train heading to Modern, and to make things easy for the traveler, all of the
connections are actually incredibly marked on the walls.
Transportation costs are much higher in London. To reduce the cost, the
majority of Londoners' visitors currently use their Oyster card routinely to
pay for all their public transport needs. It's much cheaper to use this
electronic ticket credit card. Putting about £20 on the card might be enough
for the whole day.
Always study the road map connection before boarding, and if you are
unsure, ask someone nearby; they are always willing to assist. For further
in-depth information, there are stations and information centers spread out
over the city to make inquiries.