travel by underground

Here Are The 15 Most Amazing Underground Destinations In The U.S.

Massachusetts native. Freelance writer and strawberry eater.

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Things are definitely cooler when they’re underground. Underground lakes, underground cities, underground music….there’s just something undeniably compelling about what lies beneath the surface. Check out these incredible subterranean spots across the U.S. – they’ll make you want to remodel the basement as soon as possible.

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Have you visited any of these fantastic places? Do you like being underground or do you prefer to stay topside?

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Travel & Tourism: The Tube

In this week's Premier Skills English Podcast , Jack, Rich and Rowan visit London and need to use the underground. The language focus is on travelling by underground . You will learn words and phrases to suggest ways of travelling, buy tickets, read tube maps and follow directions.   In this week's task, we want you to use the London underground map to follow and give some directions. Don't forget to listen to the end of the podcast because we have a new football phrase for you to guess.

Travel & Tourism: The Tube Introduction

Jack : Hello my name’s Jack

Rowan : My name’s Rowan

Rich : and I’m Rich and welcome to this week’s Premier Skills English podcast.

Jack : In the Premier Skills English podcast, we talk about football and help you with your English. 

Rowan : Don’t forget you can find the transcript for all our podcasts on the Premier Skills English website.

Rich : This podcast is one in a series of podcasts that focuses on travel and tourism. Last week we spoke about the language we use in restaurants.

Jack : This week we want to help you with some of the language you need when you take the tube.

Rowan : The Tube? What is that?

Rich : The Tube is what we call the underground train system in London. 

Rowan : In this podcast, you will learn phrases you can use to suggest the best way to get to a place.

Rich : You’ll learn words and phrases that will help you pay for tickets at a tube station and find the right train.

Jack : You will learn words and phrases for giving directions. 

Rowan : In the roleplay, we are in London and we decide to take the tube.

Rich : And your task this week is to describe a route from one famous place in London to another.

Jack : If you are listening to us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or any other podcast platform, you should also check out our website.

Rowan : On the Premier Skills English website, you’ll find  the transcript, examples and activities to help you understand the language, and a task for you to complete with other listeners.

Jack : Before we do the roleplays let’s look back at last week’s football phrase.

Last week’s Football Phrase 

Rich : OK, our football phrase. If you’ve not listened to the podcast before, every week we set our listeners a language challenge. We explain a football phrase or word and you have to guess what it is.

Rowan : When you know the answer, go to the Premier Skills English website and write the word or phrase in the comments section for this podcast. If you’re correct we’ll announce your name on next week’s podcast.

Jack : We had lots of correct answers last week but nobody was faster than Alex from Ukraine who was first with the right answer. Well done Alex!

Rich : And congratulations to these other listeners who also got the correct answer to our football phrase: MoBeckham from Turkey, Luibomyr from Ukraine, Stefano Mac from Italy, Hayato from Japan, Marco Zapien from Mexico, Fathi from Malaysia, Elghoul from Algeria, Bertoldt from Indonesia, Max Alex from Vietnam and HSN also from Turkey.

Rowan : If you didn’t hear last week’s football phrase the answer is at the end of this podcast but we’re going to give you one more chance to guess last week’s football phrase. Are you ready?

Jack : The phrase was * ********** ****. With VAR these seem to happen more and more. * *********** **** is when a player scores but then the referee or VAR doesn’t permit it because of a foul, offside or another infringement.

Rowan : Remember that the answer and our new football phrase is at the end of this podcast.

Rich : If you remember, our last podcast was all about restaurants. 

Jack : We asked you to order some food from our Premier Skills restaurant. We had a waiter waiting to serve you.

Rowan : Abdlrhmn from Egypt was very happy with the service in our restaurant. He gave us five stars and ordered Koshory - a delicious Egyptian dish of rice, vegetables and different spices covered in a tomato sauce.

Rich : HSN from Turkey asked for an eggplant salad with stuffed meatballs for starters with some lahmajoun on the side which is a type of bread topped with minced meat and spices. It sounds absolutely scrumptious. 

Jack : Thanks for all your comments and for completing the tasks. If you haven’t heard this podcast and want to order some food from the Premier Skills English restaurant it’s called Travel and Tourism: Restaurants and you can find it on the Premier Skills English website or on Apple Podcasts.

Introduction to roleplay: 

Rowan : We have one roleplay for you this week which you will hear in three parts. The three of us are in London doing some sightseeing and Jack wants us to go and see something very, very special.

Rich : London is a big city and it’s best to use public transport. One of the best options is the underground or as we said earlier The Tube. 

Jack : We catch the Tube in this roleplay and have lots of useful language for you to learn.

Rowan : In the first part, we’ll focus on phrases we need to suggest the best way to get to a place and how.

Rich : In the second part, we’ll be paying for our tickets and finding the right train.

Jack : And in the third part you will learn words and phrases for giving directions.

Rowan : Before each part of the roleplay we want you to answer two questions. Here are your questions for the first part:

Rich : Question one: Why does Jack want to go to the football stadium?

Jack : Question two: Which station do we need to get off at?

Roleplay 1: Finding the best route

Rich : OK, so we’ve already seen Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament and Covent Garden. What’s next?

Rowan : I wouldn’t mind going to a museum. Maybe the Natural History or the British Museum?

Jack : Good idea but later. Remember I said that I’d take you to the Emirates.

Rowan : But Arsenal aren’t playing today.

Rich : He doesn’t want to see a match. Jack wants to show us the image of John Radford that’s on the side of the stadium. His uncle.

Jack : He’s not my direct uncle but he is a relative. There are 32 ex-Arsenal players on the side of the stadium - Thierry Henry, Ian Wright and John Radford - my uncle.

Rowan : I thought you said he wasn’t your uncle.

Jack : You know what I mean - he’s a relative - a distant relative maybe but part of my family. I think now would be a good time to go. 

Rowan : Come on then. We can do the museums tomorrow. 

Rich : Get your phone out, Rowan and look it up. Let’s see the best way to get to the Emirates.

Jack : We’re quite close to Piccadilly Circus if that’s any help. It might be better to hop on a bus. We’d get to see the sights that way, too.

Rowan : I think we’ll be better off jumping on the tube. It says there’s loads of traffic in North London.

Rich : The nearest underground station is probably Piccadilly Circus - we walked past it a couple of minutes ago.

Rowan : That’s what it says. Piccadilly Circus to the Emirates - we need to get off at Holloway Road Station - that’s eight stops. We want to take the Piccadilly line. That’s the blue one.

Jack : I thought there was a station called Arsenal?

Rowan : There is but it says Holloway Road drops us off nearer the stadium.

Rich : Come on then. Let’s go.

Language focus 1: Finding the best route

Rowan : Before the roleplay, we asked you two questions. The first question was: Why does Jack want to go to the football stadium?

Jack : The answer was that I wanted to show Rich and Rowan an image of one of my relatives at Arsenal’s football ground.

Rich : And the second question was:  What station did we need to get off at? The answer was Holloway Road Station.

Rowan : Let’s look at some language. In London, there are usually a few ways to get to a place on public transport but two of the options are usually the bus or the underground.

Jack : Ah, yes. The underground or The Tube as it’s called in London. Do you know why it’s called The Tube?

Rich : I could guess.

Jack : And you’d probably be right. The Tube is called the Tube because many of the tunnels where the trains run are long and round - tube-shaped.

Rowan : The official name however is the London Underground. When you’re in London you can call it the Tube or the underground. 

Rich : In the roleplay, we spoke about catching the Tube and going to an underground station. We can also go to a tube station or catch the underground - they are interchangeable.

Jack : Outside of London, people don’t tend to use the word tube so it’s best to go with underground or in American English - subway.

Rowan : Or in some other places like Paris, Moscow, Newcastle and Madrid you might use the word Metro.

Rich : Let’s look at a few phrases connected to deciding the best way to get somewhere. Listen to this part of the roleplay again. How do we know which way is best?

Rowan : I think we’ll be better off jumping on the/a? tube. It says there’s loads of traffic in North London.

Rich : When we want to know which way to go the first thing we do is to reach for our phones. I told Rowan to get her phone out and look it up.

Jack : To look something up is a phrasal verb which means to find or look for information. We might look up a word we don’t know in an online dictionary or look up the details of a footballer or football team we might be interested in.

Rowan : We spoke about two possible transport options: the bus and the underground.

Rich : Jack said it’d be better to get the bus but Rowan said we’d be better off getting the tube.

Jack : These are a couple of useful phrases: it’d be better to and we’d be better off.

Rowan : Both of these phrases are used to give advice and to give suggestions: it would be better to get the bus or we’d be better off getting the tube.

Rich : Both phrases mean the same but grammatically they are slightly different. When we use the phrase better off it is followed by the -ing form. We’re better off getting the tube.

Jack : I said it’d be better to hop on a bus and Rowan said we’d be better off jumping on the tube.

Rowan : Yes, these are nice informal ways of describing getting on transport. To hop or jump on a bus. We don’t literally jump or hop on one leg when we get on a bus but it’s what we often say informally.

Jack : Let’s listen to another part of the roleplay again. Listen for the words that help you know when to start and finish your journey on the underground.  

Jack : Let’s start with two useful phrases you might have heard already today: get on and get off.

Rowan : We use these phrases to say where we start and finish a journey by public transport. We need to get on at Piccadilly Circus and get off at Holloway Road.

Rich : Many big cities have underground systems and most of these cities have a number of different routes which we call lines.

Jack : In the roleplay, we had to take the Piccadilly line. We can take, get or go on a specific line. The London underground has lots of lines. All of them have different names and most of them are quite complicated.

Rowan : You can take the Piccadilly line, go on the Hammersmith and City line or get the Waterloo line and then there are other lines such as the Bakerloo line and the Jubilee line.

Rich : This can be very confusing if it’s your first time in London. I do what Rowan did in the roleplay and call them by the colour the line is on the map. I go on the blue line or the yellow line.

Jack : I think other cities make it easier for visitors. In Paris and Madrid, their metro lines are called line one and line two and so on. Simple.

Rowan : But not as interesting?

Rich : Remember you can check your understanding of all this vocabulary on the Premier Skills English website.

Jack : Let’s move on to the second part of our roleplay. We’ve just arrived at the underground station and we need to buy tickets and find our train.

Rich :  Here are two questions we want you to answer as you listen.

Rowan : Question one: How do we pay for our tickets?

Rich : Question two: Which side of the escalator should you stand on? 

Roleplay 2: The underground station

Rich : Has anyone got an Oyster card or anything?

Jack : An Oyster card?

Rich : To pay. You need a card to get through the turnstiles. We should be able to get one from one of the machines over there.

Rowan : Ah, yes. OK - an Oyster card is £5 and then we need to top it up when we need more credit.

Jack : Why don’t we just buy single tickets?

Rich : It’s expensive and we’ll probably use the underground all weekend. We’re here until Monday.

Rowan : That’s probably best. Hold on - look. You can pay with your normal card - contactless.

Jack : That’s easiest. Let’s do that. No need to queue at these machines then. Tap your card. Through the turnstile. Let’s go.

Rowan : These escalators are massive. How far down are we going?

Stranger: Excuse me, please.

Rich : Always stand on the right, Rowan.

Jack : OK, so it’s the Piccadilly line we need. Follow the signs. Piccadilly line this way.

Rich : Here we go. Which platform is it? Eastbound platform or Westbound?

Rowan : This one. The Eastbound platform towards Cockfosters.

Rich : Cockfosters? Is that a real place?

Jack : What did you say?

Rich : Nothing. Just being childish.

Language Focus 2: The underground station

Rowan : Before the roleplay, we asked you two questions. The first question was: How did we pay for our tickets?

Jack : The answer is we used our normal bank cards. On the underground in the UK, you can use your regular debit or credit card if you have contactless to enter and fares will be charged automatically when you finish your journey.

Rich :  Our second question was: Which side of the escalator should you stand on?

Rowan : The answer is the right-hand side. Rich told me to stand on the right during the roleplay because someone was trying to get past me.

Jack : Escalators, if you’re not sure, are the moving stairs that carry people up and down in stations and other places such as shopping centres.

Rich : Let’s look at some more phrases connected to paying on the underground. Have a listen to this part of the roleplay again:

Jack : Many people still buy and use an Oyster card to travel on public transport in London.

Rich : An Oyster card is a special card that allows you to enter and leave the underground. You buy the card from a tube station or shop and then top it up when you need more credit.

Rowan : You probably heard these words in the part of the roleplay we just played: to top up and credit.

Jack : To top up means to increase the amount of something so it’s at the level you want or need. If you only have £5 on your Oyster card and the price of a journey is £10 you will need to top up your Oyster card.

Rich : We often top up our mobile phones if we have a pay as you go phone.

Rowan : Topping up is adding credit to something. We need more credit if we don’t have enough money on our card or phone.

Jack : Credit is the money you have available in an account. If you have £10 in your account you have £10 of credit. You may need to add more credit as you use the money in the account.

Rich : We often use credit in the negative form when using mobile phones and Oyster cards. Listen: I don’t have any credit, I need to top it up.

Rowan : A final word from the part you just heard are turnstiles. These are the gates that you need to push or that open automatically when you enter the underground system.

Jack : We use the same word in football. Turnstiles are traditionally the tall, narrow gates you have to push to enter a football stadium and where you pay and show your ticket.

Rowan : Let’s think about some of the words you might need once you go through the turnstiles and you're looking for your train. Listen to this part of the roleplay again:

Jack : When you are in the tube station you will need to follow lots of signs. These will be on the walls of the station and will tell you where to go.

Rich : In bigger stations, there are lots of signs and multiple lines. We had to follow the signs for the Piccadilly line.

Rowan : And then we needed to find the correct platform. The platform is where you stand and wait for your train.

Jack : It’s very important that you stand on the correct platform otherwise you’ll take the train going in the wrong direction.

Rich : We had to go to the Eastbound platform because our train was going east.

Rowan : Each line will have either a westbound and eastbound platform or a northbound and southbound platform.

Jack : When we are talking about travel bound is used to show that something is travelling in a certain direction or towards a specific place.

Rich : We were on the eastbound platform which means all the trains from there were travelling east.

Rowan : You will usually see a sign which says all the stations where the train stops on its journey.

Jack : Remember you can check your understanding of all this vocabulary on the Premier Skills English website. …

Rowan : Let’s move on to the final part of our roleplay. We’ve just arrived at our destination and need to find the football stadium.

Jack :  Here are two questions we want you to answer as you listen.

Rich : Question one: What station do we get off at?

Rowan : Question two: Who do we see a statue of?

Roleplay 3: Directions on foot

Announcement: Mind the gap.

Rowan : Come on. This is our stop.

Rich : But it says Arsenal is the next stop.

Rowan : Trust me. This is quicker. Come on up the escalator.

Jack : Stand on the right, Rowan.

Rich : Have we come out at the right exit? I don’t see the stadium.

Rowan : There was only one exit, Rich. Hold on I’ll get my phone out.

Jack : So are you ready to see the great John Radford, then?

Rowan : It says it’s a five-minute walk. This is Holloway Road. Which way are we facing? OK, we need to go this way and then turn left on to ... Hornsey Road.

Rich : Just here. Hornsey Street.

Rowan : No, we need to turn left on to Hornsey Road. 

Jack : Yeah, I know the way. Straight on up here. We need to turn right at the roundabout and then cut through the park.

Rich : Oh, look a statue of Theirry Henry. Cool. Where’s John Radford?

Rowan : Not good enough for a statue, hey?

Jack : Quiet. Look there’s the stadium. I’ll show you John Radford now.

Rich : I’m sure we’ll see the family resemblance!

Language Focus 3: Directions on foot

Rowan : Before the roleplay, we asked you two questions. The first question was: What station do we get off at?

Jack : The answer is Holloway Road Station. Arsenal station was the next stop but Holloway Road is actually closer to the stadium.

Rowan : You’ve actually got a bit more information, haven’t you?

Jack : Yes, on match days you have to get off at Arsenal Station because Holloway Road station is closed.

Rich : Don’t say you weren’t warned. Our second question was: Who do we see a statue of?

Rowan : Well, I was half expecting to see a big statue of John Radford, Jack’s relative but in fact, we saw a statue of the other Arsenal legend - Thierry Henry.

Jack : Let’s look at some of the language we used in the roleplay.

Rich : One famous phrase that you might hear on a tube train is mind the gap.

Rowan : This means be careful when getting off the train because there is a space between the train and the platform.

Jack : Once we got out of the station Rowan used her phone again to find the way to the football stadium.

Rich : We used some phrases that you probably know such as turn left and turn right but there might have been a few phrases connected to directions that you are not sure about.

Rowan : Have a listen to this part of the roleplay again:

Rowan : No, we need to turn left onto Hornsey Road. 

Rich : Rowan said we needed to turn left onto Hornsey Road. When we are talking about directions and turn to change roads we use the preposition onto. Turn right onto White Hart Lane; turn left onto Elland Road.

Rowan : Straight on means to keep going in the same direction and we might say an informal phrase like ‘up here’ to emphasise this. Jack said ‘straight on up here’ in the section you just heard.

Jack : Another preposition we use when we turn is ‘at’. I said turn right at the roundabout. We turn right at the bank, at the post office or at the corner.

Rich : The roundabout is the circle where two or more roads meet. In American English, it’s called a traffic circle but I prefer roundabout - it’s nicer and also describes a round circle that you push around and around and children play on in the park.

Rowan : Our final word connected to directions is a bit trickier but very useful. The word is cut through. Jack said we can cut through the park.

Jack : It’s a phrasal verb and it means to go through the middle of something to make a journey shorter. It’s much quicker to cut through the park than going around it.

Rich : Remember that we’ve got vocabulary activities for you to check your understanding of everything we’ve looked at today on the Premier Skills English website.

https://tfl.gov.uk/maps/track/tube 

Rich : In this week’s task, we want you to listen to some directions to a London football stadium.

Jack : You have to tell us which football stadium I’m trying to get to.

Rowan : Then we want you to give some directions of your own from one famous place in London to another famous place in London. 

Rich : We want you to use the London underground and on the website we have a link to an interactive tube map to help you with this task. You might want to use other maps too.

Rowan : OK, here’s the first part of your task. Listen and tell us in the comments section which London football stadium Jack and Rich are trying to visit.

Jack : OK, we’re at King’s Cross & St.Pancras International station. Can you see the map?

Rich : Yes, I can see it.

Jack : So, we’re at King’s Cross & St.Pancras International station. We need to get on the Circle line or we can take the Hammersmith & City line. Westbound line not eastbound. We need to stay on it for four stops and change at Edgeware Road where we need to get on the district line towards Wimbledon. If it doesn’t say Wimbledon we might need to change at Earl’s Court. It’s seven stops - we need to get off at Fulham Broadway and then the stadium is a five-minute walk away.

Rowan : Which stadium are Jack and Rich trying to visit? Write your answer in the comments section on the Premier Skills English website.

Rich : When you have done this we want you to write some directions of your own. Choose a starting point and write some directions to a famous place in London. It can be a football stadium or other famous landmarks such as a museum, park or other attraction.

Jack : Try to use some of the language we have introduced in this week’s podcast and read other listener’s directions and reply with their destinations.

Football Phrase

Rowan : It’s time for this week’s football phrase. Have you got one Rich?

Rich : I have. This week’s football phrase is to *** *** ** * *****. This phrase means to start something very, very well. If a team scores in the first few minutes you might say they have *** *** ** * ***** or if a team wins the first six matches of a season you might say they have *** *** ** * ***** - they have had a really, really good start to the season.  

Jack : It’s difficult, this one. The last word describes someone who is on a plane or in the air and the phrase has the same meaning as a flying start.

Rowan : Too much help, I think Jack. Oh, well.

Rich : Let’s see if anyone gets it right and who is first this week. If you are still wondering what the answer was to last week’s football phrase it was a disallowed goal.

Rowan : Right, that’s all we have time for this week! Don’t forget to write your answers to our questions and make a guess at our football phrase in the comments below. If you get it right, we’ll announce your name on next week’s podcast. 

Jack : If you have a question for us about football or English you can email us at [email protected]

Rich : or you can leave your questions and comments on the website in the comments section or on our Facebook page.

Rowan : or you could give us a rating and a fantastic review on Apple Podcasts.

Jack : Bye for now and enjoy your football!

How much did you understand?

Here is the vocabulary you saw at the top of this page and how Rowan, Rich and Jack used it in the roleplay. Do you know the words  in bold ?

I wouldn’t mind going to a museum. Maybe the Natural History or the British Museum? It might be better to get the bus. We’d get to see the sights that way, too. That’s easiest. Let’s do that. No need to queue at these machines then. These escalators are massive. How far down are we going? Oh, look a statue of Theirry Henry. Cool. Where’s John Radford? I’m sure we’ll see the family resemblance !

Listen to the roleplays again to hear how Rich, Rowan and Jack used these words and phrases in context.

The Tube: Travel Advice

In the first part of the roleplay, Jack decided to take Rowan and Rich to Arsenal's football stadium. They were speaking about the best way to get there. Listen to these sections of the roleplay again and then have a go at the activity. Do you understand the words  in bold ?

Rich : Get your phone out, Rowan and look it up . Let’s see the best way to get to the Emirates. Jack : We’re quite close to Picadilly Circus if that’s any help. It might be better to hop on a bus . We’d get to see the sights that way, too. Rowan : I think we’ll be better off jumping on the/a? tube . It says there’s loads of traffic in North London.

Rich : The nearest underground station is probably Piccadilly Circus - we walked past it a couple of minutes ago. Rowan: That’s what it says. Piccadilly Circus to the Emirates - we need to get off at Holloway Road Station - that’s eight stops . We want to take the Piccadilly line . That’s the blue one.

The Tube: Tickets & Finding your train

In the second part of the roleplay, Rowan, Rich and Jack were at Piccadilly Circus tube station in London. They needed to buy some tickets and find their train. Listen to these sections of the roleplay again and then have a go at the activity. Do you understand the words  in bold ?

Rich : Has anyone got an Oyster card or anything? Jack : An Oyster card? Rich : To pay. You need a card to get through the turnstiles . We should be able to get one from one of the machines over there. Rowan : Ah, yes. OK - an Oyster card is £5 and then we need to top it up when we need more credit .

Jack : OK, so it’s the Piccadilly line we need. Follow the signs. Piccadilly line this way. Rich : Here we go. Which platform is it? Eastbound platform or Westbound? Rowan : This one. The Eastbound platform towards Cockfosters.

The Tube: Directions

In the third part of the roleplay, Jack, Rowan and Rich arrived at Holloway Road tube station near the football stadium. They still needed to find the rest of the way to the stadium on foot. Listen to this section of the roleplay again and then have a go at the activity. Do you know the words and phrases  in bold ?

Rich : Just here. Hornsey Street. Rowan : No, we need to turn left onto Hornsey Road.  Jack : Yeah, I know the way. Straight on up here . We need to turn right at the roundabout and then cut through the park .

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The London Underground

This week's task is in two parts. First, we want you to listen and follow some directions and then we want you to leave some different directions for other listeners. 

• Look at the official London Underground map. It is here: https://tfl.gov.uk/maps/track/tube
• Listen to these directions to a London football stadium:
• Write in the comments section which London football stadium Rich and Jack are trying to get to.
• Look at the official London Underground map. It is here:  https://tfl.gov.uk/maps/track/tube
• Write some directions of your own from one famous place in London to another famous place in London. It could be a football stadium, a park, a museum or a famous building.
• Don't say where you are going to. 
• Read other listener's directions and say where their destinations are.

Write all your answers in the comments section, try to use some of the language we have introduced in this week’s podcast and don't forget to  have a guess at this week's football phrase .

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Rich anda Jack they will want go at Emirates stadium of Arsenal.

I take tube in the ***** park station, then straigh and turn right until ***** neightboorhood

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I think it's ******** ******. When I was in London and I wanted to visit the *******'s Stadium, I had to get off at the Fulham Broadway station.

I've finished visiting the Tower Bridge and I get on at the Tower Hill tube station. I go the Circle line. If I want to see the sights that popular place in London, I should get off at the St. James's Park station.

I don't want to get to London, no matter how strange it could sound, - too crowded for me. I'd like to visit Liverpool, Newcastle, Wales, and Scotland.

I’ve finished sightseeing at White Hart Lane and I want to check another famous landmark in London. I will take the White Hart Lane and Bull Lane to Sterling Way. I will go straight on A406 then turn left onto the Western Ave to Holland Park Ave at A402. Go straight again on A402 and then I reach my destination at 114 Campden Hill Road at Kensington.

Now it’s time for watching some historical sighting in London after that long trip :)

I think Jack and Rich are trying to get to ******** ****** stadium ( the home of *********). That neighborhood is located in the middle of London and it’s called posh area over there where it’s a high-class people residential and the closest stadium to ******** ****** is Craven Cottage which are separated by a bridge as far as I remember.

Very useful podcast for those setting up a London visit project.

Football phrase might be 'get off in a hurry'.

Dears speaker, i love this podcast, because when I was in London, used the tube a lot, well, I´m from Mexico, so I have a great trainning for use of any public transport. I have to say, I love the London Tube, is fast, always just at the time, a little confuse but not imposible to understand, each station its strategical put near of special site I love it, and of course I bought my oyster card, its similar to CDMX card, this card allows to use metro, trolebus, metrobus, almost any public transport. At London, the Oyster card, allow to get on the double decker, that its great, because in my case I haven´t coins to pay the rate, also journey on double decker its part of the experience to be at London. Well my instruction are, If you stay at hotel at the neiborghood Royal Park, ad you want to visit *** ******* ******, you need to walk onto straight and arrive the Royal Park station, take the Picadeely Line or "the blue line" to direction cockfoster, and get off at the Rusell Square, you need walk five or ten minutes, onto the street in the same direction that the cars and turn left at the corner the Rusell park, to cut through and you can arrive *** ****** from the back door.

The British Museum-:)

First Part of TASK; ******** ******

Second part of TASK;

Hi, Everybody, You're at "Victoria Station" and get on the district line eastbound. Stay on it for four stops and change at "Monument station" where you need to get on the northern line towards "Old Street". After four stops get off at at the "Camden Town" station and then ****** ****** is a about ten-minute walk away.

FOOTBALL PHRASE; *** *** ** * *****.

• I looked up Jack’s uncle John Radford in the Wikipedia to get know him. I've respect for him.

• It’d be better to take “Tea Road” line and "Hope Village" bound train to arrive stadium in a short time. After getting off you should also turn left onto “Rockstar Road” then turn right at the theatre, go straight on you will see stadium.

• It’d be better off reading more books to expand your point of view.

• It’s possible top up the transportcard by credit card. Getting through turnstile by contactless credit card is another option. Technology is marvellous-:)

• I always wonder if there is any rule about using which side of ladder when coming down or climbing up . We generally use right side.

• Instead of “credit” we use French word “contour” for instance; I don't have any "kontür" on my phone.

• If there is no traffic lamps, the cars on the right side will have priority of passing in the roundabout.

• Cutting through the park gives you extra seven minutes gain on your way to the gym hall than going around it.

My Dear Teachers, Rowan and Laura, Happy International Women’s Day. (08 March). All my best wishes.

Hi everyone I think I found it this time ! The phrase is to *** *** ** * *****! Have a good day

This week's football phrase is: "*** *** ** * *****". Thank you so much.

*** *** ** * *****

I think this week’s football phrase is *** *** ** * ***** What a tricky phrase , Rich :)

For me, the interesting thing about the London tube is that there are actually two types of lines with quite a different size of the car - sub-surface lines and deep-level tube lines and historically the world tube was initially referred only to deep-level tube lines. While visiting London, I prefer to use sub-surface lines - Circle, District, Hammersmith & City, and Metropolitan lines. I’m a tall man, so I feel much more comfortable there than in the low and rounded-at-the-top deep-level tube car. If possible, I prefer to plan my route using only the abovementioned lines and to avoid deep-level tube. And I think that the phrase is *** *** ** * *****

The phrase is "*** *** ** * *****"

The phrase is "*** *** ** * start"

Leaderboard

Skills : Listening

Vocabulary : Buying tube tickets

Vocabulary : Using an underground map

Vocabulary : Following directions

Task:  Follow and give directions from one place in London to another

Travel & Tourism: Restaurants

Rowan and Jack go for a meal at a restaurant. Learn phrases to get a table, order food, ask about ingredients and to pay the bill.

Coming to the UK: Getting from A to B

In this week's podcast, learn the language you need to get around the UK on public transport.

The North London Derby

Rich's prediction this week is the North London Derby between Spurs and Arsenal. Who do you think will win?

How well do you know football vocabulary ? Learn the vocabulary used to talk about the different stages of a match.

In this issue, Felipe loses his temper and gets into trouble with Orlando, the coach.

This Week: Title Chances

Jack, Laura and Rich talk about the Premier League action from the last seven days.

This Week: Caught Napping

Travel & Tourism: What to do next?

Rich, Rowan and Jack look at language connected to making suggestions and exceeding expectations.

West Ham United

Read the article and complete the activities to learn about West Ham United Football Club.

Love Exploring

A Retro Look At Underground Travel Through The Years

Posted: November 24, 2023 | Last updated: November 24, 2023

Going underground

London's first underground trains

Preliminary designs for a subway system in New York City

An early shot of London's Trafalgar Square

A metro station in Budapest

Boston's Park Street station

Construction of City Hall subway station in New York

Flash forward to the early 1900s and work on New York City's subway was well under way. City Hall, pictured here under construction, was part of the very first line, which ran 9.1 miles from here to 145th Street in Harlem.

The first passengers on New York City's subway

New York City subway tunnels

Women's carriage on New York City's subway

Women-only carriages were debuted on the Uptown Hudson Tubes in 1909. The last car on each train was reserved for female passengers and became nicknamed the "suffragette car." One such car is snapped here – notice the multiple "women-only" signs and the impressive Edwardian-era headgear.

A London Underground advert

A District Line carriage on the London Underground

A London Underground ticket hall

A ticket booth along the New York City subway

Tottenham Court Road station in London

Inside 1920s Tottenham Court Road station

Escalators were a novelty in the early 20th century. The first escalator was introduced to the London Underground at Earl's Court station in 1911. Commuters are pictured here in the mid-1920s riding down an escalator at London's Tottenham Court Road station. You can spot charming vintage ads lining the wall next to them.

Passengers relax at London's Waterloo station

Ticket stations on the London Underground

An early Moscow Metro map

A U-Bahn station in Berlin

Outside a U-Bahn station in Berlin

There's something warm and inviting about this night-time scene in Berlin, with Französische Straße U-Bahn station shining like a beacon at the center. The glittering hotel signs and corner cafés add to the ambiance. The station pictured is shuttered today.

Passengers on the Buenos Aires Underground

An Eighth Avenue subway car in New York

A man at a Chicago "L" station

Early Chicago subway passengers

Commuters at a metro station in Paris

Today, the Paris Métro, which opened right at the turn of the century, is renowned for its striking Art Nouveau-style subway entrances and its perpetual buzz – it's tipped as one of the busiest subway systems in the world. It's even bustling in this circa-1940 photograph. The shot shows the Place d'Italie metro station heaving with commuters.

Turnstiles at a Toronto subway station

Passengers read papers on a Glasgow metro car

Crowds at Komsomolskaya metro station in Moscow

A subway station in Osaka, Japan

Japan's first subway system opened in Tokyo in 1927, and Osaka soon followed suit in 1933. This photo dating from 1956 shows thronging crowds as far as the eye can see at an Osaka station.

On the subway in 1960s Tokyo

Passengers on the Moscow Metro

The NYC Transit Authority inspect new subway cars

The oldest cars still in operation on the New York City Subway are the R32 'Brightliners,' which were introduced in 1964. This photograph shows New York City Transit Authority officials checking out the new cars at the Budd Company Railway Division plant in Philadelphia, prior to their launch.

A subway station in Washington DC

The USA's capital was surprisingly late in establishing a subway system, when compared with other major cities like NYC and Chicago. Ground was broken for Washington DC's metro in 1969, with the first line opening in 1976 (the Red Line from Farragut North to Rhode Island Avenue). Early commuters wait on a metro platform in this photo from the same year.

Now read on for the world's most beautiful subway and metro stations

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• Places to Visit
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• Practical Tips
• Where to Stay

Heathrow Airport to London by Underground (Tube)

Heathrow airport has three underground stations connected to the London Underground network at the western branch of the Piccadilly Line.

The underground (the tube) is the cheapest, and in most cases, the most convenient way of travelling to central London from Heathrow airport.

Heathrow airport underground stations

Terminal 4 and Terminal 5 each have their own underground station. Terminals 2 and 3 share an underground station known as ‘Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3’. (Terminal 1 is now closed).

Underground stations are clearly signposted from the arrival hall of each terminal.

Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3 underground station is a 4 minute walk from Terminal 2.

Heathrow Terminals 2 &3 station is a 5 minute walk from Terminal 3. There are moving walkways for most of this route.

Terminal 4 has its own underground station.

Terminal 5 has its own underground station.

Heathrow to central London ticket prices

Single tickets.

• The standard single underground ticket from Heathrow airport to central London (zone 1) is  £6.70 for adults.
• If you use a Pay as you go Oyster card (the card costs £7 ) or a contactless debit/credit card , the single fare to central London (zone 1) is £5.60 . This is the fare whether you travel at peak or off-peak times. .

Daily passes including the underground from Heathrow

If you plan to travel into central London and use public transport for the rest of the day there are three options:

Pay as you go Oyster

• If you add more money to your Oyster card, the maximum amount deducted from your card is  £15.60 for one-day travel. This is the zone 1–6 one-day cap.

Contactless debit/credit card

• £15.60 is the maximum amount deducted from your card for one-day travel (the ‘daily cap’).

One Day Travelcard

If you don’t have a contactless card and don’t want an Oyster card, you can buy a One Day Travelcard. This is a paper ticket.

• For travel after 9.30am Monday to Friday & all day Saturday & Sunday – a zone 1–6 One Day Travelcard is  £15.90 .
• For travel between 6.30am–9.30am Monday–Friday – a zone 1–6 One Day Travelcard is  £22.60 .

Weekly Travelcards are also available.

Buying underground tickets, Oyster cards or Travelcards

Terminal 2 or 3.

• The ticket machines inside Heathrow Terminals 1,2,3 underground station
• Ticket machines at the end of the moving walkway from Terminal 3 to Heathrow Terminal 1,2,3 underground station (debit and credit cards only)
• London Transport Visitor Centre , opposite the entrance to Heathrow Terminals 1,2,3 underground station.
• Terminal 4 underground station ticket machines
• The ticket office in Terminal 5 underground station
• There are underground ticket machines in Terminal 5 arrivals hall and in the underground station.

Piccadilly line times

Trains leave for central London every 5–10 minutes. For the full timetable see the TfL website .

If your flight arrives too late to take the underground between Sunday evening and Thursday evening and don’t want to take a taxi, the night bus N9 runs through the night to central London. If you arrive late on Friday or Saturday, there’s the Night Tube.

The Night Tube

There is a 24-hour service on the Piccadilly line on Friday night/Saturday morning and Saturday night/Sunday morning . It runs from Heathrow Terminals 1,2,3 and Terminal 5 underground stations.

There is no Night Tube from Terminal 4.

How long does it take from Heathrow to central London?

It takes approximately 40–60 minutes to central London.

Approximate times from Heathrow Terminals 1,2,3 to central London underground stations:

Trains to/from Terminal 5 take 5 minutes longer.

Use Transport for London’s journey planner to plan your journey. Deselect ‘National Rail’, otherwise results will include the more expensive Heathrow Express or Elizabeth line trains.

Or take a look at the underground map .

Or view other journey planner options

Heathrow to Victoria by underground

If you’re travelling to Victoria from Heathrow, you need to change from the Piccadilly line to the District line. With luggage, it’s easier to do this at Hammersmith rather than South Kensington station, which has escalators and stairs.

At Hammersmith, Piccadilly line trains stop at platform 3. Get off the train and walk to platform 4, literally a few steps to the other side of the same platform. From here take the District line to Victoria. The destination on the front of the train should say ‘Upminster’.

When to avoid the underground

The underground might be worth avoiding if you have mobility issues or a lot of luggage.

Mobility issues

Most underground stations in central London have escalators and some have stairs, but not all have lifts. If you want to avoid using stairs, TfL produce a map of stations with lifts and escalators (pdf) .

Arriving in central London during the rush hour

If you take the underground from Heathrow airport between 6.00am–7.45am or 4.30pm–5.45pm Monday–Friday, by the time you reach central London the trains and platforms will be crowded. It can be difficult getting off the train with a lot of luggage.

It’s not too bad with luggage that’s easily carried. With heavy bags or several suitcases, you might want to wait a while at the airport or consider the coach or the train instead.

Related pages

• One Day and Weekly Travelcards
• Oyster card
• Contactless cards
• London transport zones
• Left luggage at Heathrow airport

Last updated: 24 February 2024

Heathrow Transport

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• Heathrow to London by coach
• Heathrow to London by train
• Heathrow to London by night bus

Useful information

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ENCYCLOPEDIC ENTRY

The underground railroad.

During the era of slavery, the Underground Railroad was a network of routes, places, and people that helped enslaved people in the American South escape to the North.

Social Studies, U.S. History

Home of Levi Coffin

Historic image of the home of American Quaker and abolitionist Levi Coffin located in Cincinnati, Ohio, with a group of African Americans out front.

Photography by Cincinnati Museum Center

During the era of slavery , the Underground Railroad was a network of routes, places, and people that helped enslaved people in the American South escape to the North. The name “ Underground Railroad ” was used metaphorically, not literally. It was not an actual railroad, but it served the same purpose—it transported people long distances. It also did not run underground, but through homes, barns, churches, and businesses. The people who worked for the Underground Railroad had a passion for justice and drive to end the practice of slavery —a drive so strong that they risked their lives and jeopardized their own freedom to help enslaved people escape from bondage and keep them safe along the route.

According to some estimates, between 1810 and 1850, the Underground Railroad helped to guide one hundred thousand enslaved people to freedom. As the network grew, the railroad metaphor stuck. “Conductors” guided runaway enslaved people from place to place along the routes. The places that sheltered the runaways were referred to as “stations,” and the people who hid the enslaved people were called “station masters.” The fugitives traveling along the routes were called “passengers,” and those who had arrived at the safe houses were called “cargo.”

Contemporary scholarship has shown that most of those who participated in the Underground Railroad largely worked alone, rather than as part of an organized group. There were people from many occupations and income levels, including former enslaved persons . According to historical accounts of the Railroad, conductors often posed as enslaved people and snuck the runaways out of plantations. Due to the danger associated with capture, they conducted much of their activity at night. The conductors and passengers traveled from safe-house to safe-house, often with 16-19 kilometers (10–20 miles) between each stop. Lanterns in the windows welcomed them and promised safety. Patrols seeking to catch enslaved people were frequently hot on their heels.

These images of the Underground Railroad stuck in the minds of the nation, and they captured the hearts of writers, who told suspenseful stories of dark, dangerous passages and dramatic enslaved person   escapes . However, historians who study the Railroad struggle to separate truth from myth . A number of prominent historians who have devoted their life’s work to uncover the truths of the Underground Railroad claim that much of the activity was not in fact hidden, but rather, conducted openly and in broad daylight. Eric Foner is one of these historians. He dug deep into the history of the Railroad and found that though a large network did exist that kept its activities secret, the network became so powerful that it extended the limits of its myth . Even so, the Underground Railroad was at the heart of the abolitionist movement. The Railroad heightened divisions between the North and South, which set the stage for the Civil War .

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Underground Railroad

By: History.com Editors

Updated: March 29, 2023 | Original: October 29, 2009

The Underground Railroad was a network of people, African American as well as white, offering shelter and aid to escaped enslaved people from the South. It developed as a convergence of several different clandestine efforts. The exact dates of its existence are not known, but it operated from the late 18th century to the Civil War, at which point its efforts continued to undermine the Confederacy in a less-secretive fashion.

Quaker Abolitionists

The Quakers are considered the first organized group to actively help escaped enslaved people. George Washington complained in 1786 that Quakers had attempted to “liberate” one of his enslaved workers.

In the early 1800s, Quaker abolitionist Isaac T. Hopper set up a network in Philadelphia that helped enslaved people on the run. At the same time, Quakers in North Carolina established abolitionist groups that laid the groundwork for routes and shelters for escapees.

The African Methodist Episcopal Church, established in 1816, was another proactive religious group helping fugitive enslaved people.

What Was the Underground Railroad?

The earliest mention of the Underground Railroad came in 1831 when enslaved man Tice Davids escaped from Kentucky into Ohio and his owner blamed an “underground railroad” for helping Davids to freedom.

In 1839, a Washington newspaper reported an escaped enslaved man named Jim had revealed, under torture, his plan to go north following an “underground railroad to Boston.”

Vigilance Committees—created to protect escaped enslaved people from bounty hunters in New York in 1835 and Philadelphia in 1838—soon expanded their activities to guide enslaved people on the run. By the 1840s, the term Underground Railroad was part of the American vernacular.

How the Underground Railroad Worked

Most of the enslaved people helped by the Underground Railroad escaped border states such as Kentucky, Virginia and Maryland.

In the deep South, the Fugitive Slave Act of 1793 made capturing escaped enslaved people a lucrative business, and there were fewer hiding places for them. Fugitive enslaved people were typically on their own until they got to certain points farther north.

People known as “conductors” guided the fugitive enslaved people. Hiding places included private homes, churches and schoolhouses. These were called “stations,” “safe houses,” and “depots.” The people operating them were called “stationmasters.”

There were many well-used routes stretching west through Ohio to Indiana and Iowa. Others headed north through Pennsylvania and into New England or through Detroit on their way to Canada.

Fugitive Slave Acts

The reason many escapees headed for Canada was the Fugitive Slave Acts . The first act, passed in 1793, allowed local governments to apprehend and extradite escaped enslaved people from within the borders of free states back to their point of origin, and to punish anyone helping the fugitives. Some Northern states tried to combat this with Personal Liberty Laws, which were struck down by the Supreme Court in 1842.

The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was designed to strengthen the previous law, which was felt by southern states to be inadequately enforced. This update created harsher penalties and set up a system of commissioners that promoted favoritism towards owners of enslaved people and led to some formerly enslaved people being recaptured. For an escaped person, the northern states were still considered a risk.

Meanwhile, Canada offered Black people the freedom to live where they wanted, sit on juries, run for public office and more, and efforts at extradition had largely failed. Some Underground Railroad operators based themselves in Canada and worked to help the arriving fugitives settle in.

Harriet Tubman

Harriet Tubman was the most famous conductor for the Underground Railroad.

Born an enslaved woman named Araminta Ross, she took the name Harriet (Tubman was her married name) when, in 1849, she escaped a plantation in Maryland with two of her brothers. They returned a couple of weeks later, but Tubman left again on her own shortly after, making her way to Pennsylvania.

Tubman later returned to the plantation on several occasions to rescue family members and others. On her third trip, she tried to rescue her husband, but he had remarried and refused to leave.

Distraught, Tubman reported a vision of God, after which she joined the Underground Railroad and began guiding other escaped slaves to Maryland. Tubman regularly took groups of escapees to Canada, distrusting the United States to treat them well.

Frederick Douglass

Formerly enslaved person and famed writer Frederick Douglass hid fugitives in his home in Rochester, New York, helping 400 escapees make their way to Canada. Former fugitive Reverend Jermain Loguen, who lived in neighboring Syracuse, helped 1,500 escapees go north.

Robert Purvis, an escaped enslaved person turned Philadelphia merchant, formed the Vigilance Committee there in 1838. Former enslaved person and railroad operator Josiah Henson created the Dawn Institute in 1842 in Ontario to help escapees who made their way to Canada learn needed work skills.

New York City-based escapee Louis Napoleon’s occupation as listed on his death certificate was “Underground R.R. Agent.” He was a key figure guiding fugitives he found at the docks and train stations.

John Parker was a free Black man in Ohio, a foundry owner who took a rowboat across the Ohio River to help fugitives cross. He was also known to make his way into Kentucky and enter plantations to help enslaved people escape.

William Still was a prominent Philadelphia citizen who had been born to fugitive enslaved parents in New Jersey. An associate of Tubman’s, Still also kept a record of his activities in the Underground Railroad and was able to keep it safely hidden until after the Civil War, when he published them, offering one of the clearest accounts of Underground Railroad activity at the time.

Who Ran the Underground Railroad?

Most Underground Railroad operators were ordinary people, farmers and business owners, as well as ministers. Some wealthy people were involved, such as Gerrit Smith, a millionaire who twice ran for president. In 1841, Smith purchased an entire family of enslaved people from Kentucky and set them free.

One of the earliest known people to help fugitive enslaved people was Levi Coffin, a Quaker from North Carolina. He started around 1813 when he was 15 years old.

Coffin said that he learned their hiding places and sought them out to help them move along. Eventually, they began to find their way to him. Coffin later moved to Indiana and then Ohio, and continued to help escaped enslaved people wherever he lived.

Abolitionist John Brown was a conductor on the Underground Railroad, during which time he established the League of Gileadites, devoted to helping fugitive enslaved people get to Canada.

Brown would play many roles in the abolition movement, most famously leading a raid on Harper’s Ferry to create an armed force to make its way into the deep south and free enslaved people by gunpoint. Brown’s men were defeated, and Brown hanged for treason in 1859.

By 1837 Reverend Calvin Fairbank was helping enslaved people escape from Kentucky into Ohio. In 1844 he partnered with Vermont schoolteacher Delia Webster and was arrested for helping an escaped enslaved woman and her child. He was pardoned in 1849, but was arrested again and spent another 12 years in jail.

Charles Torrey was sent to prison for six years in Maryland for helping an enslaved family escape through Virginia. He operated out of Washington, D.C. , and had previously worked as an abolitionist newspaper editor in Albany, New York.

Massachusetts sea captain Jonathan Walker was arrested in 1844 after he was caught with a boatload of escaped enslaved people that he was trying to help get north. Walker was fined and jailed for a year, and branded on his right hand the letters “SS” for Slave Stealer.

John Fairfield of Virginia rejected his slave-holding family to help rescue the left-behind families of enslaved people who made it north. Fairfield’s method was to travel in the south posing as a slave trader. He broke out of jail twice. He died in 1860 in Tennessee during a rebellion .

End of the Line

The Underground Railroad ceased operations about 1863, during the Civil War. In reality, its work moved aboveground as part of the Union effort against the Confederacy.

Harriet Tubman once again played a significant part by leading intelligence operations and fulfilling a command role in Union Army operations to rescue the emancipated enslaved people.

Bound for Canaan: The Epic Story of the Underground Railroad. Fergus Bordewich . Harriet Tubman: The Road To Freedom. Catherine Clinton . Who Really Ran the Underground Railroad? Henry Louis Gates . The Little Known History of the Underground Railroad in New York. Smithsonian Magazine . The Perilous Lure of the Underground Railroad. The New Yorker .

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How to Get From Heathrow to Gatwick: The Complete Guide

 TripSavvy / Evan Polenghi

If you're traveling to London, you'll likely pass through either Heathrow or Gatwick airport at some point during your trip. If you need to travel between the two airports (you may be using London as a jumping-off point to explore more of Europe , or you might have scored a long-haul bargain by booking split tickets via different airlines), we've put together a handy guide to make your transfer as easy as possible, including a budget option that'll set you back less than 5 pounds.

Heathrow to Gatwick: The Basics

Located 15 miles west of London, Heathrow (LHR) is one of the world's busiest international airports. All five terminals are connected to central London via the London Underground. Gatwick Airport (LGW) is around 30 miles to the south of London and is the U.K.'s second largest airport. An efficient monorail service links the two terminals (north and south), and the airport is connected to central London by train. 

The airports are around 38 miles apart. There is no direct rail service that connects Heathrow and Gatwick. To travel by train, you need to go via central London. 

If you're booking connecting flights that arrive at Heathrow and depart from Gatwick (or vice versa), you'll need to remember that they're the U.K.'s biggest and busiest airports. As such, you'll need to factor in sufficient time to allow for potential delays regarding security checks, check-in, customs, and baggage collection, in addition to the transfer journey time itself. Always play it safe when booking flight connections by allowing more time than you think you'll need or consider an overnight stay, especially when booking separate flights via different airlines (neither the airline nor the transfer operator is responsible for a missed connection, and you may be required to secure a new ticket if you miss a flight). Note that if you're booking connecting flights via the same airline, you're covered if you fail to make a connection and will be booked onto the next available flight. 

Heathrow to Gatwick by Taxi

Black Taxi Cabs are available in taxi ranks outside all Heathrow terminals and will transport passengers to Gatwick. The journey should take around 45 minutes (depending on traffic). Note you may need to wait in line for a long time at peak times. The fare is likely to be more than 100 pounds one way. Black cabs can carry up to five passengers but don't forget to take luggage into account. When booking through Black Cab London , you can quickly request a wheelchair-accessible cab by checking the "Yes" box under "Wheelchair Access" and providing the dimensions of your wheelchair or mobility aid.

Heathrow to Gatwick by Bus

The only direct route via public transport is by bus. The National Express Coach Service takes around 75 minutes (depending on traffic) and runs up to five times an hour around the clock. Fares start at 20 pounds one way if you book tickets in advance for a specific departure time. Coaches are wheelchair accessible, and comprehensive details on all available accommodations can be found on their website . While not required, National Express Coach Service does recommend contacting them 36 hours in advance to confirm the availability of all accessible travel arrangements. You can pay extra to board any available coach up to 12 hours before or after your original departure time. The luggage allowance is two 20-kilogram suitcases and an item of hand luggage per person. Note that you'll need to factor in a 15-minute walk to the bus station from Heathrow Terminals 1 and 3. Megabus also operates between Gatwick South Terminal and Heathrow Terminal 5. Traveling between the airports takes an hour and 15 minutes, and there is free Wi-Fi, a 20-kilogram luggage allowance, and charging points. Tickets start at 15.75 pounds. While coaches are wheelchair accessible but not accessible for mobility scooter users unless you can climb a few stairs to board the coach and will be okay with having your mobility device stored with luggage below. Megabus requests travelers contact them before purchasing any tickets to confirm the availability of any necessary accommodations first.

Low-cost carrier easyJet operates a  bus service  from Heathrow and Gatwick to central London (not between the airports, though, unfortunately). The cheapest and easiest way to use this service is to take the tube from Heathrow (any terminal) to Earls Court (the journey takes around 35 minutes) and then connect to the easyBus from Earls Court to Gatwick Airport North Terminal (the journey takes about 65 minutes). The trip could set you back as little as 3.50 pounds (based on a 2 pound easyBus advance fare and a 1.50 pound off-peak Oyster fare).

Heathrow to Gatwick by Train

There's no direct train service between the airports, but you can travel via rail and tube through central London. 

You can travel by Heathrow Express to Paddington (a 15-minute journey from terminals 2, 3, 4, and 5). From Paddington, you can board the Circle Line to Victoria Station (a 15-minute trip) and connect to Gatwick via the Gatwick Express (a 30-minute journey). The whole journey costs around 40 pounds one way. 

Or you can travel by tube from Heathrow (all terminals) to Green Park (a 45-minute journey) and then from Green Park to Victoria (a two-minute trip). From Victoria, you can connect to Gatwick via the Gatwick Express (a 30-minute journey). The whole journey costs around 20 pounds one way. Sometimes the Gatwick Express isn't running (such as on Boxing Day), so you will have to find alternative transportation.

Both routes offer step-free access—something to consider if you have mobility issues, a lot of luggage, or are traveling with children. 

Heathrow to Gatwick by Private Car Service

You could consider pre-booking a private car service to avoid waiting in line for a Black Cab at the airport. Most companies also offer a discount if you make a booking in advance. The journey should take around 45 minutes (depending on traffic) and cost about 55 pounds one way.

Heathrow and Gatwick are around 38 miles apart from each other. No direct rail service connects the two, which means that travelers must connect via central London.

A taxi takes around 45 minutes, while the National Express Coach Service takes around 75 minutes, depending on traffic.

A taxi trip from Gatwick to Heathrow is a pricy one, likely to cost more than 100 pounds depending on traffic and time of day.

How to Enjoy a Quick Layover in London on a Budget

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A Guide to Airports in London

Getting Around London: Guide to Public Transportation

How Do I Get From Gatwick Airport to London?

A Guide to Airports in England

How to Travel From Luton Airport to Central London by Train, Bus, and Taxi

Heathrow Airport Guide

How to Travel From London Stansted Airport to London by Bus, Train, and Car

How to Travel from London to Leeds by Train, Bus, Car, and Plane

How to Travel from London to London City Airport by Underground and Taxi

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Example sentences travel underground

Neither did anyone hide or travel underground .

According to chlorofuorocarbon dating, the water takes 26 years to travel underground before returning to the surface at the springs.

He has a vehicle that can travel underground , boring through solid rock.

Steam lines travel underground to provide heat to different areas of the building.

He wonders why more people are not travelling underground.

Definition of 'underground' underground

Definition of 'travel' travel

COBUILD Collocations travel underground

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The elizabeth line makes it easier, faster and more convenient to visit excel..

A choice of 12 trains an hour, each with a capacity of 1,500 people. Check routes for all or part of your journey on the Citymapper app .

Faster journey times across London so you can spend more time at the event, staying for that extra networking or learning opportunity.

State-of-the-art trains with Wi-Fi and air conditioning so you can travel in style and comfort.

Easy access to more hotels, restaurants and bars, as well as London's world-renowned theatre and shopping hotspots.

Direct links for national travel: Farringdon (for Thameslink services), Paddington (for Reading, Oxford, and the South West) and Liverpool Street (for Stanstead and the east of England).

Better connections for international visitors, including a 43-minute direct connection from Heathrow to ExCeL.

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Definition of underground noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

underground

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By underground vs on the underground

• Thread starter Sergey2020
• Start date Feb 26, 2020

Senior Member

• Feb 26, 2020

Hi, could you please tell me whether phrases: travel/go on the underground or travel/go by underground are used in spoken British English? I know that people in Britain say - take the underground/tube but have doubts about the former two. I checked sentencedict.com, which gave me a lot of sentences containing these collocations in question but I am still in the dark as to if these are really used in British speech. Thank you for help.  

'go on the underground' and 'go by underground' are both common.  

Train strikes in May 2024: Full list of dates and lines affected

Rail lines are set for disruption in the week following the first May bank holiday as train drivers at 16 rail companies strike on different days.

Thursday 25 April 2024 10:29, UK

Train drivers will stage a fresh wave of strikes and overtime bans in May, causing disruption to the rail network.

The strikes are part of a long-running dispute over pay.

Members of Aslef union at 16 rail companies will walk out on different days from 7 to 9 May.

Additionally, all members will refuse to work any overtime from 6 May to 11 May.

Here is a full list of the services affected by strikes and when.

Rail strike dates

Tuesday 7 May

Strikes will affect c2c, Greater Anglia, GTR Great Northern Thameslink, Southeastern, Southern, Gatwick Express and South Western Railway.

Wednesday 8 May

Strikes will affect Avanti West Coast, Chiltern Railways, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, Great Western Railway and West Midlands Trains.

Thursday 9 May

Strikes will affect LNER, Northern Trains and TransPennine Express.

Overtime ban dates

From Monday 6 May to Saturday 11 May union members will not work overtime.

Overtime bans, an action short of a strike, means some services may not be running or may be reduced as drivers refuse to work their rest days.

People are advised to check before they travel, as some areas may have no service.

Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News

How do strikes and overtime bans affect services?

Strikes tend to mean services on lines where members are participating are extremely affected or cancelled entirely, whereas overtime bans often lead to reduced services.

Are there strikes on the Tube too?

There have been regular strikes on London Underground too recently, and while there aren't any planned walkouts for drivers, customer service managers are set to walk out on Friday 26 April in a dispute over terms and conditions.

There will also be an overtime ban for the customer service managers on the following days:

Monday 29 April

Tuesday 30 April

Wednesday 1 May

Tuesday 2 May

Wednesday 3 May

Thursday 4 May

Friday 5 May

The Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA) says the action by its members is likely to cause Tube stations to close at the last minute, including on the Saturday following the strike (27 April), while TfL has said on its website "some stations may need to close at short notice".

Despite the warning, a TfL spokesperson has said they aren't expecting significant disruption.

This action follows strike action taken by the same workers on 10 April, which the TSSA said had a "real impact" with "many stations shut at short notice".

They say they are "extremely concerned" about TfL's 'Stations Changes' proposals.

"We have made it clear that our union will not accept the continued threats to our members' roles, locations, terms, and conditions to stand unchallenged," a TSSA spokesperson said.

"We will continue to take sustained action until London Underground is prepared to negotiate with us in good faith."

Commenting on the impending strikes, a TfL spokesperson said: "We are disappointed that TSSA is continuing with this strike action following a consultation process.

"While we don't expect this action will cause significant disruption, we urge TSSA to continue to work with us to help find a resolution.

"There are no planned job losses as part of these vital changes which will improve the service we provide to customers at our stations."

How can I stay in the loop?

You can use the National Rail's journey planner to see when trains are running.

Be sure to check it close to when you plan to travel, as it will be updated regularly.

Be the first to get Breaking News

Install the Sky News app for free

Why are the strikes still happening?

Aslef rejected a two-year offer of 4% in 2022 and another 4% this year, saying it is way below inflation, and is linked to changes in terms and conditions.

Aslef said train drivers have not had an increase in salary for five years, since their last pay deals expired in 2019.

The union said after its members voted overwhelmingly in February to continue taking industrial action, it asked the train operating companies to hold talks.

General secretary Mick Whelan said the year-old pay offer of 4% and another 4% was "dead in the water".

Related Topics

• London Underground
• Rail strikes

The best cocktail bars in Washington, DC

A bold collection of speakeasies, rooftop bars and hotel haunts are turning Washington, DC into a mecca for mixologists. With an inventive and unique list of libations, this city is quickly becoming a destination for cocktail connoisseurs.

Come for the Capitol, stay for the cocktails. Washington, DC invented the Gin Rickey, after all, but these days, the US capital is harnessing this heritage with a wave of innovative cocktail bars and meccas of molecular wizardry. From sleek hotel lounges, like The Pembroke, to moody, subterranean speakeasies, like Allegory, there's been lots of new openings and refreshed menus in recent years, with mixologists utilising unusual ingredients like hay-smoked bee larvae and almond blossoms. Here's our selection of the most atmospheric, creative cocktail spots to visit.  

1.   The Wells

Juniper junkies converge on Capitol Hill for this gin-centric cocktail lounge. The intimate bar is backed by a glass menagerie of gin: London dry, citrus-forward Japanese bottles, oak-aged varieties and smooth, small-batch American sips. These are the stars of seasonal cocktails like Let the Beet Drop, a concoction of yoghurt gin, red beet, honey, egg white and lemon. The design is just as spirited: The Wells is swathed in green, while carrot-coloured banquettes edge alcoves, the floor is tiled in honeycomb and a planetary-like light fixture is strung with copper. Pair drinks with elevated snacks like beluga caviar and chips or wagyu skewers with spicy habanada.

Bartender’s choice: The Martini is a staple. The addition of olive oil in the gin allows for the sweetness of olives to play with the botanicals of gin, while Cocchi Americano smooths out the edges. “It’s an olive oil cake, and it’s all grown up,” says lead bartender Alex Pisi.

2.   Allegory

Molecular magic is made at Allegory. You just have to find it first: the sleek speakeasy is hidden behind a black door in the lobby library of progressive hotel Eaton DC. This dimly-lit den spans leather banquettes, a glowing semi-circular bar and moody black pendant lights. A series of magical realist murals by Erik Thor Sandberg line the walls, fusing whimsical Alice in Wonderland themes with the story of civil rights activist Ruby Bridges. The innovative cocktail menu is inspired by the artwork, and bar bites include artisanal cheese plates and crispy pork bánh mì.

Bartender’s choices: Beat of the Drums is Allegory’s version of the classic margarita, blending agave spirits with a Mesoamerican orgeat and fermented huckleberries, then garnished with a piece of huckleberry popcorn. Other inventions, such as the viridescent Garden of Live Flowers (made with gin, rhum agricole, aloe, snap peas, cardomom and coconut black pepper) are also well worth a try.

3.   Silver Lyan

Bring your bucks to this historic former national bank. Its current guise is the grande dame Riggs Washington DC hotel, where the underground cocktail bar is built into an old vault. Silver Lyan’s decor reflects its heritage: brass detailing, stately pillars, oversized art deco lights and plush red velvet. At the helm is award-winning mixologist, Ryan Chetiyawardana (known as Mr Lyan), whose cutting-edge cocktails use unique ingredients, such as tart riberry, arrowroot tea and mulberry soda to name a few.  

Bartender’s choice: Splurge on the Silver Service Martini. Choose one of four different styles of martini, poured into an elegant John Jenkins vintage-style glass. The drink is served with Castelvetrano olives, house-pickled onions, a lemon twist and a freshly shucked oyster. “My personal favourite version is the Ford’s 50:50,” says Vlad Novikov, head of bars for Riggs.

4.   Bresca

With one beaming Michelin star, this Parisian-style bistro on 14th Street may be serious about sustenance, but it’s equally as playful. Inside are pops of perky yellow, booths of deep blue and a living wall swollen with earthy moss. Pull up a pew at the airy bar lined with wooden stools, where Bresca's cocktail menu, Myths & Legends, is a work of art — it whimsically weaves stories with colourful illustrations and innovative seasonal sips.  

Bartender’s choices: In the Circle is a twist on the traditional Manhattan, using culinary techniques to accentuate the vanilla, dark chocolate and spice notes of the D’Ussé Cognac and Michter’s Rye. It’s batched and sous vide with earthy shiitake mushrooms to complement the sweeter local squash cordial. Alternatively, pair a cavier tart with Flora & Fire, a subtle, smoky tipple made with mezcal, cachaca, Aperol, yellow chartreuse and strawberry fuse.

5.   Off The Record

Paint the town red at Off the Record. This iconic basement boozer in The Hay-Adams hotel is dripping in the dramatic: deep rouge crawls from tufted banquettes to the walls and lampshades. A wedding cake ceiling is strung with chandeliers, while caricatures of political figures adorn the walls. Situated on the edge of Lafayette square, to the north of the White House, this bar is a hallowed haunt of savvy locals. Pair its sprawling list of scotches and signature cocktails with bites like lobster rolls, burgers or yellowfin tuna tartare.

Bartender’s choice:   Served in a collins glass, the Lowrider is a refreshing grapefruit cocktail made with Ilegal Mezcal, lime, Aperol, Bittermens Hellfire Habanero Shrub, Fever Tree Pink Grapefruit and Tajín. “This cocktail is a tantalising way for lovers of the Paloma to spice up their game,” suggests bar manager Rachel Sergi.

6.   VUE Rooftop

The glistening crown atop Hotel Washington, this swish 11th-floor rooftop bar boasts fantastic panoramas of the city’s skyline, including views of the White House and stately Washington Monument. The interior is pared-back luxury: dark wood, billowy light fixtures and intimate booths. This is a space that seamlessly stretches from brunch to beats as live DJs play into the night. Soak up the Sazeracs with crispy calamari, lamb burgers or creamy burrata on rustic bread.

Bartender’s choice: Power to the Peaches blends white peach and rosemary Grey Goose Essence, which is complemented by Cointreau, chamomile, honey, lemon and a refreshing Chandon Garden Spritz. Alternatively, try one of the various seasonal cocktails like the Bi-partisan Blend, VUE's take on an espresso martini with horchata and chicory pecan bitters.  

7.   Jane Jane

Step into a Southern hospitality daydream. On 14th Street NW, retro-style Jane Jane may be small, but it has big energy. Plaid blue mosaic tiles trace the floor and bar, there are walnut-wood walls, vintage-inspired cocktail wallpaper and forest green pendant lights and booths. With only 32 seats, the intimate vibe is a cocktail party at a pal’s place which is welcoming, unpretentious and playful. Two dozen cocktails are organised by liquor, five of which are house varieties, while comfort bites are inspired by the owner’s Southern hospitality. Try the pickled okra, pimento cheese or Jane’s caviar with trout roe, creme fraiche and potato chips.

Bartender’s choice:   Should We Be Bad is the bar’s take on a classic espresso martini, replacing vodka with bourbon and adding velvet falernum for extra depth and body. Meanwhile, the jazzy Jane Jane Mule, where bourbon, fino sherry, lemon, mint, ginger beer and Angosturra are swirled on the rocks, is also well worth a try.  

8.   Hill Prince

This H Street haunt is the quintessential neighbourhood bar: convivial, affordable and pouring top-notch tipples. Set in a 100-year-old row house, Hill Prince is named after a racehorse and the classy equestrian vibe extends throughout: exposed brickwork, original pine flooring, brown leather sofas, gold-framed mirrors and a lick of hunter-green paint. There’s even a restored carriage house and a verdant courtyard to spill into on balmy nights. Head to the long main bar, dangling with moon-like pendant lights, where classic cocktails are created.  

Staff picks:   Try the savoury Mole Old Fashioned on draft, made using rye whiskey, Montenegro Amaro, Xocolatl Mole Bitters and Angostura Bitters. Alternatively, sample the house-made syrups and elixirs included in signature, summery drinks like the Vodka Mule made with peach bitters and spicy ginger beer.

9.   The Pembroke

Parisian-style The Pembroke may draw bon vivants for a bite, but its cocktails make it a libation destination. Within the Dupont Circle hotel, this restaurant is airy, leafy and chic with cream-panelled walls, coral Chanel tufted banquettes and picture windows offering views out over a summery terrace. It centres around a classic marble cocktail bar topped with gold lamps, where tinctures are shaken and stirred. Alongside an enormous wine list, cocktails have seasonal twists and locally sourced organic fare includes homemade lobster bucatini and lamb tagine with citrus couscous, to name a few.

Bartender’s choice: “The Hibiscus Margarita is a sophisticated twist on the classic margarita, featuring Casamigos Blanco, Cointreau, freshly squeezed lime juice and organic hibiscus syrup. Hibiscus syrup contributes a unique floral note, creating a well-rounded and robust flavour profile,” says bartender Tashawn Jackson.

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May 2024 strikes: Full list of walkout dates, from trains and Tube to flights

Strikes on the uk's rail network and at heathrow airport are set to disrupt travel in may.

With two bank holidays the month of May is often seen as the perfect time to get away but this year that could be hampered by a series of strikes which will cause travel chaos.

Rail services, the London Underground and Heathrow Airpor t will all be hit by industrial action this month, some of it coinciding with the first May bank holiday.

Train drivers union Aslef, Tube workers who are members of the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) and around 800 members of the union Unite based at Heathrow are all to stage walkouts or overtime bans during the month.

It means travel disruption will be inevitable for some this month.

When are the train strikes?

Train drivers union Aslef has announced its members will walk out in another series of one-day strikes, coupled with a six-day overtime ban.

This will affect 16 train companies with which the union is still in dispute. over pay for drivers.

Mick Whelan, Aslef’s general secretary, said: “Drivers would not vote to strike if they thought an offer was acceptable.

“They don’t. And that offer – now a year old – is dead in the water.”

A spokesperson for the Rail Delivery Group, which represents rail companies, said: “This wholly unnecessary strike action called by the ASLEF leadership will sadly disrupt customers and businesses once again, while further damaging the railway at a time when taxpayers are continuing to contribute an extra £54 million a week just to keep services running.

“We continue to seek a fair agreement with the ASLEF leadership which both rewards our people, gives our customers more reliable services and makes sure the railway isn’t taking more than its fair share from taxpayers.”

The industrial action will be on:

Tuesday 7 May – affecting c2c, Gatwick Express, Greater Anglia (which includes Stansted Express), Great Northern, Southeastern, Southern, South Western Railway (which includes Island Line) and Thameslink.

Wednesday 8 May – Avanti West Coast, Chiltern Railways, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, Great Western Railway, Heathrow Express, London Northwestern Railway and West Midlands Railway.

Thursday 9 May – LNER, Northern and TransPennine Express.

There will also be an overtime ban from Monday 6 May to Saturday 11 May which may alter the timetable of trains that will be running.

Passengers are advised to check before they travel, as the action is likely to lead to delays and cancellations.

When are the Tube strikes?

Members of TSSA rail union working as customer service manager on the London Underground are already going on strike on Friday 26 April .

TSSA Customer Service Managers at London Underground will also take part in an overtime ban from Monday 29 April to Friday 5 May , which will include the May bank holiday.

This overtime ban is expected to lead to station closures at very short notice.

TSSA General Secretary Maryam Eslamdoust said: “We will continue to take sustained action until London Underground is prepared to negotiate with us in good faith.”

Transport for London, which runs London Underground, has said it is “disappointed” by the planned action and has urged TSSA urge TSSA to “continue to work with us to help find a resolution.”

A planned strike by Aslef members on the London Underground for Saturday 4 May has now been called off.

When are the Heathrow Airport strikes?

Heathrow, the UK’s largest airport, is facing major disruption in May with a series of strikes across different departments.

Unite union has said almost 800 members will be taking part in a week of strike action beginning at 12.01am on Tuesday 7 May and ending at 11.50pm on Monday 13 May in a dispute over the outsourcing of jobs.

Jobs in passenger services (assisting travellers to catch connecting flights), trolley operations and campus security (security guards responsible for workers at Heathrow and vehicles being checked entering Heathrow) are expected to be outsourced by 1 June.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Heathrow Airport’s actions are deplorable, it is raking in massive profits for the bosses while trying to squeeze every last penny out of its workforce.”

Unite members from passenger services, trolley operations, campus security, firefighters and airside operations will strike from 7 May up to and including 13 May.

In a separate dispute, Unite members at AFS Ltd, an airline refuelling company, are also taking part in industrial action at Heathrow Airport on Saturday 4 May , Sunday 5 May and Monday 6 May (bank holiday) over pay and conditions.

Unite said the action will “inevitably cause widespread disruption across the airport leading to delays and disruption.”

A Heathrow Airport spokesperson said: “We are reorganising our operations to deliver better results for our customers.

“There are no job losses as a result of these changes, and we continue to discuss with Unite the implementation of these changes for the small number of colleagues impacted.

Unite’s threats of potential industrial action are unnecessary, and customers can be reassured that we will keep the airport operating smoothly just like we have in the past.”

Border Force staff, who are members of the PCS union, and responsible for immigration controls and passport checks are due to go on strike for four days between Monday 29 April and Thursday 2 May in the run-up to the bank holiday.

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