London Congestion charge? Please school me

BigPerk · Posted: Sun Oct 04, 2009 12:23 pm Post subject:

And BTW, don't forget to try and sort your parking arrangements out if you can. Depending on when you are up there, and where, that can be a real bind, and if you are on a meter (you are obviously travelling in the week) they can be difficult to find and are expensive - plenty of £1 (and smaller) coins needed. NCP car parks are VERY EXPENSIVE. If you have any distance to walk, make sure you put the car's location in your TT!

I don't know how much the traffic has built up again since the charge was introduced (it dropped tremendously when I was working there), but I would think that the traffic will move reasonably well inside the central zone - approaching it through the suburbs can be pretty slow going though.

As Dennis said, week-day drivers in London are pretty good I find - I feel a lot safer there than I do in some other cities - eg lane discipline is usually much better, such as on roundabouts. (Weekend drivers are a totally different matter Shocked

)

Hope that helps in some way, and doesn't seem patronising - sometimes obvious things get overlooked in unfamiliar circumstances
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David
(Navigon 70 Live, Nuvi 360)

DennisN · Posted: Sun Oct 04, 2009 12:42 pm Post subject:

I agree, traffic dropped noticeably with the introduction of the congestion charge. But it built up again. This summer, during school holidays it was a dream inside the CC zone, beautiful, but it'll be back to unpleasant now, I'm sure.

Piccadilly is a nightmare - bus lane, red route, double yellows, parking wardens every three feet. I parked my van in a Haymarket loading bay with a sign in the windscreen saying Delivery to Blah blah blah. So they stuck the ticket on the windscreen blocking the view of my sign!! "No evidence of loading for 15 minutes" - what did he want? I'm alone, I should leave the van doors open whilst I walk off? (And I took less than 15 minutes anyway!!).

100 miles each way delivery normally takes me a steady four hours round trip. My best for London was 5 hours, worst was 8, "normal" is 6.
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Dennis

If it tastes good - it's fattening.

Two of them are obesiting!!

SpikeyMikey · Posted: Sun Oct 04, 2009 7:34 pm Post subject:

Parking meters taking dosh are quite rare now.

Mostly pay by phone / text.
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Mike
TT GO6000 (Europe); iPhone and iPad Pro with iOS TT GO & MyDrive + CamerAlert

classy56 · Posted: Mon Oct 05, 2009 5:40 pm Post subject:

I drive around London often, and very rarely lose the signal, when I have it tends to be in the City area rather than the West End.
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App 8.300
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To old to die young.

Mouse9 · Regular Visitor Joined: Sep 29, 2009 Posts: 64

Thanks Dennis,

One more think - congestion charge. I am going for 1 day.

I've looked at some sites, it says you can pay for the charge at some shops. Now do I pay for it before I enter London? Or after? Also how much is the toll road?

Mouse9 · Regular Visitor Joined: Sep 29, 2009 Posts: 64

SpikeyMikey · Posted: Wed Oct 07, 2009 11:02 am Post subject:

At each parking location there will be a sign with a 4 digit location code, you phone or text the numbers given and submit the location code, your registration, the number of minutes you want to park and then your card details. Once you have done this your registration and card details are saved and you won't have to submit them again unless they change.
Hope that helps
The congestion charge can be paid in advance, on the day or the higher rate the next day if you forgot!
_________________
Mike
TT GO6000 (Europe); iPhone and iPad Pro with iOS TT GO & MyDrive + CamerAlert

BigPerk · Posted: Wed Oct 07, 2009 11:06 am Post subject:

Mouse9 - If you google 'london parking' you will find among other things

Mouse9 · Regular Visitor Joined: Sep 29, 2009 Posts: 64

SpikeyMikey · Posted: Wed Oct 07, 2009 11:29 am Post subject:

There are some locations that take cards, you'd need to check Westminsters website as previously suggested, if that doesn't help a quick phone call might answer your queries.
As I said, you can pay in advance or later that day by any of the methods already discussed.
_________________
Mike
TT GO6000 (Europe); iPhone and iPad Pro with iOS TT GO & MyDrive + CamerAlert

Mouse9 · Regular Visitor Joined: Sep 29, 2009 Posts: 64

Guys if I don't see you tomorrow night it means I'm lost in London somewhere.

DennisN · Posted: Wed Oct 07, 2009 8:24 pm Post subject:

Remember to come back and tell us how you got on. Have a nice day. Very Happy

_________________
Dennis

If it tastes good - it's fattening.

Two of them are obesiting!!

253 · Posted: Wed Oct 07, 2009 8:35 pm Post subject:

SpikeyMikey · Posted: Wed Oct 07, 2009 8:51 pm Post subject:

Good luck from me too. If you have a better experience due to our input then it's been worthwhile. Feedback welcomed.
_________________
Mike
TT GO6000 (Europe); iPhone and iPad Pro with iOS TT GO & MyDrive + CamerAlert

Mouse9 · Regular Visitor Joined: Sep 29, 2009 Posts: 64

I'm back!

Just got back a few hours ago. My my, what an adventure. 6 hours of driving, 400miles covered!

I've never driven to central London, only been by car then by train but how expensive is it. £4.40 an hour parking! Gosh! - Spent £28 just on parking. I don't think I ever spent £20 a month on parking here. Laughing Out Loud

Traffic is extremely slow, even with the congestion charge, nothing has changed and the roads, oh my 3 lines to a road, all lines goes forward or right/left accordingly. Very confusing.

As for the Sat nav. My TomTom severed me well. Got me there and back no problem. Only hiccup I had is when i wanted to drive out of the Piccadilly and into Victoria. Tomtom took me round in circles on a one way system which it didn't know so I had to go round and round.

Also it missed out 4? maybe 5 speed cameras in London. Thankfully since I was going 1mph throughout I was able to correct the error on TT mapshare feaure.

I don't see the point of that many speed cameras when the max you can go is 10mph before stopping again.

Another confusing thing is how small the streets are and how many corners, turnings there is. Impossible to navigate with the 2D map as the POI got in the way and hid the corners/turnings. The arrow (car) on the map covered the whole street at times so the turning was hard to see. The roads in london are really confusing, the turnings are not even turnings, just bends that got off where traffic merges.

I found the 3D map worked best on street level as you can see the turning right in front of you so you don't miss it.

Whose idea was it to put extra large roundabouts with another extra roundabout? with no signs what so ever and have 3 lanes merge with 4 lines then merge with 3 lanes then to 5 then everyone for themselves! Evil or Very Mad

Major confusion.

Afterwards I stopped at a service station and had Wimpys! Cool

Not had Wimpys for maybe 20 years so that was enjoyable especailly driving 3 hours none stop.

I am glad I had a sat nav with me. The roads (M1, M6) would be near impossible to drive if you miss a turning. I know it's only a straight line but when you are driving 30miles/40miles till the next turning point it is really hard to make sure you don't miss it, epecially during night times.

All in all good expereince for me. I drove 6 hours none stop and only made 1 stop off point coming back as the traffic was really bad so didn't want to quene on the roads, so just stopped off for some food.

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