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London
,→Southeast towards The South East, Maidstone, Folkestone (Channel Tunnel), Dover (Ferries to Europe) {{Mgb|20}}: Added extra possible spo.
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{{Hitchhiking Zine nomination}}
{{Infobox Location
|country = England
|pop = 8.623 million (2015)
|motorways = {{Mgb|1}} {{Mgb|11}} {{Mgb|2}} {{Mgb|20}} {{Mgb|23}} {{Mgb|25}} {{Mgb|3}} {{Mgb|4}}
|map = <map lat='51.500152' lng='-0.126236' zoom='11' view='3'/>
}}
'''London''' is the capital of [[England]] and the [[United Kingdom]].It's worth knowing that London is HUGE (third biggest city in Europe).
== Greater London ==This region is a part of the [[East of England]] and accessible through the motorways M1/A1 and M11. These regions are part of the [[London]] commuter belt and include in part or totally the following counties: '''Bedfordshire:''' [[Luton]] (London Luton Airport) '''Cambridgeshire:''' [[Cambridge]], [[Peterborough]] '''Essex:''' [[Colchester]], [[Southend-on-Sea]] '''Hertfordshire:''' [[Stevanage]], [[Bishop's Stortford]] / [[London Stansted]] (Airport) ==Hitching OutHitchhiking in ==* London has a motorway ring-road, the [[httpM25 (GB)|M25]]. '''Get dropped off on or near the M25 and use the public transport to get wherever you need.''' If you are coming from the west and your driver is heading south on the M25, ask to be dropped off at the first junction on the M25:Heathrow Terminal 5. Get off at the roundabout at the end of the motorway spur and walk to the terminal building. The Piccadilly Line Underground starts here. If they are heading north, see the description for getting to Uxbridge Underground station below.<br/ >If you are coming from the southeast on the M20, ask to be dropped off at the A20/M20/wwwM25 roundabout. From here you can take the B2173 road 2km to Swanley train station.hitchbaseAlternatively, if they are heading further north, get dropped off at the M25/A12 junction and walk ≈3km west to Harold Wood station.com<br/ >If you're coming from the north and your driver is heading towards the M4/ergebnisseM3 direction, try to persuade them to do a slight detour off the M25 to junction 1 of the M40 (roundabout with A40).php?LANGFrom there, it's a ≈2km walk to Uxbridge Underground station. Otherwise, get off at the last services (Toddington) before the M25 and look for a lift going inside the ring road.<br/ > '''Hitch into London from the last services on your motorway before the M25 (the driver will usually know which one this is).''' Then try to find a ride that bring you close enough to your destination. Check "public transport" for navigating the system efficiently and cheaply. See the transiting around the M25 section below if you just want to bypass London. =eng&abfrage%5Bstartort%5D=444 Hitchbase] has some information about hitchhiking Hitchhiking out of London==
Hitchhiking out of London is pretty tricky, but not impossible - the big problem is getting onto a motorway is a bit of a challenge, once you're on the motorway, stick to the petrol stations, hitching entrance ramp to entrance ramp is quite difficult, especially in the big cities.
'''Option 3''': Motorway service station Heston
The easiest way to get here is to take a train to Sidcup, then take the 233 city bus towards Swanley and get off at Old Maidstone Road. The service station will be about two minutes' walk down and across the road. There is a gate in the fence, though it may be closed in which case you'll have to jump the fence. Another way to get here is to take a train from ''London Victoria'' to ''Swanley''. Some trains will go directly there, otherwise change at Bromley South. (There is also a direct train from St. Pancras to Swanley, but it cost £8.80 (peak) in Nov 2015, so might as well just get a megabus if you're going to pay that much). From the station, cross the tracks with the pedestrian bridge to Everest Place, turn right on St. Mary's Rd to the roundabout at London Road. From here, turn left (north) along London Road/ Maidstone Road for 2.6kms. Here you'll find the service station behind a fence on the left. It's a longer walk than to the Texaco mentioned below but managed to get a lift there in 15 minutes at 22:00 asking people (September 2013). It seemed most traffic was M20/M25, but might of been the time of night. This is perfect for getting to Maidstone.<br/ > This service station has a BP petrol station and a McDonald's. Cost of public transport: One train ticket ''from zone 1'' (approximately £3.50 off-peak) or take the train from Elephant & Castle in central south-east (no barriers) towards Seven Oaks for a free ride. '''Option 3''': Texaco petrol station, Swanley Same directions as for Option 2 above, but this time, walk into town from the station, and head to the London Road going south towards M20. On the way there is a Texaco petrol station that seems quite busy. Further down there is a big parking space, with a greasy spoon van if you're hungry or in need of a cup of coffee. The road takes you straight down to the motorway. Make sure that you get a ride going to Maidstone Service Station, because it's after the town so someone going to the town of Maidstone won't pass the service station. If you do get a ride just to the town of Maidstone, there is a good lay-by for hitchhiking on the roundabout that leads to the on ramp to the M20, but you'll have to thumb a ride because there is nowhere to ask people. It works with a sign saying "M20 4 miles" to get to the service station. Cost of Public Transport: xxx '''Option 4''': Motorway service station Clackett Lane (M25) A. Take the train from ''London Bridge'' to ''Oxted''. Walk southeast along Station Road to Westerham Road (A25). Turn left (east) and walk 3.5km till the junction with Clackett Lane. Turn left here and walk 1.6km along Clackett Lane to the entrance to the service station (heading East) just after you pass over the M25 motorway bridge. B. Take the train from ''Victoria'' to ''Bromley South''. Then take bus 246 south in the direction of Westerham Green and get off at ''Pilgrims Way''. Walk west along Pilgrims Way and then Pilgrims Lane for ≈1.4km until you reach Clackett Lane. Turn left (south) and walk for ≈1km until you reach the entrance to the service station heading East (before crossing over the motorway bridge). Cost of Public Transport: You can reach London Bridge by overground from a station without barriers and skip the fare. Option 5: (Experimental) : Sun in the Sands roundabout, direct onto the A2 to Dover. Jass passed here the other day and saw what seems to be an ideal spot with a lot of space for vehicles to pull over on the slip road onto the motorway.Take the overline to Blackheath from London Bridge. Follow Montpellier Road past the large Blackheart meadows/ park then up Shooters Hill Road till you get to the roundabout. ==Airports= Southeast towards [[South East England|The South East]], [[Hastings]], [[Royal Tunbridge Wells]] A21 ===Paid transport Add info pls === Northwest towards [[Oxford]], [[High Wycombe]], [[Warwick]], [[Birmingham]], [[North Wales]] {{Mgb|40}} === [[M40 (GB)|M40]] is different from other motorways originating from London, as it starts quite close to M25 as a continuation of the dual-carriageway A40. '''Option 1''': M40 Junction 1 Take a Piccadilly or Metropolitan Line to ''Uxbridge'' (Zone 6). Exit the station onto High Street and turn right. Walk until you reach Harefield Road - turn left there, and then right at the next big roundabout. From there follow signs to M40 - you will eventually get to junction 1 slip road, and you can hitch-hike from airports can there (there's also a nice spot at the traffic lights). You might need to cross parts of the road where vehicle will already be expensiveflying at motorway speeds - stay safe!!! Confirm with the driver that he is going straight onto the M40, and does not turn onto M25 (London Orbital). Also beware that Junction 2 is not very easy to hitch-hike on (see M40 article). '''Option 2''': A40 Junction (Hangar Lane) Take the Central Line tube (West Ruislip branch) to ''Hangar Lane'' (zone 3). As you exit into the main hall of the tube station, have a look at the local area map and find the exit for the westbound A40 slip road. Keep walking along the slip road, and then A40. Hitching can be There are two good places to hitch from: 1. A bus stop just past the junction with Lynwood Rd. It has a long lay-by, which is a good alternativeplace to hitch from as long as there's nothing parked there. Legally, it's a "non-stopping except buses" lay-by. 2. The exits other place is half a mile further on, a little lay-by with no restrictions. Its good spot and has an advantage of being open to the airports entire A40 (the Lynwood Rd bus stop has a separation between the incoming slip road and the main carriageway, so you can also only be picked up by traffic emerging from North Circular Road, or Lynwood Road). '''Option 3''': A40 Junction (Hillingdon) Take the Piccadilly or Metropolitan Line tube to ''Hillingdon'' (zone 6). As you exit the tube station and go to the end of walkway, turn right and walk until you reach the big traffic light-controlled crossroads of 'Long Lane' and 'Western Avenue' (NOT the A40 Western Avenue). Cross the road, then turn right and continue to the roundabout, whose primary exit is the slip-road to A40. Stand on the grass next to of the hatched area - the hatched area is a good places and legal place for a vehicle to stop. The area is also well-lit which makes it a perfect place to hitch at night.It is advisable to have a sign saying "Oxford" or something, as a lot of traffic leaves [[M40 (GB)|M40]] at junction 1a to continue on [[M25 (GB)|M25]].There is also an Oxford Tube coach stop in Western Avenue/Freezeland Way nearby. If you happen to get really stuck (which I think you won't - I waited only about 12 minutes for a ride on an evening during a post-Christmas season) and only need to get to Oxford, this might be an alternative.<br/ > If your driver is going to Oxford or somewhere nearby then request to be dropped off at the 'Welcome Break' services just before Wheatley, junction 8A (just a km after junction 8). This is a busy services and easy to find lifts all over the country. === North towards [[Luton]], [[Milton Keynes]], ('''''[[East Midlands|The East Midlands]]'''''), [[Northampton]], [[Leicester]], [[Derby]], [[Nottingham]], [[Sheffield]], [[Leeds]] {{Mgb|1}} === '''Option 1''': Motorway service station London Gateway Take Northern Line tube to other placesEdgware, and then walk 2.5km: Turn right out of the station onto 'Station Road'. For exampleFollow the road along, it turns into 'Hale Lane', keep going, then turn left onto 'Selvage Lane' and keep going, if you get stuck will then go over a bridge over the M1 and come to a big roundabout 'Apex Corner'. Go down into the subway under the roundabout, and come out on the western part A1 ('Barnet Way), just by the petrol station. Turn left just behind the petrol station onto 'Ellesmere Avenue', this road runs parallel to the high way. Keep walking until you come to a road on your left with a big sign with three symbols, one of which would translate as 'no access to anyone except authorised vehicles' and clearly goes under the M25motorway. Walk down it and you come to [https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/51.6136474,-0.2756824/51.6331801,-0.267389/@51.6234134,-0.28321,14z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m24!4m23!1m20!3m4!1m2!1d-0.2707532!2d51.6182613!3s0x487616bd30b5031d:0x8018c6fc46ad7c0a!3m4!1m2!1d-0.2601509!2d51.6168185!3s0x487616bf7b9c6b11:0x36592f73c8bb24ff!3m4!1m2!1d-0.2554027!2d51.6210173!3s0x487616ea6c84b413:0x4e9825452a0ab13a!3m4!1m2!1d-0.2661023!2d51.6315945!3s0x4876168dfd4886a1:0x9337096bd5773568!1m0!3e2?hl=en London Gateway Services]. Cost of public transport: £3.10 (off peak) from zone 1. '''Option 2''': [http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=51.572780, try +-0.230950&ie=UTF8&z=12&iwloc=addr&om=1 Staples Corner] Take Northern Line tube to ''Brent Cross'' (zone 3). From there you follow the 'North Circular Road' westwards for about 1km (along Tilling Road), and you get to Heathrowthe bottom of the M1 (don't get confused with the A1 which also passes nearby, although if this road is more convenient for your destination, you can also hitch from here). After passing the shopping centre, you should see the M1. It is possible to hitch at the first entrance you see, which is the traffic coming off the 'Westbound North Circular' (there people are going all over is a bus stop just after the slip road joins the North Circular, and a small lay-by further on - both adjacent to the lane for M1). You can also hitch at the traffic lights (see spot on the map to the right) or on the hard shoulder on the countryon-ramp that slopes up right after those traffic lights. Important : If you are coming getting a lift from Brightonhere, ensure that the driver is driving to at least the next service station (Toddington), which is approximately 50-60 miles from this spot. Cost of public transport: xxx [[File:Staples_corner_m1.jpg|thumb|400px|right|Hitching Spot at Staples Corner for M1]] - This place seems to work really well. I get the bus to brent cross and trying then its about a 10 min walk to this spot. However, it tends to get go slightly quicker if you walk 2 minutes more around Londonthe roundabout ('''Staples Corner ''West'' '''). You'll see a railway bridge, go under it and there is a bus stop beside a car repair place (the bus stop itself is near Adrian Avenue and is by the ''Western'' side of the railway bridge). It doesn't look like such a great place, but it works quite well if you have a sign. - This is a very good place, however one user recommends right next to the car repair center ( on the right of it )there is entrance for the M1 Motorway which is slightly going upwards before meeting the highway. You may get go up and make sure to stand atleast 100 meters away from the point where cars enter on this road from the redlight behind. Have a ride quicker sign that says M1. - In case you are going to where Edinburgh: once you are at any of the service stations on the motorway, you want will find a lot of people going in that direction, i.e. going to go if Leeds and further. Somewhere north of Leeds, the M1 becomes the A1(M) highway; however, ensure that once you are on this highway going in the direction of Newcastle, and then Edinburgh, you do not get dropped out at the last petrol station before Newcastle. Get out at Gatwick Airport the 2nd, 3rd or 4th last petrol station before Newcastle, but not the last one. The second last one has a huge McD and more long-distance traffic than the last one, which has a Burger King and Costa and is just a small petrol station with mostly local traffic from Newcastle coming for petrol. Ensure whoever is taking you drops you off only at Pease Pottage servicesa petrol station and not on a country road. After Newcastle, there is only one major/decent petrol station in a town called Alnwick (pronounced 'Annick'). Try finding someone who is going to Edinburgh directly from one of the earlier good McD stations. A better alternative route to Edinburgh is to take the M1, M6, A74(M), and A707; this way, you won't have to bother about McD and Newcastle. === North towards, [[Stevanage]], [[Peterborough]], [[East Midlands]], [[East of England|The East]], [[Newcastle]], [[North East England|The North East]] {{agb|1}} === Moat Mount Park bus stop on A1. Buses 292, 384, 606 tops there.After 5 km there is a Mimms Service petrol station / rest stop Cost of public transport: xxx * === Northwest towards [[Cambridge]], [[London GatwickStansted]], [[Norwich]], [[East of England|The East]], East Coast {{Mgb|11}} ===* Take the Central Line tube to ''Redbridge'' (zone 4). Once at the station, turn right and use the subways to cross under the A406. Once on the slip road for the A406 (extending Eastern Avenue), there is a great place for vehicles to pull over. The spot is located just next to the bridge over a canal or river. The traffic will not be coming from A406, but it really is a good place to hitch a ride. It is strongly recommended that you bring a M11 sign with you. Cost of public transport: £2.80 (off-peak) from zone 1. Tip: To get to the same part of london, you can also take the Central line to Roding Valley. Here there are no barriers as you exit so if you managed to get into the underground system for free, you can get out for free. It's about a half an hour walk to the start of the M11. For getting into the underground system, you can for example get in at Finsbury Park where there are no barriers either. There are also other stations. === Southwest towards [[South West England|The South West]], [[Basingstoke]], [[Salisbury]], [[Southampton]], [[Porstmouth]], [[South West England|Dorset]], [[Poole|Bournemouth]] {{Mgb|3}} === '''Option 1''': Lay-by on A316 near Kempton Park Take the train from ''London StanstedWaterloo'' in the direction of Shepperton and exit at ''Kempton Park'' station. Exit the station (do not go on the footbridge), cross the racecourse car park and turn right into Park Road, which goes into the slip road coming off A316. When you reach the A316 itself, walk on the pavement in the opposite direction to the traffic. You will immediately see a lay-by (chances are some lorries will be parked there). You can hitch from there. The position is not perfect, as the road is going downhill, and the traffic is traveling very fast (50-70mph) Cost of public transport: One ticket/travelcard to zone 6 + one ticket from ''Hampton'' to ''Kempton Park'' railway station. '''Kempton Park''' station is just outside London Transport Zones (''Hampton'', the previous station on the Waterloo-Shepperton line, is in zone 6), but it has no ticket barriers and the chances of meeting a ticket inspector between ''Hampton'' and ''Kempton Park'' should be quite remote. '''Option 2''': A316 Junction with A312 Take the train on the same line as above, and get off at ''Fulwell''. Walk south on Wellington Road, and then turn right onto Park Road. Follow this road as it joins the A312 for about 1.5 km in total. Just below the A316 bridge, which you will see ahead of you as you follow the A312, there is a roundabout. The first left turn on this roundabout is an on-ramp for the A316. There is a bus stop and a pedestrian crossing here, and traffic is going uphill, and so is quite slow. One user waited here for about 30 minutes with a sign saying "M3". Cost of public transport: xxx === Southwest towards [[Porstmouth]], [[Worthing]]A3/{{agb|3}}, & A24 === West Lodge bus stop on A3. Buses 85, 265 and 969 stops there. There is also Co-op Roehampton Vale petrol station Cost of public transport: xxx * === South towards [[Brighton]] {{Mgb|23}} === Take a train from ''Victoria'', ''Clapham Junction'', or ''London HeathrowBridge'' station to ''East Croyden'' (zone 6). From here, take a train to ''Coulsdon South''. Turn left out of the station on Brighton Road and walk 600m to the roundabout. Nearly all the traffic goes to the M23 from here. Cost of public transport: £3.80 (off-peak) (£2.70 off-peak from Clapham Junction) === East towards [[East of England|The East]], [[East of England|Essex]], [[Chelmsford]], [[Colchester]], [[Ipswich]], [[Southend-on-Sea]] A/12 === Take Hammersmith & City Line or District Line to ''Bow Road'' (Zone 2). Walk east for ≈700m along the Bow Road to the roundabout junction with the A12. There are traffic lights here, and a McDonalds across the road. Hitch on the slip road heading north on the A12. You can get lifts from here to Ipswich or Colchester. I waited 20 minutes. It was OK. There is plenty of room for people to stop as there is a bus stop nearby.
==Transiting Greater London =Squatting===London has such an abundance of [[squat]]s that you shouldn't ever have to pay for accomodation. Don't worry about the connotation associated with squats. They generally aren't crackhouses or scabie infested punk hangouts. People of all types squat in London and their homes are usually very nice. They are especially helpful if you're planning to stick around for a while, but can also be great if you're just passing through. [[User:Zac Stewart|Zac]]<small><sup>[[User talk:Zac Stewart|talk]]</sup></small> ended up with a squat to sleep in on his first night, and in [[Mayfair]] of all places!
===FreeClacket Lane Services ===Plenty of places throw out food at closing time. Always check the bags out front of '''Pret a Mangers''' and '''Benjy's''' at 5-7pm. If you feel up to it, you can even go inside when they are closing shop and explain that you're homeless and pick out all the food you want instead of getting it off the sidewalk. Feel no shame, you're helping to curb wastefulness!
{{nomadwiki}}
[[Category:East of England]]
[[Category:South East England]]
[[Category:England]]
[[Category:United Kingdom]]
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