Ken shows us round

Now that Ken Livingstone’s transport empire has been extended to take in "The Overground", it seems like a good idea to revisit the Transport for London (TfL) website, and in particular the Journey Planner.

An onscreen leaflet rack

You can still get maps and leaflets at tube stations about routes, fares, this and that. But the most reliable source of this information is the TfL website.

Underground, buses, river boats, trams, DLR – all these and more are covered in great detail. Taxis and minicabs are included, with details of the "Get home safely" scheme (you text a given number and they text you back the numbers of one taxi firm and two licensed minicab companies).

If you prefer to cycle, or you are interested in that other eccentric activity, walking, there is lots of help and advice. And if you have an Oyster Card, there are special money-off offers. I’m getting my nails done with 20% off – maybe I won’t chew them when they are bright pink with inset rhinestones!

So – lots of lovely info, and then there’s the Journey Planner…

(From the Gateway to websites, select "Transport & tourism". Transport for London is a Key Link.)

The wheels on the bus go round and round (almost)

The TfL Journey Planner makes you purr with satisfaction. It’s just so good! Calm down, David, and tell the nice people why it’s so good.

Where are you, and where do you want to be? – as long as you know that, the Journey Planner will do the rest. You can specify a station, an address (or postcode) or a place of interest. If you do a simple search, it will find you the fastest journeys by any means of transport. But if you only want bus journeys, or you want to walk, just uncheck all the boxes you wish to exclude, and it will work with what you leave it.

If you like the look of one of the offered journeys, you can click to see the detailed breakdown of the journey. Then you can obtain PDF maps of the start, the finish and any interchange. Or – and this is when the fun starts – you can select an interactive map. What pops up is an ordinary-looking map of the start of your journey. But look for the "Wizard" box in the corner, click it and – wheee! – a tube symbol or a little bus (or whatever is appropriate) goes on the journey in front of your very eyes. Talk about bells and whistles!

You can edit your search, check for real-time information on any delays, and find out what the fare will be. And more and more and more.

Go exporing. You’ll have a ball.

(From the Gateway to websites, select "Transport & tourism". Journey Planner is a Key Link.)

Picture credit: mantasmagorical/morguefile.com