London by Bike – The Latest Public Transport Form

The Barclays Bike Scheme Allows Instant Access to Travelling Around London by Bike:

Bike Docking Point - Photo Courtesy VisitBritain..

Londoners have taken to the bike scheme in a big way and everyone in the Capital now has instant access to thousands of Barclays Cycle Hire bikes throughout central London.

Due to the popular of the bike scheme, more and more hire bikes and docking points are being added and by 2012 the cycle hire area will be extended beyond central London to include areas such as all of the Borough of Tower Hamlets as well as North Shoreditch in the Borough of Hackney. When complete the expanded scheme will cover 65 km² of the Capital and around 8,000 hire bikes will be available from 14,400 docking points at hundreds of locations across central and east London.

London by Bike

The Lord Mayor’s flagship cycle hire scheme is not for Londoners alone.  Visitors too are able to use the bike hire if sightseeing London by bike is an attraction.  There is no need to register for membership and the bike hire scheme provides instant access to the capital’s newest form of public transport at any time.

Anyone with a Visa or MasterCard credit/debit card or Visa Electron will be able to go to one of the 352 docking stations across central London and follow simple on screen instructions at the terminal to release a Barclays Cycle Hire bike.

The bike hire costs includes an Access Fee (access to use the scheme) and a Usage Charge (time of usage).  Whether you’re a member or casual user, the fees are the same, however members can benefit from a cheaper annual Access Fee.  As a short-term visitor, this is of no benefit.

The bike hire scheme is intended for short journeys and if all your trips are under 30 minutes, then all you pay is the access fee – a very cheap way of getting around London.  However, before you start using the bike scheme on your London holiday, it’s advisable to read about things such as the ‘Late return charge’ or ‘Damage charge’ as these can burn a huge hole in your holiday pocket.

More about the Barclays Cycle Hire Scheme >

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