The East End - Travel

Whereas the Docklands area is very well served by rail and bus, the heart of the East End is not so easy to get around. The Docklands Light Railway serves the entire Docklands area but only part of the rest of the East End. This section is very large, but the bus services and tube services are not at all regular. They are all spaced quite a long way from each other. You would have to walk quite a lot. The Docklands Light Railway stations however, are almost next door to each other. Being on the river, boats are constantly stopping off at Docklands. It is not worth driving into the Docklands. However, round the heart of the East End it is advisable to drive, or you might find that you will be walking long distances.

Rail
Limehouse is the only Rail station serving the East End area I have covered. This station is situated between Wapping and the Docklands, and essentially serves as a barrier between the heart of the East End and Docklands. Therefore, it is well placed because it gives you the opportunity to move quickly into whichever section of the East End you would like to visit. Limehouse is served to the east by Upininster and Barking and Stratford and to the west by Cannon Street.

Bus
This section will be divided into two parts - buses travelling through or into the Docklands area and buses travelling through or into the heart of the East End.

Docklands

Bus Route	From/To	Terminating or Midstop
277	Islington Station to Leamouth	Midstop
D8	Crossharbour to Stratford Station	Midstop
P14	Covers entire Docklands area from Isle of Dogs to Surrey Quays
D1	Waterloo to Harbour Exchange Square	Stops at Crossharbour

Heart of East End

Bus Route	From/To	Terminating or Midstop
277	Islington Station to Leamouth	Midstop
505	Waterloo to Shoreditch	Stops next to Brick Lane
100	Covers entire heart of the East End from Liverpool St. to Shadwell
48	London Bridge to Walthamstow	Midstop
26	Waterloo to Hackney Wick	Midstop

Docklands Light Railway
To get around the Docklands and part of the rest of the East End, you must travel on the Docklands Light Railway (DLR). The railway starts at Bank in The City, and then, upon entering the East End, goes through Aldgate, Shadwell, Limehouse and Westferry. When it reaches the Docklands it moves straight through the entire area from West India Quay to Island Gardens. I do emphasise that one of the major delights in visiting the Docklands is travelling on the DLR and witnessing the wonderful views of the docks and the beautiful modem buildings.

River Boats
For or via the East End:

Departing	Departure Times	Contact Telephone
Westminster Pier	10:30 to 16:00, every 30-60 mins	Contact 0207 930 4097
Charing Cross	Every 30 minutes from 10:30	Contact on 0207 987 1185
Westminster	Every 30-80 minutes from 11:00	Contact on 0207 839 2111

Road
From the south east take the A2 into London.
From the east take the A 12 or A 13 into London.
From South London take the A205 (South Circular Road) east.
From North London take the A406 south east.
From the west take the A40 into the City.

Tubes
All the tube stations I mention include the Docklands Light Railway, apart from Wapping, Whitechapel, Shoreditch, and Aldgate East. In the heart of the East End: Aldgate East (Hammersmith and City, Circle, Metropolitan lines), Shoreditch (East London line), Whitechapel (East London, District, Hammersmith and City), Wapping (East London), Shadwell (East London). Tower Gateway, Limehouse, and Westferry are only on the DLR All the Docklands stations are only on the DLR.

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