By Mark W, July 02, 2008 at 09:35 AM

The Gatwick Express approached Victoria Station in central London. For the past thirty minutes, my eyes have been glued to the window, watching the English countryside glide past. My first thought, as we passed through the numerous towns between London and Gatwick was how old everything looked. Yet, I was fascinated by the almost cliched look of the buildings. I was in England.

Much of my life, I've had a wholly imagined connection to Britain. The running joke in my family is that I was accidentally swapped at the hospital and my parents were actually from England. My mother enjoys bringing up the joke whenever someone mentions how much we look alike. Despite the humor, I have been fascinated with the history of the British Isles, especially the Arthurian period. Some day, I'll explore western Britain where Arthur (or that who inspired the legend) existed.

Today, however, I watch as the countryside gives way to urban sprawl to one of the capitals of the world. The business people around me are content in reading their newspapers. The train slips into a tunnel and the last of the morning light quickly gives way to florescent lighting in the train. For the last part of the trip, I make sure I have everything I need in my backpack.

As we pull into the station, the business folks fold up their newspapers and stow them away in their attaches. I prop my backpack on my lap waiting for the car to mostly clear out. Near the door, my luggage is waiting for me on the luggage rack. I've come to realize as I lift it to the station floor that it's far too heavy and stuffed for this trip.

Packing for a trip is a weird thing. I didn't bring that much for a two week trip, but I still wish I could have brought less and had more room for souvenirs. Still, I can't think of what I could have left behind. Watching travel shows, the host will always talk about how it's better to bring a small bag of clothes and wash them during the trip. That's great advice, except when you're on a two week tour of Europe you don't have time to spend half the day at a laundry. Ask yourself, would you rather see the Coliseum or a laundry? And don't even try washing stuff in your room and leaving them to hang dry. It doesn't work and you have slightly damp underwear for the next couple of days.

Thank goodness, however, for luggage with wheels.

I followed the crowd towards the main terminal only to find myself in a room of chaos. The large terminal was like a room filled with ants; marching towards their destinations regardless of events in and around them. I was reminded of a Tokyo intersection. Lights turn red and suddenly the whole square is filled with people crossing in multiple directions. In a mix of people, signs and lights, I find the entrance to the next leg of my journey, the London Underground or Tube.

The London Underground is an efficient way to get anyway within London. If you've never lived in a city with a good subway system (New York, Washington DC to name a couple), you'll be amazed. And chances are you'll avoid it like the plague, thinking back to all of the bad things you've heard about subway systems in the past. Trust me; none of them apply to London.

There are two downsides to the Underground, however. First, very few of the stations have escalators. That means that if you're traveling with the previously mentioned big, heavy luggage. You will find yourself hauling that down and up stairs or searching out an elevator. Some stations, Russell Square for example, you have the option of stairs, but it's highly recommended you take the elevators. Apparently Russell Square station is just two levels above the center of the earth.

The second downside is the same in all cities that have very good subway systems: It can get crowded. This is especially true during morning and evening rush hour times. Chances are you're flight will deposit you into London just in time for morning rush hour. It's not a big deal, just be prepared for it. Fly into Gatwick, you'll be starting your adventure in Victoria Station. Fly into Heathrow, and you can pick up the Underground line right at the airport.

I made my way across the terminal and into the Underground. Being in a major transportation hub (Trains, Underground, Busses, etc) there were lines to get Underground tickets. I pulled my luggage into line and waited.

This is a good time to think about your preliminary plans for the day. Are you only going to one location and spending the day in that area? Will you be hopping to several parts of London visiting sights? If you think you'll be using the Underground several times, you're probably better off getting an all day pass. Otherwise a single trip pass would do. There are options that allow you to use a combination of Underground and Busses during the day. This is one area I recommend getting familiar with before your trip. Knowing your options ahead of time can save you money during your vacation.

Most of the stations I used in London had two ways to get tickets. There were the self-service machines where you put in some money and picked your ticket. They also had a window where you could purchase it from a live human. Some ticket options had to be purchased from the window, which is good, because if you weren't sure which would be the better value, you could always ask.

It's easier to do that in London then in Paris. While most people in Paris speak "a little" English, the little they speak obviously has nothing to do with transportation in and around the city. No problem, that's the adventure of travel.

With my ticket in hand, I made my way down the tunnels to the stations. It's always a good idea to know where you're heading. Victoria Station is an intersection of four lines. Obviously hopping on the wrong line doesn't make good sense time wise. I knew that I had to take the light blue line (in the right direction) one stop. Get off. Hope on the dark blue line till the fifth stop.

It's important to know two things before you get on the underground: What station you're going to and what the end station is for the line. The London Underground has great guide signs showing where you're at and the next stations along the line. You'll need to use these to make sure you hop on the train going in the right direction. Also, some of the lines split. So knowing your end station makes sure you get on the right train as well. Just a couple of things to be aware of before you go.

If you end up going the wrong way, get off at the next station, switch tracks and go back. For example, I knew after I switched lines in Green Park, the next station I'd pass through was Piccadilly Circus. If the next station we approached was Hyde Park Center, I was going the wrong way.

At Russell Square, I got off and made my way to the exit. Remember, in London, you validate your ticket when you enter the station and when you leave the station. So don't lose your ticket. You pay by what zones you move between and a lost ticket could become an expensive purchase.

Getting yourself and your luggage through the exit is always an adventure. Lean towards getting yourself through first and deal with your luggage as necessary. If necessary, you can try to use the side gate for your luggage.

Once I was out of the station, I headed towards my hotel. With any luck, I'll be able to check in early and drop me luggage off. Our tour group was meeting at 6 for the pre-start meeting, so I had little time to see most of London.

That's okay. On this day, I had one main goal: The London Eye.