London is a large but congested city. The public transport system is well developed and world-famous but operates at capacity, can be unpleasant to use and is relatively expensive. A congestion charge is made for motorists to enter central London during busy times. For these reasons and others, walking has become increasingly popular for both recreation and as a means of transport in the capital. In addition, London is relatively flat, not especially rainy despite tourist mythology, and is blessed with pavements on most roads.
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There are several strategic routes in London and Transport for London promote the use of several of them:
A circular route with 15 sections and a radius of approximately 4–8 miles (6–13 km) from Charing Cross, mostly through the inner Outer London suburbs and partly in Inner London. The route forms a complete circuit, crossing the River Thames twice and with a notional starting point of Woolwich.
A 150 mile (240 km) circular route with 24 sections mostly through the Outer London suburbs and partly in the districts of neighbouring authorities. The "M25" for walkers. The path is broken by the lack of crossing of the Thames between Purfleet and Erith.
A route through central London, originally called the Silver Jubilee Walkway, laid down in 1977 as part of the celebrations of the Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II. The route takes in many of London's major attractions.
The Lea Valley Walk starts outside Greater London but has around 12.5 miles (20 km) within its boundary. The route follows the River Lea and the Lee Navigation.
Reuse of the land above the Northern Outfall Sewer from Hackney Wick to Beckton as a walking and cycle path.
The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Walk is a 7-mile (11 km) long circular walking trail in London, England, dedicated to the memory of Diana, Princess of Wales. It goes between Kensington Gardens, Green Park, Hyde Park and St James's Park in a figure-eight pattern, passing five sites that are associated with her life: Kensington Palace, Spencer House, Buckingham Palace, St. James's Palace, and Clarence House. It is marked with eighty-nine individual plaques and has been described as "one of the most magnificent urban parkland walks in the world
Several companies provide guided walks around parts of London. These walks are aimed primarily at tourists and the guide will often be an expert in a particular area. Such walks often are around a theme, such as 'haunted London' or 'London of Jack the Ripper'. It is also possible to download a tourist guide of London onto an MP3 player or use mobile phone-based services such as WalkExplorer. There are also a number of volunteer led groups such as the metropolitan walkers of the Ramblers association, that offer walks for people in their 20s and 30s both inside and outside London.
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