No one likes to get lost. To help prevent that sinking feeling, here are some useful websites that will help you find your way around.

TfL Journey Planner

–tfl.gov.uk/gettingaround/walking

Transport for London's Journey Planner also has walking options. Use the above link to select the Walking Journey Planner. If you aren’t interested in using any other modes of transport on your journey, make sure you deselect those boxes. This link also has lists of strategic walking routes in London. TfL also has a host of other tools to help you get around — it’s all worth a look.

Walkit.com

This site can help you plan a route in over 29 UK cities, including information on the possible journey time, calorie burn, step count and how much carbon you’ve saved. Now it also includes circular route planning — perfect for lunchtime walks.

Bing Maps

Formally Multimap, Bing Maps offers walking directions over the familiar Ordnance Survey and London Street maps, as well as a standard map and ‘bird's eye view’.

Click on ‘Route Planner’, then select the walking icon to choose walking directions. Enter your start and finish points, click ‘Round Trip’ if it is one and away you go.

Google Maps

Google provides walking directions through its map site. To access the walking directions, go to ‘Get Directions’, put in your start and finish points, and select ‘Walking’. However, this feature is still being tested and could be missing pedestrian pathways.

Another useful tool for those in London is seeing the tube lines on the map, making it easy to see how close some stations are to each other!

Transportdirect.info

Transport Direct is a non-profit service funded by the UK Department for Transport, the Welsh Assembly Government and the Scottish Government. It offers information for door-to-door travel for both public transport and car journeys around Britain. This site can be useful for planning long journeys where you can combine public transport with walking.

When in London…

Imagine commuting in London was not only stress-free but, dare we say it, actually relaxing.

Well it could be. You could walk.

You don't need to walk all the way from your front door to the office, but taking a walk as part of your journey could do wonders for your stress levels—and your bank balance.

Do you get the train into town and then use the Tube? Take a break from the hot, stuffy underground and walk from the mainline station. Fresh air and sunshine will do wonders for your mood on the way to work.

After all, your office may be closer than you think. Transport for London's walk finder will show you the best route – door to door!

Every year, millions of people visit London to see its amazing architecture and stunning sites. Working bang in the middle of it all may mean that it is taken for granted – but it need not be! It’s easy to admire your surroundings every day when walking. Walking in London is fabulous. And truly easy…

Get off early

If your mental map of London is based around the tube map, try getting out on the streets and explore. One of the best ways to get to know the city is on foot. You might be surprised at how close together some tube stations actually are.

Getting off public transport a couple of stops earlier gives you the chance to explore different routes to your workplace. Who knows... you might discover a new place to buy your lunch or do some shopping!

It's getting easier

The Mayor of London is committed to making London a walking-friendly city. Work is already underway to ensure this happens, including such things as:

• Legible London is a comprehensive pedestrian way-finding system to help people navigate London on foot. It is being trialled in Bond Street, and will eventually be rolled out to key central London locations and the Olympics area by 2012, with major town centres covered by 2015.
• Six strategic walking routes, covering over 362 miles, have been established by Walk London and Transport for London. These could form part of your commute, a nice lunchtime walk or a weekend hike.
• Transport for London have a whole range of tools to help you get around London; from free mobile travel alerts to tube line closures, from nightbus routes to cab numbers to get you home.

There is also loads of information about walking in London out there:

• TfL's Walk Finder will introduce you to local walking routes.
• Read about one walker's experience as he follows the routes of the London Underground above the ground, taking photos as he goes.

Do you have a clever route through central London? Have you discovered a hidden gem? We’d love to hear all about it. Get in touch at walkingworks@livingstreets.org.uk with the details or photos.