I have a question, can you guys offer any tips for learning your way around london and also, really how well you need to know london... I know where all the boroughs are, and most places of interest, I know the maps, and the tube map (hey, it helps!) well. But i find looking at an A - Z daunting and never know where to begin. I may pick up on some roads, but without the bigger picture revealing itself easily, I loose the context within that road, and thus often forget where it was in the first place.
What I imagine to be really handy is a map with levels of detail. I tried studying at various zoom levels with googlemaps but even zoomed out it likes to bewilder with road numbers and an array of white streets that just add clutter for your eyes to easily absorb. and with every label being the same size doesn't help either.
The way to learn it is to do it. If you wanted to get some practice in you could go for a cycle round the major roads through central London between NW1, SW1, w2 and e1, e.g Bishopsgate, High Holborn, Oxford st, Tottenham ct rd, Euston rd, etc. See how they all connect up, the rest will follow. Don't think just looking at google maps will help all that much. Best of luck.
Arif you'll either get the hang of it or you won't; some people find their way around quickly, others take longer, some find it all too much and quit after a week. ifbm is right; the only way to learn is to do it. If you know the main routes first that will help a bit but accept that at first you'll be looking in your A-Z all the time; the first few weeks of couriering are the most frustrating. Hopefully you'll be at a company that takes into account that you're new. BUT, write things down; if you've been somewhere once you shouldn't need reminding where it is. Don't tell any company you want to work for that you know the tube map - it sounds all wrong and if you end up on the tube then something has gone wrong. Basically, lie a bit but not too much. Good luck.
I spent two full weeks cycling around London before applying for my courier job. It helped so much. It's all about fitting together the massive great puzzle. Learn which roads link to others, set yourself little A-B missions. Key areas would be, for example, Picadilly Circus and all the roads that lead to and away from it. Focus on W1, the city (EC1,2,3,4 and it can't hurt to learn E1), SE1 and all the roads that link up the bridges (Tooley st, Southwark rd, York, Stamford etc...) and learn which order the bridges are in... they're your key to getting places quick. See how far you can cycle in Soho without having to go down a one-way street. Wigmore street is as crucial to your knowledge as Oxford Street. Make notes on which roads are going one way... you'll fuck yourself if you plan a massive W1 route and you didn't know that Tottenham Court Road is a one-way deal. Cycle it alot.
Also, I found following couriers helped a bit, seeing which routes they take, how they deal with traffic etc.
Also start with a smaller company, as this will buy u time to find places and get used to the procedures of the job without having the pressure of having loads of work onboard.