Transport
Transport
Getting There & Away
Most visitors reach Britain by air. As London is a global transport hub, it's easy to fly to Britain from just about anywhere. In recent years, the massive growth of budget ('no-frills') airlines has increased the number of routes – and reduced the fares – between Britain and other countries in Europe.
The other main option for travel between Britain and mainland Europe is ferry, either port-to-port or combined with a long-distance bus trip, although journeys can be long and financial savings not huge compared with budget airfares.
International trains are much more comfortable and a 'green' option; the Channel Tunnel allows direct rail services between Britain, France and Belgium, with onward connections to many other European destinations.
Flights, cars and rail tickets can be booked online at lonelyplanet.com/bookings.
Climate Change and Travel
Every form of transport that relies on carbon-based fuel generates CO2, the main cause of human-induced climate change. Modern travel is dependent on aeroplanes, which might use less fuel per per person than most cars but travel much greater distances. The altitude at which aircraft emit gases (including CO2) and particles also contributes to their climate change impact. Many websites offer ‘carbon calculators’ that allow people to estimate the carbon emissions generated by their journey and, for those who wish to do so, to offset the impact of the greenhouse gases emitted with contributions to portfolios of climate-friendly initiatives throughout the world. Lonely Planet offsets the carbon footprint of all staff and author travel.
Air
London Airports
London's main airports are listed here. For details of getting from the airports into the city, see Click here.
HeathrowAIRPORT
(LHR; www.heathrowairport.com)
Britain's main airport for international flights; often chaotic and crowded. About 15 miles west of central London.
GatwickAIRPORT
(LGW; www.gatwickairport.com)
Britain's number-two airport, mainly for international flights, 30 miles south of central London.
StanstedAIRPORT
(STN; www.stanstedairport.com)
About 35 miles northeast of central London, mainly handling charter and budget European flights.
LutonAIRPORT
(LTN; GOOGLE MAP ; www.london-luton.co.uk)
Some 35 miles north of central London, well known as a holiday-flight airport.
London CityAIRPORT
(LCY; GOOGLE MAP ; www.londoncityairport.com)
A few miles east of central London, specialising in flights to/from European and other UK airports.
Regional Airports
Some planes on European and long-haul routes avoid London and use major regional airports including Manchester and Glasgow. Smaller regional airports such as Southampton, Cardiff and Birmingham are served by flights to and from continental Europe and Ireland.
Land
PASSPORT CHECK
Travelling between Britain's three nations of England, Scotland and Wales is easy. The bus and train systems are fully integrated and in most cases you won't even know you've crossed the border; passports are not required.
Bus & Coach
You can easily get between Britain and other European countries via long-distance bus or coach. The international network Eurolines ( GOOGLE MAP ; www.eurolines.com; SW1) connects a huge number of destinations; you can buy tickets online via one of the national operators.
Services to/from Britain are operated by National Express (www.nationalexpress.com). Sample journey times to/from London include Amsterdam 12 hours; Barcelona 24 hours; Dublin 12 hours; and Paris eight hours.
If you book early, and can be flexible with timings (ie travel when few other people want to), you can get some very good deals. For example, between London and Paris or Amsterdam from about £20 one-way (although paying £30 to £40 is more usual).
Train
Channel Tunnel Passenger Service
High-speed Eurostar (www.eurostar.com) passenger services shuttle at least 10 times daily between London and Paris (2½ hours) or Brussels (two hours). Buy tickets from travel agencies, major train stations or the Eurostar website.
The normal one-way fare between London and Paris/Brussels costs £140 to £180; advance booking and off-peak travel gets cheaper fares as low as £39 one-way.
Channel Tunnel Car Service
Drivers use Eurotunnel (www.eurotunnel.com). At Folkestone in England or Calais in France, you drive onto a train, get carried through the tunnel and drive off at the other end.
Trains run about four times an hour from 6am to 10pm, then hourly through the night. Loading and unloading takes an hour; the journey lasts 35 minutes.
Book in advance online or pay on the spot. The one-way cost for a car and passengers is between £75 and £165 depending on time of day; promotional fares often bring it down to £55.
TRAIN & FERRY CONNECTIONS
As well as Eurostar, many 'normal' trains run between Britain and mainland Europe. You buy one ticket, but get off the train at the port, walk onto a ferry, then get another train on the other side. Routes include Amsterdam–London (via Hook of Holland and Harwich). Travelling between Ireland and Britain, the main train-ferry-train route is Dublin to London, via Dun Laoghaire and Holyhead. Ferries also run between Rosslare and Fishguard or Pembroke (Wales), with train connections on either side.
Sea
Ferry Routes
The main ferry routes between Britain and other European countries include the following:
Dover to Calais (France)
Dover to Boulogne (France)
Newhaven to Dieppe (France)
Harwich to Hook of Holland (Netherlands)
Hull to Zeebrugge (Belgium)
Hull to Rotterdam (Netherlands)
Portsmouth to Santander (Spain)
Portsmouth to Bilbao (Spain)
Holyhead to Dun Laoghaire (Ireland)
Cairnryan to Larne (Ireland)
Ferry Fares
Most ferry operators offer flexible fares, meaning great bargains at quiet times of day or year. For example, short cross-channel routes such as Dover to Calais or Boulogne can be as low as £20 for a car plus up to five passengers, although around £50 to £90 is more likely. If you're a foot passenger, or cycling, there's less need to book ahead; fares on short crossings cost about £10 to £30 each way.
Ferry Bookings
Book direct with one of the operators listed following, or use the very handy www.ferrybooker.com – a single site covering all sea-ferry routes, plus Eurotunnel.
Getting Around
For getting around Britain your first big decision is to travel by car or public transport.
Having your own car makes the best use of time, and helps reach remote places, but rental and fuel costs can be expensive for budget travellers (while traffic jams in major cities hit everyone) – public transport is often the better choice. As long as you have time, using a mix of train, bus, taxi, walking and occasionally hiring a bike, you can get almost anywhere in Britain without having to drive.
The main public transport options are train and long-distance bus (called coach in Britain). Services between major towns and cities are generally good, although at peak times you must book in advance to be sure of getting a ticket. If you book ahead early or travel at off-peak periods – ideally both – train and coach tickets can be very cheap.
INFORMATION SERVICE
Traveline (
%0871 200 2233; www.traveline.info) is a very useful information service covering bus, coach, taxi and train services nationwide. The website offers access to online timetables, a journey planner, route maps and limited fares information.
Air
Britain's domestic airline companies include British Airways, FlyBe/Loganiar, EasyJet and Ryanair. If you're really pushed for time, flights on longer routes across Britain (eg Exeter or Southampton to Newcastle, Edinburgh or Inverness), or to the Scottish islands, are handy, although you miss the glorious scenery in between. On some shorter routes (eg London to Newcastle, or Manchester to Newquay) trains compare favourably with planes on time, once airport downtime is factored in. On costs, you might get a bargain airfare, but trains can be cheaper if you buy tickets in advance.
Bicycle
Britain is a compact country, and hiring a bike – for an hour or two, or a week or longer – is a great way to really see the country if you've got time to spare.
Rental in London
London is famous for its Barclays Cycle Hire Scheme (Click here), known as ‘Boris bikes’ after the mayor that introduced them to the city. Bikes can be hired on the spot from automatic docking stations. For more information visit the Transport for London (www.tfl.gov.uk) website. Other rental options in the capital are listed at www.lcc.org.uk.
Rental Elsewhere
The nextbike (www.nextbike.co.uk) bike-sharing scheme currently has stations in Glasgow, Stirling and Bath, while tourist towns such as Oxford and Cambridge have plentiful bike-rental options. Bikes can also be hired in national parks or forestry sites now primarily used for leisure activities, such as Kielder Water in Northumberland, Grizedale Forest in the Lake District and the Elan Valley in Mid-Wales. In some areas, disused railway lines are now bike routes, notably the Peak District in Derbyshire. Rental rates start at about £10 per day, or £20 for something half decent.
Bikes on Trains
Bicycles can be taken free of charge on most local urban trains (although they may not be allowed at peak times when the trains are crowded with commuters) and on shorter trips in rural areas, on a first-come, first-served basis – though there may be space limits.
Bikes can be carried on long-distance train journeys free of charge, but advance booking is required for most conventional bikes. (Folding bikes can be carried on pretty much any train at any time.) In theory, this shouldn't be too much trouble as most long-distance rail trips are best bought in advance anyway, but you have to go a long way down the path of booking your seat before you start booking your bike – only to find space isn't available. A better course of action is to buy in advance at a major rail station, where the booking clerk can help you through the options.
A final warning: when railways are repaired, cancelled trains are replaced by buses – and they won't take bikes.
A very useful leaflet called National Rail Cycling by Train is available at major stations or downloadable from www.nationalrail.co.uk (from the homepage follow links to ‘Stations & On-train’ then ‘Cyclists’).
Boat
There are around 90 inhabited islands off the western and northern coasts of Scotland, which are linked to the mainland by a network of car and passenger ferries. There are two main ferry operators.
Caledonian MacBrayneFERRY
(CalMac; %0800 066 5000; www.calmac.co.uk)
Operates car ferry services to the Inner and Outer Hebrides and the islands in the Firth of Clyde.
Northlink FerriesFERRY
(%0845 600 0449; www.northlink-ferries.co.uk)
Operates car ferry services to the Orkney and Shetland Islands.
Bus & Coach
If you're on a tight budget, long-distance buses (called coaches in Britain) are nearly always the cheapest way to get around, although they're also the slowest – sometimes by a considerable margin. Many towns have separate stations for local buses and long-distance coaches; make sure you go to the right one!
National Express is the main coach operator, with a wide network and frequent services between main centres. North of the border, services tie in with those of Scottish Citylink (%0871 266 3333; www.citylink.co.uk), Scotland's leading coach company. Fares vary: they're cheaper if you book in advance and travel at quieter times, and more expensive if you buy your ticket on the spot and it's Friday afternoon. As a guide, a 200-mile trip (eg London to York) will cost £15 to £30 if you book a few days in advance.
Megabus (www.megabus.com) operates a budget coach service between about 30 destinations around the country. Go at a quiet time, book early and your ticket will be very cheap. Book later, for a busy time and… You get the picture.
Passes & Discounts
National Express offers discount passes to full-time students and under-26s, called Young Persons Coachcards. They cost £10 and give you 30% off standard adult fares. Also available are coachcards for people over 60, families and disabled travellers.
For touring the country, National Express offers Brit Xplorer passes, allowing unlimited travel for seven/14/28 days (£79/139/219). You don't need to book journeys in advance: if the coach has a spare seat, you can take it.
HOW MUCH TO…?
When travelling by long-distance bus, coach or train in Britain, it's important to realise that there's no such thing as a standard fare. Prices vary according to demand and when you buy your ticket. Book long in advance and travel on Tuesday midmorning and it's cheap. Buy your ticket on the spot late Friday afternoon and it'll be a lot more expensive. Ferries use similar systems. We have generally quoted sample fares somewhere in between the very cheapest and most expensive options. The price you pay will almost certainly be different.
Car & Motorcycle
Travelling by car or motorbike around Britain means you can be independent and flexible, and reach remote places. Downsides for drivers include traffic jams, the high price of fuel, and high parking costs in cities.
Car Rental
Compared with many countries (especially the USA), hire rates are expensive in Britain; the smallest cars start from about £120 per week, and it's around £250 per week for a medium car. All rates include insurance and unlimited mileage, and can rise at busy times (or drop at quiet times).
Some main players:
Avis (www.avis.co.uk)
Budget (www.budget.co.uk)
Europcar (www.europcar.co.uk)
Sixt (www.sixt.co.uk)
Thrifty (www.thrifty.co.uk)
Another option is to look online for small local car-hire companies in Britain that can undercut the international franchises. Generally those in cities are cheaper than in rural areas. Using a rental-broker or comparison site such as UK Car Hire (www.ukcarhire.net) or Kayak can also help find bargains.
Motorhome Rental
Hiring a motorhome or campervan (£500 to £900 a week) is more expensive than hiring a car, but saves on accommodation costs and gives almost unlimited freedom. Sites to check include:
Motoring Organisations
Motoring organisations in Britain include the Automobile Association (www.theaa.com) and the Royal Automobile Club (www.rac.co.uk). For both, annual membership starts at around £50, including 24-hour roadside breakdown assistance. A greener alternative is the Environmental Transport Association (www.eta.co.uk); it provides breakdown assistance but doesn't campaign for more roads.
Insurance
It's illegal to drive a car or motorbike in Britain without (at least) third-party insurance. This will be included with all rental cars. If you’re bringing a car from Europe you'll need to arrange it.
Parking
Many cities have short-stay and long-stay car parks; the latter are cheaper though may be less convenient. 'Park & Ride' systems allow you to park on the edge of the city then ride to the centre on frequent nonstop buses for an all-in-one price.
Yellow lines (single or double) along the edge of the road indicate restrictions. Nearby signs spell out when you can and can't park. In London and other big cities, traffic wardens operate with efficiency; if you park on the yellow lines at the wrong time, your car will be clamped or towed away, and it'll cost you £100 or more to get driving again. In some cities there are also red lines, which mean no stopping at all. Ever.
Roads
Motorways and main A-roads deliver you quickly from one end of the country to another. Lesser A-roads, B-roads and minor roads are much more scenic – ideal for car or motorcycle touring. You can't travel fast, but you won't care.
Speed limits are usually 30mph (48km/h) in built-up areas, 60mph (96km/h) on main roads and 70mph (112km/h) on motorways and most (but not all) dual carriageways.
Road Rules
A foreign driving licence is valid in Britain for up to 12 months.
Drink driving is taken very seriously; you're allowed a maximum blood-alcohol level of 80mg/100mL (0.08%) – campaigners want it reduced to 50mg/100mL (0.05%), in line with most European countries.
Some other important rules:
drive on the left (!)
wear fitted seat belts in cars
wear helmets on motorcycles
give way to your right at junctions and roundabouts
always use the left lane on motorways and dual carriageways unless overtaking (although so many people ignore this rule, you'd think it didn't exist)
don't use a mobile phone while driving unless it's fully hands-free (another rule frequently flouted)
Hitching
Hitching is not as common as it used to be in Britain: maybe because more people have cars and maybe because few drivers give lifts any more. It's perfectly possible, however, if you don't mind long waits, although travellers should understand they're taking a small but potentially serious risk, and we don't recommend it. If you decide to go by thumb, note that it's illegal to hitch on motorways; you must use approach roads or service stations.
However, it's all different in remote rural areas such as Mid-Wales or northwest Scotland, where hitching is a part of getting around – especially if you're a walker heading back to base after a hike on the hills. On some Scottish islands, local drivers may stop and offer a lift without you even asking.
Local Transport
British cities usually have good public transport systems – a combination of bus, train and tram – often run by a confusing number of separate companies. Tourist offices can provide maps and information.
Local Bus
There are good local bus networks year-round in cities and towns. Buses also run in some rural areas year-round, although timetables are designed to serve schools and businesses, so there aren't many midday and weekend services (and they may stop running during school holidays), or buses may link local villages to a market town on only one day each week.
In tourist areas (especially national parks), there are frequent services from Easter to September. However, it's always worth double-checking at a tourist office before planning your day's activities around a bus that may not actually be running.
In this book, along with the local bus route number, frequency and duration, we have provided indicative fares.
Local Bus Passes
If you're taking a few local bus rides in one area, day passes (with names like Day Rover, Wayfarer or Explorer) are cheaper than buying several single tickets. Often they can be bought on your first bus, and may include local rail services. It's always worth asking ticket clerks or bus drivers about your options.
Local Ferry
Local ferries are another option when travelling around Britain; for example, from the mainland to the Isle of Wight, and to or among the Scottish islands.
Taxi
There are two sorts of taxi in Britain: those with meters that can be hailed in the street; and minicabs, which are cheaper but can only be called by phone. Unlicensed minicabs operate in some cities (Click here).
In London, most taxis are the famous ‘black cabs’ (some with advertising livery in other colours) which charge by distance and time. Depending on the time of day, a 1-mile journey takes five to 10 minutes and cost £6 to £9. Longer journeys are proportionally cheaper.
Black cabs also operate in some other large cities around Britain, with rates usually lower than in London.
In London, taxis are best flagged down in the street; a ‘for hire’ light on the roof indicates availability. In other cities, you can flag down a cab if you see one, but it's usually easier to go to a taxi rank.
In rural areas, taxis need to be called by phone; the best place to find the local taxi's phone number is the local pub. Fares are £2 to £4 per mile.
Train-Taxi is a portal site that helps 'bridge the final gap' between the train station and your hotel or other final destination.
Train
For long-distance travel around Britain, trains are generally faster and more comfortable than coaches but can be more expensive, although with discount tickets they're competitive – and often take you through beautiful countryside. The British like to moan about their trains, but around 85% run on time. The other 15% that get delayed or cancelled mostly impact commuter services rather than long-distance journeys.
Information
Your first stop should be National Rail Enquiries (%08457 48 49 50; www.nationalrail.co.uk), the nationwide timetable and fare information service. Its website advertises special offers and has real-time links to station departure boards and downloadable maps of the rail network.
STATION NAMES
London has several mainline train stations, including Victoria, Paddington, King's Cross, Waterloo, Charing Cross and Liverpool St, positioned in a rough circle around the city's central area (and mostly linked by the Circle Underground line). The stations' proper names are London Victoria, London Paddington, London King's Cross and so on, and this is how you'll see them on official timetables, information boards and booking websites – although the British never use the full names in everyday speech.
In this guide, for clarity, we have used the full name for London stations. This is also to help distinguish the London stations from stations in some other British cities that also share names such as Victoria and Charing Cross.
Operators
About 20 different companies operate train services in Britain, while Network Rail operates track and stations. For some passengers this system can be confusing at first, but information and ticket-buying services are mostly centralised. If you have to change trains, or use two or more train operators, you still buy one ticket – valid for the whole journey. The main railcards and passes are also accepted by all train operators.
Where more than one train operator services the same route, eg York to Edinburgh, a ticket purchased from one company may not be valid on trains run by another. So if you miss the train you originally booked, it's worth checking which later services your ticket will be valid for.
Tickets & Reservations
Buying Tickets
Once you've found the journey you need on the National Rail Enquiries website, links take you to the relevant train operator to buy the ticket. This can be mailed to you (UK addresses only) or collected at the station on the day of travel from automatic machines. There’s usually no booking fee on top of the ticket price.
You can also use a centralised ticketing service to buy your train ticket. These cover all train services in a single site, and make a small booking fee on top of every ticket price. The main players include the following:
QJump (www.qjump.co.uk)
Rail Easy (www.raileasy.co.uk)
Train Line (www.thetrainline.com)
To use operator or centralised ticketing websites, you always have to state a preferred time and day of travel, even if you don't mind when you go, but you can change it as you go through the process, and with a little delving around you can find some real bargains.
You can also buy train tickets on the spot at stations, which is fine for short journeys (under about 50 miles), but discount tickets for longer trips are usually not available and must be bought in advance by phone or online.
Costs
For longer journeys, on-the-spot fares are always available, but tickets are much cheaper if bought in advance. The earlier you book, the cheaper it gets. You can also save if you travel off-peak. Advance purchase usually gets a reserved seat, too.
Whichever operator you travel with and wherever you buy tickets, these are the three main fare types:
Anytime Buy anytime, travel anytime – usually the most expensive option.
Off-peak Buy ticket any time, travel off-peak (what is off-peak depends on the journey).
Advance Buy ticket in advance, travel only on specific trains – usually the cheapest option.
For an idea of the price difference, an Anytime single ticket from London to York will cost £125 or more, an Off-peak around £95, with an Advance around £30 to £40, and possibly less if you book early enough or don't mind arriving at midnight.
The cheapest fares are nonrefundable, so if you miss your train you'll have to buy a new ticket.
Onward Travel
If the train doesn't get you all the way to your destination, you can add a PlusBus (www.plusbus.info) supplement when making your reservation to validate your train ticket for onward travel by bus. This is more convenient, and usually cheaper, than buying a separate bus ticket.
Train Classes
There are two classes of rail travel: 1st and standard. First class costs around 50% more than standard fare (up to double at busy periods) and gets you bigger seats, more leg-room, and usually a more peaceful businesslike atmosphere, plus extras such as complimentary drinks and newspapers. At weekends some train operators offer 'upgrades' to 1st class for an extra £5 to £25 on top of your standard class fare, payable on the spot.
Train Passes
Discount Passes
If you're staying in Britain for a while, passes known as Railcards (www.railcard.co.uk) are available:
16-25 Railcard For those aged 16 to 25, or a full-time UK student.
Senior Railcard For anyone over 60.
Family & Friends Railcard Covers up to four adults and four children travelling together.
Railcards cost £30 (valid for one year, available from major stations or online) and get 33% discount on most train fares, except those already heavily discounted. With the Family card, adults get 33% and children get 60% discounts, so the fee is easily repaid in a couple of journeys.
Local & Regional Passes
Local train passes usually cover rail networks around a city (many include bus travel too) and are detailed in the relevant sections throughout this guide.
If you're concentrating your travels on southeast England (eg London to Dover, Weymouth, Cambridge or Oxford), a Network Railcard (www.railcard.co.uk/network; per year £30) covers up to four adults and up to four children travelling together outside peak times.
National Passes
For country-wide travel, BritRail (www.britrail.net) passes are available for visitors from overseas. They must be bought in your country of origin (not in Britain) from a specialist travel agency. Available in seven different versions (eg England only; Scotland only; all Britain; UK and Ireland) for periods from four to 30 days.