United Kingdom

Introduction

This section is a general introduction to transport within the UK. Further information is given in the individual Getting Around/There sections for England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.

Getting Around By Air

British Airways(BA) (website: www.britishairways.com) operates a shuttle service from London to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester and Newcastle amongst other cities. Other internal operators include bmi (BD) (website: www.flybmi.com), flybe (BE) (website: www.flybe.com), easyJet (EZY) (website: www.easyjet.com) and Ryanair (FR) (website: www.ryanair.com).

Getting Around by Water

Information on travel to the Channel Islands, Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Scottish islands are given in the relevant Getting Around/There sections for those countries.

Getting Around by Rail

The UK is served by an excellent network of railways. Intercity lines provide fast services between London and major cities, and there are services to the southeast and to major cities in the Midlands, the north and south Wales and between Edinburgh and Glasgow. Some rural areas are less well served (eg the north coast of the west country, parts of East Anglia, Northern Ireland, Northumberland and North Yorkshire, parts of inland Wales, and southern and northern Scotland), although local rail services are generally fairly comprehensive.

For information about UK train services and fares, contact National Rail Enquiries (tel: 0845 748 4950, in the UK only; website: www.nationalrail.co.uk). It can be much cheaper to purchase rail tickets in advance.

Rail Passes

BritRail: offers a range of passes giving unlimited travel. This is available to visitors from overseas and is not available in the UK; tickets must be purchased in the visitor’s home country, although tickets can be collected in the UK. Further details can be obtained from BritRail (website: www.britrail.com).

InterRail’s One-Country Pass: offers travel for three, four, six or eight days in one month within the UK. Travel is not allowed in the passenger’s country of residence. Travellers under 26 years receive a reduction. Children’s tickets are reduced by about 50%. Supplements are required for some high-speed services, seat reservations and couchettes. Discounts are offered on Eurostar and some ferry routes. Available from Rail Europe (website: www.raileurope.co.uk/inter-rail).

Railcards: discount cards available to young people (aged 16 to 25), senior travellers (aged 60 and over), families (up to four adults and four children) and disabled travellers, offering a third off rail fares. Valid for one year (website: www.railcard.co.uk).

Getting Around by Road

Traffic drives on the left. Distances are measured in miles. There are trunk roads (‘A’ roads) linking all major towns and cities in the UK. Roads in rural areas (‘B’ roads) can be slow and winding, and in upland areas may become impassable in winter. Motorways radiate from London and there is also a good east–west and north–south network in the north and the Midlands. The M25 motorway circles London and connects at various junctions with the M1, M3, M4, M10, M11 and M40. The only motorway that leaves England is the M4 from London to South Wales. Access to Scotland is by the A1/A1(M) or the A68 to Edinburgh, or the M6 to Carlisle followed by the A74 to Glasgow. Within Scotland, motorways link Edinburgh, Glasgow and Perth. In Northern Ireland, motorways run from Belfast to Dungannon and from Belfast to Antrim. For further information on roads within each country, see the respective sections.

Coach: Every major city has a coach terminus: in London, it is Victoria coach station, about 1km (0.7 miles) from the train station. National Express (tel: 0870 580 8080, in the UK only; website: www.nationalexpress.com) is the main operator, running services to all parts of the country. Private coaches may be hired by groups.

Regulations: Speed limits are 48kph (30mph) in urban areas, 113kph (70mph) on motorways and dual carriageways, elsewhere 80kph (50mph) or 97kph (60mph) as marked. Seat belts must be worn by the driver and front seat passenger. Where rear seat belts have been fitted, they must also be worn. It is illegal to use a hand-held mobile phone while driving. The minimum driving age is 17.

Emergency breakdown services: The AA (website: www.theaa.com) and RAC (website: www.rac.co.uk) are able to provide a full range of services to UK members touring the UK. These organisations can also assist people who are travelling from abroad with maps, tourist information and specially marked routes to major events or places of interest.

Documentation: National driving licences are valid for one year. Drivers must have Third Party insurance and vehicle registration documents.

Getting Around Towns and Cities

All cities and towns have bus services of varying efficiency and cost. Glasgow, Liverpool, London and Newcastle have underground railways. The urban areas of Birmingham, Cardiff, Glasgow, Liverpool and Manchester are also well served by local railway trains. Manchester has a tram service.

Taxis: Licensed taxi operators are generally metered; small supplements may be charged for weekends, bank holidays, excess baggage and late-night travel. In the larger cities, unlicensed operators offer a cheaper (but less efficient and knowledgeable) unmetered service with fares based loosely on elapsed clock mileage; these taxis are called mini-cabs and can be booked by telephone.

Main Airports

See Getting There in the country sub-sections.

Getting There by Water

Main ports: Dover (website: www.doverport.co.uk), Harwich (website: www.harwich.co.uk), Holyhead (website: www.holyheadport.com) and Portsmouth (website: www.portsmouth-port.co.uk).  

There are many ports offering ferry connections between the UK and mainland Europe, Ireland, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Wight, the Scilly Isles and the Isle of Man.

UK ferry operators include:

Brittany Ferries (tel: 0870 907 6103; website: www.brittany-ferries.co.uk)

DFDS Seaways (tel: 0871 522 9955; website: www.dfdsseaways.co.uk)

P&O Ferries (tel: 0870 598 0333; website: www.poferries.com)

Stena Line (tel: 0870 570 7070; website: www.stenaline.com)

VisitBritain provide a map of ferry routes online (website: www.visitbritain.com).

Getting There by Rail

Trains meet connecting ferries at Dover, Newhaven, Portsmouth and Weymouth, sailing for Belgium, France, Germany and Spain; and at Harwich, sailing for Germany, the Netherlands and Scandinavia.

Eurotunnel (tel: 0870 535 3535, in the UK only; website: www.eurotunnel.com) runs shuttle trains for vehicles between Folkestone in the UK and Calais in France. All road vehicles are carried through the tunnel in shuttle trains running between the two terminals. The journey takes about 35 minutes from platform to platform. Services run every day of the year. Fares are charged according to length of stay and time of year and whether or not you have a reservation. The price applies to the car, regardless of the number of passengers or size of the car.

Eurostar (tel: 0870 518 6186, in the UK only, or (01233) 617 575; website: www.eurostar.com) operates direct high-speed trains from London to Paris and to Brussels. It takes 2 hours 15 minutes from London to Paris (via Lille) and 1 hour 51 minutes to Brussels. The Eurostar terminal moved to St Pancras in late 2007.

Rail Passes

InterRail: offers unlimited first- or second-class travel in up to 30 European countries for European residents of over six months with two pass options. The Global Pass allows travel for 22 days, one month, five days in 10 days or 10 days in 22 days across all countries. The One-Country Pass offers travel for three, four, six or eight days in one month in any of the countries except Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro. Travel is not allowed in the passenger’s country of residence. Travellers under 26 years receive a reduction. Children’s tickets are reduced by about 50%. Supplements are required for some high-speed services, seat reservations and couchettes. Discounts are offered on Eurostar and some ferry routes. Available from Rail Europe (website: www.raileurope.co.uk/inter-rail).

Getting There by Road

Eurolines (tel: 0870 514 3219, in the UK only; website: www.eurolines.com) runs regular coach services between the UK and numerous European cities. Travellers can book a 15- or 30-day pass.

Few formalities are encountered when driving between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

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Owing to it being an island, the UK is subject to very changeable weather. Extremes of temperature are rare but snow, hail, heavy rain and heatwaves can occur. For detailed descriptions, see Climate in the respective country sections.

Required Clothing

Waterproofing throughout the year. Warm clothing is advisable at all times, and is essential for any visits to upland areas.

Hotels

These range from budget chain hotels to boutique city hotels to luxurious country manors. Hotels tend to be more expensive in large cities, especially London.

Grading: VisitBritain, the AA and RAC (as well as VisitWales and VisitScotland) have now agreed common standards for quality assessment. Hotels and guesthouses are classified by use of a star-rating system.

Bed and Breakfast

There are guest houses and bed & breakfast accommodation throughout the country.

Self Catering

Cottages and flats can be rented in many areas. For information, contact the local tourist board, or consult the relevant section in local and national papers.

Camping/Caravanning

There are camping and caravan sites throughout the UK, for short and long stays. Some sites hire out tents or caravans to those without their own equipment. Most sites offer basic facilities, while some have playgrounds, clubs, shops, phones and sports areas.

Holiday Camps/Centres

These offer accommodation, food and a full range of leisure activities generally at an all-inclusive price. They provide good holidays for families, and some run babysitting and children’s clubs. Well-known names include Center Parcs (website: www.centerparcs.co.uk) and Butlins (website: www.butlinsonline.co.uk).

Youth Hostels

There are over 300 youth hostels in the UK. Standards vary greatly, from very basic night-time accommodation for hikers and cyclists, to modern hostels and motels which are often used by families and groups. Prices are very reasonable.

Accommodation Information

The Landmark Trust

Shottesbrooke, Maidenhead, Berkshire SL6 3SW, UK

Tel: (01628) 825 925.

Website: www.landmarktrust.org.uk

Youth Hostel Association of England and Wales

Trevelyan House, Dimple Road, Matlock, Derbyshire DE4 3YH, UK

Tel: (01629) 592 700 or 0870 770 8868, UK only.

Website: www.yha.org.uk

VisitBritain’s website has a comprehensive accommodation search facility (website: www.visitbritain.com).

Passport Note

(a) A passport is not required for travel between Great Britain and Ireland (an official form of identification, such as a driver's licence, is required), Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man.

(b) Passengers transiting the UK destined for the Republic of Ireland are advised to hold return tickets to avoid delay and interrogation.

Passports

Passport valid for at least three months beyond length of stay required by all nationals referred to in the chart above except:

1. EU nationals holding a valid national ID card.

Note: EU nationals are only required to produce evidence of their EU nationality and identity in order to be admitted to any EU Member State. This evidence can take the form of a valid national passport or national identity card. Either is acceptable. Possession of a return ticket, any length of validity on their document, sufficient funds for the length of their proposed visit should not be imposed.

Visas

Not required by nationals referred to in the chart above for stays of up to six months.

Visa Note

(a) Nationals not requiring visas are advised to be in possession of either a return ticket or, if arriving on a one-way ticket, proof of sufficient funds to accommodate and support themselves for the duration of stay.

(b) Nationals not referred to in the chart above are advised to contact the embassy to check visa requirements (see Contact Addresses).

Health Care

If suddenly taken ill or involved in an accident during a visit to an EEA country or Switzerland, free or reduced-cost necessary treatment is available for European travellers - in most cases on production of a valid European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). Comprehensive insurance is advised for all other nationals.

The National Health Service (NHS) provides free medical treatment (at hospitals and general surgeries) to all who are ordinarily resident in the UK, but requires payment for dental treatment, prescriptions and spectacles. Immediate first aid/emergency treatment is free for all visitors, after which charges are made unless the visitor’s country has a reciprocal health agreement with the UK. Full details of individual agreements are available from the Department of Health (website: www.dh.gov.uk).

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Food and Drink

See individual country sections for details.

Tipping: In hotels, a service charge of 10 to 12% is usual, which may be added to the bill. 10 to 15% is usual for restaurants; if this has already been added to the bill, a further tip is not required.

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