Search
Recommended Products
Related Links


 

 

Informative Articles

Ten Tips Before You Travel
1. Read up about your destination. You can do this from a guide book or using the internet. It's worth reading up about the place you are due to stay, even if you're going there on business. You can find out about leisure activities while you're...

The lowdown on new orleans travel
The beautiful city cuddled around the curve of the Mississippi River, known for its cuisine, music and culture, is the metropolis New Orleans. This vibrant city summons many a visitors every year. Its more than a few attractions are cherished by...

Travel Blog Your Next Vacation
Some years ago, I took an extended trip to Europe. During that vacation, I kept a travel journal in which I made notes of the places I visited, the people I met and the events that occurred. I still get out that travel journal and read through some...

Travel Guides- An Overview
Travel Guidebooks- An Overview By Victor K. Prylesİ2005 http://www.paupertravel.com (548 words) You can get reliable, useful information from guidebooks. Yet, some are better than others and often, it's important to know what...

Your Guide for Travel and Hotels in Columbia
When you hear the word vacation, what do you see in your mind? Vacations mean assorted things to assorted individuals. Some like to sight see while many others would enjoy nothing more than to spend the whole trip kicking back at the hotel pool. If...

 
Travelling to the UK from abroad

If your journey isn't too great a distance, for example you are visiting from Europe, you might want to consider a variety of travel options. But if your journey is a long one, plane fares are now so competitive that in terms of speed, comfort and cost you should probably just look at flights.

Flying is the most obvious way to travel to the UK. Fares can vary dramatically so the best advice is to shop around and be flexible about dates and airlines. In particular students, young travellers and seniors should be able to get special deals and discounts.

Prices are generally a bit lower if you travel during the week. Peak season is from about May to October and this is when fares will be most pricey with the most expensive months from June to September. Fares will probably also be very high (and flights booked out in advance) over Christmas and New Year.

The busiest and most popular airports are Heathrow and Gatwick, both in London. But if you are not visiting London you might try some of the other airports in the UK which handle international flights, such as Birmingham, Manchester, and Glasgow. You could always travel to the UK by ship, for example you could choose a transatlantic crossing on a big cruise ship. This would mean that you arrive in the UK in style and without the hassle of jet lag, but any long distance journey by ship will be very lengthy and, of course, very expensive compared to flying.

Another way to get to the UK by water is to travel by ferry. Crossings are very extensive and are a great way to travel to the UK if you wish to bring your own car. Prices vary enormously as ferry fares can change according to time of year, time of day you want to travel and even the size of your car - so you will need to so some careful research to find a good price. And remember that during peak season you will need to book a place for your car in


advance.

If you are not travelling from too far away, you might want to consider other options.

For example you can travel to the UK by bus from many European cities, which is a great low cost option if you won't be travelling too far. However, flights are now priced so competitively that if your journey is a long one by coach, you will probably want to choose the comfort and speed of flying.

If you wish to travel by car, your biggest problem will be crossing the English Channel. There are a variety of ways to do this, for example ferry and now the Channel Tunnel. All have regular services, normally with several crossings each day, so shop around and choose the one that suits you best...

There are also some SeaCat services that cross the Channel between Dover and Calais. These are very quick and can do the journey in less than an hour, cutting your travelling time considerably. They are also very competitively priced.

And of course, the Channel Tunnel now gives you even more options. Drivers can take Le Shuttle which is another very speedy way to cross the English Channel. It is also quite competitively priced, being comparable to ferry fares, and there are often discounts and special offers available.

Meanwhile, foot passengers can take Eurostar trains from Paris, Brussels or Lille to London. Again, prices can be very competitive with regular discounts and promotions.

Please note: If you are travelling by train, the rail system in the UK is quite independent from the rest of Europe and so some continental rail passes, for example Eurail, are not valid in Britain.

About the Author

Smooth Hound's Hotel Directory lists thousands of hotels across the world. Whether you are travelling for business or please, check out Smooth Hound's hotel listings.