Tourist Information
As part of our continued commitment to provide as much information and ease of service please find some essential travel and tourist information below.
- The Automobile Association
- National Rail Train times, fares and tickets and current running information
- Multimap Street maps and travel directions for the UK
- London Underground Information on all London Underground services
- Train Taxi Information on taxi ranks at train, metro, tram and Underground stations
- A2B Travel Complete guide to all UK airports
- London Transport Information on all London Transport services
- Trainline Plan your journey, book your tickets for anywhere in the UK
- National Express Express scheduled coach services throughout the UK
Rail Companies
- South Eastern Trains
- Thameslink
- Great Eastern
- Gatwick Express
- Virgin Trains
- Anglia Railways Crosslink
- GNER
- South West Trains
- Midland Mainline
- Silverlink Metro
- Great Western Trains
Airlines
Find out how to get from major airports in the UK to city centres and other airports.
NB: Although prices are updated regularly, they are liable to sudden change, so treat this as a guide only.
Reduced transportation schedules operate outside peak transit hours, on Sundays and on public holidays.
- London City Airport
- London Gatwick Airport
- London Heathrow Airport
- London Luton Airport
- London Stanstead Airport
- Manchester Airport
| From London to: | Driving Miles | Air | Train | Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bath | 106 | n/a | 1hr 30mins | 2hr 25mins |
| Belfast | 340 | 1hr 25mins | 10hr 35mins | 11hr |
| Birmingham | 114 | n/a | 1hr 45mins | 2hr 40mins |
| Brighton | 51 | n/a | 51mins | 1hr 45mins |
| Cambridge | 56 | n/a | 50mins | 1hr 50mins |
| Canterbury | 62 | n/a | 1hr 35mins | 1hr 45mins |
| Cardiff | 145 | n/a | 2hr 05mins | 3hr 5mins |
| Chester | 179 | n/a | 2hr 40mins | 5hr 30mins |
| Durham | 255 | n/a | 3hr | 6hr |
| Edinburgh | 393 | 1hr 30mins | 4hr 30mins | 8hr 45mins |
| Exeter | 174 | n/a | 2hr 30mins | 4hr 15mins |
| Glasgow | 402 | 1hr 30mins | 5hr 30mins | 7hr 55mins |
| Inverness | 568 | 1hr 45mins | 8hr 10mins | 12hr 26mins |
| Jersey | 220 | 1hr | 6hr 55mins | 7hr 55mins |
| Liverpool | 193 | n/a | 3hr | 4hr 30mins |
| Manchester | 184 | 1hr | 2hr 40mins | 4hr 15mins |
| Newcastle-upon-Tyne | 270 | 1hr10mins | 3hr | 6hr 25mins |
| Norwich | n/a | 1hr 50mins | 2hr 40mins | |
| Oxford | 64 | n/a | 1hr 05mins | 1hr 30mins |
| Portsmouth | 70 | n/a | 1hr 40mins | 2hr 15mins |
| Salisbury | 84 | n/a | 1hr 30mins | 2hr 40mins |
| Southampton | 80 | n/a | 1hr 20mins | 2hr |
| Stratford-upon-Avon | 121 | n/a | 2hr 12mins | 2hr 45mins |
| Windermere | 259 | n/a | 4hr 10mins | 6hr 55mins |
| York | 188 | n/a | 2hr | 4hr 15mins |
NB: All times are approximate
The National Rail network covers the entire country, leaving from central London locations and spanning out to the remotest parts of the UK. Travelcards are accepted within the Greater London area. Beyond that you will need to purchase a ticket for your journey.
National Rail
(information on train times and delays)
Most scheduled coach services are run by National Express and Scottish Citylink, allowing you to tour at your own pace on coaches which run to every major town and city in Britain. They are inevitably a little slower than trains but they are an economical alternative. Most coaches are very comfortable and many include refreshments on board. Details about local town and city buses (and post buses which travel around rural areas) can be obtained from local tourist information centres.
There are several ways to save money on coach tickets. If you are aged between 16 and 25, a mature student over 26, or over 50, you can purchase a Discount Coachcard (called Advantage 50 for over 50s) which entitles you to up to 30% off normal adult fares on National Express in mainland Britain (children get a 30% discount anyway). They are valid for one year and cost £8.00. In Scotland, there is the Scottish Citylink Smartcard which costs £5 for one year and £12 for 3 years. Alternatively, a Tourist Trail Pass will give you unlimited travel on all coach services in England and Wales for a choice of 2, 5, 7 or 14 days. Adult prices start at £49. For coach travel in Scotland, enquire about the Scottish Explorer Pass. Passes are available from National Express and Scottish Citylink agents and at UK ports of entry.