From New York to London, Birmingham or Manchester is 7 hours.

Heathrow (LHR) (website: www.heathrowairport.com) is 24km (15 miles) west of central London. To/from the airport: The London Underground stops at Heathrow (tel: (020) 7222 1234; website: www.tfl.gov.uk) (journey time to city centre - 45 minutes). Heathrow Express (tel: 0845 600 1515, in the UK; website: www.heathrowexpress.com) runs from London Paddington station (journey time – 15 minutes). A shuttle service to London hotels is also available from dot2dot (website: www.dot2.com). Taxis are available outside each terminal.

Gatwick (LGW) (website: www.gatwickairport.com) is 45km (28 miles) south of central London. To/from the airport: Gatwick Express (tel: 0845 850 1530, in the UK, or (0121) 410 5015; website: www.gatwickexpress.co.uk) connects the airport with London Victoria station (journey time – 30 minutes). There is also a shuttle service to London hotels with dot2dot (website: www.dot2.com). Taxis are available outside the terminal.

London City Airport (LCY) (website: www.londoncityairport.com) is 10km (6 miles) east of the City of London. To/from the airport: Docklands Light Railway services run to the airport. The nearest Underground station is Canning Town. Local buses stop at the terminal. There is a taxi rank outside the terminal.

Stansted (STN) (website: www.stanstedairport.com) is 48km (30 miles) northeast of central London. To/from the airport: The Stansted Express (tel: 0845 600 7245; website: www.stanstedexpress.co.uk) runs from London Liverpool Street (journey time – 45 minutes). Local buses run to surrounding towns. Taxis are available (journey time - 1 hour 30 minutes to central London).

Luton (LTN) (website: www.london-luton.co.uk) is 51km (32 miles) northeast of London. To/from the airport: Trains and coaches run to London and other cities. Greenline bus 757 (website: www.greenline.co.uk) runs to Luton and on to central London. easyBus (website: www.easybus.co.uk) runs an express minibus to central London. Local buses run from the airport to Luton bus and rail stations. Taxis can be hired outside the terminal building.

Birmingham (BHX) (website: www.bhx.co.uk) is 13km (8 miles) southeast of the city centre. To/from the airport: It is connected to the rail network and has a service to London Euston (journey time – 1 hour 20 minutes). Local bus services operate. Taxis are available outside the terminals (journey time – 25 minutes).

Manchester (MAN) (website: www.manchesterairport.co.uk) is 17km (10 miles) southwest of the city centre. To/from the airport: Manchester Airport train station links to Manchester city centre (journey time – 20 minutes). Trains also connect to all parts of the country. A local bus runs frequently to the city centre; contact Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority (tel: 0871 200 2233; website: www.gmpte.com). There are taxis available (journey time to city centre – 25 minutes).

Newcastle (NCL) (website: www.newcastleairport.com) is 10km (6 miles) northwest of the city centre. To/from the airport: The Tyne and Wear Metro (website: www.tyneandwearmetro.co.uk) connects the Newcastle area with the airport. The nearest railway station is Newcastle Central, 11km (7 miles) from the airport, linked by the Metro. Local bus services run. Taxis are available (journey time to city centre – 15 to 20 minutes).

The national rail network (tel: 0845 748 4950; website: www.nationalrail.co.uk) and National Express coach (tel: 0870 580 8080; website: www.nationalexpress.com) services connect all of the above airports with the rest of the country.

Facilities: The airports listed above are all of a high international standard and include car hire, banks/bureaux de change, duty-free shops, restaurants and bars.

None.

There are many ports offering ferry connections between England and mainland Europe, Ireland, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Wight and the Isle of Man. See Getting There in the main United Kingdom section for more details.

There are connections to London and Ashford (Kent) from major cities all over Europe through the Channel Tunnel with Eurostar (website: www.eurostar.com).

England's rail network (tel: 0845 748 4950; website: www.nationalrail.co.uk) serves all main cities in the UK mainland. All routes radiate from London. Rail services are operated by numerous private companies. 

There are services to the Republic of Ireland via Fishguard and Holyhead, and to Northern Ireland.

Coach services from all over Europe connect to England through the Eurotunnel (website: www.eurotunnel.com).

Many coach companies offer express and stopping services throughout England and the rest of the UK. The main operator, National Express (tel: 0871 781 8181; website: www.nationalexpress.com), provides nationwide coach information.