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Travel to London

Flying to London

Flights to London are available by a wide range of international airlines and low-cost carriers, including British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Ryanair, easyJet, Lufthansa and KLM. There are a wide range of London flights to choose from as the city is a year-round destination, with the peak period for fares between June and September. If you're looking for cheap flights to London, consider flying during the shoulder periods during the spring or summer. London is less crowded during these months but there is always still plenty to see and do.

Flight times: 

From New York - 7 hours 40 minutes; Los Angeles - 10 hours 20 minutes; Toronto - 7 hours; Sydney - 23 hours 5 minutes (plus stopover).

Travel by road

Summary:

Traffic drives on the left in the UK and drivers must be at least 17 years old. Speed limits are 113kph (70mph) on motorways, 97kph (60mph) on single-lane main roads and 48kph (30mph) in built-up areas. Overseas driving licences and International Driving Permits are valid for up to one year. Insurance is mandatory. Overseas visitors bringing their own cars should bring registration documents and check with their insurance company as to whether a Green Card is needed.

Emergency breakdown service:

AA (tel: 0800 887 766); Green Flag (tel: 0800 051 0636); RAC (tel: 0800 828 282).

Routes:

The M25 encircles Greater London. The M1, M11, M20, M23, M3, M4 and M40 radiate from London to the rest of Britain. The M1 goes north to Leeds, the M11 northeast to Cambridge and East Anglia, the M20 southeast to Folkestone (from where the A20 continues to Dover), the M23 goes south to Gatwick airport (and continues as the A23 to Brighton), the M3 southwest to Southampton, the M4 west to Heathrow airport and Bristol, and the M40 northwest to Oxford and Birmingham.

Motorists can travel by train through the Channel Tunnel from Calais, France to Folkestone in southeast England, with Eurotunnel (tel: 0844 335 3535, in the UK only; www.eurotunnel.com).

Driving times:

From Cambridge - 1 hour 30 minutes; Oxford - 1 hour 30 minutes; Folkestone - 1 hour 45 minutes; Birmingham - 2 hours 15 minutes; Bristol - 2 hours 45 minutes.

Coaches:

National and international services use Victoria coach station, a short walk from Victoria train station, at 164 Buckingham Palace Road, SW1. National Express (tel: 0871 781 8181; www.nationalexpress.com) operates services throughout the UK. Eurolines (tel: 0871 781 8181; www.eurolines.com) has departures to over 500 European destinations.

Travel by rail

Services:

The British railway network has suffered a bad reputation - delays, cancellations and poor travelling conditions are common, while fares (particularly on routes via London) are high. For the cheapest tickets, book in advance online.
London’s main stations are Victoria (southwest), Paddington (west), Euston and Kings Cross (north), Liverpool Street (east), Waterloo (south) and Charing Cross (central), and they connect with different regions of the country. Buy tickets at the station – from ticket desks or machines – before boarding. Do note that London’s main stations become very crowded during rush hour (Monday to Friday 0800-0930 and 1700-1830).

Operators:

Rail services in England are co-ordinated by a number of independent operators. Railway information is available 24 hours from National Rail Enquiries (tel: 0845 748 4950; www.nationalrail.co.uk).

Eurostar (tel: 0843 218 6186, in the UK only; www.eurostar.com) connects London St Pancras International with Avignon, Calais, Brussels, Lille, Paris-Gare du Nord and Disneyland Paris via the English Channel. Scotrail (tel: 0845 601 5929; www.scotrail.co.uk) runs overnight sleeper trains from Euston to Scotland’s main cities.

Journey times:

From Edinburgh – 4 hours 30 minutes; Cardiff – 2 hours 10 minutes; Manchester – 2 hours 10 minutes; Birmingham – 1 hour 25 minutes; Brighton – 1 hour; Paris - 2 hours 20 minutes.

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