World Country Guide

Travel - Internal

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

Air
British Airways operates a shuttle service to Belfast, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Manchester amongst other cities. Other internal operators include: Aer Lingus (EI), bmi british midland (BD), British European (JY), EasyJet (U2), KLM UK (UK) and Ryanair (FR).
Approximate flight times: From London to Aberdeen is one hour 25 minutes; to Belfast is one hour 20 minutes; to Edinburgh is one hour 25 minutes; to Glasgow is one hour 20 minutes; to Jersey is one hour; to Manchester is 55 minutes; and to Newcastle is one hour and 10 minutes.
From Aberdeen to Birmingham is one hour 40 minutes; to Glasgow is 55 minutes; to London is one hour 25 minutes; to Manchester is one hour five minutes; to Orkney is 45 minutes; and to Shetland is one hour five minutes.
From Belfast to Birmingham is one hour; to Glasgow is 50 minutes; to London is one hour 20 minutes; and to Manchester is one hour.
From Birmingham to Aberdeen is one hour 40 minutes; to Belfast is one hour; to Edinburgh is one hour; to Glasgow is one hour.
From Edinburgh to Birmingham is one hour and to London is one hour 25 minutes.
From Glasgow to Aberdeen is 55 minutes; to Belfast is 50 minutes; to Birmingham is one hour; to Inverness is 50 minutes; to London is one hour 20 minutes; to Manchester is one hour five minutes; and to Stornoway is one hour five minutes.
From Manchester to Aberdeen is one hour five minutes; to Belfast is one hour; to Glasgow is one hour five minutes; to Jersey is one hour 35 minutes; and to London is 55 minutes.

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

Rail
The UK is served by an excellent network of railways (16,500km/10,250 miles in total). 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.
Rail passes: There are many discretionary fares, and visitors using trains may like to consider one of the all-line Britrail 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 their home country, although tickets can be collected in the UK. Further details can be obtained from Network Rail Group (website: www.networkrail.com). In 2002, the Network Rail Group completed the acquisition of Railtrack Plc. For information about UK train services and fares, contact National Rail Enquiries (tel: (08457) 484 950; website: www.nationalrail.co.uk). It can be much cheaper to purchase rail tickets in advance. Disabled travellers are also entitled to discounted train fares; see the Disabled Traveller appendix. InterRail cards are valid; holders may be entitled to discounts on ferry fares.

Road
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 Travel 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. There are coach services to all parts of the country. Many coaches have onboard toilets and refreshments. Private coaches may be hired by groups wishing to tour the UK; these can be booked in advance and will visit most major tourist attractions. Many of these destinations now have coach parks nearby. The main carrier is National Express. Traffic regulations: Traffic drives on the left. Speed limits are 30mph (48kph) in urban areas, 70mph (113kph) on motorways and dual carriageways, elsewhere 50mph (80kph) or 60mph (97kph) as marked. Petrol is graded in a star system: 2-star (90 octane) and 4-star (97 octane). Unleaded petrol is also available at all petrol stations and is sold at a lower price than leaded petrol. Seatbelts must be worn by the driver and front seat passenger. Where rear seat belts have been fitted, they must also be worn. Documentation: National driving licences are valid for one year. Drivers must have Third Party insurance and vehicle registration documents. Automobile associations: The AA and RAC 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.

Urban
All cities and towns have bus services of varying efficiency and cost. Glasgow, Liverpool, London and Newcastle have underground railways, London and Glasgow’s being very old and Newcastle’s very new. The urban areas of Birmingham, Cardiff, Glasgow, Liverpool and Manchester are also well served by local railway trains. Manchester has an efficient modern tram service. 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 summoned by telephone.