Transport > Overview - UK Transport - Britain & Ireland |
UK TRAVEL BUREAU:
Travel & Transport Information for London, UK & Ireland
If you are visiting Britain ( England, Scotland or Wales ) or
Ireland again, or if this is your first time and you are researching information for your visit, you will notice quite an improvement
within the overall transport system, which has been upgraded
and greatly overhauled over the last few years.
Great Britain & Ireland now boasts one of the worlds most extensive
integrated public transport systems, with the world famous London
Tube system (underground railway) the backbone of the network
for London and the above ground railway system (Railtrack) also
servicing London and surrounds as well as all of Britain. However,
both Tube and Train costs are quite expensive - and overseas visitors
should in all cases pre-purchase Tube/Rail passes in their originating country of origin prior to arrival,
which represent considerable savings over normal costs. Extensive London Tube and Bus information:
The above ground rail services (Railtrack) has now moved back to UK government control after a disastrous
period of privatisation, and is now subject to a multi billion pound upgrade over the next ten years, as
is also the venerable London Tube system. New modern trains are now gradually replacing the old rattlers on
both Tube and Railtrack, albeit slowly.
Unfortunately the Tube is still creaking at the seams with its track system in some places over 100 years old,
and it is still subject to many delays and cancellations, but for a system that moves over 3 million people a
day it is still pretty effective. However rail travel in the UK, both railways and Tube is very expensive
compared to other cities in the world.
The famous Red busses of London ('Routemasters') have now all been upgraded to a fleet of new double decker modern buses, still keeping
the famous double-decker layout but sadly (?) dispensing with the rear boarding hop on/off ramp and cheery
conductor, with entry now through the front of the bus and exit via the middle of the bus. However if you want to travel on one of the
of the old Routemasters they still operate certain routes daily - check with London Transport for full details.
The new 'bendy buses' (two busses joined in the middle with a flexible cover) introduced by the previous Mayor Ken and London Transport in 2006 but they were not built to negotiate the old London streets
of Charles Dicken's London - very narrow and winding streets - which is still very much in evidence in some parts of the city...However - our new Mayor Boris to the rescue, as he has instigated a competition to design the next generation of London Busses - maybe even with a hint of the old Routemaster busses included!
For Inter-City coach travel, a national network of privately operated, high quality coach fleets provides fast and speedy intercity transfers
as well as transfers to all major airports in the UK from most major cities and towns.
Ferry services now in the main operate new vessels on most ferry transfers between Britain and Ireland and
regional services in England, Scotland Wales and Ireland. From London a 1 hour 30 journey on the motorway will have you at the entrance to the Eurotunnel and 55 minutes later you are in France! Or, a leisurly 1 hour 20 minute ferry ride from Dover will have you in Calais and driving off the ferry!.
Also the advent of the new breed of super cheap budget airline carriers in Britain & Ireland has reinvented
affordable/cheap air travel, particularly to nearby Europe.
Eurostar:
The high speed Eurostar train service route
now connects central London (St Pancreas) to central Paris via an incredible three hour journey. With daily frequent departures and a total travelling
time of around three hours Eurostar has dramatically changed the
perception that London is now a real European city, in that it is now closer (and cheaper)
to travel to/from other European cities than many of the other
cities in the UK.
In late 2007 the stunning new London
terminus for Eurostar opened at St Pancras station which has retained the famous Victorian structure, with a further new terminal now currently in operation at Stratford in East London which will cater for the London's 2012 Olympic Games, as well as another brand new station at Ebbsfleet International and the already existing Ashford International also in Kent.
In December 2009 the UK had its first High Speed train come into operation - the new South East Rail High Speed Rail Link from London St. Pancras to Ashford and the Kent Coast, the first new rail link for the UK in over a century. The new Hitachi trains reach speeds of 140mph, ensuring current travelling times from London to Kent are greatly reduced.
Below we have assembled what we feel is a list of important and useful links and transport information that
are essential for either the first time or return visitor. And of course, if its not here -and you are a UK or Ireland transport operator that has a service that you feel we should include - please email us and ask us to include your services in this section.
Click on the headings to find out more:
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