Getting around UK

England , Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales contain many different regions, each with a unique character and cultural heritage. Visitors can choose between cosmopolitan cities, calm countryside, misty mountains, flourishing forests and bewitching beaches. There are a variety of options for getting around UK.

By Air

The cities and towns in UK are well-connected with domestic flights. The largest operator is British Airways (BA), which runs scheduled flights within all the main city and town airports including many Scottish islands and the Channel Islands.

The other major internal airline is British Midland that offers its own pre-bought air pass for overseas visitors. Ryanair and easyJet are two of the largest low-cost airlines in the UK offering internal services. Scot Airways connects Scottish cities such as Dundee and Aberdeen with Glasgow and Edinburgh and provides services to London. Small regional airports in the UK run excellent services and are easy to get through to onward destinations.

By Rail

The railway in the UK was started in 1825 and is the grandfather of all railway systems. It now features more than 2,400 stations serviced by 15,000 daily departures. The fast inter-city trains have standard or first class seats, the latter offering varying degrees of luxury and additional service, depending on the service operator. Standard seating is generally comfortable and most trains have restaurant or buffet cars or mobile refreshments. There are air-conditioned sleeping cars on overnight services from London to Wales, Scotland and the south-west of England.

Car & motorbike

All vehicles in the UK must drive on the left-hand side of the road. Motorcyclists and passengers must by law wear a helmet, and car drivers and all passengers must wear a seat belt.

There are car rental groups if you are interested in car hire. Self-drive cars are hired to drivers aged 21 and over. Chauffeur-driven cars and minibuses are also available; you can even hire a classic car.

A few motorways operate tolls. Tolls are not usually charged on roads, but often there are some on tunnels and bridges. Congestion Charging, designed to reduce traffic, operates in Central London, Monday - Friday, 07:00 – 18:30 (but not on public holidays).

Cycling & walking

The National Cycle Network offers miles of cycle routes on quiet country lanes and traffic-free paths, using easy to follow route signs and connecting towns and villages throughout the UK.

Across the UK, thousands of marked footpaths, tracks and bridleways offer public access to national parks and privately owned areas of countryside.

You can find bikes for hire locally all over the country and many outlets for repairs and spares, and outdoor clothing and equipment for walkers.

Bus & coach

Coach travel is probably the cheapest way to get around the UK, particularly between the major towns and cities. National Express, Scottish Citylink and Ulsterbus offer daily services to more than 1,300 destinations in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. National Express offers discount coachcards to students and young people aged 16 to 25; there is also a Tourist Trail Pass offering unlimited travel for a fixed period. The Scottish Explorer Pass covers coach services to around 190 destinations in Scotland. Coaches have toilet and washroom facilities and long routes usually provide videos and steward services offering snacks.

Tourist operators provide a great many special coach tours taking in local and regional sites. Coaches and minibuses are also widely available for corporate travel and group hire.

There are regular local and regional bus services operated by town and city councils throughout the UK. However, services to and from remote rural areas tend to be infrequent.

Boat

There are many beautiful islands surrounding the UK mainland and most require a sea crossing by car or passenger ferry. Scotland is home to the most islands, including the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Orkneys and Shetland Islands. The biggest operator is Caledonian MacBrayne, which runs about 30 routes. By contrast, John O' Groats Ferries operates one service to South Ronaldsay.

Further south, all routes to and from Liverpool, Heysham, Belfast and Dublin to Douglas on the Isle of Man, set in the Irish Sea, is run by the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company. Small but dramatic Lundy Island off the north Devon coast is reached by Lundy Company routes from Ilfracombe, Bideford and Clovelly. Between March and the end of October, the Isles of Scilly Steamship Company runs services from Penzance, in the far south west, to St Mary's, largest of the isles, and there are other foot passenger only ferries between the islands. Condor Ferries services take in the Channel Islands and France; while Emeraude Lines operate a number of inter-Channel Island services, also with connections to St Malo.

If you want your holiday on the water at a slower pace, why not take a boat out on the thousands of kilometres of inland canals, rivers and lakes in the UK? Popular activities include cruising in the Norfolk Broads, taking a houseboat out onto the 3,000 km network of canals in the UK, and sailing on one of the many British lakes (or lochs).

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