|
| |
|
getting around |
| |
|
|
| |
As you'd expect of such a small and densely populated island, just
about every place in Britain is accessible by train or bus. However,
costs are among the highest in Europe - London's commuters spend more on
getting to work than any of their European counterparts - while
cross-country travel can eat up a large part of your budget. It pays to
plan ahead and make sure you're aware of all the passes and special
deals on offer - note that some are only available outside Britain and
must be purchased before you arrive. It's often cheaper to drive
yourself around, though fuel and car rental costs again are among the
highest in Europe and will seem prohibitive to North Americans.
Congestion around the main cities can be bad, and even the motorways are
liable to sporadic gridlocks, especially on public holidays when what
seems like half the population takes to the road
Internal flights
Since the distances involved are so small, internal flights are not the
most obvious choice for getting around Britain. However, with several
regional airports - including Birmingham, Bristol, Manchester, Glasgow
and Edinburgh - well served by low-cost airlines - flights can be a cost-effective
as well as time-saving way of travelling.
You can fly to Scotland's main airports - Edinburgh, Glasgow and
Aberdeen - in an hour or so from London, as well as from various
provincial airports. There's usually a confusingly wide range of fares.
The best deals are special-offer tickets , sold at least three days in
advance on specific flights; these tend to fly at less social hours and
are subject to availability and certain restrictions, but the savings
can make the extra effort well worthwhile. The next cheapest seats are
Apex tickets, available on all flights, at about half the price of a
full-price economy-class ticket. The full amount for Apex must be paid
at least two weeks before departure, and only half of the price will be
returned if the booking is cancelled. Anyone under 26 should also check
out a specialist agency such as Campus Travel or STA Travel, as they
offer special youth deals, including Domestic Air Passes (aka "Skytrekker
Passes") on British Airways flights, which can get you to Inverness and
the Hebrides for a fraction of the published fare. We've listed
addresses for discount agents.
As a broad guide to what you're likely to pay, reckon on £30 for a rock-bottom
one-way ticket from Luton or Stansted to Edinburgh or Glasgow with
Easyjet or Go. Full return fares for British Airways, bmi/British
Midland or KLM, the three main carriers, start at around £100, rising to
more than double that for the most flexible tickets; Apex rates and
reductions for young persons and students apply in most cases. Note,
too, that airport tax is levied on all domestic flights to Scotland.
BA also flies from Cardiff to Glasgow, Edinburgh and London for around
£100 return, and to Aberdeen for £140 return
By train
In the recent past Britain's rail network has suffered a foolhardy
privatization process and a chronic under-investment, resulting in a
severe decline in services. With the ownership of the track and stations
put into the hands of Railtrack, but the trains and services run by a
tangle of private companies, there has been no little confusion when it
comes to trying to figure out routes and prices. Spiralling prices and
unreliable services had already caused many passengers to run for their
cars, but it was the train disasters at Paddington in 1999 and Hatfied
in 2000 that brought the crisis on the privatized railways to a head; an
urgent and long overdue overhaul of the tracks followed, but public
confidence in the privatized system - and Railtrack in particular - hit
an all time low. At the end of 2001, the government finally pulled the
plug on troubled Railtrack, and a re-evaluation of how the privatized
network shall be run in the future is currently underway.
Despite this bleak picture, it is fair to say that most trains run more-or-less
to schedule (except on Sundays when maintenance work takes place) and
that there are but a few major towns that cannot be reached by rail.
Travelling across country - or reaching remote corners - can be more
tricky, however, and at best will involve connections with several
different services.
You can buy tickets at the train station on the day of travel, but it
should hardly come as a surprise to find that booking as far ahead as
possible ensures the cheapest fares - or that travelling most places on
a Friday, or just turning up at the station to buy a ticket, are the
most expensive ways to go. In all instances, an essential first call is
National Rail Enquiries (we've listed rail contacts), which can advise
on booking, routes and services throughout the country. Credit-card
bookings are made through the privatized rail companies; if you're
booking three or more days in advance, you can do this through any of
the companies, otherwise you will need to contact the network that
covers the station you depart from. National Rail Enquiries will supply
the necessary contact name and number.
At the time of writing, there were four types of reduced-fare ticket -
Saver, SuperSaver, SuperAdvanced and Apex - all with byzantine
restrictions which are often different from route to route and company
to company (for instance, it's often cheaper to travel return from the
north to London, than it is from London to the north). Apex tickets are
issued in limited numbers on certain intercity journeys of 150 miles or
more, and have to be booked at least 7 days before travelling; a seat
reservation is included with the ticket. To give you an idea of the
differing fares, using the London-Manchester service as an example, an
open return fare costs £164, a Saver £49, a SuperSaver £47 and an Apex
£30, with special deals bringing the fare as low as £15 at certain times
of the year. For all special-offer tickets you should book as far in
advance as you possibly can - many Apex tickets are sold out weeks
before the travel date.
Children aged 5-15 inclusive pay half the adult fare on most journeys -
but there are no discounts on Apex tickets. Under-5s travel free,
although they are not entitled to a seat.
At weekends and on public holidays, many long-distance services have a
special deal whereby you can convert your second-class ticket to a first-class
one by buying a first-class supplement , which costs between £5 and £15
and is well worth paying if you're facing a five-hour journey on a
popular route - every Brit has a horror story about having to stand all
the way from London to Glasgow in a smelly second-class carriage.
If the station's ticket office is closed - which is likely at rural
stations at weekends - or does not have a vending machine, you may buy
your ticket on the train. Otherwise, boarding without a ticket will
render you liable to paying the full fare to your destination
By bus and coach
Inter-town bus services (known as coaches in Britain) duplicate many
rail routes, very often at half the price of the train or less. The
frequency of service is often comparable to rail, and in some instances
the difference in journey time isn't great enough to be a deciding
factor; buses are generally comfortable, and the ones on longer routes
often have drinks and sandwiches available on board. There's a plethora
of regional companies operating buses and coaches, but by far the
biggest national operator is National Express , whose network extends to
every corner of the country. With rail prices becoming exorbitant,
National Express services are so popular that for busy routes, and on
any route at weekends and during holidays, it's advisable to book ahead,
rather than just turn up.
Local bus services are run by a bewildering array of companies, most
private, a few not. In many cases, timetables and routes are well
integrated, but it's increasingly the case that private companies
duplicate the busiest routes in an attempt to undercut the commercial
opposition, leaving the farther-flung spots neglected. Thus, if you want
to get from one end of a big English city to another, you'll probably
have a choice of buses all offering cut-price fares, but to get out into
the suburbs or to a satellite village, you may have to wait several
hours. As a rule, the further away from urban areas you get, the less
frequent and more expensive bus services become, but there are very few
rural areas which aren't served by at least the occasional privately
owned minibus.
By car
In order to drive in Britain you need a current full driving licence .
If you're bringing your own vehicle, you should also carry your vehicle
registration or ownership document at all times. Furthermore, you must
be adequately insured : check your existing insurance policy.
In Britain, you drive on the left , a situation which can lead to a few
tense days of acclimatization for overseas drivers. Speed limits are
30-40mph (50-65kph) in built-up areas, 70mph (110kph) on motorways and
dual carriageways (freeways) and 50mph (80kph) on most other roads. As a
rule, assume that in any area with street lighting the speed limit is
30mph (50kph) unless otherwise stated.
Fuel is expensive compared to North American prices - unleaded petrol (gasoline)
and diesel cost in the region of 77p per litre, leaded 4-star 80p. The
lowest prices of all are charged at out-of-town supermarkets; suburban
service stations are usually fairly reasonable; and the highest prices
are charged by motorway stations.
The AA (Automobile Association), RAC (Royal Automobile Club) and Green
Flag all operate 24-hour emergency breakdown . The first two also
provide many other motoring services, including a reciprocal arrangement
for free assistance through many overseas motoring organizations - check
the situation with your own association before setting out. For
emergency help the AA and RAC can be called from roadside booths on
motorways; elsewhere ring 0800/887766 for the AA, tel 0800/828282 for
the RAC and tel 0800/400600 for Green Flag. You can make use of these
emergency services if you are not a member of the organizations, but you
will be required to join at the roadside and you will incur a hefty
surcharge as well.
Car parking in cities and in popular tourist spots can be a nightmare
and will also cost you a small fortune. If you're in a tourist city for
a day, look out for the Park-and-Ride schemes where you can park your
car a short way out and take a cheap or free bus to the centre. Parking
in the long- or short-stay car parks will be cheaper than using meters,
which restrict parking time to two or three hours at the most. As a rule,
the smaller the town, the cheaper the parking. A yellow line along the
edge of the road indicates parking restrictions ; check the nearest sign
to see exactly what they are. A double-yellow line means no parking at
any time, though you can stop briefly to unload or pick up people or
goods (maximum stop two minutes), but if the lines are red, that means
absolutely no stopping at all.
Compared to rates in North America, car rental in Britain is expensive,
and you'll probably find it cheaper to arrange things in advance through
one of the multinational chains, or by opting for a fly/drive deal. If
you do rent a car, the least you can expect to pay is around £110 a week,
which is the rate for a small hatchback from Thrifty; reckon on paying
around £40 per day for something direct from one of the multinationals,
£10 or so less at a local firm. Rental agencies prefer you to pay by
credit card and you may have to leave a deposit of £100 or more on top
of the rental charge. There are very few automatics at the lower end of
the price scale - if you want one, you should book well ahead. To rent a
car you need to show your driving licence; few companies will rent to
drivers with less than one year's experience and most will only rent to
people between 21 and 75 years of age.
Taxis
Taxis are a useful option for finding that hostel or sight that's off
the beaten track or when time is limited. Also, if you're with a group
hiring a taxi can work out as cheap as taking a bus. Reckon on paying
around £3 for the first mile and £1 for subsequent miles in cities, and
£1.40 a mile in country districts. Black cabs are generally a little
more expensive than minicabs, but are usually more reliable. You can
hail a black cab on the street, but you must book minicabs by phone - we
have given numbers for reliable minicab services throughout the guide. |
| |
|
