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 Study in UK
ABOUT UK
EDUCATIONAL SYSTEm
STUDYING In UK
GETTING TO UK
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STUDY IN UK - Getting to UK

 
 
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 By Air   |   By Land   |   By Sea
 
 
 
 

By Air

National Airline

British Airways

(BA)

Website: http://www.britishairways.com).

Approximate flight times

  • From Birmingham to Amsterdam is 1 hour 15 minutes; to Dublin is 1 hour 5 minutes; to Düsseldorf is 1 hour 20 minutes; to Frankfurt/M is 1 hour 40 minutes; and to Paris is 1 hour 10 minutes.
  • From Glasgow to Paris is 2 hours 50 minutes via Birmingham.
  • From Manchester to Amsterdam is 1 hour 25 minutes; to Brussels is 1 hour 35 minutes; to Dublin is 1 hour; to Düsseldorf is 1 hour 25 minutes; to Frankfurt/M is 1 hour 50 minutes; to Milan is 2 hours 25 minutes; to Nice is 2 hours 20 minutes; to Paris is 1 hour 30 minutes; and to Rome is 2 hours 55 minutes.

For approximate durations of international flights from London, see the Travel – International section of the destination country.

You are mostly likely to arrive in the UK at the two largest interntaional airports in London: Heathrow and Gatwick airports:

Heathrow Airport

LHR

Website:

http://www.heathrowairport.com/about-us

Heathrow Airport Website

London Heathrow (0181-7594321) is about 15 miles west of the city. The quickest way of travelling to Central London is by the Piccadily Line Undergound (about 40-50 minutes and £3.20 one way). If you have a lot of luggages, it would be better to take the Airbus A1/A2 (0181-897 3305) to Central London. Airbus runs every 20 minutes and the journey takes about 60-70 minutes. The tickets cost £6 single and £10 return. A taxi ride to Central London costs about £30-40. Just follow the signs at the airport to get to the Underground station, Bus stop or the taxi point.

Warning: Terminal 4 is quite a distance away from Terminal 1/2/3. When you are leaving London at the Heathrow Airport, please make sure that you know the terminal for your flight.

Gatwick Airport

LGW

Website: http://www.gatwickairport.com/

Gatwick Airport Website

London Gatwick (01293-535353) is about 28 miles south of the city. The Gatwick Express runs a train service between the airport and Victoria station in central London 24 hours a day (every 15 minutes from 5:30am-8pm, every 30-60 minutes other time). The journey takes 30 minutes and tickets cost £8.90 single and £17.80 return. The Flightline 777 Bus (0181-668 7261) also runs a daily service (6:35am-11:25pm) from the airport to Victoria Coach Station. Tickets cost £7.50 single and £11 return.

London also has three other airports:

  • Luton Airport (01582 405100), 35 miles northwest of London
  • Stanstead Airport (01279 502380), 38 miles northeast of London
  • London City Airport (0171 474 5555), 6 miles from "the City" (London financial district)

Major Regional International Airports:

  • Birmingham International Airport (0121 767 5511), 9 miles from city centre
  • Manchester International Airport (0161 489 3000), 10 miles from city centre
  • Glasgow Airport (0141 887 1111), 8 miles from city centre
  • Edinburgh Airport (0131 344 3136), 8 miles from city centre
  • Cardiff Airport (01446 711111), 12 miles from city centre

There are many domestic airports throughout the country. The following airlines providing domestic air services:

  • British Airway: 0181 759 2525
  • British Midland Airway: 0181 734 4110
  • Air UK: 01345 666777
  • Aer Lingus: 0181 569 5555
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By Land

Few formalities are encountered when driving between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Eurolines, departing from Victoria Coach Station in London, serves destinations in the United Kingdom.

For further information, contact Eurolines (4 Cardiff Road, Luton, Bedfordshire, LU1 1PP; tel: (08705) 143 219; fax: (01582) 400 694

Car

Most large cities in the UK have extensive public transport., and in city centers, parking is usually difficult and expensive, particularly in London. However, if you are travelling to countryside or remote areas, hiring car is essential.

Speed limits are 30 mph in urban areas, 60 mph on roads away from built-up areas and 70 mph on motorways. In the UK traffic drives on the left-hand side of the road. Full/cir/information can be found in The Highway Code, available in most bookshops and newsagents.

On most roads, parking is restricted between 8am-6:30pm weekdays and 8am-1:30pm Saturdays. Do consult the parking restriction signs (usually found on street light posts) before you park your car. In central London, parking fees and fines are one of the major incomes for local councils. You often find that traffic wardens show up from nowhere as soon as you have left your car on the road. If you are not careful, you may find a yellow fine notice on your car, or your car wheel-clamped, or even worse that your car towed away (it costs fortune to get the car released).

In case of breakdown, you can call the following free phone numbers for assistance:

AA: 0800 887766
RAC: 0800 828282
National Breakdown: 0800 400600
Many breakdown assistance clubs in other countries have reciprocal arrangement with AA or RAC in the UK. Check with your own club and find out what assistance you may get free of charge.

If you are over 21 years old and have a valid International driving licence, you can hire a car from car rental companies.

Avis: 0181 848 8733
Hertz: 0171 670 1799
Budget: 0800 181181
Europcar: 0181 950 4080
Eurodollar: 01895 333000

RAIL:

Within the UK, railway travel is an excellent way to explore the country. Special rail passes are available to visitors for unlimited rail travel within the UK (or within the Europe) for specific periods, and they offer excellent value for money. Rail passes must be purchased before you arrive in the Uk and can be obtained from travel agents and British Rail overseas offices.

The standard rail tickets are expensive in the UK. However, if you can travel off-peak periods, there are a number of reduced priced tickets: Cheap Day Return, Network Break, Saver and SuperSaver.

You can check the on-line railway timetables for the whole UK.

British Rail also offers a number of luxury rail tours: Royal Scotsman, Great Wales Express, Great Britain Express (0171 730 9600)

You are into steam trains, there are a few still running: Scottish Highland (Est Highland, Strathspey, West Buchan), Wales (Snowdonia National park to Blaenau Ffestiniog), England (Settle-Carlisle, Romney-Dymchurch)

Eurotunnel or the Channel Tunnel:

All road vehicles are carried through the tunnel in Eurotunnel shuttles running between the two terminals, one near Folkestone in Kent, with direct road access from the M20, and one just outside Calais, with links to the A16/A26 motorway (Exit 13). Each shuttle is made up of 12 single- and 12 double-deck carriages, and vehicles are directed to single-deck or double-deck carriages depending on their height. There are facilities for cars and motorcycles, coaches, minibuses, caravans, campervans and other vehicles over 1.85m (6.07ft).

Bicycles are provided for. Passengers generally travel with their vehicles. Heavy goods vehicles are carried on special shuttles and drivers travel in a separate carriage. Terminals and shuttles are well equipped for disabled passengers, and Passenger Terminal buildings contain a variety of shops, restaurants, bureaux de change and other amenities. The journey takes about 35 minutes from platform to platform and about 1 hour from motorway to motorway. Services run every day of the year, and there are between two and five an hour, depending on the time of day. There is a reservation system and a turn-up-and-go service. Motorists pass through customs and immigration before they board the shuttle without further checks on arrival. Fares vary according to length of stay, time of day and time of year and whether you have a reservation or not. The price applies to the car, regardless of the number of passengers or size of the car. The fare may be paid in cash, by cheque or by credit card. There are savings of up to £6 when booking online.

For further information, contact Eurotunnel Customer Services UK (tel: (08705) 353 535; fax: (01303) 288 786; website: http://www.eurotunnel.com).

 
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By Sea
 
There are many ports offering ferry connections between the UK and mainland Europe, Ireland, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Wight, the Scilly Isles and the Isle of Man.
UK ferry operators include:
 
Brittany Ferries (08703) 665 333 http://www.brittany-ferries.com
Caledonian Macbrayne (01475) 650 100 http://www.calmac.co.uk
Condor Ferries (0845) 345 2000 http://www.condorferries.co.uk
DFDS Seaways (08705) 333 000 http://www.dfdsseaways.co.uk
Fjord Line (0191) 296 131 http://www.fjordline.com
Hoverspeed (0870) 240 8070 http://www.hoverspeed.co.uk
Irish Ferries (08705) 171 717 http://www.irishferries.com
Isle of Man Steam Packet Co (01624) 661 661 http://www.steam-packet.com
Isles of Scilly Travel (08457) 105 555 http://www.islesofscilly-travel.co.uk
Norse Irish Ferries (0151) 944 1010 http://www.norsemerchant.com
P&O European Ferries (0870) 242 4999 http://www.poportsmouth.com
P&O Ferries (08705) 202 020 http://www.poferries.com
P&O North Sea Ferries (08701) 296 002 http://www.ponsf.com
P&O Scottish Ferries   www.poscottishferries.co.uk
Red Funnel (0870) 444 8898 http://www.redfunnel.co.uk
Stena Line (08705) 707 070 http://www7.stenaline.com
Swansea–Cork Ferries (01792) 456 116  
Wightlink (08705) 827 744 http://www.wightlink.co.uk
 
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