Cabs

If you like a late night out, these will probably be your only way of getting home. Although they operate throughout the day, they usually hang around late nightclubs.  

•Takes about 4-7 passengers;

•Although there is no meter, fares are based on distance and the driver will give you a quote before you leave - make sure about the quote and confirm it – don't get taken for a ride!

•There is no charge per person, as long as the total fare is paid at the end of the journey. It's therefore not a good idea to hire a minicab if you're the only one travelling - the more passengers, the cheaper per person;

•A great number of private minicabs are in operation. Women especially must be wary of them, because there's no way of knowing where they may take them. They might also not be insured, in case of an accident;

•They don’t know London that well. You might even end up giving them the directions to your destination. Make sure therefore the driver knows where he is supposed to go (although they will always pretend to know, in any case.)  

Trains

A network of train companies operates from eight major London stations, namely:

•Charing Cross – Southern England

•Euston – North West England, North Wales, Scotland, West Midlands

•King's Cross – East England and Scotland

•Liverpool Street – East Anglia and Essex

•Paddington – South Midlands, South Wales, South West England

•St. Pancras – Midlands

•Victoria – Southern England, Cross Channel

•Waterloo – Eurostar to Paris  

In London, British Rail, of which Thameslink is a part, runs services that complement one another and reach parts of London that the Underground does not cover. The six-zone fare system applies here, and Day Travelcards and Weekly Travelcards are accepted on the BR trains. Docklands Light Rail operates from Bank underground to the Docklands and Canary Warf and also accepts travel cards. A good coverage of the whole UK, for which you will need separate tickets obtainable at any station, is provided by 15 different companies.

Advance rail bookings might result in cheaper fares.  

The Eurostar The Eurostar ()0990 186186) operates five routes via the Channel Tunnel (Paris, Disneyland Paris, Brussels, Lille and the ski train). Board at London Waterloo and be in Paris or Disneyland^® Resort Paris in just three hours, Brussels in less than that, and Lille in only two. About £70 return.  

Map of Bus Services from Waterloo Station:

www.transportforlondon.gov.uk/buses/spiders/pdf/waterloostn.pdf

London Transport Buses Customer Service Centre: Tel: 020 7918 4300  

Victoria Coach Station: Tel: 020 7730 3466

www.transportforlondon.gov.uk/vcs/

For 24 hour service for planning, fares and time tables call: Tel: 020 7222 1234 (personal service)

Tel: 020 7222 1200 (recorded service)

www.nationalrail.co.uk   

Travel Discounts

There are various options for discounted travel:  

Network Card (London & South East of England)   Anyone can buy a Network Card, which costs £20 for 12 months and gets the holder 30% discount. The regions it serves are: North to Cambridge and Northampton - West to Exeter in Devon - South to the Isle of Wight and Brighton - and to the East the Suffolk, Essex and Kent coasts.   The Network Railcard can be used to buy the following tickets: Cheap Day Singles and Returns, Standard Day Singles and Returns and Standard Open Singles and Returns, Savers and Network AwayBreaks. Discounts may also be obtained on the Off-Peak Day Travelcards (All Zones only) subject to a minimum fare.   You and up to three other adults can save 1/3 (restrictions apply Monday to Friday - see below). Discounts are available after 10h00 Mondays to Fridays and all day on weekends and public holidays.  Discounted adult fares are subject to a £10 minimum fare, Monday to Friday (this does not apply at weekends or on Public Holidays). The £10 minimum fare applies to each individual adult travelling as part of the Network Railcard group, not to the total value of tickets purchased.   To apply for a Network Railcard, pick up a leaflet at any staffed rail station or rail appointed Travel Agent in the Network Railcard area.

Young Person's Railcard

Anyone aged between 16 and 25 (or mature students 26 or over in full-time education) can apply for a Young Person's Railcard, saving 1/3 on a wide selection of ticket types. There is a fee of £18 (valid for 12 months) for the card. You will also need a passport-sized photograph and proof of eligibility. Tel: 08457 484950  

InterRail Youth passes

This pass divides Europe into 8 zones and covers 29 countries.  

•A Republic of Ireland, Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

•B Norway, Sweden, Finland.

•C Germany, Austria, Denmark, Switzerland.

•D Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia.

•E France, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg.

•F Spain, Portugal, Morocco.

•G Italy, Greece, Slovenia, Turkey, Ferry between Italy and Greece operated by EA and HML.

•H Bulgaria, Romania, Yugoslavia, Macedonia.

You must be under 26 and have been resident in the UK for at least 6 months.

For rates & to book go to: www.railchoice.co.uk/interrail/information.asp  

Other  

Eurail Selectpass offers unlimited travel on the national rail networks of any 3 to 5 bordering countries out of 18 European countries that are connected by train or ship. And there are a variety of options to choose from.

Eurail Selectpass Saver is a special pass for two or more people travelling together. Unlimited travel on the national rail networks of any 3, 4 or 5 bordering countries out of 18 European countries that are connected by train or ship.   Eurail Selectpass Youth is a special pass for those under 26. Unlimited travel on the national rail networks of any 3, 4 or 5 bordering countries out of 18 European countries that are connected by train or ship.   Eurail Selectpass Drive gives you 3 days of train travel and 2 days of Avis or Hertz rental car in or between bordering European countries.    To book: www.milesfaster.co.uk/rail-travel.htm  

Coach Operators  

Greenline Buses. This service is provided in suburbs and towns within a 64 kilometre radius of Central London. Departures: Eccleston Bridge SW1, Collonades Coach Station (just behind Victoria Station) iFor timetables and network visit: www.greenline.co.uk, Tel 0870 608 7261.  

National Express Service offers a good and relatively cheap service to various destinations throughout the UK. National Express coaches carry more than 15 million people every year to over 1 200 destinations throughout Britain and over 500 in Europe and Ireland. The buses depart from Victoria Coach Station (not train station).   This station is approximately 5 minutes' walk down Buckingham Road as you leave Victoria Train Station through the shopping centre. Advance booking necessary on most National Express services. Book at Queensgate Bus Station (Mon-Sat 08h15-17h00), appointed agents or ring, Tel: 08705 808 080 (daily 08h00-22h00).

On-line bookings: www.nationalexpress.com  

Busabout is a flexible network of hop-on, hop-off buses throughout Europe, www.busabout.com, Tel: 020 7950 1661.   Eurolines offer a very good service to more than 300 destinations throughout Europe and 100 in Ireland. It also offers various passes for unlimited travel and discounts for people younger than 26. This service also leaves from Victoria Coach Station, Tel: 01582 404511.  

Victoria Coach Station Most coaches depart from the Victoria Coach Station, which is down the road from Victoria Train Station ?164 Buckingham Palace Rd., SW1.  

To the Airports  

To accommodate the enormous air traffic flow into and out of London, there are five major airports within fairly easy reach.

Heathrow General Information, Tel: 0870 000 0123. Where: 38 kilometres west of Central London.  Terminal 1: SAA; Domestic flights and British Airways' European destinations, except for flights to Amsterdam, Athens, Moscow, Basle, and Paris. Terminal 2: All non-British Airways flights to Europe with the exception of Air Malta and KLM; British Airways flights to Basle; Virgin Atlantic; Swiss Air. Terminal 3: Intercontinental flights, except British Airways, Qantas, and Sri Lankan Airlines; British Airways flights to Miami. Terminal 4: British Airways intercontinental flights (except Miami) and services to Amsterdam, Athens, Moscow, and Paris; Air Malta; KLM; Qantas; Sri Lankan Airlines; Kenya Airways.

Tube: Heathrow is served by the Piccadilly Line of London Underground. There is one station for Terminals 1, 2 and 3, which is accessed from the terminal buildings via the pedestrian subway system, and a separate one for Terminal 4, which is accessed directly from within the building. An average journey to central London takes approximately 50-60 minutes. Trains run every five minutes at peak times and every nine minutes at off-peak times and at weekends. The first train to London leaves Heathrow Terminal 4 at 05h08 (05h58 on Sundays) and the last at 23h49 (22h57 on Sundays). The first train from central London arrives at Terminal 4 at 06h00 (07h47 Sundays) and the last at 01h07 (00h08 Sundays). It takes a further five minutes to reach the Terminals 1, 2 and 3 station. As these times are subject to change, it is advisable to check with London Transport before travelling. During the night the N97 night bus connects Heathrow with central London every 30 minutes. Fare: £3.70 single. Heathrow Express, Tel: 0845 6001515) run high-speed trains between Paddington Station and Heathrow. Trains depart every 15 minutes with a journey time of 15 minutes to and from Heathrow Terminals 1, 2 and 3, and 23 minutes to and from Terminal 4. The fare for this service is £13 each way (£25 return). Airbus Heathrow Shuttle, Tel: 020 7222 1234) runs two buses an hour (5h40am-21h30pm) from all terminals to 17 points within Central London. Fares: £10 single, £15 return, and the journey time is around 1 hour 40 minutes to King’s Cross Station.

Alternatively you could use the Feltham Railair bus link. Heathrow-Feltham Railair offers an easy alternative for travelling to Heathrow Airport Terminals 1, 2 and 3. You simply take the train to Feltham, which is no more than 5 miles from the Airport Terminals. At Feltham the 285 bus takes you right up to Heathrow Central Bus Station and Terminal 3. For Terminal 4 you need to change at Hatton Cross. The train to Feltham Station (with interchange at Clapham Junction, if necessary) should be taken for a non-stop bus service connection. A taxi will cost around £45 into Central London.  

Gatwick   Gatwick is 77 kilometres south of Central London. Connex South Central and

Gatwick Express rail services run direct from Victoria. The station is located at the South Terminal and is directly linked to the terminal via escalators or lift. The North terminal can be reached via the transit monorail train link taking ±2 minutes and running every 3 minutes in peak hours and every 6 minutes at all other times. Journey time is around 30-40 minutes.Fares for the Gatwick Express: £11.00 single, £21.50 return. Fares for Connex South Central: £8.20 single, £16.40 return. Thameslink runs from King's Cross, Farringdon, London Bridge and Blackfriars stations. Fares: £11.00 single, £21 return. Gatwick Airport, Tel: 01293 535 353.  

Luton

Thameslink rail services run from London Bridge, Blackfriars, Farringdon and King’s Cross (Thameslink) stations for connecting free shuttle bus service from Luton Airport Parkway Station. Greenline Coaches: Luton & District's 757 operates from Buckingham Palace Road, Victoria (stops at Marble Arch & Baker Street) to the airport, taking about 75-90 minutes. Leaves at 40 minutes past the hour and cost £8 single and £11.50, Tel: 020 8668 7261. The fare for the train services to Luton from King's Cross Thameslink is £10.00 (and the journey takes about 40 minutes). A taxi will cost around £70. Luton Airport, Tel: 01582 405 100.  

Stanstead  

The Stanstead Express, Tel: 08457 484950) services run every 15 minutes (30 minutes on Sundays) from Liverpool Street and Tottenham Hale stations. Fares from Central London stops: £13 single, £23.00 return. Jetlink Coaches depart from Victoria Coach Station, Marble Arch and Baker Street hourly, and the journey takes about 1 hour 40 minutes. Fares: £10 single, £15 return, and around £80 per taxi. Stanstead Airport, Tel: 01279 680500.  

London City Airport  

Silvertown & City Airport rail station is a few minutes' walk from the terminal and services run via Stratford every 20 minutes. The Jubilee line or the Dockland Light Railway can also be taken to Canning Town for connection with the Airbus Shuttle, Tel: 020 7222 1234, bus services, which also run to Liverpool Street Station via Canary Warf. A taxi from the airport to central London will cost around £20. London City Airport, Tel: 020 7646 0000.  

Contact numbers for Airports and Ferries in Directory

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