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London United Kingdom Tourism: Getting There

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Getting There

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By Plane

Don't worry about which airport, Heathrow versus Gatwick, to fly into unless you are extremely pressed for time. Heathrow is closer to central London than Gatwick, but there is fast train service from both of the airports to the West End. High season on most airlines' routes to London is usually from June to the beginning of September. This is the most expensive and most crowded time to travel. Shoulder season is from April to May, early September to October, and December 15 to 24. Low season is from November 1 to December 14 and December 25 to March 31.

From the United States -- American Airlines (tel. 800/433-7300; www.aa.com) offers daily nonstop flights to London's Heathrow Airport from eight U.S. gateways: New York's JFK (nine times daily), Chicago's O'Hare (once a day), Boston's Logan (once daily), Miami International (twice daily), Los Angeles International (two to three times daily), Newark and LaGuardia (three times daily), and Dallas (once daily).

British Airways (tel. 800/247-9297; www.britishairways.com) offers mostly nonstop flights from 21 U.S. cities to Heathrow and Gatwick. With more add-on options than any other airline, British Airways can make a visit to Britain cheaper than you might expect. Of particular interest are the "Value Plus," "London on the Town," and "Europe Escorted" packages that include airfare and discounted accommodations throughout Britain.

Continental Airlines (tel. 800/525-0280; www.continental.com) flies daily to Gatwick Airport from Newark, Houston, and Cleveland.

Depending on the day and season, Delta Air Lines (tel. 800/221-1212; www.delta.com) runs either one or two daily nonstop flights between Atlanta and Gatwick. Delta also offers nonstop daily service from Cincinnati.

Although Air India (tel. 800/223-7776 or 212/751-6200) doesn't immediately come to mind when you think of flying from the U.S. to London, it's a viable option and is competitively priced. Air India (www.airindia.com) offers daily flights from New York's JFK and three flights a week -- Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday -- from Chicago to London's Heathrow Airport.

Northwest Airlines (tel. 800/225-2525; www.nwa.com) flies nonstop from Minneapolis and Detroit to Gatwick.

United Airlines (tel. 800/241-6522; www.united.com) flies nonstop from New York's JFK and Chicago's O'Hare to Heathrow two or three times a day, depending on the season. United also offers nonstop service three times a day from Dulles Airport, near Washington, D.C., to London's Gatwick, plus once-a-day service to Heathrow from Newark, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Boston.

Virgin Atlantic Airways (tel. 800/862-8621; www.virgin-atlantic.com) flies daily to either Gatwick or Heathrow from Boston; Newark; New York's JFK; Los Angeles; San Francisco; Washington, D.C.'s Dulles; Miami; Orlando; and Las Vegas.

From Canada -- For travelers departing from Canada, Air Canada (tel. 888/247-2262 in the U.S. or 800/268-7240 in Canada; www.aircanada.com) flies daily to London Heathrow nonstop from Vancouver, Montreal, and Toronto. There are also frequent direct flights from Calgary and Ottawa.

From Australia -- Qantas (tel. 800/227-4500 or 612/13-13-13; www.qantas.com) flies from both Sydney and Melbourne daily. British Airways (tel. 1300-767-177; www.britishairways.com) has five to seven flights weekly from Sydney and Melbourne. Both airlines have a stop in Singapore.

From South Africa -- South African Airways (tel. 011/978-1762; www.flysaa.com) schedules two daily flights from Johannesburg and two daily flights from Cape Town. From Johannesburg, both British Airways (tel. 011/441-8600; www.britishairways.com) and Virgin Atlantic Airways (tel. 011/340-3400; www.virgin-atlantic.com) have daily flights to Heathrow. British Airways flies five times weekly from Cape Town.

Getting into Town from the Airport

London Heathrow Airport -- Located west of London in Hounslow (tel. 0870/000-0123 for flight information; www.heathrow-airport.co.uk), Heathrow is one of the world's busiest airports. It has four terminals, each relatively self-contained. Terminal 4 handles the long-haul and transatlantic operations of British Airways. Most transatlantic flights on U.S.-based airlines arrive at Terminal 3. Terminals 1 and 2 receive the intra-European flights of several European airlines.

It takes 35 to 40 minutes by the Underground (Tube) and costs £6 ($11) to make the 15-mile (24km) trip from Heathrow to the center of London. A taxi is likely to cost from £40 to £60 ($76-$114). For more information about Tube or bus connections, call tel. 020/7222-1234.

The British Airport Authority now operates Heathrow Express (tel. 0845/600-1515; www.heathrowexpress.com), a 100mph train service running every 15 minutes daily from 5:10am until 11:40pm between Heathrow and Paddington Station in the center of London. Trips cost £16 ($30) each way in economy class, rising to £22 ($42) in first class. Children 5-15 ride for £6.70 ($13), £11.20 ($22) in first class. You can save £1 ($1.90) by booking online or by phone. The trip takes 15 minutes each way between Paddington and Terminals 1, 2, and 3; and 23 minutes from Terminal 4. The trains have special areas for wheelchairs. From Paddington, passengers can connect to other trains and the Underground, or they can hail a taxi. You can buy tickets on the train or at self-service machines at Heathrow Airport (also available from travel agents).

Gatwick Airport -- While Heathrow still dominates, more and more scheduled flights land at relatively remote Gatwick (tel. 0870/000-2468 for flight information), located some 25 miles (40km) south of London in West Sussex but only a 30-minute train ride away. From Gatwick, the fastest way to get to London is via the Gatwick Express trains (tel. 0845/850-1530; www.gatwickexpress.co.uk), which leave for Victoria Station in London every 30 minutes during the day and every hour at night. The one-way charge is £12 ($23) Express Class for adults, £19 ($36) for First Class, half price for children 5 to 15, and free for children under 5. There are also Airbus buses from Gatwick to Victoria Coach Station (which is adjacent to Victoria Rail Station) operated by National Express (tel. 0870/580-8080; www.nationalexpress.com), approximately every hour from 4:15am to 9:15pm; the round-trip fare is £15 ($29) per person, and the trip takes approximately 1 1/2 hours. A taxi from Gatwick to central London usually costs £65 to £85 ($124-$162). However, you must negotiate a fare with the driver before you enter the cab; the meter doesn't apply because Gatwick lies outside the Metropolitan Police District. For further transportation information, call tel. 020/7222-1234.

London Stansted Airport -- Located some 50 miles (80km) northeast of London's West End, Stansted (tel. 0870/000-0303), in Essex, handles mostly flights to and from the European continent. From Stansted, your best bet to central London is the Stansted Express train (tel. 0845/600-7245; www.stanstedexpress.com) to Liverpool Street Station, which runs every 15 minutes from 8am to 4:30pm, and every 30 minutes in the early mornings, evening weekdays, and weekends. It costs £14.5 ($28) for a standard ticket and £22 ($42) for first class, and takes 45 minutes.

By bus, you can take the A6 Airbus (www.gobycoach.com), which runs regular departures 24 hours a day to both Victoria rail and coach stations, and costs £8 ($15). If you prefer the relative privacy of a taxi, you'll pay dearly for the privilege. For a ride to London's West End, they'll charge you from £62 ($118) for up to four passengers and from £96 ($182) for five or six passengers. Expect the ride to take around 75 minutes during normal traffic conditions, but beware of Friday afternoons, when dense traffic may double your travel time. Our advice: Stick to the Express.

London City Airport -- Located just 3 miles (5km) east of the bustling business community of Canary Wharf and 6 miles (9.5km) east of the City, London City Airport (tel. 020/7646-0088; www.londoncityairport.com) is served by 14 airlines (Air Wales, British Airways, Cirrus Airlines, Fly Be, Luxair, Jet Magic, KLM, CityJet, OLT, Lufthansa, Scot Airways, Swiss International Airlines, and VLM) that fly from 18 cities in western Europe and Scandinavia. A blue-and-white bus charges £6 ($11) each way to take you from the airport to the Liverpool Street Station, where you can connect with rail or Underground transportation to almost any destination. The bus runs daily every 10 minutes during the hours the airport is open (approximately 6:55am to 9:20pm, closed on Sat at 1:15pm, Sun 11am-9:20pm).

A shuttle bus can take you to Canary Wharf, where trains from the Dockland Line Railway make frequent 10-minute runs to the heart of London's financial district, known as "the City." Here, passengers can catch the Underground from the Bank Tube stop.

In addition, London Transport bus no. 473 goes from the City Airport to East London, where you can board any Underground at the Plaistow Tube stop.

Getting from One London Airport to the Other--Some visitors will need to transfer from one airport to the other. One bus company offers these transfers. Speedlink (tel. 08705/757-747; www.speedlink.co.uk) buses leave from both terminals at Gatwick and Terminals 1, 3, and 4 at Heathrow. Trip time is about an hour, with a one-way fare costing £18 ($34).

By Car

If you plan to take a rented car across or under the Channel, check with the rental company about license and insurance requirements before you leave.

Ferries from the Continent--There are many "drive-on, drive-off" car-ferry services across the Channel. The most popular ports in France for Channel crossings are Boulogne and Calais, where you can board Stena ferries or hovercraft taking you to the English ports of Dover and Folkestone.

Le Shuttle--The Chunnel accommodates not only trains, but also passenger cars, charter buses, taxis, and motorcycles. Le Shuttle, a half-mile-long train carrying motor vehicles under the English Channel (tel. 08705/353-535; www.eurotunnel.com), connects Calais, France, with Folkestone, England, and vice versa. It operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, running every 15 minutes during peak travel times and at least once an hour at night.

With Le Shuttle, gone are weather-related delays, seasickness, and a need for reservations. Before boarding Le Shuttle, you stop at a tollbooth to pay, and then pass through Immigration for both countries at one time. During the ride, you travel in bright, air-conditioned carriages, remaining inside your car or stepping outside to stretch your legs. An hour later, when you reach England, you drive off toward London. The cost of Le Shuttle varies according to the season and the day of the week. Count on at least £166 ($315) per car for a round-trip ticket.

Stores selling duty-free goods, restaurants, and service stations are available to travelers on both sides of the Channel. A bilingual staff is on hand to assist travelers at both the British and French terminals.

Hertz offers Le Swap, a service for passengers taking Le Shuttle. At Calais, you can switch cars for one with the steering wheel on the opposite side, depending on which country you're heading for.

By Train

Via the Chunnel from the Continent--Since 1994, when the Channel Tunnel opened, the Eurostar Express train has been operating twice-daily passenger service between London and both Paris and Brussels. The $15-billion tunnel, one of the great engineering feats of all time, is the first link between Britain and the Continent since the Ice Age.

Rail Europe (tel. 800/848-7245; www.raileurope.com) sells tickets on the Eurostar for direct train service between Paris or Brussels and London. A round-trip fare between Paris and London, for example, costs £375 ($713) for first class, or £255 ($485) in second class. You can reduce that rate further, to £95 ($181), with a second-class, 14-day advance-purchase (nonrefundable) round-trip fare. In London, make reservations for Eurostar at tel. 08705/186-186, or 800/EUROSTAR in the U.S. (www.eurostar.com). Eurostar trains arrive and depart from London's Waterloo Station, Paris's Gare du Nord, and Brussels's Central Station.

Britrail Travel Passes--If you're traveling beyond London anywhere in the United Kingdom, consider purchasing a BritRail England Consecutive Pass. These passes allow you to travel for a consecutive number of days for a flat rate. In first class, adults pay $249 for 4 days, $365 for 8 days, $545 for 15 days, $689 for 22 days, and $815 for 1 month. In second class, fares are $169 for 4 days, $239 for 8 days, $365 for 15 days, $459 for 22 days, and $539 for 1 month. Seniors (60 and over) qualify for discounts in first-class travel: It's $268 for 4 days, $387 for 8 days, $578 for 15 days, $731 for 22 days, and $867 for 1 month. Passengers under 26 qualify for a Youth Pass: $157 for 4 days, $225 for 8 days, $337 for 15 days, $432 for 22 days, and $510 for 1 month. One child (5-15) can travel free with each adult or senior pass by requesting the BritRail Family Pass. Additional children pay half the regular adult fare.

A more versatile pass is the BritRail FlexiPass, which allows you to travel whenever you want during a 2-month period of time. In first class, it costs $395 for 4 days, $579 for 8 days, and $869 for 15 days of travel. Second class costs $265 for 4 days, $385 for 8 days, and $585 for 15 days of travel.

BritRail Passes allow unlimited travel in England, Scotland, and Wales on any British Rail scheduled train over the whole of the network during the validity of the pass without restrictions. BritRail Euro Consecutive Pass is ideal if you plan to hop on and off the train. A typical fare for 8 days of travel costs $455 in first class, $299 in standard class. The more versatile pass is Euro FlexiPass, allowing 2 days of travel in 1 month for 139€ ($181) in first class or 109€ ($142) in second class. Four other variations on this pass are available, including 8 days in 1 month, costing 405€ ($527) in first class or 269€ ($350) in second class.

A new BritRail Pass for travel in England only, the BritRail England Party Pass, is sold at a price 20% lower than regular BritRail Passes and covers rail travel throughout the U.K. (England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland). Starting at 130€ ($149) for 4 consecutive days of travel in first or standard class, the BritRail England Pass is also offered for 8, 15, or 22 consecutive days, or 1 month, or as a FlexiPass (days may be consecutive or nonconsecutive) for 4, 8, or 15 days within a 2-month period. A typical first-class fare grants three adults 4 days of rail travel in 2 months for 685€ ($788). It is also available at discounted prices for seniors (60 and over) in first class and youth (under 26) in standard class. As with other BritRail Passes, one child (5-15) may travel free when accompanied by an adult or senior purchasing a BritRail England Party Pass and requesting the Family Pass.

To call ACP International in the United States, dial tel. 866/BRITRAIL or 877/677-1066. The fax is 877/477-1066. You can purchase tickets and passes on the Web at www.britrail.net. For hotels, trip planning, promotions, and vacation packages through BritRail, visit www.britainsecrets.com.

The BritRail London Plus Pass is best suited for visitors wishing to make day trips to places like Oxford and Cambridge. There's no need to hassle with lines to purchase tickets; you can go directly to your train and board. The cost for 2 days within an 8-day period is $99 for adults and $49.50 for children in first class, or $69 for adults and $34.50 for children in second class.

Travelers who arrive from France by boat and pick up a British Rail train at Dover arrive at Victoria Station, in the center of London. Those journeying south by rail from Edinburgh arrive at King's Cross Station.

By Bus

If you're traveling to London from elsewhere in the United Kingdom, consider purchasing a Britexplorer Card, which entitles you to a 30% discount on National Express (England and Wales) and Caledonian Express (Scotland) buses. Contact a travel agent for details.

To the delight of the frugal traveler, a new no-frills bus service has been introduced in England. Megabus.com charges the lowest bus fares in the country -- only £1 ($1.90) for a single journey on any route. From London, popular stops include Oxford, Brighton, and the old port of Plymouth. The network uses double-decker buses that once rolled through the streets of Hong Kong. Reserve at www.megabus.com, which levies a booking charge of less than $1.

Bus connections to Britain from the Continent, using the Euro-tunnel (Chunnel) or ferry services, are generally not very comfortable, although some lines are more convenient than others. One line with a relatively good reputation is Eurolines, 52 Grosvenor Gardens, SW1W OAU (tel. 08705/143219; www.eurolines.co.uk). They book passage on buses traveling two times a day between London and Paris (9 hr.); three times a day from Amsterdam (12 hr.); three times a week from Munich (24 hr.); and three times a week from Stockholm (44 hr.). On longer routes, which use alternating drivers, the bus proceeds almost without interruption, taking only occasional breaks for meals.

By Boat

Crossing the Atlantic--The Cunard Line, 6100 Blue Lagoon Dr., Suite 400, Miami, FL 33126 (tel. 800/7-CUNARD; www.cunardline.com), boasts that its newly launched flagship, Queen Mary 2, is the only five-star-plus luxury ocean liner providing regular transatlantic service -- some 15 voyages a year between April and December. QM2 is the world's largest, longest, tallest, grandest ocean liner ever, setting sail from Southampton on her maiden voyage on January 12, 2004. Carrying 2,620 passengers, the ship cost a staggering $800 million. Athletes find not just a good gym but also a virtual playing field, and hedonists can enjoy a world-class spa. There's even a planetarium -- it's a veritable city at sea. Many passengers appreciate the cruise's graceful introduction to British mores, as well as the absolute lack of jet lag. Fares vary, based on the season and the cabin grade. Many packages are offered, which include inexpensive airfare from your home city to the point of departure, plus a return flight to your home city from London on British Airways.

Car & Passenger Ferries--P&O Ferries (tel. 0870/520-2020; www.poferries.com) operates car and passenger ferries between Dover (England) and Calais (France) only. Trip time is 75 minutes at a cost of £68 ($129) one-way for a car and driver, or £15 ($29) for a foot passenger round-trip. Once you arrive in Dover, you can pick up a BritRail train to London. Traveling from Portsmouth (England) to Cherbourg (France), Brittany Ferries (tel. 08703/665-333; www.brittany-ferries.co.uk), can take from 2 hours and 45 minutes up to 5 hours. One-way car passage costs £175 ($333) for up to two adults and two children. One-way foot passengers pay £37 ($70).

Hovercraft & Seacats--Traveling by hovercraft or Seacat offers a speedy journey from the Continent to Britain, and vice versa. HoverSpeed operates at least 10 daily 2-hour hovercraft crossings, as well as slightly longer crossings via Seacat (a catamaran propelled by jet engines; these go four times daily and take about 50 min.) between Dover and Calais. A hovercraft trip is definitely fun, as the vessel is technically "flying" over the water. Seacats also travel from the mainland of Britain to the Isle of Wight, Belfast, and the Isle of Man. For reservations and information, call HoverSpeed at tel. 0870/240-8070 (www.hoverspeed.com). For foot passengers, a typical adult fare, round-trip with a 5-day return policy, is £15 ($29). Children pay half fare.

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