Travel to London

Flying to London

A huge range of airlines operate direct flights to London from around the globe. Among the airlines offering connections from other cities within the UK are British Airways, easyJet, Flybe and Ryanair. Airlines running direct flights from the USA include American Airlines, Air New Zealand, British Airways, Delta, Norwegian, United, US Airways and Virgin Atlantic.

The city is a year-round destination, with the peak period for fares between June and September. If you're looking for cheap flights to London, you can often find lower fares in mid-autumn and spring.

Flight times

From Edinburgh - 1 hour 30 minutes; New York - 7 hours; Los Angeles - 10 hours 30 minutes; Toronto - 7 hours; Sydney - 23 hours (including stopover).

Travel by road

Traffic drives on the left in the UK and drivers must be at least 17 years old. Speed limits are 113kph (70mph) on motorways, 97kph (60mph) on single-lane main roads and 48kph (30mph) in built-up areas.

Overseas driving licences and International Driving Permits are valid for up to one year. Insurance is mandatory. Overseas visitors bringing their own cars should bring registration documents and check with their insurance company as to whether a Green Card is needed.

Breakdown service, traffic updates and general motoring information are available from the AA (tel: +44 121 275 3746; www.theaa.com) and the RAC (tel: +44 844 891 3111; www.rac.co.uk).

Emergency breakdown services

AA (tel: 0800 887 766, in the UK); RAC (tel: 0800 828 282, in the UK).

Routes

The M25 encircles Greater London. The M1, M11, M20, M23, M3, M4 and M40 radiate from London to the rest of Britain.

The M1 goes north to Leeds, the M11 northeast to Cambridge and East Anglia, the M20 southeast to Folkestone (from where the A20 continues to Dover), the M23 goes south to Gatwick airport (and continues as the A23 to Brighton), the M3 southwest to Southampton, the M4 west to Heathrow airport and Bristol, and the M40 northwest to Oxford and Birmingham.

Motorists can travel by train through the Channel Tunnel from Calais, France to Folkestone in southeast England, with Eurotunnel (tel: +44 844 335 3535; www.eurotunnel.com).

Coaches

National and international services use Victoria coach station, a short walk from Victoria railway station, at 164 Buckingham Palace Road, SW1.

National Express (tel: +44 871 781 8181; www.nationalexpress.com) operates services throughout the UK, and has stops throughout London, as does Megabus (tel: +44 141 352 4444; http://uk.megabus.com).

Eurolines (tel: +44 871 781 8177; www.eurolines.co.uk) has departures to over 500 European destinations.

Time to city

From Edinburgh - 7 hours 15 minutes; Birmingham - 2 hours 50 minutes; Manchester - 4 hours 15 minutes; Cardiff - 3 hours 15 minutes.

Travel by Rail

Services

The UK's rail network has a mixed reputation, but is generally efficient, if subject to delays and cancellations.

London’s main stations are Victoria (southwest), Paddington (west), Euston and Kings Cross (north), Liverpool Street (east), Waterloo (south) and Charing Cross (central), and they connect with different regions of the country. Buy tickets at the station (from ticket desks or machines) before boarding, but for longer journeys, book online in advance for cheaper fares. Do note that London’s main stations become very crowded during rush hour (Monday to Friday 0800-0930 and 1700-1830).

Operators

Rail services in the UK are co-ordinated by a number of independent operators. Railway information is available 24 hours from National Rail Enquiries (tel: +44 3457 484 950; www.nationalrail.co.uk).

Eurostar (tel: 03432 186 168, in the UK only +44 1233 617 575; www.eurostar.com) connects London St Pancras International with Avignon, Brussels, Lille, Paris Gare du Nord and Disneyland Paris via the Channel Tunnel.

ScotRail (tel: +44 345 811 0141; www.scotrail.co.uk) runs overnight sleeper trains from Euston to Scotland’s main cities.

Journey times

From Edinburgh - 4 hours 20 minutes; Cardiff  - 2 hours 5 minutes; Manchester  - 2 hours 10 minutes; Birmingham  - 1 hour 50 minutes; Paris - 2 hours 15 minutes.