Getting Around England

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England is well serviced by domestic air, land and sea routes.

There are taxi firms everywhere (many are by booking only - find the phone number of the local company and phone ahead), and every town has a bus service. 'Black Cabs' are also common in cities and can be hailed from the side of the road. Sometimes in city centres, usually just after the nightclubs have closed, there will be queue for taxis which will sometimes be monitored by marshals or police.

Visitors should ensure that they only ever take registered taxis or black cabs; despite government action, many unlawful unregistered private taxi drivers exist - these do have a reputation for being unsafe, particularly if you are a woman.

England has one of the highest densities of railway lines per square mile in the world. There has been much improvement and investment in recent years to the railway network and rolling stock but delays and cancellations do occasionally occur. Overcrowding can be a problem in large cities, especially at 'rush-hour' times (7AM - 9AM & 5PM - 7PM, Monday to Friday) so it is best to avoid these times when tickets can be expensive as well.

Buses are numerous, frequent and reliable in most of the larger towns and cities and an ideal way of getting around. Rural areas are less well served and hiring a car is the best option to explore the countryside and villages.

The roads are of generally excellent quality (although can deteriorate in rural areas) and the signs and markings are arguably the best in Europe. The main problem with driving in England is the sheer volume of traffic on the roads. Unfortunately this is not only limited to rush-hours and large cities. Prepare for travel times being longer than you'd normally anticipate in relation to the mileage. The speed limit, unless otherwise stated, is 30 or 40 mph in built-up areas, 50 or 60 mph (approx 95 km/h) elsewhere and 70 mph (approx. 110 km/h) on motorways and other controlled-access roads. Speed cameras and traffic police are numerous so caution is advised. The traditional British 'reserve' and politeness may occasionally dissolve under the stress of congestion on the major routes, especially with the traffic problems in some of England's larger cities, but generally driving around Britain is an enjoyable experience and it is polite to acknowledge the courtesy of another driver with a nod or the raising of the hand as a form of thank you. Drivers will often flash their headlights to indicate that you are clear to pull out, or otherwise to give way to you, and it is considered polite to say thankyou by giving a wave or a quick flash of your headlights.

Flashing your hazards (ie, both indicators at the same time) is only used as an indication of danger. Usually it's used to indicate the car's broken down or to warn other drivers that there's a hazard up ahead, or more rarely a car directly in front or behind will flash their hazards to inform you or another driver that they consider you to be driving dangerously (this can occasionally lead to confusion as it's sometimes hard to tell whether they're talking to you or another car).

Brown and white road signs indicate nearby tourist attractions, and the blue i sign denotes Tourist Information.

Alternatively, the UK is one of the most cycle-friendly countries in the world. You'll see a lot more from a bicycle, have the freedom to stop wherever you want, no parking headaches and once you've got the bicycle nothing to pay. It is unquestionably the fastest way around London and other major cities - it does have it's dangers but it's well worth the risk.

There are many lovely cycle paths where you can avoid the traffic and soak in the cityscape or countryside. Rough examples of journey times at moderate speed: Buckingham Palace to Tower Bridge: 20 minutes; Buckingham Palace to Windsor Castle: 2 hours; Central London to Oxford city: 5 hours.

You can hire a bicycle from some local bicycle shops, or purchase a decent one privately for between £0-100 secondhand as the UK has a surplus of old bicycles. Make sure you get a helmet particularly for city cycling, and lights especially in winter as the days are very short. Helmets aren't compulsory but the police will fine you for not using lights when it's dark. A decent lock is also essential, particularly in the cities bicycle theft is a common problem - you can't leave it unnatended not even for a minute.

Most of the London underground trains and local busses don't accept cycles, but overground trains and long distance coaches will normally let you on with a bicycle, as long as they're not too full. Arrive early for coaches so you get a space in the luggage hold.