| Heathrow Airport is accessible by bus, London Underground
(Piccadilly line) and the Heathrow Express, which makes the journey
from Paddington Station to Terminals 1-3 in 15 minutes and to
Terminal 4 in 20. The Gatwick Express runs between Gatwick Airport
and Victoria Station in 30 minutes or you can take Airbus No 5
to Victoria Coach Station. The Stansted Express will get you to
Stansted Airport from Liverpool Street Station in 45 minutes;
Airbus A6 will take you to Victoria Coach Station. Cabs to all
the airports are only an option for the seriously loaded.
For the first time since the ice ages, Britain has a land link
(albeit a tunnel) with mainland Europe. Two services operate through
the Tunnel: Eurotunnel operates a rail shuttle service (Le Shuttle)
for motorbikes, cars, buses and freight vehicles between terminals
at Folkestone in the UK and Calais in France; and the railway
companies of Britain, France and Belgium operate a high-speed
passenger service, known as Eurostar, between London (mainly Waterloo
Station), Paris, Lille and Brussels. Within the UK, fast InterCity
trains whisk you to destinations from 10 mainline terminals around
London.
You can get to Europe by bus, but unless you use the Channel
Tunnel, there's a short ferry/hovercraft ride thrown in as part
of the deal. Bus travellers arrive and depart from Victoria Coach
Station, about 10 minutes walk south of the Victoria railway and
tube station.
There is a bewildering choice of ferries travelling between Britain
and Ireland and mainland Europe. Ferries will carry your car,
motorcycle or bike, and they can be a cheap option - but book
early.
|
