Public transport in the UK: a guide for tourists

If you're travelling in the UK from another country, one thing you'll need to know is how to get from place to place. Britain is quite a small country, but it can still take a day to get from one end to the other—time you don't necessarily want to waste if you're on vacation.

Integrating your transport

If you want to make a long-distance journey across the UK, generally you will need to plan it out in stages. First, figure out how to get between the two towns or cities closest to your points of departure and arrival (probably by train or coach). For example, if you are staying with friends in Bristol and want to get to another friend's address in London, you first need to plan the journey from Bristol to London (by train or coach). Once you've figured that part out, you can worry how you'll get from your point of departure to Bristol (perhaps by bus or taxi)—and how you'll get from central London to your ultimate destination (maybe by bus, rail, or tube train).

Most public transport journeys involve using two or more different modes of transport. In some places, trains stations are well served by buses and coaches that stop right outside. Elsewhere, you might have quite a walk from a town's bus station to its train station. Check all these things before you go. If you're planning to take a bicycle with you on a train, be sure to check whether there are any restrictions on how many cycles the train will carry.

Here are some general pointers on using each different mode of transport.

Train

Introduction

Britain's railways have undergone something of a renaissance in the last decade. There are many new trains and some new services, though fares have risen dramatically above the cost of inflation. Most parts of the UK are well-connected by railroad lines, but that doesn't necessarily you can easily travel from any place to anywhere else. Quite often, you have to change trains at one or more points on your journey and that can add greatly to the time and the stress of your journey. Until the 1990s, all of Britain's railways were owned and operated by the government. Now, many different private companies operate separate lines under franchise arrangements. Fortunately, there is still a centralized ticketing system and all the stations (whoever they are operated by) work the same way. Generally speaking, you can turn up at any station and ask for a ticket to any other station without worrying about which train company is operating your service. Trains are generally the quickest, most environmentally friendly way of travelling long-distance across the UK by public transportation.

Planning your journey

You can plan your train journey in a variety of ways. An organization called National Rail runs a website and enquiry phone line (in the UK, call 08457 484950; you need a different number if you're calling from overseas). You can also turn up at a train station and ask the person there to advise, but don't do this at peak travelling times when there are lots of people queuing to buy a ticket'or you'll be very unpopular. You can also use the online rail network maps to work out your best departure and arrival stations. For some reason long since lost in history, it's much easier to go up and down the country (i.e. between the north and the south) than across it (between west and east).

Ticket types

Another thing worth knowing is that there are lots of different ticket types you can get to make the same basic journey between two places. An open-return is the most flexible and most costly option. For short journeys, a day return is valid only one day'and is much cheaper. A saver return must be used on the day you buy it to make your outward journey, but you can make your return journey anytime within one calendar month. It's also generally cheaper to travel after 9am or, in the South East, after 10am with something called a Network Railcard that gives a third off the ticket price (if the fare is ten pounds or greater). Some train operating companies let you book Apex tickets days or weeks in advance for considerable discounts; it's worth enquiring about this if you're in the UK for a while. The best bet is simply to tell the ticket seller when you are going, when you are returning, and ask them to recommend the least expensive ticket. If you are buying your ticket in advance, you can get a seat reservation for free. That's helpful if you're travelling on inter-city trains (long-distance services between major cities). Another useful type of ticket is called a travelcard. If you're going into London from a nearby town like Winchester, you can ask for a one-day travelcard. This will get you into the capital by train and will also give you travel all day long on most buses, tube trains, and rail services in the immediate central London area. Network Rail has more details about ticket types; not that it's not really as confusing as it looks.

Train fares vary wildly in price, obviously depending on where you're going, how far your journey lasts, and when you go. As a very rough guide, expect to pay less than about 10 pounds for a journey lasting less than an hour outside peak times. Expect to pay less than 30 pounds for a day return journey of about 2-3 hours' duration. Expect to pay 50-150 pounds for a long-distance journey lasting several hours each way. First class fares are considerably more expensive than second class (which is known as standard class); there is no third class.

Coach

National Express coaches (like the UK equivalent of Greyhound buses) serve most large towns and cities. Generally (but not always) they take much longer to make a journey between two points than the train'but generally they are a lot cheaper too. The National Express website is easy to use, with timetable and fare information and online booking. Unlike with trains, you need to book yourself onto a coach in advance.

Bus

Bus services vary widely from one part of the country to another. In London, the buses are numerous and excellent. They're generally very good in other cities too. Outside the cities and large towns, and into the countryside, buses tend to be far less frequent, more expensive, and harder to figure out. It can be difficult even to discover if there is a bus service going near the place you want at the time when you want it. You often find bus stops in the countryside in the middle of nowhere with no hint at all of when the next bus might be (or whether it still runs at all). But don't let this put you off. Bus information is out there if you look for it! You can usually get a guide to local bus services from a local council office, tourist centre, or library. The excellent national Traveline service can also advise on buses serving your locality.

Most bus journeys in the UK cost less than five pounds (approximately ten US dollars). In some places (especially cities), you need to give the bus driver the correct money, so it helps to take plenty of coins with you when you travel (generally try to carry about 5-10 pounds in change if you're going to catch a bus). Outside cities, many bus drivers will give you change if they can. But don't give a bus driver a huge note (say, a twenty pound note) and automatically expect change.

Taxi

Britain's taxis fall into two different classes. There are taxis (also known as hackney carriages and cabs), like the black cabs in London, which you can stop and hail anywhere. Generally these have a distinctive TAXI sign on the roof and operate from designated taxi ranks in public streets or outside places like rail stations. They are regulated by the local council and you typically pay a fee according to what the meter shows on the dashboard. There's also another class of vehicle called licensed private hire vehicles. These operate from private premises and you have to telephone them to book them in advance. You cannot hail a private hire vehicle in the street. They can charge you whatever they want. Most towns have reputable private hire companies as well as cab ranks. Don't under any circumstances use unlicensed private hire vehicles. If you're confused about the difference, see the helpful Taxiwatch website.

A short taxi ride of a few miles will typically cost you anything from 5-25 pounds. You usually have to pay cab drivers in cash. Some do accept cheques or cards, but ask them this in advance. Most will be happy to drive you to a nearby cashpoint/ATM to pick up the cash you need to pay them.

Tube

London's superbly convenient underground (subway train) network is a great way of getting round the capital when you don't really know where you're going. The wonderfully simple tube map makes it easy to figure out your route. Simply find your departure point and your arrival point and work out which lines you need to travel on to go from one to the other. You can buy a travelcard if you make more than one tube journey in a day (or a seven-day travelcard for a week's travel). Or just buy a single or return ticket if you're making only one journey. If you're trying to get around London, you'll find the Transport for London journey planner helpful.

Cycling

There's now a network of cycle routes spanning the whole of the UK. You can buy printed maps from the Sustrans shop. Sustrans also has a map of the whole UK National Cycle Network.

Photo: Cycling has returned to favor, thanks in no small part to the growing National Cycle Network promoted by Sustrans.

Walking

If all else fails, you can always walk! Don't rule out the walking option. If you're in London on vacation, do you want to spend all your time underground on a tube train, or do you want to wander round, stumbling on unlikely little shops and attractions? A lot of places are easier to get around on foot than you might think. Bear in mind that a town map is usually no more expensive than a couple of bus or train journeys.

Transport for disabled people

Since 2004, UK transport operators, shops, and other businesses have been obliged to take reasonable steps to ensure disabled people have equal access to their facilities. Sounds great, but the law allowed bus and train operators many years to get their acts together. In practice, this means Britain's trains, buses, and taxis are progressively getting better at serving disabled people. All new buses now have low-floor easy access with space for wheelchairs onboard, but there are still masses of old buses in circulation. It's the same with trains.

If you're a disabled person, unfortunately you will need to contact the train and bus companies you plan to travel with in advance to find out what provisions they make for you. If you're making a train journey, you'll find the train reservation system can reserve you a wheelchair place on most stages of most journeys. Train station staff will also be on-hand with a wheelchair ramp to get you on and off the train. Advance booking is also necessary on coach journeys. If you're making a short-distance, local bus journey, you don't need to book in advance. However, you will need to check whether low-floor buses operate on the route along which you wish to travel.

For more information, take a look at the Disabled people page on the UK Government's direct.gov website. It includes a section on holidays in the UK for disabled people.

Maps

You can find online maps of most places using:

Google Maps: Once you've got the place you want, you can use Google's search boxes to find local accommodation, directions between any two places, or other helpful services (bicycle repair shops, hairdressers, or whatever).
Multimap
Live Maps: The Microsoft Live rival to Google's service.
Printed maps in the UK come from Ordnance Survey and A-Z (Geographers).

Some helpful links

In summary, these are the two websites and phone numbers you need to remember:

Traveline: General public transport information for the UK: 0871 200 22 33.
National Rail: UK-wide rail information: 08457-48 49 50.

Other useful UK travel websites:

Wikitravel: A worldwide travel website written by its readers, like Wikipedia and other Wiki projects.
BBC travel news: Handy up-to-date travel information from the UK's most trusted broadcaster.