Travelling around the UK

The UK has an extensive public transport network as well as motorways and roads. Because of the size of the mainland and the surrounding islands, journey times are never very long, with trains between Scotland and London only taking around 4 hours. 

Travel by train

Travelling by train is a great option, not only can you see some spectacular sights during the journey but the UK rail network covers the entire country and serves more than 2,500 stations. Journeys across the country may involve changes and most lines radiate from London which has 7 major terminals. You can find at least one train station in each of Britain's cities with smaller stations available for connecting routes in towns and villages. 

You can buy train tickets in advance from large travel agents or at the station itself using a self service machine or speaking to station staff. In some smaller stations, the ticket office may have limited opening hours, in this case, please speak to staff on the train as you will need a ticket to exit at your destination. Many stations in Britain now offer mobile tickets, so you can buy them in advance. Tourists planning to travel around the country by train may want to invest in a rail pass. 

London of course has the underground, which is a cheap and efficient way to get around the city. Many stations now offer step free access and the Elizabeth Line in particular is wheelchair and pushchair friendly. The underground has more than 270 stations all of which are well sign posted. The lines are colour coded and you can find maps at every station and in each train carriage. It is recommended that you use an oyster card as this can also be used on the buses. You can pick these up from stations and top up as you go. 

Travel by car

You will find car hire services at larger train stations, airports and information on how to hire a car from Tourist Information centres around the UK. To drive in Britain, you will need a current valid driving licence, you may also need an international driving permit. You must keep proof of ownership or a rental agreement in the car at all times, alongside any insurance documents. Depending on whether you are bringing your own car or hiring a car, you may need additional insurance, check here for details. 

If you are planning to drive in Britain, remember to drive on the left and that distances are measured in miles. Most hire cars will include GPS but it is always a good idea to keep a map handy as some rural areas will not have GPS connectivity. You can pick up road maps of Britain at train stations, airports and more. Signs are mostly standardised inline with the rest of Europe. Directional signs are colour coded, motorway signage is blue, major roads are green, minor roads are white, places of interest are brown. You will find electronic information signs on motorways with information about roadworks, accidents or speed restrictions. 

In Britain, it is compulsary to wear a seatbelt while inside the vehicle. Children are required to use a suitable child seat until they are at least 135cm tall. It is illegal to use a mobile phone while driving and you should not drink and drive. You can find out more information about driving around Britain here. 

Taxis are also readily available. Your accommodation provider should be able to recommend local firms, but you can also find taxis are train stations, airports and taxi ranks within towns and cities. 

Travel by coach

Travelling around Britain by coach is a cheaper option to train travel. Just be aware that the journey time will probably be longer. You can find coaches at airports and large train stations across the UK. 

Britain is serviced by several coach networks, the largest is National Express which serves around 1,200 destinations. There are discounts available on coaches for full time students, disabled passengers and the elderly. A number of Britain's cities have coach tours which will give you the chance to see a wider area and coach holidays are also popular. 

Travel by bus

Catching a bus is a popular way to travel around the UK, particularly in the city. Be aware that the further you get from the city centre, the fewer buses there will be and there will be an increase in fare. You can check bus time tables online. Many buses now do not accept cash, so you will need a valid travel card or be able to use contactless payment to travel. If you are visiting London, it may be worth getting an oyster card for your visit. Find out more here. 

Travel by water

Britain has thousands of inland waterways and there are islands around the coastline that you can visit. In Scotland, you can catch small ferries to the more remote islands, while in Cornwall, there are ferries to help you visit places like the Channel Islands and the Scily Isle. You will also need to catch a ferry to visit the Isle of Wight. As well as the islands, you can find rivers and canals that also offer travel via narrowboat and in cities  like London, you can catch river taxis to travel around.