LONDON WEEKEND BREAKS - Travelling to London
Getting to London from within the UK
If you live in the United Kingdom, then the chances are that you will travel to London by car. But do not discount other travel options when planning a London weekend break, they may ultimately prove cheaper, stress free and more convenient.
London and cars
One thing that you need to consider, if you plan to travel to London by car, is what you will do with your car when you arrive.
- Some smaller and cheaper city centre hotels do not have off-street parking and on-street parking may be limited to permit holders only, or be very expensive.
- Bringing any vehicle into (or through) the congestion charge zone in London results in you having to pay for the privilege. Not very nice if your car is parked up for two or more days without any use.
- Using a car In London itself is not practical. You will struggle to get around, have difficulty and great expense in parking and probably get lost. This means that you will almost certainly use the Tube or bus to get around, so why not consider another travel alternative.
London by train
Inter-city trains can prove good value and offer a fast and relaxing travel option when it come to travelling to London from most cities in the UK.
Train tickets can be expensive a peak times, but you will often find special offers and discounted tickets during off peak times and many lines offer special deals around the Christmas period.
Buses and taxis make travel from you arrival station to your hotel easy and you will arrive in London refreshed and relaxed – how often can you say that after driving somewhere.
London by coach
Most major cities now offer scheduled coaches to London. Many of these coaches are timetabled to depart in the evening allowing you to reach London on a Friday night knowing that you do not depart again until Sunday evening.
Coach transportation is slower than the train, but it is less hassle than the car and, allowing for soaring fuel costs and London parking, may also prove cheaper.
Successful London weekend breaks always require some preplanning and getting the travel method right can make or break a short vacation. Car travel, especially on Friday nights, can be hectic and tiresome, so it is well worth checking out some alternatives and comparing prices.
London by plane
Amazingly, travelling to London by plane can actually make economic sense if you travel from the right airport with the right carrier at the right time.
Air travel also brings travel time down considerably and, if you can get a good deal, may be the best travel alternative of the lot.
Getting to London from outside of the UK
If you are taking a London weekend break from outside the mainland UK, then your only time feasible means of transport may be an aircraft.
Ferries can be cheap, but their travel time makes this mode of transport impractical for such a short vacation.
If you are close to the channel tunnel, then that may be an alternative travel option and it can be fast and good value if you travel at the right times.
Flights to London
If you are visiting London from another country, then you can be assured that you will be able to find at least one airline offering direct flights.
London has three main airports, Heathrow (the world’s busiest airport), along with Gatwick and Stansted airports. There is also Luton, but this is some distance away.
A number of budget airlines offer cheap flights to London from anywhere ranging from Dublin to Berlin and prices can be as low as one euro plus taxes and baggage. If you can pick up one of these cheap flights, then you cost and travel time may actually be less than that of someone visiting London from another city in the UK.