World Country Guide

Travel - International

Air
The principal national airline is British Airways (BA) (tel: (0870) 850 4850; website: www.britishairways.com).

Approximate flight times
From Birmingham to Amsterdam is one hour 15 minutes; to Dublin is one hour five minutes; to Dsseldorf is one hour 20 minutes; to Frankfurt/M is one hour 40 minutes; and to Paris is one hour 10 minutes.
From Glasgow to Paris is two hours 50 minutes via Birmingham.
From Manchester to Amsterdam is one hour 25 minutes; to Brussels is one hour 35 minutes; to Dublin is one hour; to Dsseldorf is one hour 25 minutes; to Frankfurt/M is one hour 50 minutes; to Milan is two hours 25 minutes; to Nice is two hours 20 minutes; to Paris is one hour 30 minutes; and to Rome is two hours 55 minutes.
For approximate durations of international flights from London, see the Travel – International section of the destination country.

International airports
See Travel – International in the relevant country sections for information on UK airports.

Departure tax
None.

Sea
There are many ports offering ferry connections between the UK and mainland Europe, Ireland, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Wight, the Scilly Isles and the Isle of Man.
UK ferry operators include: Brittany Ferries (tel: (08703) 665 333; website: www.brittany-ferries.co.uk); Caledonian Macbrayne (tel: (01475) 650 100; website: www.calmac.co.uk); Condor Ferries (tel: (0845) 345 2000; website: www.condorferries.co.uk); DFDS Seaways (tel: (08705) 333 111; website: www.dfdsseaways.co.uk); Fjord Line (tel: (0191) 143 9669; website: www.fjordline.co.uk); Hoverspeed (tel: (0870) 240 8070; website: www.hoverspeed.co.uk); Irish Ferries (tel: (08705) 171 717; website: www.irishferries.com); Isle of Man Steam Packet Co (tel: (08705) 523 523; website: www.steam-packet.com); Isles of Scilly Travel (tel: (0845) 710 5555; website: www.islesofscilly-travel.co.uk); Norse Merchant Ferries (tel: (0870) 600 432; website: www.norsemerchant.com); P&O Ferries (tel: (08705) 202 020; website: www.poferries.com); Red Funnel (tel: (0870) 444 8889; website: www.redfunnel.co.uk); Stena Line (tel: (08705) 707 070; website: www.stenaline.com); Swansea–Cork Ferries (tel: (01792) 457 1166; website: www.swanseacorkferries.com); and Wightlink (tel: (0870) 582 7744; website: www.wightlink.co.uk).

Rail
Trains meet connecting ferries at Dover, Folkestone, Newhaven, Portsmouth and Weymouth, sailing for Belgium, France, Germany and Spain (board at Victoria Station in London); and at Harwich, sailing for Germany, The Netherlands and Scandinavia (board at Liverpool Street). See also the Channel Tunnel and Eurostar sections below.

Eurotunnel or the Channel Tunnel
All road vehicles are carried through the tunnel in Eurotunnel shuttles running between the two terminals, one near Folkestone in Kent, with direct road access from the M20, and one just outside Calais, with links to the A16/A26 motorway (Exit 13). Each shuttle is made up of 12 single- and 12 double-deck carriages, and vehicles are directed to single-deck or double-deck carriages, depending on their height. There are facilities for cars and motorcycles, coaches, minibuses, caravans, campervans and other vehicles over 1.85m (6.07ft). Bicycles are provided for. Passengers generally travel with their vehicles. Heavy goods vehicles are carried on special shuttles and drivers travel in a separate carriage. Terminals and shuttles are well equipped for disabled passengers, and Passenger Terminal buildings contain a variety of shops, restaurants, bureaux de change and other amenities. The journey takes about 35 minutes from platform to platform and about one hour from motorway to motorway. Services run every day of the year, and there are between two and five an hour, depending on the time of day. There is a reservation system and a turn-up-and-go service. Motorists pass through customs and immigration before they board the shuttle without further checks on arrival. Fares vary according to length of stay, time of day and time of year and whether you have a reservation or not. The price applies to the car, regardless of the number of passengers or size of the car. The fare may be paid in cash, by cheque or by credit card. There are savings of up to 6 when booking online. For further information, contact Eurotunnel Customer Services UK (tel: (08705) 353 535; fax: (01303) 288 786; website: www.eurotunnel.com).

The Eurostar
The direct Eurostar train runs through the Channel Tunnel between London and Brussels, Lille or Paris. Eurostar is a service provided by the railways of Belgium, France and the United Kingdom, operating direct high-speed trains from London (Waterloo International) to Paris (Gare du Nord) and to Brussels (Midi/Zuid). Due to the opening of Stage 1 of a high-speed rail line in September 2003, it currently takes two hours 35 minutes from London to Paris and two hours 20 minutes from London to Brussels. Trains depart up to 18 times a day from Waterloo to Paris, and up to nine times a day from Waterloo to Brussels. Work on the UK section of the high-speed rail line is being done in two stages. Stage 1 (from the Channel Tunnel through Kent to the outskirts of London) has been completed. Stage 2, to be completed in January 2007, will take the route to a new terminal at St Pancras. When it is completed, the transit times between London St Pancras and Brussels will be just two hours and between London St Pancras and Paris just two hours 15 minutes.
The Eurostar trains are equipped with standard-class and first-class seating, buffet and bar, and are staffed by multi-lingual, highly trained personnel. Pricing is competitive with the airlines, and there is a large range of different tickets and prices. Children aged between four and 11 years benefit from a special fare in all classes. Children under four years old travel free but cannot be guaranteed a seat. Wheelchair users and blind passengers together with one companion get a special fare.
For further information and reservations, contact Eurostar (tel: (0870) 6000 792 (travel agents) or (08705) 186 186 (public; within the UK) or (1233) 617 575 (public; outside the UK only); website: www.eurostar.com) or Rail Europe (tel: (0870) 837 1371). Travel agents can obtain refunds for unused tickets from Eurostar Trade Refunds, 2nd Floor, Kent House, 81 Station Road, Ashford, Kent TN23 1PD. Complaints and comments may be sent to Eurostar Customer Relations, Eurostar House, Waterloo Station, London SE1 8SE (tel: (020) 7928 5163). General enquiries and information requests must be made by telephone. Enquiries in France should be made to Eurostar in Paris (tel: (8) 3635 3539; only available from within France). Information about package deals, inclusive of accommodation and travel on Eurostar can be obtained from Eurostar Holidays Direct (tel: (0870) 167 6767).

Road
Few formalities are encountered when driving between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Eurolines, departing from Victoria Coach Station in London, serves destinations in the United Kingdom. For further information, contact Eurolines, 52 Grosvenor Gardens, London SW1, UK (tel: (08705) 143 219; website: www.nationalexpress.com).