By Air

London Heathrow Airport (LHR)

Heathrow, 24km (15 miles) west of central London, is one of the world’s busiest international airports, coping with over 63 million passengers every year. The airport is massive, with terminals one to three linked to terminal four by the Heathrow Express and London Underground services. After a 10-year deliberation and some fierce opposition, plans to build a fifth terminal were approved in 2001 and there is currently talk of a new runway as well.

Airport facilities: Facilities include bureaux de change, ATMs, airport information, hotel reservation and travel information desks, post offices in terminals two and four, left-luggage, showers, telephones and fax machines, shops, duty-free outlets, restaurants, cafes, bars and a London Tourist Board centre in the London Underground station. There is Internet access available in terminal four. There is also car hire available in all four terminals, from Avis, Europcar, Hertz, National and Thrifty. The Business Centre Heathrow is located in the Queen’s Building, between terminals one and two. Open Monday to Friday 0730-1900, it offers 20 meeting rooms and a conference suite, as well as a communications centre with computers with Internet access, faxes, photocopiers, audiovisual equipment and even showers.

Transport to the city: The Heathrow Express train service to Paddington station operates every 15 minutes Mon-Sat 0507-2401 and Sun 0503-2401 from terminal four (journey time - 23 minutes) and Mon-Sat 0503-2401 and Sun 0508-2408 from terminals one, two and three (journey time - 15 minutes). Tickets can be purchased from Heathrow Express desks or self-service ticket kiosks located at the station; tickets are also available for purchase on the train, for a premium, or online, with a 10% discount.

The airport is also on the London Underground Piccadilly line or . Trains operate Mon-Sat 0500-2345 and Sun 0545-2315 (journey time - 45 minutes). Please note that until Sep 2006, the underground station at Terminal 4 is closed while the Picadilly line is extended to Terminal 5 (currently under construction). A replacement bus service is in use from Hatton Cross. Allow extra time for your journey.

There is also a Central Bus Station at Heathrow, where the main bus service to central London is operated by National Express . At night, the N9 night bus service goes to central London every 30 minutes (journey time - 50 minutes).

Speedlink, operated by National Express (see above) coaches link Heathrow and Gatwick airports (journey time - 70 minutes) daily approximately 0500-2230. Coaches also run from Heathrow Airport to Victoria.

The Airport Travel Line provides coach transport information. The Travel Line can provide information on all public transport to and from London.

Taxis are readily available and cost around £45 for a journey to the city centre (depending on traffic conditions and time of day).

London Gatwick Airport (LGW)

Gatwick, 45km (28 miles) south of central London, is the second busiest international airport in the UK, serving over 32 million passengers a year. Around 90 airlines operate from Gatwick’s two terminals, serving around 200 destinations. The free Inter Terminal Transit train links the two terminals (north and south).

Airport facilities: Both terminals have bureaux de change, ATMs, airport information desks, showers, left luggage facilities, shops, duty-free outlets, restaurants and bars. There is also an Internet cafe situated in the south terminal. Both terminals have car hire from Avis, Europcar, Hertz, National and Thrifty. The airport provides a Fast Track priority service for business-class travellers, as well as a full range of business services at the Hilton London Gatwick Airport Hotel and Sofitel London Gatwick Hotel

Transport to the city: The Gatwick Express train service to Victoria station operates every 15 or 30 minutes (depending on the time of day) daily 0435-0135 (journey time - 30 minutes). Other, slower trains also run to Victoria (stopping at East Croydon and Clapham en route). Alternative train services by Thameslink to King’s Cross Thameslink operate daily approximately every 15 minutes during peak hours, with a reduced service at night (journey time - 45-50 minutes). Coaches depart from the ground floor of the south terminal.

National Express coaches link Gatwick and Heathrow airports (journey time - 70 minutes) daily approximately 0500-2230. Coaches also run from Gatwick Airport to Victoria.

The Travel Line and the Airport Travel Line can provide information on all public transport to and from London. Chauffeur-driven cars are provided by Checker Cars (south terminal) or 501 377 (north terminal)). Taxis are readily available and a trip to the centre of London costs around £80 for a journey time of approximately one hour and 30 minutes, depending on traffic conditions.

London Stansted Airport (STN)

This impressively modern and user-friendly airport is an expanding hub for the increasingly popular budget airlines, which offer cut-price flights to many cities across Europe. One of Europe’s fastest growing airports, Stansted is located 48km (30 miles) northeast of central London and serves 22 million passengers per year. It is estimated that by 2008, this figure will reach 25 million. Consultation is currently under way to look into the feasibility and impact of building a new runway there, to increase capacity for the South East of England.

Airport facilities: Newly renovated and expanded facilities include bureaux de change, ATMs, left-luggage, airport information, hotel reservation desk, shops, duty-free outlets, restaurants, bars and car hire from Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz and National. Meeting rooms are available for hire from easymeeting , in Enterprise House, situated next to the main terminal building. Broadband wireless Internet access is available from BT Openzone situated in the departure lounge.

Transport to the city: The Stansted Express train service to Liverpool Street station operates daily 0530-2430, departing every 15 minutes, (journey time - 49 minutes).

The main coach service to central London is the A6 Airbus , which travels to Victoria coach station every 10 minutes, 24 hours a day (journey time - 1 hour 45 minutes).

The Airport Travel Line provides further coach transport information. The Travel Line can provide information on all public transport to and from London. Taxis are usually available at the airport or can be telephoned; Airport Carz charge around £80 for the 60-minute (depending on traffic and conditions) journey to central London.

London Luton Airport (LTN)

The UK’s seventh largest airport is 52km (32 miles) north of central London. London Luton Airport is growing fast: it served 9 million passengers in 2005, an increase of 400% in 10 years.

Airport facilities: The airport has bureaux de change, ATMs, several information kiosks, shops, duty-free outlets, restaurants, bars and car hire from Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz and National. The Aviance Executive Lounge (tel: (01582) 700 898) is located in the international departure lounge. Facilities include fax, telephone, e-mail and Internet.

Transport to the city: Thameslink (tel: 0845 748 4950; website: www.thameslink.co.uk) provides a fast link (approximately 30-40 minutes) to King’s Cross Thameslink from the Luton Airport Parkway station. A free shuttle bus connects Luton Airport with the Parkway station. Trains operate daily approximately every 15-30 minutes, with a reduced service on weeknights.

Greenline 757 operates a coach service to Victoria coach station, departing every 30-60 minutes 24 hours a day (journey time - 60-90 minutes). easyBus operates a direct express minibus service to/from Central London (Baker Street), seven days a week. Minibuses depart from Bay 4 outside the main terminal building. The Travel Line provides further information on travel to London.

Taxis are available 24 hours and cost approximately £60 for a journey to central London.

London City Airport (LCY)

The business-orientated London City Airport is the most central of the capital’s airports, located just 10km (6 miles) east of the City of London. The airport is relatively small, however nearly 2 million passengers travelled through it in 2005.

Airport facilities: These include bureaux de change, ATMs, information and hotel reservation desks, postal facilities, duty-free shopping, restaurants, bars, and car hire from Avis, Europcar and Hertz. The Meridian Business Centre offers fully serviced conference suites and office space for hire.

Transport to the city: A new DLR link is now open, connecting the existing DLR network (and the Jubilee Line on the Underground) at Canning Town, stopping at four stations en route. Trains run every 7 minutes, and take 14 minutes to reach Canning Town, and 22 minutes to reach Bank station. There are two airport shuttle buses, which operate Monday to Friday approximately 0600-2100, Saturday 0600-1300 and Sunday 1100-2100. The green shuttle bus runs to Canning Town station (journey time - 5 minutes). The blue bus runs to Canary Wharf (journey time - 10 minutes) and Liverpool Street station (journey time - 30 minutes).

There is a stand with licensed black taxis, located directly outside the terminal building. Fares to central London start from £20-25. The Travel Line provides further information on all transport to and from London.

Approximate flight times to London: From New York is 7 hours 40 minutes; from Los Angeles is 10 hours 20 minutes; from Toronto is 7 hours and from Sydney is 23 hours 5 minutes (plus stopover).

By Rail

The British railway network has a bad reputation at the moment - delays, cancellations and poor travelling conditions are common, while fares (particularly on routes via London) are among the highest in Europe. Actual train services are provided by a number of independent operators, while Network Rail is now the company responsible for the infrastructure and the track. The company also owns all the stations but manages only the biggest ones. In an attempt to avoid the disaster of their predecessor, Railtrack, Network Rail is a Company Limited by Guarantee with no shareholders, where all profit is reinvested into the railways.

Railway information is available 24 hours from National Rail Enquiries (tel: 0845 748 4950; website: www.nationalrail.co.uk). London has numerous major stations. These all become very crowded during rush hour (Monday to Friday 0800-0930 and 1700-1830), when services struggle to cope with the sheer volume of passengers. The major national stations in London are Victoria (southwest), Paddington (west), Euston and Kings Cross (north), Liverpool Street (east), Waterloo (south) and Charing Cross (central). Station facilities differ but most include ATMs, bureaux de change, shops, cafes and pubs. Tickets should be purchased at the station (from ticket desks and machines) before boarding.

Rail services: Eurostar services from Avignon, Calais, Brussels, Lille, Paris-Gare du Nord and Disneyland Paris travel via the English Channel to Waterloo station. Tickets are available at the station, from the Eurostar Call Centre or online (see above). Eurostar is extremely convenient and, once time travelling to and from the airport and spent checking in has been taken into account, is usually quicker than flying (approximate journey time to Paris - 3 hours). The construction of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, connecting King’s Cross station with Paris (estimated journey time - 2 hours 20 minutes) is well under way; completion is due in 2007.

The main London terminals serve different regions of the country, as follows: Euston and King’s Cross for the Midlands, the north of England and Scotland; Liverpool Street for East Anglia; Paddington for Heathrow airport, the West Country, South Wales and the Midlands; Victoria for Gatwick airport and the southeast; and Waterloo for the south coast and the continent. There are also numerous regional stations, including Blackfriars, Charing Cross, London Bridge, Marylebone, St Pancras, Stratford and Clapham Junction (the busiest station in the UK). Overnight sleeper trains, run by First Scotrail , connect Euston with the Scottish destinations of Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Fort William, Aberdeen and Dundee. National Rail Enquiries can provide information on all services, including journey prices, times and duration.

By Road

Main roads are designated by a letter, followed by up to four numbers: ‘M’ (motorway), ‘A’ (major road) and ‘B’ (minor road). Traffic drives on the left and drivers must be at least 18 years old. The speed limits are 113kph (70mph) on motorways, 97kph (60mph) on single-lane main roads and 48kph (30mph) in built-up areas. Seat belts are compulsory for drivers, front-seat passengers and rear-seat passengers (if fitted). Motorcyclists must wear helmets. The maximum legal alcohol to blood ratio for driving is 0.08%.

Overseas driving licences and International Driving Permits are valid for up to one year. Insurance is mandatory. Overseas visitors bringing their own cars should bring registration documents and check with their insurance company as to whether a Green Card is needed. Breakdown service and general motoring information is available from the Automobile Association - AA , Green Flag and the Royal Automobile Club - RAC ).

Emergency breakdown services (toll free):

Routes to the city: The M25 encircles Greater London. The M1, M11, M20, M23, M3, M4 and M40 radiate from the capital to the rest of Britain. The M1 goes north all the way to Leeds, the M11 northeast to Cambridge and East Anglia, the M20 southeast to Folkestone (from where the A20 continues to Dover), the M23 goes south to Gatwick airport (and continues as the A23 to Brighton), the M3 southwest to Southampton, the M4 west to Heathrow airport and Bristol, and the M40 northwest to Oxford and Birmingham.

Motorists and their cars can travel by train through the Channel Tunnel from Calais, France to Folkestone in southeast England, courtesy of Eurotunnel .

Approximate driving times to London: From Cambridge - 1 hour 30 minutes; Oxford - 1 hour 30 minutes; Folkestone - 1 hour 45 minutes; Birmingham - 2 hours 15 minutes; Bristol - 2 hours 45 minutes; Leeds - 4 hours.

Coach services: National and international services use Victoria Coach Station, a short walk from Victoria train station, at 164 Buckingham Palace Road, SW1 . Facilities include bureaux de change, ATMs, travel and hotel agencies, information desks, left-luggage office and kiosks. National Express operates services throughout the UK. Eurolines has departures to over 500 European destinations.