Highways of Great Britain. UK transport infrastructure. Public transport in the UK

Most often, tourists in England travel by private car or public transport. Having your own car guarantees freedom of movement, allows you to get to any corner of the country, and with an economical approach, rental and gas costs may well be acceptable.

However, in large cities there are often long traffic jams and problems with parking, so public transport wins in this regard.

The main types of public transport are trains and intercity buses. For the most popular routes and during the high season, tickets should be booked in advance. If you buy a ticket early or travel in low season the tickets are pretty cheap.

If you have enough time left, then you can combine modes of transportation - ride a train, buses, a car, and sometimes ride a bike. So you can most fully and comfortably get to know England in all its glory.

The websites of many international companies have separate pages for representative offices in different countries Oh. If you have free time, then surf the Internet in search of the best prices.

If you wish, you can rent not an ordinary car, but a “mobile home”, or a residential van. Of course, it will cost you more, but on the other hand, you will not have to spend money on accommodation, and you will also have absolute freedom of movement. You can view offers for such machines on the following sites:

Cool Campervans (www.coolcampervans.com)

Just Go (www.justgo.uk.com)

Wild Horizon (www.wildhorizon.co.uk)

Automobile societies in England: Automobile Association (www.theaa.com) and Royal

Automobile Club (www.rac.co.uk). The annual membership fee is £35. Membership provides 24/7 assistance on all roads in the country. The Environmental Transport Association (www.eta.co.uk) helps in emergencies.

parking

England - small country. There are so many motorists here that sometimes there is not enough space for everyone. In cities there are parking lots where you can stop for a different amount of time. The longer the car stays in the parking lot, the more you pay.

Yellow lines along the road, single or double, indicate parking restrictions to drivers. Appropriate signs will tell you if you can park in this place or not.

The traffic police in London are always on the lookout: if you park illegally, your car will be towed away, and you can pick it up later for only £100. Red lines on the roads mean that you can not park here in any case.

Traffic Laws

Driving in England is allowed for drivers with a driving experience of at least 1 year. It is impossible to enter the territory of the country with your car without registration of liability insurance to third parties. Here are some more important rules:

1. in England, left-hand traffic!

2. be sure to wear seat belts

3. Motorcyclists should wear safety helmets

4. at intersections, the rules “ right hand”

5. on highways where there are double lanes, always drive in the left lane if you are going to overtake a vehicle

6. It is forbidden to use a mobile phone while driving

7. in settlements you can drive at a speed of 48 km/h, on main roads - 60 km/h, on motorways - 70 km/h.

Trains

For long distances it is better to travel by train. They are much more convenient than buses, but they are more expensive, but if you are lucky enough to catch Special offers and discounts, you can save.

In the 1990s, English railways had a bad reputation, but then the situation began to improve. 85% of trains run smoothly, according to the schedule.

Several rail companies serve the main routes. First Great Western - flights between London and Bristol, Cornwall and South Wales; National Express East Coast connects , and Scotland; Virgin Trains - West Coast, and .

At first, the system may seem a little confusing to you, but over time, everything will become clear. All companies accept rail passes.

Persons with disabilities can purchase a Disabled Person's Railcard. It costs 18 pounds. An application for a card can be issued at any of the railway stations or on the company's website. If you have questions, call 0191-281 8103.

If you plan to travel throughout the country, we advise you to purchase a BritRail pass (www.britrail.com). You can buy it in one of the travel agencies in your country. There are separate types of BritRail - only for England, or for the whole of Great Britain (England, Wales and), for Great Britain and Ireland.

Various combinations of rail passes are available for use with a rental car or for Eurostar travel. All detailed information can be found on the BritRail website.

The BritRail England Consecutive Unlimited card entitles you to unlimited travel for 4 days ($209), 8 days ($299), 15 days ($449), 22 days ($569) and 30 days ($675).

If you have a BritRail England Flexipass, you don't have to ride the train every day to pay for it. You can ride four days in a month unlimited times for $265, or eight days out of 60 for $385, or 15 days out of 60 for $579.

With an All Line Rover card, you can drive as much as you like within two weeks throughout the country. The ticket costs 565 pounds.

International maps Eurail don't work in England and InterRail is valid only if you bought it in some other European country.

local transport

IN English cities well-developed public transport system. Major cities have trams and subways.

Bus networks are well organized everywhere. Buses run all year round, with most flights from late spring to September. In some rural areas, buses serve schools and industries, so there may be only a few trips a day. The bus schedule in the part of England you are interested in should always be specified in tourist center.

If you plan on doing quite a bit of bus travel, then it's logical to consider buying a travel pass (it could be called a Day Rover, Wayfarer, or Explorer). There are three-day passes, which often include rail services.

Postal buses also carry out passenger transportation. They can reach the most remote parts of England. Detailed information check with Royal Mail Postbus (08457 740 740; www.royalmail.com/postbus).

Taxi

In England you can find two types of taxis: the famous black metered cabs (which can be hailed from the street) and the shuttle, which is cheaper and can only be called by phone. In London and other major cities, taxi services cost 2-3 pounds per mile, in rural areas - half this rate.

You can get a taxi number from a nearby pub or call 0800 123444 from a landline. The operator will set your location and connect you to the appropriate taxi service.

Air Transport

Local airlines are British Airways, BMI, BMIbaby, EasyJet and Ryanair. Domestic flights in England are not very popular among tourists. Usually those people who are in a hurry fly. Sometimes early booking of a seat on a train is much more profitable than a flight.

Bicycles

England is a small country, and it is quite possible to go around it on a bicycle. This is a great way to get to know this wonderful country, of course, only if you have enough free time.
It is very easy to rent a bike in London (check out www.londonbicycle.com and www.londonbicycle.com

Prices start at £10 per day. It is also quite possible to find a rental point in the countryside, especially near forests and reservoirs - for example, Kielder Water in Northumberland (www.thebikeplace.co.uk), Grizedale Forest in the Lake District (www.forestry.gov.uk/grizedale), Peak District in Derbyshire (www.derbyshire-peakdist rict.co.uk/cycling.htm).

It is impossible not to mention - the first "bicycle" city in England. By 2011, about £11 million has been spent on bike lanes and other bike facilities. In other cities - York, Cambridge and Chester - the development of cycling infrastructure is also planned.

Characteristics of the UK transport network

Transport in Great Britain occupies one of the leading places in the country's economy and has a number of essential features inherent in it as a complex intersectoral complex.

The development of the UK transport system is largely due to modern trends in improving transportation technology and management systems.

Since Great Britain is an island state, all its external transportation and trade are connected with sea and air transport, but after the opening of the tunnel under the English Channel, it began to play an important role automobile transport.

All areas of Great Britain, except for the West Midlands, are in one way or another directly connected with seaports, which serve as the main transport hubs.

Road transport plays the most important role in domestic freight transport. At the same time, the network is expanding highways and they are being reconstructed.

Great Britain is very rich in such sights as: Northern Ireland ("The Giants' Road" - a rock formation on the north coast, consisting of several thousand multifaceted basalt columns); Belfast (City Hall; St. Anne's Protestant Cathedral; Ulster Museum); Glasgow (Cathedral of St. Muvgo (mid-15th century); Glasgow Museum; art gallery, one of the best in Britain; Hunterian Museum; Botanical Garden; zoo); Edinburgh (Edinburgh Castle; St. Margaret's Church (XI century); Castle Rock Castle, royal residence in Scotland Holyrod Palace; St. Gilles Church (XV century); Scottish Parliament Building (1639); National Galleries of Scotland; Royal Museum and others); Cardiff (Cardiff Castle (XI century); Llandaf Cathedral; Church of St. John the Baptist (XV century); National Museum of Wales); Stratford (England): Shakespeare's house-museum; Royal Shakespeare Theatre; London (British Museum; Victoria and Albert Museum; London History Museum; Tate Gallery; National Gallery; London Dungeon; Madame Tussauds (world famous wax museum); cathedral of st. Paul (XVII-XVIII centuries); London; Westminster Abbey (XI century); the Palace of Westminster (Houses of Parliament), the most famous part of which is "Big Ben"; Buckingham Palace (royal residence); Trafalgar Square and a huge number of parks).

1. TRANSPORT MANAGEMENT IN THE UNITED KINGDOM

1.1 Brief description of the UK

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the map is presented in Appendix 1), a state in Western Europe, a constitutional monarchy. located on British Isles and is separated from mainland Europe by the North Sea, the Pas de Calais and the English Channel. The isolated position influenced the historical development of the country. It consists of England, Scotland and Wales, located on the largest island of Great Britain, and Northern Ireland, which occupies the northern part of the second largest island of Ireland. The Isle of Man, located in the Irish Sea between the two mentioned islands, and the Channel Islands form independent administrative units. The total area of ​​the country is 244 thousand square meters. km. In short, the country is called the United Kingdom, as well as Great Britain or simply Britain. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II.

Of particular interest are the methods of intra-urban and suburban movement in the face of increasing population density. Subway lines have been laid in the largest cities of the United Kingdom. High-speed ground rail transport is also developing (like the Heathrow Express which runs from the airport to the center of London).

1.2 Maritime and road transport: management specifics

The UK economy is highly dependent on the state of the national merchant marine. According to the Ministry of Transport and the UK Shipping Chamber, about 95% of the tonnage and 75% of the value of British foreign trade cargo, as well as up to 25% of domestic trade goods are transported by water.

The British Register includes 649 ships with a displacement of over 100 so-called "long" tons; their total carrying capacity is 15 million tons. Among them: 149 vessels with a total deadweight of 5.5 million tons for the transportation of oil, gas and chemicals; 453 ships with a deadweight of 9.3 million tons, hired as dry cargo and container ships; 47 passenger ships with a total deadweight of 100 thousand tons.

According to the British Statistics Office, 77% of ships owned by British companies are registered in the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man or the British Overseas Territories.

There are more than 70 international sea trading ports of commercial importance in the UK, as well as more than 200 small port points where local cargo is handled, to serve sea merchant ships and passengers, as well as to handle cargo. More than 565 million tons of cargo (of which about 220 million tons are imported and 180 million tons are exported) are transshipped through British ports annually, and up to 30 million passengers are transported.

London hosts the headquarters of the International Maritime Organization, which is part of the UN structure, as well as representative offices of more than 120 ship-owning companies in the world. Here are the leading registered companies. In particular, the Lloyd's Marine Register, which is the oldest and second in the world (after the Japanese "Society Class NK") classification society, in which up to 20% of the tonnage of the world merchant fleet is registered.

In transport, the public sector plays a less significant role. The state owns ports that make up a third of the total throughput of all ports in the country. The major ports (see Annex 2 for a typical autonomous seaport management structure) are managed by the British Transport Docks Authority, the rest are under the jurisdiction of the British Railways Authority.

Turning to the consideration of road transport, it should be emphasized that in the UK the Ministry of environment includes the General Road Administration, which is in charge of general policy, planning and finance for the development of the road network.

The districts have departments of road engineers responsible for main road maintenance and for main road improvement projects. They also carry out the function of a link between the central and local authorities in the implementation of road construction work. The main sources of funds for new construction are government subsidies and grants.

In recent years, measures have been taken to increase the role of local authorities in addressing issues of expanding the road network and developing transport. The Ministry considers programs for the development of motor transport, roads and public transport, which are prepared by the authorities of the counties, and allocates them subsidies.

First of all, public companies are subject to state regulation, and in the field of freight transportation - non-public companies. Trucks with a curb weight of less than 1.5 tons have been exempted from licensing for heavier vehicles, a system of quality licenses has been introduced in order to ensure better safety.

There are also nationalized road transport companies in the UK, such as the National Freight Corporation, which is the largest road transport company in the country.

1.3 Features of air traffic management

The main directions of state control and regulation of air transport are reduced to the development of long-term and short-term programs for the development of air transport, the financing of technical development and scientific research, the approval and control of the level of tariffs for air transportation, etc. To carry out these functions, a system of state bodies has been created and operates in the UK and institutions.

In the United Kingdom, the Department of Transport (MoT) and the economically independent Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), which are not part of it, are government authorities and regulators. The MT carries out the following main functions in the management of civil aviation: development and implementation of a general policy regarding the activities of British airlines, airports in the country and the CAA itself; responsibility for international relations in the field of civil aviation; aircraft noise control and environmental protection; adoption of legislation in the field of civil aviation, including flight safety standards; flight accident investigation.

The structure of the MT services related to civil aviation is presented in Appendix 3.

The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is both a regulator and a public, self-sustaining service enterprise.

It is responsible for: organizing the national airspace (together with the Ministry of Defense) in the field of air traffic(ATC) and communications; economic regulation of the industry, including the issuance of a license to operate airlines, the licensing of travel agencies and the approval of airfares and a number of airport charges; safety of flights, operating conditions, including licensing of flight personnel and airfields, as well as certification of airlines and aircraft; conducting an examination in civil aviation for international and domestic transportation; protecting the interests of consumers of air transport services; meeting the needs of private aviation; economic and scientific research, collection and publication of statistical data, provision of consulting services; training of personnel and organization of work of civil aviation administrations in foreign territories.

In the UK, under the Airports Authority Act, the British Airports Authority has jurisdiction over London airports only. The main task of this Administration is the organization and control over the activities of airports. It is managed by the Administrative Council, whose members are appointed by the Minister of Transport.

In 1987, the British government handed over to the private sector the country's seven main airports, which accounted for 70% of passenger and 85% of air cargo. Thus, in the UK, airports are separate from airlines and are independent business entities. The management of the capital's airports is centralized on the basis of a special act of the Government. Two major airports in the country have been privatized; the property of these airports is privately owned.

2. SPECIFIC FEATURES OF TRANSPORT AND TRANSPORT SERVICES IN THE UK

2.1 Characteristics of urban transport: metro, buses, taxis, car rental, trams

London is one of the few cities whose transport has become a legend. The world's first subway and the famous double-decker buses are the visiting card of the English capital. True to tradition, Londoners try to preserve their appearance with the least changes. London's urban transport is no longer limited to the subway and double-deckers. Despite all the English conservatism, new modes of transport regularly appear in the British capital. The steam subway has long been replaced by an electrified one, the division into classes of carriages has disappeared, and buses in London are no longer only double-decker.

The history of London transport, which began with omnibuses and launched in 1863 by the steam underground, is so great and interesting that a museum of urban transport has been created in the British capital. It is located in Covent Garden Plaza and is open from ten in the morning until six in the evening.

Now the main transport load is still borne by the metro and buses. The London Underground, familiarly called "Tube" ("Pipe") - is a convenient and fast way to get around the city. Stations are marked with a round "London Underground" sign.

The metro has twelve lines. All of them were created at different times and by different owners, and therefore are still quite different from each other. Some go for the most part underground, some on the surface. Over time, many sections of the railways switched from metro to long-haul trains and vice versa.

The London Underground (Subway map in Appendix 4) also has a circle line in the city centre. The lines quite often fork into separate branches to one or another area of ​​the city, so you should always pay attention to the destination of the train. In addition, trains of different lines can run on the same tracks. The station has an electronic board that tells passengers the route and final stop of the arriving train, and some boards indicate when the next train will arrive.

London Underground trains run quite frequently, with a three to five minute interval on the main lines. However, in some places you can wait for the train for half an hour.

It is interesting to note that visitors to the London Underground, once at Knightsbridge station, will be able, thanks to the use of special audio effects, to be transported to different parts of the world and even immerse themselves in the atmosphere of the jungle. As VisitBritain reported, during 2007, waiting for a train on the platform turned into an exciting adventure - the station space resounded with the trumpet call of African elephants, the purr of California sea lions, the singing of cicadas and the characteristic sounds of other representatives of the animal world of our planet. The Zoorama project was developed by Hesar and Ivan Morrison as part of the celebration of the centenary of the opening of one of the central lines of the London Underground - Piccadilly.

This is not the first time that Knightsbridge Station has staged performances for subway visitors. So, in 2006, an exhibition of contemporary photo artists was held here, in which two Russian authors took part. "Knightsbridge" is located in a lively area of ​​London, right at the exit of it is the famous department store "Harrods".

The tariff system of the London Underground is at first glance rather complicated, but in fact it is not a big problem to understand it. The whole of Greater London is divided into six zones, which diverge in concentric circles from the city center. Thus, the first zone is surrounded on all sides by the second, the second by the third, and so on.

Any ticket must be valid in all zones in which the trip takes place, including transit. Therefore, when choosing a travel route, you need to ensure that you do not get into an area where the ticket is not valid. In general, the London Underground usually allows you to get to your destination in several ways. Among them, you can choose the one that affects fewer zones. If you need to travel from the second zone to the third one on the opposite side of the city, then it is quite possible to bypass the first central zone and thus halve the cost of the trip.

The most expensive is the first zone, containing the city center and the largest number of tourist attractions. With the addition of the following zones, the price gradually increases. A child ticket costs about forty percent of an adult.

The first zone also sells a pack of ten tickets (Carnet Ticket). It allows you to make ten trips for the price of seven separate tickets.

Much easier to overpower bus fares. This system was greatly simplified by simply introducing two zones - the first central and everything else.

Turning to buses, it should be noted that in 2004 there were more than 96 thousand buses in the United Kingdom, of which 16,400 were double-decker and 43,200 were standard buses with 40 seats or more. Almost all bus companies are private, with the exception of 17 which are owned by local authorities. There are 25 bus companies operating in London serving over 700 routes. Their activities have been very positively affected by the introduction of a fee (£5) for entering the city center for cars with less than nine passenger seats.

In central London, traditional red double-decker (pictured in Appendix 5) and single-decker buses are the main means of transport, although there are now also many privately owned buses in a variety of colours.

It is interesting to note that in 2006 the UK developed a self-driving city bus capable of driving without a driver. It is equipped with satellite control, a sophisticated navigation system, as well as speed and direction control systems to avoid collisions and other traffic problems. Passengers can inform the bus about their presence at the bus stop using mobile phones or other equipment.

The test model of the bus was supposed to be assembled in 2007, after which it should be tested outside the urban environment - possibly at the airport. It should appear on the streets no earlier than in a few years, RIA Novosti reported with reference to the British media.

Main bus stops marked with red letters "LT" (London transport). If the sign has the word "Request", the bus should be signaled to stop.

As noted, London is divided into 6 transport zones arranged in concentric circles. The more zones Crossed, the higher the fare. A ticket for one short trip in 2007 cost 70 pence (£1 in the central area). The "Saver 6" ticket entitles you to 6 bus rides within zones 1 - 4 and costs £5.

There are many travel passes available to help you save money on the subway, bus, and Docklands Light Railway trains. You can buy them at metro stations and newsstands. They give the right to an unlimited number of trips on the metro and buses after 9.30 am on weekdays, and on weekends and holidays there is no time limit. They do not operate on night buses, buses to and from airports.

According to Travelnn.ru, a One Day Travelcard cost in 2007 between £3.90 and £4.70. A Weekend Travelcard is valid for a weekend or two days of holidays and cost £5.20-7. It gives the right to travel on night buses at the end of the first day of its validity. The Family Travelcard is valid for one day and entitles two adults with up to four children to travel. (2.30-3.10 pounds, for each child - 80 pence). A Visitor Travelcard is valid from 1 to 7 days and costs from £3.90. It comes with a coupon book that provides discounts for visiting various museums and attractions. It is only sold outside the UK. LT Cards tickets (cost 5-7.50 pounds) are valid for 1 day without time limits on all modes of transport, except for night buses, National Railways trains, subway trips on the Bakerloo line at stations north of Queen's Park. Millennium LT ticket The Card entitles Millennium Dome ticket holders to one day of unlimited time travel on the Underground, buses (except night buses), Docklands Light Railway and Croydon Tramlink trains, trains connecting central stations London with Charlton and Greenwich, Millennium Express trains. Ticket price - 3.50 pounds.

In London, there are night buses (the letter "N" in front of the number) that operate from 23 to 5 in the morning. Main transfer points: Victoria, Westminster, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square. Fares are slightly higher than on daytime buses. Weekly and monthly passes are valid on night buses, but the tickets mentioned above are not valid. For trips outside the central zone, a ticket in 2007 cost £1 and £1.50 if the central zone is included in the itinerary.

Considering taxis, it should be emphasized that large black taxis have become an integral attribute of London streets. There are two types of taxis here. The famous "black cabs" are relatively expensive. They work on a meter: $3 for landing and $1.2 for 1 kilometer run. Cheaper cars are called "minicab" (they can take not 5 passengers, like real "cabs", but only 4). They take orders only by phone, they work without counters, so you should inquire about the tariff in advance.

For example, a taxi ride from Heathrow lasts about an hour and costs about £40 plus tips. A taxi ride from Gatwick Airport to London costs about £80 plus tips. Taxi ranks can be found near hotels and many tourist spots. In London, Edinburgh and other big cities you can stop on the street. A free car must have a yellow "Taxi" or "For Hire" sign on the roof. Often at night, taxi drivers do not turn it on in order to be able to choose passengers themselves.

The base rate is £1.40, then 20p is charged for every 281 yards (256 meters) or 55.5 seconds until the amount reaches the limit of £8.60. After that, 20 pence is charged for every 188 yards (170 meters) or 37 seconds. Additional payment - 60 pence for a trip on weekdays from 20 to midnight. At Christmas and New Year - 2 pounds surcharge. If there is more than one passenger, 40 pence is charged for each additional passenger. Prices usually go up in April.

It is interesting to note that London Taxis International, which produces classic London cabs (photo in Appendix 5), will not be able to independently create a car engine that meets the new Euro-5 environmental standards. According to taxorg.org, the company's specialists officially warned the British government about this. They have asked the authorities to allocate the £5 million needed to complete work on a Euro 5 hybrid power plant.

London Taxis International produces about 2600 cabs a year. Each car costs from £27,000 to £35,500, but installing a new engine in a cab will increase its cost by £12,000. The environmental standard "Euro-5" will become mandatory for all new cars in the EU since 2010.

It is also interesting that the world's first taxi service serving only women was created in the UK. Pink Ladies Cabs employs only female drivers trained in self-defense, first aid and basic psychology. All cars of this service are painted in hot pink, have a luxurious leather interior and are equipped with satellite navigation, which allows you to track the location of a taxi at any time.

According to Autonews.ru, the need for transport in which women would feel protected is extremely urgent for England. According to police statistics, only in London every month at least 10 women become victims of robbers and rapists posing as taxi drivers.

For the safety of its customers, Pink Ladies Cabs give car pick-up notices over the phone and only accept credit card payments to avoid the temptation of cash robbers. In addition, the driver will not leave the house until he is sure that the passenger has safely entered the door. At the same time, the cost of a "female" taxi does not differ from the usual one.

It should also be noted that London's urban transport was ranked the best in the world in a 2006 TripAdvisor survey of 2,000 travelers, specializing in travel recommendations. Interestingly, they also recognized it as the transport with the most inflated prices. In the first place were placed and London taxis.

Driving in the UK is on the left. The speed limit is 30 mph on city streets and in royal parks. On the outskirts of cities sometimes - 40 miles / hour (65 km / h), as indicated by a round red sign. Rural - 60 mph (96 km/h) on regular roads and 70 mph (112 km/h) on highways.

Road conditions in the UK are excellent. In cities and their environs, roads are often busy. The penalties for drunk driving in the UK are very strict. Seat belts are a must. The maximum alcohol limit is 0.5 g. Approximate gasoline prices start at 2.50 pounds per gallon (55 pence per liter). Most gas stations sell lead-free gasoline as well as diesel fuel. Service stations, other than those located on highways, are usually closed from 9 pm to 7 am.

The intricate maze of streets, many of which are one-way, makes driving in London challenging. Give way to pedestrians at zebra crossings. It is forbidden to park within the pedestrian crossing, the curb of which is marked with a zigzag line. On transitions - "zebras" it is forbidden to overtake other cars. The use of a sound signal is prohibited from 23.30 to 7 am. There are many parking restrictions in London. In areas where the speed limit is 30 km/h, you may park at night no further than 25 yards (23 meters) from a working street light, but no closer than 15 yards (14 meters) from an intersection.

On the "Red Roads" - very busy sections of the street with a red stripe, you can not even stop to drop off a passenger. It is much easier to assume that during the day you can not park anywhere except in paid parking lots or where there are no lines and prohibition signs. Otherwise, you run the risk of being fined £100.

To rent a car, you must have a valid driver's license in your country of residence, be at least 19-24 years old (depending on the company), have at least 1 year of driving experience, and pay a deposit corresponding to the estimated rental price (some companies only accept credit cards for payment) ). If the car is rented only in one direction, it is necessary to pay for the return run as well. The customer also pays for petrol. The technical condition of cars is always good, while the rental price depends on the season - the highest rates are in summer and winter, lower - in spring and autumn.

Driving rules in the UK are very strict. The policeman has the right to issue a fine of up to 30 pounds on the spot for smoking in the cabin, loud music, looking at a map, changing CDs in the player, using a mobile while driving, eating, drinking soft drinks, aggressive behavior towards passengers, and so on. . Arguing with a policeman or proving one's case is not only pointless, but also dangerous - the size of the punishment in this case can be sharply increased.

Hitchhiking is not allowed in the UK.

In 2000, a tram was recreated in London. Everyone knows about double-decker buses, but few people know that fifty-five years ago double-decker trams ran around London. The London tram (Tramlink) now has three routes in the southern part of the city. Thirty meters long double wagons imported from Vienna serve the Croydon area.

Tram tickets are sold separately from vending machines at stops. If you need to transfer to a bus after a trip by tram or vice versa, you can buy a tram-bus ticket for the same price. Bus tickets are not valid on the tram.

Another original form of London transport is the Docklands Light Railway (DLR). He is a little over ten years old. It owes its appearance to the collapse of the London docks, which lost their jobs after the modernization of maritime freight transport. Large-tonnage container ships migrated to the deep-water ports of the coast, leaving the vast London area in desolation. The program for reviving the docks area provided for the appearance of high-speed transport there, which was launched in the late eighties.

The Docklands Light Railway is a series of driverless trailers with a capacity of about 250 people. Currently, more than four lines are already operating. They provide transportation from the former dock area to many metro and rail lines, as well as to the city centre. The DLR fare system is the same as in the metro. It valid metro tickets and vice versa.

Tickets for transport can be bought at vending machines located at metro stations and at stops of land transport. In addition, bus tickets are also sold by drivers. All child tickets expire at 10pm.

In general, London transport operates from four or five in the morning until the first hour of the night. On Sunday, transport starts after seven in the morning and stops by midnight. Traffic intervals on Sunday are approximately twice as long. It is bad with transport at Christmas, when many lines do not function at all.

2.2 Characteristics of railway transport

As of 2007, the total length of railways in Great Britain is 34 thousand km, including about 5 thousand km of electrified railways, 12.5 thousand km of double or multi-track railways. The railway infrastructure includes 2.5 thousand stations, 40 thousand bridges and tunnels. In the largest cities, such as London, Glasgow and others, there are so-called light railways, represented by various types ground metro (221 km and 238 stations).

To improve the situation on the railways, the Labor government has developed a special plan for the development of the UK railways until 2010, according to which private investments of up to 40 billion pounds were attracted to the industry. Art., which, together with budgetary financing of the industry as a whole, will amount to 73.5 billion f. Art. These funds will be mainly directed to the renewal and modernization of rolling stock, railway tracks, train traffic safety systems and railway stations in order to qualitatively improve the level of services provided and increase the attractiveness of railway transport among potential passengers in the face of tougher competition with other modes of transport.

In 2004, the UK Department for Transport published a White Paper: The Future of Rail, further revealing the government's long-term plans to reorganize the industry. So, in order to correct the current situation in the railway transport of Great Britain, the Ministry of Transport in 2006 reduced the number of companies operating the passenger railway. transport from 25 to 16, and in 2010 - up to 10. To this end, the process of reviewing franchise agreements with operating companies is already underway, the validity of which will then be set for a period of 2 to 15 years.

At the same time, the terms of franchises will be reviewed in 5 years to ensure that operators achieve the established indicators of improving the quality of passenger transportation, increasing the number of trains and ensuring traffic safety.

The policy of the UK government in this area is directly implemented by the Ministry of Transport, which in its work relies on three non-governmental organizations.

English railways are the oldest in Europe, and have partially retained the flavor of the last century. In some places you can still find old cars familiar from the movie about Sherlock Holmes, where each compartment has its own exit to the platform. To open the door in them from the inside, you must first lower the window and get to the outer handle.

Since then, a wide variety of trains, wagons and local regulations have remained. This diversity has grown even more in recent years, when the single British railway system has broken up into many smaller companies. In the early 1990s, the government decided to end BritRail's monopoly and announced the privatization of the railroads.

Now there are more than 25 passenger companies. Among them are four large, several medium, the rest are small, serving one or two routes. Their names are the same as they were in the last century - First Great Western, Midland Main Line, Central Trains and the like. These abbreviations are often used long titles, and two-letter codes are given in the schedules. In addition, there are many small private tourist lines.

At one time there was great confusion on the roads, but now the situation has somewhat calmed down. Nevertheless, the British are mostly dissatisfied with the reform. Now they are forced to understand a huge variety of tariffs, discounts, travel tickets, various schedules.

The tariff system of English railways is also very confused. It is completely different from the one used "on the continent". But it is almost an exact copy of the aviation fare system.

As in aviation, fares are based not on distance, but on market criteria - demand, the number of companies on the route, etc. As in aviation, standard fares are very high, but few people use them. There are a lot of special fares, half of which also have aviation names.

Tickets valid for one day or for a specific trip are usually referred to as Ranger, while travel tickets are referred to as Rover. There are no surcharges for the train class - with the exception of surcharges for sleeping cars. If during the trip you change from a train of one company to a train of another, you will have to buy two different tickets - in the event that there is no All England travel card. If you have to travel a lot, or being a tourist who wants to visit several cities, then such a pass is a must.

Classes are not named first and second, as everywhere else, but first and standard. On private lines, there is also a third class. A number of companies offer first class travel with a standard class ticket at a surcharge. Often this offer is accompanied by various conditions - traveling on Sunday, pre-purchasing a ticket, and the like. Some companies allocate special carriages for those who have paid the full standard ticket price.

Seat reservations do not exist on all routes. Basically, you can reserve a seat on long-distance lines. Reservation is usually free, although some companies - Wales and West and Central Trains - reserve a seat for a fee. In any case, each company has its own reservation rules. As a rule, the reservation is terminated two hours before the departure of the train from the original station, but sometimes it can occur after.

In most cases, the same seat number refers to two seats at once. One of them is located along the train, the other - against. On the reservation ticket, this is marked with the letters F (Forward) and B (Backward), respectively. Now this purely English order of designation of places is being gradually canceled on a number of lines.

Tickets can be bought both at the box office and at the ticket machine. If you do not have time to do this, then the ticket can also be sold by the conductor on the train. However, it only sells standard full price tickets. You will not be able to buy a ticket from him at any of the many discounted fares.

On a number of lines, mainly local ones, tickets are sold only in vending machines. If you are caught on a train without a ticket, you will be fined 10 pounds.

In Britain, there are platforms where there are no ticket offices or a ticket machine. In this case, there is definitely another machine - permit to travel. It only accepts coins. They need to be lowered by about the price of the ticket. The vending machine prints a receipt indicating the amount paid. With this ticket, you can board the train, and at the first opportunity, you should exchange the ticket for a normal ticket. The amount paid will be taken into account.

There are few night trains in Britain, and a large proportion of them consist exclusively of sleeping cars. These trains are usually referred to as Sleeper. In the first class there are single compartments, in the standard - double compartments. If you wish to travel together in first class, then two compartments are provided with a door between them. Surcharge price for sleeping area standard and does not depend on distance. The price usually includes a light breakfast.

Couchette cars do not exist in principle, and seated night cars, if they exist, are also very uncomfortable. They are not divided into compartments, and even the seats in them do not recline.

In general, trains in Britain run frequently and mostly without delay. On long-distance lines, an hour or half-hour interval is maintained, and near large cities you can leave even faster. The designation system for train types in England is also its own. The fastest trains, rushing at speeds of about 200 kilometers per hour, are called the High Speed ​​​​Train (HST), or InterCity, or simply Express.

Unlike the rest of Europe, in England timetables can be published separately for weekdays and for weekends and holidays. On some lines, the number of trains on weekends is reduced, on others it is increasing. Saturday usually refers to working days. Also, the usual on the continent consolidated schedules for the station are almost not used. Schedules are given separately for each direction.

In 2005 the UK government decided to start a feasibility study for a high speed line using maglev electromagnetic technology. Passenger trains on such a line can reach speeds of up to 480 km/h. It was assumed that the UK would cooperate in this project with the Transrapid International consortium (Germany), which included Siemens and ThyssenKrupp, who developed the high-speed maglev system.

The high-speed line will be built along the UK's busiest London-Glasgow transport route via Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle and Edinburgh. The cost of this project will be 17 billion euros, not counting the cost of paying for land acquisition. According to the consortium, its experts have been preparing drafts of a preliminary feasibility study for about two years to be submitted to the UK government for consideration.

A similar electromagnetic line was built in China between central regions Shanghai and Pudong International Airport. Passenger trains on an electromagnetic cushion run along the highway at speeds up to 270 km/h, covering 31 km in just 7-8 minutes. It is interesting that in Germany itself they refused to build an electromagnetic line Hamburg - Berlin, Russian Railways reports with reference to The Daily Record.

International communication from Britain is carried out in two ways. The traditional way loading wagons onto the ferry is giving way to a new one - traveling on Eurostar trains in the tunnel under the English Channel. You can get to Ireland by ferry (Northern Ireland, although part of the United Kingdom, is related to Ireland rather than Britain in terms of rail).

Anglesey Welsh County Council offers "train excursions" to tourists. They are organized both from London and from other English cities to the Isle of Anglesey, according to icWales. The trains - each carrying up to 400 passengers - already run several times a year, giving tourists views of the North Wales coastline, Conwy Castle and the Menai Strait.

Continuing the conversation about excursions, we can also note that the Jacobite train makes summer trips through the hills and lakes of Scotland from Fort William to Mallaig. The route is even more famous than the train itself, as it passes over the world's first concrete viaduct, Glenfinnan, with 21 arches. “By the way,” Travel.ru reports, “this project, proposed in 1901 by engineer Robert McAlpine, was received with hostility by many. So, specially for the opening of the railway, a guidebook was issued, which said: “The local authorities believed that it would be a monstrous structure, so ugly that the beauty surrounding nature can be forgotten once and for all. Now it’s clear how wrong they were.” To appreciate the beauty of the viaduct, it is best to ride on a Jacobite, made up of historic carriages, driven by a 1929 Otton Hall steam locomotive. Speed: 95 km/h. Travel time: 4 hours. Price: 20.5-41 pounds depending on the class and route.

It is interesting to note that the British government announced plans in 2005 to introduce double-decker suburban trains to relieve the pressure on public transport, which is constantly overcrowded. Minister of Transport Alistair Darling got acquainted with the experience of using double-decker trains in mainland Europe and ordered a cost estimate to be made to bring such trains into service in the UK.

Over the past 11 years, the number of British public transport passengers has increased by 40%. In 2004, the British made 1.05 billion trips. According to forecasts of railway companies, over the next eight years (until 2012) the number of passenger trips by rail will increase by 28-41%. Rail companies are proposing special surcharges for travel at peak times and on the busiest routes in order to force people to use alternative modes of transport.

The minister acknowledged that the use of double-decker trains could be hampered by the problem of the many narrow tunnels and bridges on British railways. Unlike the British Victorian railways, on the European continent they were built with taller trains in mind. But, nevertheless, on some busy lines it is possible to introduce double-decker trains into operation and at the same time avoid the construction of new tunnels. In the 50s and 60s, double-decker trains were already used on one of the lines of British railways, as an experiment. These trains were abandoned after managers complained that it was taking too long to get passengers on and off. In order to avoid such a problem, it is now planned to use doors of an improved design, Inopressa.ru reports with reference to The Times.

2.3 Characteristics of road, air and water transport

The total length of roads in the UK is more than 392 thousand km, of which about 3.5 thousand km are motorways (slightly less than 1% of the total road length) and more than 9.3 thousand km of main roads (about 2.4%).

Road freight transport in the UK accounts for 82% of the total tonnage of goods moved and 62% of the total freight transport, which is estimated at 150 billion tons / km. The average shoulder of cargo transportation is 90...95 km. In the United Kingdom in 2004 there were 426,000 registered trucks weighing more than 3.5 tons, of which 16% weighed 38 tons. 5 trucks. Transportation of goods is mainly carried out by heavy vehicles. 88% of cargo is transported by vehicles with a carrying capacity of more than 25 tons.

As of 2007, there are 140 licensed airports in the UK, of which the 25 largest are homologated by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

In 2004, the volume of air transport passing through UK airports is estimated at 2.1 million tons of cargo and 176.9 million passengers, of which British airlines - 1 million tons of cargo and 110 million passengers. The main part of traffic falls on international flights. More than 920 aircraft were in service, serving about 640 domestic and international flights. Air transport in the UK is operated by 50 private companies. As noted in Chapter 1, the activities of UK aviation companies are regulated by the Civil Aviation Authority CAA, whose tasks include flight safety issues, protecting the rights of passengers, environmental research, consulting, etc., as well as certifying passenger airliners and their crews, issuing licenses to aviation operators, control over the prices of passenger tickets for domestic airlines and charges at UK airports.

Despite the significant problems that have arisen in the industry over the past few years due to high fuel prices and the market reaction to terrorist attacks in the United States, the forecasts for the development of the air transportation industry are quite optimistic, since the main negative changes (falling profits due to a decrease in the number of passengers, etc.) ) have been left behind in the industry. The volume of cargo and, more importantly, passenger traffic carried out by British airlines on international routes increased by 1 and 4.5%.

There are about 140 licensed civil airports in the UK. The seven largest are controlled by the commercial operator British Airport Authority (BAA). The second largest airport operator is TBI, which operates three airports - London Luton, Cardiff International and Belfast International.

The British authorities have developed the Air Transport Development Doctrine, which provides for the development of existing airports. Only BAA plans to invest until 2014 in the development of its airports 8.6 billion pounds. Art. According to forecasts, the number of air passengers will increase by 4% annually over the next decade, and by 2030 may grow 2-3 times. In addition, over the past 10 years, the transportation of goods has already doubled.

Speaking about trips to the airport, it can be noted that the easiest way to get to Heathrow. There is a choice between the Heathrow Express to Paddington Station and the Underground (the journey lasts an hour).

Gatwick Airport, the second largest airport, is also served by a special Gatwick Express train (the bus takes more than an hour).

Stansted airport special train does not have. An ordinary train travels forty minutes to Liverpool Street Station. London City Airport will have to travel half an hour by bus from the same station. And to the most insignificant and inconvenient Luton airport, you will have to go with a transfer from train to bus.

The total length of inland waterways in Great Britain is 5 thousand km, more than 70 sea and 200 river trading ports.

So, one of the components of London transport are river boats, plying between the many piers on the Thames. They are owned by several companies that contain a total of twenty routes. The Thames fare system is its own. The cheapest way to travel around London is with travel tickets.

All areas of Great Britain, except for the West Midlands, are in one way or another directly connected with seaports, which serve as the main transport hubs. The largest of them are London, Liverpool, Manchester, Glasgow, Bristol, Middlesbrough, Hull, Newcastle, Southampton, Milford Haven. Moreover, the London and Liverpool seaports pass about half of all cargo (by value).

Great Britain is connected with the mainland by a tunnel under the English Channel, two railway ferries (Dover-Dunkirk and Harwich-Ostend) and numerous sea car and passenger ferries - with Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Holland and France.

Every day, dozens of ferries and ships of different companies run between the continent and the cities of Great Britain - Dover, Portsmouth, Newhaven and others. The journey from Calais to Dover takes between half an hour and 90 minutes, depending on the distance and type of vehicle. From Newhaven to Dieppe - 4 hours, from Portsmouth to Le Havre - 5-7 hours.

INSTEAD OF CONCLUSION

Public transport in London is quite well developed - you can get to any point in the city by underground (the first in the world), the famous double-decker buses, express buses (green) or minibuses. The fare for all modes of transport (even the subway) depends on the distance.

The London taxi is one of the symbols of the British capital.

Tourists who feel unaccustomed to driving on the left can take advantage of the extensive rail network or developed system airlines.

In intercity communications in the UK, traditional modes of transport are well developed - buses and trains. Sea communication is also very developed, due to the geographical location of the country on the islands. Almost 90% of the total cargo turnover is accounted for by sea transport.

Of particular interest are the methods of intra-urban and suburban movement in the face of increasing population density.

In conclusion, it should also be noted that the UK government, not without reason, classifies transport infrastructure as a strategically important sector of the country's economy - for the seventh year in a row, a special long-term program for the development of the country's transport infrastructure for the period up to 2011 has been consistently implemented, the total cost of which is estimated at 180 billion dollars. f. Art., of which 50 billion are planned to be attracted from the private sector. As part of its implementation, a railway reform will be carried out. transport in order to increase passenger traffic by 50% and freight traffic by 80%, for which 6 thousand new cars and locomotives will be put into operation, the traffic safety system will be modernized. In accordance with the road infrastructure development plan, it is planned to build 80 new and 100 bypass roads, lay noise-absorbing pavement on 60% of main roads, increase bus transportation by 10%, increase the express road network by 5% (by 580 km), and improve the control system for vehicle traffic.

As a new excursion, you can offer such as "Hour tour of the Thames in an inflatable boat." This boat trip can be started near the largest Ferris wheel in the world, the London Eye. The journey can be made past the Parliament, the National maritime museum, and finish at the dam that protects the city from flooding. In this case, the guide could talk about London and the history of the Thames.

Each inflatable boat could accommodate only 12 passengers - they would be able to appreciate the maneuverability and at the same time the comfort of this vehicle. There are no age restrictions for those wishing to make such an excursion. For safety reasons, each passenger can be given a special vest, and in case of bad weather - a warm jacket. The ticket price for an adult will be from 25 pounds.

LIST OF USED SOURCES

Educational literature

1. Goncharov V.V. In Search of Management Excellence: A Guide for Senior Management: Experience from the Best Industrial Firms in the US, Japan, and Western Europe. - M .: MP "Souvener", 1993.

2. Railway transport // General transport issues and economics. - 2001. - Issue. 1-5.

3. Transport management: Proc. allowance / N.N. Gromov, V.A. Persianov, N.S. Uskov and others; Under total ed. N.N. Gromova, V.A. Persianova. – M.: Academy, 2003.

4. Pluzhnikov K.I. International transport market // Transport Information Bulletin. - 1998. - No. 2.

5. Fedorov L.S., Fedina T.V. Management and regulation in transport. – M.: GUU, 2001.

Materials of Internet resources

6. Sights of Great Britain. - http://www.infotravel.ru/

7. Time machine. - http://rw.travel.ru/

8. Plokhotnichenko Yu. London. Urban transport. - From 25.08.2000. - http://www.etur.ru/

9. Rokoshinsky A. Industry and transport in the UK // Basic Funds. No. 10. 2005. - http://www.os1.ru/

10. Communications and transport in the UK. - http://www.travelnn.ru/

11. Transport and foreign economic relations. - http://britaininfo.org.ru

The deepening of Great Britain's participation in the international division of labor was reflected in the increasing importance of foreign trade in the country's economy. This is due to the strengthening of international specialization and cooperation in production, which is reflected in the growth of the export quota and the share of imports in meeting the needs of the country.

The main countries cooperating in trade with the UK are the EU countries. They make up about 58 percent of all UK exports. The main EU export partner countries are: Germany, which accounts for 12% of exports, France-12% and the Netherlands-8%. The US accounts for 13% of the UK's total exports.

The share of the UK in international trade is 2.7%.

The UK economy is highly dependent on foreign trade. The UK is a major global exporter. According to the International Trade Center in the world market, the UK was a major supplier of aviation equipment (share in world exports -27%), turbojet engines (27%), navigation equipment (26%), as well as art objects (37%), alcoholic beverages ( 36%), books (17%), diamonds (14%).

Table 1

The volume of UK exports, billion US dollars for 2003-2013

IN table 1 presents the volume of UK exports in monetary terms for 2003-2013. The table shows a significant increase in exports over the past decade, which indicates an increase in exported goods and an increasing involvement of the country in world trade.

The UK import quota is 30.02%. Significant volumes of goods such as aircraft engines (13%), aircraft (12%), automobiles (8/%), television cameras (7%), information processing devices (7%) are imported into the country. In addition, the UK is an importer of wines (21% of total imports), organic heterocyclic compounds (32%), diamonds (12%), jewelry (11%), art objects. The largest import partners are Germany (13.5%), USA (10.2%), France (8.1%), Netherlands (6.3%), Italy (4.7%)

table 2

The volume of UK imports, billion US dollars for 2003-2013

IN table 2 presents the volume of UK imports in monetary terms for 2003-2013. From the presented table, we can conclude that the country is sufficiently involved in the world economy and interdependence, which is associated with a fairly open economy of the country, and the import quota also shows that the UK is almost independent of the imports of other countries, hence low economic risks.

Table 3

Trade balance, billion pounds

Trade balance of foreign trade is the difference between the value of all exports and imports. A positive trade balance means an excess of exports over imports (a country sells more than it buys). A negative trade balance is the excess of imports over exports (the country buys more than it sells).

IN table 3 The UK trade balance is presented. According to the table, we see that the country's trade balance has a negative balance.

The negative trade balance (goods and services) of the UK increased in May 2014 to 2.418 billion pounds from a revised 2.053 billion pounds in April, according to the country's National Statistics Office.

Exports of goods and services from the UK grew by 0.5% compared with April 2014 - up to 40.936 billion pounds. Imports increased by 1.3% and amounted to 43.354 billion pounds.

Exports of goods from the UK increased in March 2014 compared with the previous 0.6% - up to 24.124 billion pounds. Imports of goods rose by 1.7% to 33.328 billion pounds. Thus, the negative trade balance in goods in May amounted to 9.204 billion pounds, which is 4.4% higher than in April.

The deficit of British foreign trade (goods and services) for January-May amounted to 9.969 billion pounds.

Transport. Great Britain is an island state, therefore all its external transportation and trade are connected with sea and air transport. About 9/10 of the total cargo turnover falls on maritime transport, including 1/4 - on cabotage. All areas of Great Britain, except for the West Midlands, are in one way or another directly connected with seaports, which serve as the main transport hubs. The largest of them are London, Southampton, Liverpool, Hull and Harwich, with the London and Liverpool seaports handling about half of all cargo (by value).

Great Britain is connected with the continent by a tunnel under the English Channel, two railway ferries (Dover - Dunkirk and Harwich - Ostend), and numerous sea car and passenger ferries - with Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Holland and France. Road transport plays the most important role in domestic freight transport. The dominant role in domestic transportation is occupied by road transport - 85% of passenger traffic and 81% of freight traffic. The territory of Great Britain is covered with a dense network of highways. The length of paved roads is 406.4 thousand km.

Unlike other developed countries in the UK, with a high density of roads, only 4% are modern motorways, which attract 36% of traffic flows. The most intensive traffic is on the axial motorway London - Birmingham - Manchester - Glasgow. In large cities, due to traffic jams that worsen the ecological situation, traffic bans are introduced in a number of areas. central streets attention is paid to the development of public transport. Both London and Glasgow have subways. There is an acute problem of public transport in remote rural areas.

The railway network is being reduced, the total length of lines is about 32 thousand km, 1/3 of the lines (in rural areas) are unprofitable, but preserved for social reasons. To increase competitiveness, electrification of railways was carried out (1/3 of the lines), express trains for passengers and cargo were launched on the main directions. The government is implementing various organizational measures to modernize this mode of transport.

The importance of river transport is declining. The length of waterways is 3.2 thousand km. Inland waterways (rivers and a network of canals) are now mainly used for recreational purposes only. Cargo transportation is carried out mainly within the deep-sea estuaries of the Mersey, Thames, Severn, and Humber.

Air transport is developing rapidly. Since the 1980s air transportation of passengers and cargo has more than tripled. British Airways is a leading international airline. There are about 450 civil airports in the country - the largest of them is Heathrow. The pipeline transport network is rapidly expanding; it is connected to gas pipelines coming from the fields of the North Sea; the total length of pipelines is 3.9 thousand km. Up to 75% of oil comes to land through oil pipelines.

The northernmost port in Essex, on the North Sea coast. It has regular ferry connections to the Netherlands (Hook van Holland) and Denmark (Esbjerg). Cruise ships also depart from Port of Harwich. Ferry and cruise ship timetables at www.harwichconnexions.co.uk/flash08_04_28/index.html

On the Thames, 30 km from the Tower Bridge, there is a cruise port terminal - an old building, rather modest by today's standards. From here, liners depart for cruises around the UK, to the fjords of Norway, to the geysers of Iceland.
You can get to Port of Tilbury by taxi or commuter train.

UK airports

Air transport is gaining more and more popularity in the UK. There are 450 civil airports in the country serving both international and domestic airlines.

"Heathrow" is a kind of giant, because it is the largest airport in the country, the leader in terms of workload in the European expanses and ranked 4th on the planet. The air hub is located at a distance of about 25 km southwest of the center of London. With the participation of 70 airlines, the flagship serves almost 200 destinations around the world. Heathrow has 5 terminals with a service system, cafes, lounges, ATMs, a business center, Wi-Fi, multi-storey parking. Directly at the airport, you can rent a car or take a taxi. Would you like to continue your journey by public transport? Welcome to the train / railway station or metro, as well as the bus, ready to take you to the bus station "Victoria". Other information is available on the air hub portal - www.heathrowairport.ru/.

The second step of the hit parade of the most popular air hubs in the UK is "Gatwick", meanwhile, in the category of the busiest airports, it is considered the first on the planet. With only one runway and a couple of terminals, this air hub is one of the leaders. The place of "registration" of the air station is Crawley, which is located 40 km from Brighton and 46 from London.
The terminals are connected by a metro line, and free of charge, ready to move you from the north of Gatwick to the south and vice versa in less than 2 minutes. The infrastructure of the air hub, as it should be the second most popular airport in the state, is at its best. There are shops, a children's center, a meeting room, and restaurants. And nearby is a whole kaleidoscope of hotels, including a capsule hotel. You can continue your journey around the UK by car (taxi or rented) and buses. For more information about Gatwick: www.gatwickairport.com/.

In third place, thanks to a sharp increase in passenger traffic in the last decade, Stansted settled, separated from London by 48 kilometers. "Stansted" is not only an air hub, but also a kind of architectural landmark. All thanks to the unusual shape of the terminal with a floating roof, similar to a flying swan, mounted on a frame made of "exposure" pipes that mask communications. You can leave the airport either by car or bus, or by rail. More information here - www.stanstedairport.com/.

Manchester Airport

"Manchester", which "registered" near the city of the same name, ranks fourth in the UK in terms of scale, but the first in terms of workload among non-capital "brothers". Three terminals of the air hub are connected by internal convenient passages, also - without leaving the building, you can go to the railway station or the Radisson hotel. Equipped with "Manchester" and a bus station, from which you can leave around the clock to many cities in the UK, as well as a taxi service. For more information, please visit www.manchesterairport.co.uk/.

Edinburgh airport

Edinburgh «, settled in the lands of Scotland, 13 km from the city of the same name, despite its modesty, ranks 8th in terms of scale. In addition, the territory of the air hub has been continuously expanding and modernizing for the past decade. You can learn more about Edinburgh by going to www.edinburghairport.com/.

This air hub is nestled right at the base of the Rock of Gibraltar - majestic, beautiful and so inaccessible. Despite the fact that this airport is at the disposal of the army, flights for civilians are also provided here.

Settled near Liverpool (12 km), the airport previously bore a not so famous name. Who knows, perhaps it is thanks to the name change that this air terminal is the fastest growing among its European “brothers”. On the territory of Liverpool John Lennon there is a bus station, a taxi service and other blocks of services that travelers may need. For more information www.liverpooljohnlennonairport.com/.

The air gate of the southwest territory of England is located at a distance of 13 km from Bristol. Bristol is in the TOP-10 busiest air hubs in the country and continues to develop rapidly. You can leave the airport both by buses to the bus and railway stations of Bristol, and by taxi. About everything - www.bristolairport.co.uk/.

Cardiff Airport

This airport is the only one in Wales with international flights. The airport settled down near the city - 20 km. By the way, it has other names - "Ruz", in honor of the village where it is located, as well as "Cardiff Wales". Walk to the nearest railway station free buses. Other data is available here - www.cwlfly.com/.

An extensive railway network, one of the oldest on the planet, is the pride of the British. Until now, the trains include old cars, as if they came out of a fairy tale, if you're lucky, you can ride in this one. The total length of the tracks is 34,000 km. The center of the British railway network, as befits the capital, is London. London's 14 railway stations serve intercity and suburban destinations as well as the international line via the Eurotunnel.

The popularity of rail transportation is due to the speed of trains, which has a significant advantage over the speed of buses. Also, the ratio of fare and comfort is in favor of the railway. Meanwhile, there is a great variation in prices, all because the railway business (namely, trains) is simultaneously owned by about 25 private firms. Some of the companies simply adhere to the standards, not chasing special indicators of speed, while others are constantly improving technology, so their services are more expensive. Experienced travelers recommend changing operators along the way, so you will achieve the optimal combination of speed, quality and price. During peak hours (weekdays from 6 to 9 in the morning and from 4 to 7 in the afternoon), it is better not to plan the movement, since rail transport is in great demand by local residents. And be sure to book train tickets in advance (at least 7 days, and preferably 14), you can do this directly on the national rail website - www.nationalrail.co.uk/.

Metropolitan

In the UK, you can travel by tube in London, Newcastle, Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham, Glasgow and Sheffield. By the way, the first metro was born in England, and the locals are proud of this fact. The cost of using the metro differs not only from the number of purchased trips / the validity period of the pass (1 day, week, month, etc.), but also the day of the week, travel time. Landmark - about £1 per trip. Trains follow not only underground tracks, but also on the surface, so you can admire the view of the city that you have chosen to relax. You can copy the metro map by going to www.planetolog.ru/map-metro.php?country=GB and www.200stran.ru/subway_country43.html.

There are many different types of taxis in the country, the prices for services of which vary depending on the class of car, its surroundings and the professionalism of drivers undergoing special training and exams. In any city in the UK, both owners of cars and minibuses can obtain a taxi license. There is no single insignia in the country that a car is a taxi, the plates vary, but are invariably present, as a rule, in the back of the body or on the roof. Sometimes the identification mark is coloring - as in London. In the UK, special “minicab” taxi services have also been created, the fleets of which consist of minivans or sedans, where the fare is also calculated by the meter, only iron “horses” should be ordered in advance. As a guide for prices, you can consider the following combination: landing - £1.2, each kilometer - £0.72. Meanwhile, do not forget about the traditional UK tip of 10%. Sometimes you come across cars without a meter, then you can agree on the amount, and it will be less than the specified rate, but you risk getting into a company without insurance and a license, and such a business is punishable in the UK.

Buses are quite popular in the UK, both within cities and between them or to other states. The quality of service is at the European level, the prices cannot be called cheap. True, there is a choice between different companies, so there is always a chance to find a better price. You can also win in payment by buying travel cards, the most popular of them are one-day ones. There are also night flights, which are slightly more expensive than regular routes. The cost of each bus trip within the city can be recorded in the expense plan as £1.
Remember an important point: when using buses, do not expect that you will cover the distance faster than on a trip, in the UK it is the other way around.
end point arrival/departure long-distance direction is usually the city center, and it is very convenient. Bus " business card» Great Britain - these are double-decker buses, which are in abundance in London - spacious, with an excellent viewing angle, loved by tourists, so you can ride to your heart's content.
Which bus companies provide the best prices? Experienced tourists praise "Megabus" - www.uk.megabus.com (international traffic) and "CityLink" - www.citylink.co.uk (orientation to Scotland).

Warning: Driving on the left in the UK!
You can rent a car in one of the many companies that provide this service. Often, right at the airports, you can draw up a contract and go on a trip already by car. You can rent a car upon reaching the age of 21, with an international driver's license, driving experience of at least a year and insurance. Necessary condition- payment of a deposit equal to the estimated cost of the rental.
When renting a car, you should remember that traffic safety in the UK is very high, compliance with the rules is strict, and the penalties for traffic violations are very strict. The most intense traffic on the roads is in cities and suburbs. In London, entrance to some areas is paid, parking is also paid.

In absentia, you are already familiar with transport in the UK, it's time to start putting your knowledge into practice!

How to get around the UK is a topical issue for any tourist who, having arrived in Foggy Albion, plans to visit not only London, but also other British cities - Liverpool, York, Edinburgh and many others. Considering that the country cannot be called cheap, it is also necessary to know the most economical ways movement around the country. Below will be discussed about the numerous ways in which you can travel around the country.

Aircraft in the UK

To cover short distances within the country, it will be more practical and cheaper to use other means of transportation than domestic flights. The main airports are London, Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow and Edinburgh. The emergence of budgetary airlines Ryanair and easyJet at London Gatwick, as well as at Luton and Stansted airports, led to a real boom in domestic air travel and a significant reduction in airfare.

In Scotland, under the license of British Airways, the Loganair company is designed to operate domestic flights between the Scottish Highlands and the islands, as well as flights from Glasgow and Edinburgh airports (tickets are ordered through the British Airways website).

In order to get the best ticket price, it is recommended to book tickets as early as possible before the scheduled flight. It is important to keep in mind that most of the UK's regional airports are not connected to the country's rail network, and connections to the nearest cities are via expensive bus services.

A photo ID is required for domestic travel within the United Kingdom.

Below is a list of companies offering domestic flights within the United Kingdom:

• british airways- Aberdeen, Barra, Benbecula, Campbeltown, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Islay, Isle of Man, Jersey, Kirkwall, London, London-Gatwick, London-Heathrow, Londonderry, Manchester, Newcastle, Newquay, Shetland Islands (Sumburgh), Stoneway , Tyree, Wick.
• FlyBE- Airports Aberdeen, Belfast City, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Doncaster Sheffield, Exeter, Glasgow, Guernsey, Inverness, Isle of Man, Jersey, Leeds/Bradford, Liverpool, London Gatwick, Manchester, Newcastle, Newquay, Norwich, Southampton , Southend.
• Eastern Airways- Airports Aberdeen, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Durham, Humberside, Inverness, Isle of Man, Leeds/Bradford, Manchester, Newcastle, Norwich, Nottingham East Midlands, Southampton, Stoneway, Wick.
• easyJet- airports Aberdeen, Belfast International, Bristol, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Liverpool, London Gatwick, London Luton, London Stansted, Newcastle.
• Ryanair- Aberdeen, Bournemouth, Glasgow-Prestwick, Inverness, Liverpool, London-Stansted, Londonderry, Newquay, Nottingham East Midlands airports.
• Aurigny Air Services- Alderney, Bristol, Guernsey, Jersey, London-Gautik, London-Stansted, Manchester, Southampton airports.
• Blue Islands- Alderney, Bournemouth, Brighton, Cardiff, Guernsey, Isle of Man, Jersey, Southampton airports.
• Loganair- Airports Eday, Kirkwell, North Ronaldsay, Papa Westray, Sunday, Stronsay, Westray.
• Isles Of Scilly Skybus- airports Bristol, Exeter, Scylla Island (St. Mary), Newquay, Southampton.
• Jet2- Belfast International, Blackpool, Leeds/Bradford, London Gautic, Newcastle.
• Thomsonfly- airports Aberdeen, Birmingham, Bournemouth, Bristol, Glasgow, Doncaster-Sheffield, East Midlands, Cardiff, Leeds, London-Gatwick, London Stansted, London-Luton, Manchester, Newcastle, Norwich, Edinburgh, Exeter.
• CityJet Dundee, London City, Edinburgh airports.
• Air Berlin- airports Aberdeen, Belfast City, Guernsey, Glasgow, Jersey, London Gatwick, London City, London Stansted, London Heathrow, Manchester, Newcastle, Edinburgh.
• Air France- Glasgow, London City, London-Gatwick, London-Sly, Manchester, Edinburgh airports.
• Atlantic Airways Faroe Islands Aberdeen, London, Manchester airports.

UK railways

The UK has the oldest and most extensive railway network in the world, covering most of the country, from Penzance in Cornwall to Thurso in the north of Scotland. Train companies provide a wide variety of tickets which can make traveling around the UK quite confusing. As a rule, tickets booked 7-14 days before the trip are cheaper. Try not to travel during peak hours (6-9.30 and 16-19 Monday-Friday) as trains are often crowded at this time and ticket prices are higher. Visitors to the United Kingdom can also order multi-day travel passes, allowing unlimited travel on virtually all railway lines. Such tickets can be purchased for travel around London, throughout England, throughout the United Kingdom and even Ireland.

There are tickets valid for four, eight and fifteen days (moreover, the days go both in a row, and those of them are indicated in advance, during which the passenger will use the railway). They are available from independent distributors and can be ordered prior to arrival in the UK. There is also a travel pass within the UK for seven or fourteen consecutive days, which can be purchased domestically and sold to both UK residents and visitors. It costs almost twice as much as a tourist ticket for UK visitors and cannot be used on the London Underground, nor on the Heathrow Express (or Heathrow Connect west from Hayes & Harlington).

UK rail vehicles have little to compete with their high-speed counterparts in France and Germany (although UK train speeds reach 200 km/h, this is still not enough to compete with TGV in France or ICE in Germany), but however, they constitute a more cost-effective alternative to traveling by car. Trains in general run quite often, although the accuracy of their arrival directly depends on the company (the deviation in the schedule is a maximum of 10 minutes, and this is rare). It should also be taken into account that many popular tourist routes require many transfers.

Railways in England, Wales and Scotland were originally built and operated by a number of private companies. After about 150 years of independence (and a subsequent merger leading to the formation of four large companies in 1923), they were nationalized as the state-owned British Rail in 1947, but were re-privatized in the 1990s. The tracks have recently returned to state control (Netwok Rail), but the trains are still owned by various private operators.

Privatization has led to a huge dispersion in the quality and price of rail services. While some rail service companies have achieved only minimal standards for speed, reliability and cleanliness, others offer superior service that is worth the money. Meanwhile, tickets can be purchased at any station to move between the necessary points of the railway network, and it is quite normal to change from one operator to another on the way.

National Rail is an association created by various operators to coordinate their activities and provide passenger transportation. The National Rail website is perhaps the best place to search for a complete train schedule and a list of fares, as well as purchase tickets. In addition, tickets can be booked online through various private agents such as National Express. Fares differ significantly depending on when you use the railroad and when the ticket was booked.

A second class round trip ticket from London to Manchester can cost between £40 and £219. The main rule is that tickets must be ordered as early as possible. Also note that sometimes it's cheaper to buy a return ticket than a one way ticket, so check the price of both. If there are three or four of you, ask if it is possible to purchase a group ticket. On most non-rush hour routes, groups of 3-4 people are allowed to travel for the price of two.

Britrail pass provides access to the entire railway network for a certain number of days, and at the same time it is available only to foreigners. They can be purchased online using the BritRail.com website. By the way, these travel cards can be both for the first and for the standard class. But at the same time, not all trains have a first-class cabin. These passes are of several types:

• Britrail Pass - a classic pass for the territories of England, Scotland and Wales, there are two types: BritRail Consecutive Pass, valid for a certain number of consecutive days (3, 4, 8, 15, 22 days or 1 month). BritRail FlexiPass allows you to choose dates (valid for 3, 4, 8, 15 days or 1 month).
• Britrail London Plus Pass a pass for the South East England and London region. There are travel cards for 2 and 4 days (within 8 days) and for 7 days (within 15 days).
• Britrail England Pass - a convenient option for trips around England. There are two types: BritRail England Consecutive Pass, valid for a certain number of consecutive days (3, 4, 8, 15, 22 days or 1 month), and BritRail England FlexiPass, which allows you to select dates (valid for 3, 4, 8, 15 days or 1 month).
• Britrail Pass + Ireland valid throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland. Can be for 5 and 10 days (within one month).
• Britrail Freedom of Scotland a pass to travel within Scotland. Can be 4 days (within 8 days) and 8 days (within 15 days).

Main rail services:

• The West Coast Main line(railway line west coast) - served by companies Virgin Trains , east coast, london midland and others. The line runs north-south between London Euston station and up the west coast England with stops at Rugby, Crewe, Manchester, Liverpool, Preston, Lake District, Carlisle and Scotland with stops at Motherwell and Glasgow Central Station.
• The East Coast Main line(East Coast Railroad) - operated by east coast , Northern Rail, East Midland Trains and others. It runs from London King's Cross station north up the east coast England with stops in Peterborough, Doncaster, Leeds, York, Darlington, Durham, Newcastle and on to Scotland with stops in Edinburgh and Glasgow. Some routes continue north to Dundee, Aberdeen and Inverness.
• Great Western Main Line(West of England Mainline Railway and South Wales) - maintained mainly by the company First Great Western, runs west from London Paddington Station in Penzance, near Land's End in Cornwall and Swansea in Wales. The main line also passes through Slough and Maidenhead to Reading, then splits. One line runs via Swindon, Chippenham and Bath to Bristol (Temple Meads station) and then to Taunton where it joins another route running directly from Reading via Newbury, Tutham and Westbury. From Taunton, the line runs through Exeter to Plymouth and then to Penzance. The South Wales route branches off from Bristol after Swindon, stopping at Bristol Parkway (a station in the north of the city with additional parking spaces), then in Wales at Newport, Cardiff, and after a few minor stops at Swansea. Although a number of trains go to Carmarthen, and in the summer to Tenby and Pembroke Dock, however, passengers traveling further west should change at Swansea.
• East Midlands Main Line(Railway of the Eastern Lands) - operated by the company East Midlands Trains and runs from London St Pancras station to Derby, Nottingham and Sheffield with stops at Luton, Bedford, Wellingborough, Leicester (among others), some trains also go to Leeds.
• CrossCountry(National Railroad) - Mainly operated by Cross Country, passes through most major cities in Britain. The line uses diesel trains of the Voyager type. The central terminal of the line is the New Street station in Birmingham, from where trains go to Manchester, Preston, Leeds, some cities in Wales, Scotland and many others.
• The Great Eastern line(great eastern railroad) - operated by Greater Anglia, runs from Liverpool Street London Vocal to Norwich with stops in Ipswich, Chamlesford and Colchester. Some trains continue to Harwich.
• The Caledonian Sleeper Services(Caledonian Night Service) - Operated by First Scott Rail, includes trains running between London Euston and the corresponding stations in Scotland. These are 2 trains leaving the route every night (except Saturday), - Lowland Sleeper ( night Train, next to the cities of the lowlands of Scotland) and Highland Sleeper (night train, next to the cities of the highlands of Scotland). Tickets cannot be purchased through the regular National Rail booking system, so it is best to buy them online directly from the First ScotRail website, by phone (08457 55 00 33) or at Euston Station, or at central stations Scotland.
• High Speed ​​1- a line from London all the way to the Channel Tunnel. Its length is 108 kilometers, trains are able to move along it at speeds up to 300 km/h. It is on this line that Eurostar trains run, connecting London with Paris. High Speed ​​1 is also operated by southeastern.
• Other domestic rail services not part of the National Rail network include the Heathrow Express between London Heathrow and London Paddington, the London Underground and a number of smaller tube and light rail services in other cities.

Northern Ireland

Railways in Northern Ireland are operated by the government-owned Translink, also in charge of urban and rural bus services in Northern Ireland. The area covered by the Northern Ireland rail network is quite limited. The main thoroughfare runs northwest from Londonbury along north coast and across the country to Belfast. From Belfast, there is an international train, Enterprise, which makes stops at Portadown, Droghead, Dundalk and Dublin. Recent significant investment in the railway has resulted in the replacement of much of Northern Ireland's rolling stock. The Northern Ireland Railway is not part of the National Railway network. Train and bus timetables can be found on the Translink website.

Movement in the UK

The whole of the UK drives on the left side of the road, so driving here can be stressful for visitors from countries that drive on the right side of the road. So, the case when the Hollywood actor Matthew Broderick provoked an accident in 1987 in Northern Ireland, colliding head-on with another car after he drove to the opposite side of the road, is quite well-known.

However, on the other hand, with the help of a car you can get to almost anywhere in the UK. Parking can be a problem in big cities, especially in London where it is very expensive. Gasoline is heavily taxed and therefore quite expensive, currently averaging £1.37 per litre. There are very few tolls on British roads (mainly for passing some large bridges and through tunnels), the only toll track- M6 in the Birmingham area. Driving in central London on weekdays from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm is also subject to a £10 charge (£12 for 2 days). The traffic here is very active, especially during peak hours, when suburban residents go to work and home - usually from 7 to 10 in the morning and from 16 to 19 in the evening.

The M25 London Ring Road is extremely infamous (known to most Britons as London's "car park" because traffic here is often shut down for long periods of time) and is best avoided on Monday mornings and Friday evenings and used only when absolutely necessary. Many cities have a car-to-bus principle, where suburbanites leave their cars in parking lots on the edge of town and take cheap buses to the city centre. Therefore, it would be wise not to neglect this possibility, since it is often easier to leave the car at metro stations and use public transport.

On motorways, the speed limit is 112 km/h; 96 km / h - on country roads; and 48 km/h in built-up areas. The use of 32 km/h speed zones has become quite common to improve safety in areas like school districts. Traffic cameras are ubiquitous on all types of roads, although they are used more in some places than others. There are a number of variable speed limits on the M25 west of London and the M42 near Birmingham, which are numerically displayed on circular red signs mounted on structures above the road; other temporary speed limits are shown on the plates and are recommendations rather than requirements. Motorway speeds are usually higher than the posted speed limit (usually at least 120 km/h), so tourists are advised to stay closer to the inner lane. Driving at a slow speed on the left lane of the highway is highly discouraged.

Despite the fact that the traffic police have now been practically superseded by security cameras, driving rules are still relatively well enforced, and the road network is statistically one of the safest in Europe. It should also be noted that British law enforcement agencies have access to a database of vehicle registrations from around the world. In addition, UK car rental companies may charge your credit card for speeding fines even after you leave the country. IN Lately police on some roads have started to randomly stop foreign registered cars to make sure the owners are not actually British, thus evading toll/insurance/annual vehicle inspection etc. Although nowadays it is quite rare to see a traffic police car, some still follow the road in cars without proper identification marks. Any police officer, regardless of the type of his usual service, will pursue a car that is dangerous on the road.

Don't drink and drive in the UK. The maximum allowable amount of alcohol in the blood is 80 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood (0.08%). The police often patrol the roads in the centers of cities and towns on Friday and Saturday evenings, tracking drunken drivers. Please note that the police must have objective grounds for suspecting you of drinking alcohol, he cannot just selectively force someone to take an alcohol test, however, the law allows the police to stop a car for any violation of the rules, for example, for not wearing a seat belt or even for not turning on the turn signal on crossroads. Preventive measures for drunk driving are extremely strict, the police are always harsh on those who fail to pass the alcohol test or refuse to do so, and punish quite severely. The fine can be £5,000 (€7,400, $10,256), with a minimum driving ban of 12 months for a first offence, and police can put you in jail for up to 6 months.

Drivers from overseas should be aware that many British drivers regard flashing headlights as a signal to continue driving rather than a warning. This misunderstanding has led to many accidents.

It is also an offense to use mobile phone while driving, although hands-free sets are allowed. In the event of a stop by the police for using a mobile phone, a fine of up to £1,000 will be charged without any reservations. Also, in addition to the latter, 3 marks are made in the rights. In addition, the law requires all passengers in a car to wear seat belts. Unbelted passengers can earn a fine of up to £500, although this is not always the case. If a child is not wearing a seat belt, the responsibility for this lies with the parent or guardian (usually the driver), who will also be fined. Children under 1.4 meters tall are also required by law to use child safety seats.

Suburban or intercity bus

Commuter Services bus service differ in both quality and cost of services. Commuter transport in Britain is generally well developed, but sometimes worse than in some other developed countries. It is useful to keep in mind that in many cities and towns there are day passes for buses, which can save a lot. Local residents and employees bus stations always ready to help if there are problems with the schedule.

Intercity travel is usually slower (sometimes substantially slower) than train travel, and buses run less often, although they are comfortable and in many cases much cheaper. Intercity buses, like trains, usually take passengers to the city center.

The largest companies providing such services in the UK:

• National Express- Intercity bus service, which has the largest length of routes in the UK, serves all major destinations on the island; allows you to purchase tickets via the Internet and at the terminals at the stations. You can also purchase tickets for one of the 50 recreation routes.
• CityLink serves destinations in Scotland, tickets are sold online, at the box office or from the driver, although it is usually recommended to book tickets in advance.
• Megabus is an international bus company serving the main destinations at extremely low prices. You can save on many destinations, especially if you order in advance. For the lowest fares, tickets must be booked a week or two in advance. However, they are often quite cheap and when ordered in less time. Tickets are purchased on the company's website.

Taxi

There are many different types of taxis in the UK.

Legendary black "cabs" (which are not always black) ply London - they are easily recognizable by their unique appearance. Their drivers pass a serious test of knowledge of the geography of London. Cars of this type can often be found in other large cities, with similar strict rules.

Outside London, ordinary cars and minibuses can obtain a taxi license. Although local authorities the authorities decide how they should differ from conventional vehicles, however, regardless of this, taxis always have an additional plate, usually on the back of the car, which indicates the registration of a taxi and the number of passengers it can carry. Visually, taxis can almost always be distinguished by an illuminated sign on the roof and often by their characteristic coloration.

Mini taxis (also known around London as "pre-order cars") are regular sedans or minivans and are available throughout the country. They operate like taxis but must be pre-booked from the respective mini-taxi services or by phone. Mini-taxi fares can be metered, as in conventional taxis, and are priced by distance/time or "unmetered" at a set rate for the chosen route. Properly organized mini-taxi services always equip their cars with locally approved signs, the same as on regular taxis.

Any other cars or drivers offering to take you anywhere may not be licensed or insured; in some large cities there are problems with such drivers imposing their services, so it is worth being careful, especially for women traveling alone.

Sea transport

Ferries connect Britain to many islands including the Isle of Wight, Isle of Man, Orkney and Shetland. There are also a number of car and passenger ferries connecting England with France and Ireland with the United Kingdom. More information about ferry routes can be found on a special website.

Hitch-hiking

Hitchhiking in the UK can be a problem - walking on the side of the motorways is not allowed, so it's best to start driving from the entrances to the highways, and best of all from gas stations and service stations. In the UK, hitchhiking is not very popular, many drivers may be surprised, as this trend is a thing of the past. In England in general, hitchhiking is worse than in Scotland and Wales, although this is not a strict rule. Please note that traffic in many of the outlying lands of Scotland and Wales is very light. Another example is that in the southwest of England it is always easier to catch a car than in the southeast. It is also difficult to hitchhike in the area big cities. You should not go out at the intersection of the tracks - it will be extremely difficult to catch a car here.

If signs are used, then you need to write on them the number of the route, not the city. In other words, when getting from Birmingham to London, you should not write "London", but "M25".