England Travel Guide

Social Conventions

The monarchy, though now only symbolic politically, is a powerful and often subconscious unifying force. Members of the Royal Family are the subject of unceasing fascination, with their every move avidly followed and reported by the popular press, both in the UK and abroad.

Handshaking is customary when introduced to someone for the first time. Normal social courtesies should be observed when visiting someone's home and a small present such as flowers or chocolates is appreciated. It is polite to wait until everyone has been served before eating.

Clothing: Some nightclubs and restaurants do not allow jeans and trainers, otherwise casual wear is widely acceptable.

Use of public places: Topless sunbathing is allowed on certain beaches and tolerated in some parks. Smoking is banned in all enclosed public places, including stations, pubs and restaurants, throughout the UK.

International Travel

Getting There By Air

Departure Tax

None.

Main Airports

Heathrow (LHR) (www.heathrowairport.com) is 24km (15 miles) west of central London. To/from the airport: The London Underground stops at Heathrow (tel: (020) 7222 1234; www.tfl.gov.uk) (journey time to city center - 45 minutes). Heathrow Express (tel: 0845 600 1515, in the UK; www.heathrowexpress.com) runs from London Paddington station (journey time - 15 minutes). A limited shuttle service to London hotels is also available from Sky Shuttle (www.skyshuttle.co.uk). Taxis are available outside each terminal.

Gatwick (LGW) (www.gatwickairport.com) is 45km (28 miles) south of central London. To/from the airport: Gatwick Express (tel: 0845 850 1530, in the UK, or (0121) 410 5015; www.gatwickexpress.com) connects the airport with London Victoria station (journey time - 30 minutes). Taxis are available outside the terminal.

London City Airport (LCY) (www.londoncityairport.com) is 10km (6 miles) east of the City of London. To/from the airport: Docklands Light Railway services run to the airport. The nearest Underground station is Canning Town. Local buses stop at the terminal. There is a taxi rank outside the terminal.

Stansted (STN) (www.stanstedairport.com) is 48km (30 miles) northeast of central London. To/from the airport: The Stansted Express (tel: 0845 600 7245; www.stanstedexpress.com) runs from London Liverpool Street (journey time – 45 minutes). Local buses run to surrounding towns. Taxis are available (journey time - 1 hour 30 minutes to central London).

Luton (LTN) (www.london-luton.co.uk) is 51km (32 miles) northeast of London. To/from the airport: Trains and coaches run to London and other cities. Greenline bus 757 (www.greenline.co.uk) runs to Luton and on to central London. easyBus (www.easybus.co.uk) runs an express minibus to central London. Local buses run from the airport to Luton bus and rail stations. Taxis can be hired outside the terminal building.

Birmingham (BHX) (www.bhx.co.uk) is 13km (8 miles) southeast of the city center. To/from the airport: It is connected to the rail network and has a service to London Euston (journey time – 1 hour 20 minutes). Local bus services operate. Taxis are available outside the terminals (journey time – 25 minutes).

Manchester (MAN) (www.manchesterairport.co.uk) is 17km (10 miles) southwest of the city center. To/from the airport: Manchester Airport train station links to Manchester city center (journey time – 20 minutes). Trains also connect to all parts of the country. A local bus runs frequently to the city center; contact Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority (tel: 0871 200 2233; www.gmpte.com). There are taxis available (journey time to city center – 25 minutes).

Newcastle (NCL) (www.newcastleairport.com) is 10km (6 miles) northwest of the city center. To/from the airport: The Tyne and Wear Metro (www.tyneandwearmetro.co.uk) connects the Newcastle area with the airport. The nearest railway station is Newcastle Central, 11km (7 miles) from the airport, linked by the Metro. Local bus services run. Taxis are available (journey time to city center – 15 to 20 minutes).

The national rail network (tel: 0845 748 4950; www.nationalrail.co.uk) and National Express coach (tel: 0870 580 8080; www.nationalexpress.com) services connect all of the above airports with the rest of the country.

Facilities: The airports listed above are all of a high international standard and include car hire, banks/bureau de change, duty-free shops, restaurants and bars.

Getting There By Water

There are many ports offering ferry connections between England and mainland Europe, Ireland, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Wight and the Isle of Man. See Getting There in the main United Kingdom section for more details.

Getting There By Rail

There are connections to London and Ashford (Kent) from major cities all over Europe through the Channel Tunnel with Eurostar (www.eurostar.com).

England's rail network (tel: 0845 748 4950; www.nationalrail.co.uk) serves all main cities in the UK mainland. All routes radiate from London. Rail services are operated by numerous private companies.

There are services to the Republic of Ireland via Fishguard and Holyhead, and to Northern Ireland.

Getting There By Road

Coach services from all over Europe connect to England through the Eurotunnel (www.eurotunnel.com).

Many coach companies offer express and stopping services throughout England and the rest of the UK. The main operator, National Express (tel: 0871 781 8181; www.nationalexpress.com), provides nationwide coach information.

Duty Free

Overview

The following items may be imported into the UK without incurring customs duty by travelers aged 17 years and over arriving from non-EU countries:

• 200 cigarettes or 100 cigarillos or 50 cigars or 250g of tobacco. These can be combined provided travelers do not exceed their total tobacco allowance.
• 4L of still wine.
• 1L of alcoholic beverages stronger than 22% or 2L of fortified or sparkling wine or other liqueurs. These can be combined provided travelers do not exceed their total alcohol allowance.
• 16L of beer.
• Other goods including souvenirs up to the value of £340.

Note: Goods obtained duty and tax paid in the EU are unlimited.

Prohibited Imports

Prohibited items include unlicensed drugs, offensive weapons, indecent and obscene material featuring children, counterfeit and pirated goods, meat, dairy and other animal products, and pornography.

Restricted items include firearms, explosives and ammunition, live animals, endangered species, certain plants and their produce and radio transmitters.

Prohibited Exports

It's illegal to take any meat, meat products, milk, and milk and dairy products abroad from animals that are susceptible to foot and mouth disease. This ban includes sandwiches, packed lunches, and food for self-catering holidays, and includes fresh, chilled, frozen, tinned, preserved and processed products.

Internal Travel

Getting Around By Road

England is served by a good network of motorways and trunk roads that connect all the main cities and towns.
The main motorways are:
M1: London, Luton, Leicester, Sheffield, Leeds.
M2/A2: London to Dover.
M3: London to Winchester.
M4: London, Reading, Bristol, Newport, Cardiff, Swansea.
M5: Birmingham, Gloucester, Bristol, Exeter.
M6: Coventry, Birmingham, Stoke, Warrington (connecting with the M62 for Liverpool and Manchester), Preston (connecting with the M55 for Blackpool), Morecambe, Carlisle.
M11: London to Cambridge.
M20/A20: London to Folkestone.
M25: London orbital.
M40: London to Birmingham.
M62: Liverpool, Warrington, Manchester, Huddersfield, Leeds, Hull.

The main trunk roads are:
A1/A1(M) (motorway in parts): London, Peterborough, Doncaster, Darlington, Newcastle, Edinburgh.
A3: London, Guildford, Portsmouth.
A5: London, St Albans, Nuneaton, Birmingham area, Shrewsbury, across inland north Wales to Holyhead.
A6: London, Bedford, Leicester, Manchester.
A11: London to Norwich.
A12: London, Ipswich, Great Yarmouth.
A23: London to Brighton.
A30: London, Basingstoke, Yeovil, Exeter, Penzance.
A40: London, Oxford (M40), Gloucester, Cheltenham, across inland south Wales to Fishguard.

Getting Around Towns and Cities

All towns and cities have bus services. In addition, Birmingham, Liverpool, Sheffield, Manchester and the cities in South Yorkshire and Newcastle have suburban rail services. Newcastle also has a metro. All cities have taxi services.

London has a comprehensive metro/subway - the Underground (colloquially, the ‘tube') and the Docklands Light Railway (DLR). There is also an extensive network of overground rail services. There is an excellent network of buses. Leisure and commuter boat services on the River Thames are run by a variety of private companies. There are tram routes in south London. Taxis can be hailed in the street or ordered by phone. For further information on public transport in London, contact Transport for London (Tfl) (www.tfl.gov.uk).