Travelling around the UK - how to explore
Britain is a small country, and it is easy to travel between towns and cities.
Most language centres offer weekend trips as part of their student activity programme to popular places in the UK like Cambridge, Oxford, Stonehenge, Bath, Liverpool, Edinburgh and others.
If you want to travel on your own or with friends, it is easy to use public transport to explore the UK.
What is the fastest way to travel around the UK?
Trains are the fastest way to travel around the UK, especially for long journeys. When you travel by train, you can enjoy the green British countryside through the window and take a picnic for the journey.
How to get cheap train tickets:
- Train tickets are usually cheaper if you buy them online in advance. You can see train times, prices and buy online at www.thetrainline.com. For long distance journeys, train tickets can be very expensive if you buy them on the day of travel.
- Students aged 16 to 25 can buy a Young Person's Railcard if they plan to take multiple train journeys. This card costs £30, and you can save one third on all train journeys for a year.
What is the cheapest way to travel around the UK?
Coaches are usually the cheapest way to travel to UK cities and popular tourist destinations. For the best prices, book in advance.
National Express is the main coach company in the UK. Megabus also offer low-cost coach journeys between major cities. Prices start from £1!
How can I travel from the UK to Europe?
- Catch the Eurostar train from London to France or Belgium. The high-speed train travels under the sea (the English Channel) and only takes 2 hours 15 minutes to reach Paris. There are direct trains to Calais, Lille, Paris, Disneyland Paris and Brussels. And in the summer there are direct trains to the south of France: Lyon, Avignon and Marseille.
- Fly from any UK international airport to European cities, including Berlin, Barcelona, Prague, Amsterdam, Venice and Copenhagen. Flying is often the quickest and cheapest way to visit our neighbours in mainland Europe.
- Travel by coach. If you have longer than a weekend for your journey, international coaches can be the cheapest way to travel to Europe. Journeys often start in the evening and travel overnight.
Do I need a visa to visit other European countries?
Some students need a Schengen Visa to travel to other European countries. With this visa, you can visit most countries in the European Union.
