Great Britain is a country with a rich history and culture, embodied in sights and relics of world significance. Here you can see monuments of ancient times, the era of Roman domination, see numerous medieval castles, as well as visit many interesting museums, some of which are world famous.
A very popular type of tourism in the UK is educational tourism. Here you can get secondary and higher education, prepare for studying in private schools and for entering a university or college, go to English courses or various professional courses.
Transport in United Kingdom
Buses
The main means of transportation in London are buses. Despite the busyness of the streets, they always run on schedule. London even has dedicated bus lanes.
There are red double-decker, red single-decker (Red Arrow), green buses and minibuses. Buses are divided into night, carrying passengers from 23 to 5 in the morning, and daytime. On night buses, the letter N is in front of the number. The fare is more expensive, regular tickets are not valid.
Bus stops are marked in red letters. The blue number on the stop sign shows the number of the zone you are in. If the sign has the word “Request”, the bus should be signaled to stop. The scoreboard lists the numbers of buses that go through this stop. If the number is indicated on a yellow background, then a ticket for such a bus must be bought in advance. London buses have “on demand” stops, for which the bell must be pressed in advance.
The territory of London is divided into 6 concentric zones, and the fare depends on the zone crossed. Outside central London You have to pay either the driver upon boarding or the conductor. Tickets can be bought from vending machines, ticket offices, subways and newsstands. Red Arrow buses are equipped with cash desks, where at the entrance you need to lower the exact amount prepared in advance in coins.
Intercity buses are called “coach”. The ride is usually cheaper than the train, but much longer.
Metro
The Metro operates in London and Glasgow. The London Underground (Tube) is a convenient and fast way to get around the city. Stations are marked with a round “London Underground” sign. There are 10 metro lines in total. It works from 5 am to 0.30 am. Sunday trains start walking two hours late and finish work an hour earlier. Intervals vary depending on the route and time of day, but, as a rule, do not exceed 10 minutes.
Tickets can be purchased at an automatic ticket office or a regular ticket office with a cashier in the subway. As in the case of the bus, the fare depends on the distance traveled (the number of zones crossed). Tickets are checked at the exit. In addition to the main subway in the capital, there is another small private line – “Docklands Light Railway”, which is a light metro line.
There are the following types of tickets for public transport: single tickets for the bus (70 pence per trip, in the first zone – 1 pound), weekly bus passes, single tickets for the metro (they are “there” or “there and back”) and travel cards (travel card). The “Saver 6” ticket entitles you to 6 bus rides within zones 1-4 and costs £5. A child ticket costs 40% of the adult price. On buses, children’s tickets expire at 22:00.
Travel cards can be purchased at metro stations and newsstands. They are valid on almost all buses, subways (Tube and Docklands Light Railway) and Network SouthEast trains within the city limits. Travel cards are not valid on Airbus – buses that are transported to Heathrow Airport. Night buses circulating at night between Trafalgar Square and the city districts are valid for weekly and longer travel passes, but one-day ones are not. In addition, it is worth paying attention to the fact that some travel cards “work” only after 9.30 am.
The cost of travel tickets depends on the period and area of their validity. For most tourists, 1 and 2 zones are enough.
Types of travel cards:
– One Day Travelcard ticket costs from 3.90 to 4.70 pounds;
– A Weekend Travelcard is valid for a weekend or two days of holidays and costs £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);
– Visitor Travelcard ticket is valid from 1 to 7 days and costs from 3.90 pounds. It comes with a coupon book that provides discounts on visits to 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, train National Railways, underground trips on the Bakerloo line at stations north of Queen’s Park;
– for 11 pounds you can buy a booklet of 10 tickets for trips only on the underground in the central zone of London at any time of the year;
– Millennium LT Card ticket gives holders ticket to the Millennium Dome the right to travel for one day without a time limit on the Underground, buses (except night buses), Docklands Light Railway and Croydon Tramlink trains, trains linkingLondon Central Stations with Charlton and Greenwich, Millennium Express trains. £ 3.50
Train
by train. Please note that if you return on the same day, the ticket will cost less. There are discounts for people traveling in a group, when buying a ticket you need to show your railcard or travelcard, as this gives a discount to the one who travels with you.
Taxis
There are two types of taxis – traditional “black cabs” and minicabs. “Black cabs” are quite expensive and are metered. They can be caught right on the street by raising your hand. A free taxi has a yellow sign on the roof. Minicab are so named because they carry 4 people instead of 5. They operate without meters, so you need to inquire about the fare in advance. Minicab must be booked in advance. Fares increase late at night, on weekends and on national holidays.
an extensive network of roads with good coverage, so moving along them is a pleasure. However, keep in mind that in London getting around by car is problematic due to the intricate network of streets, many of which have only one-way traffic. There are also many restrictions on parking in the capital. During the daytime, you can’t park almost everywhere, except for paid parking lots and those places where there are no lines and prohibition signs. Otherwise, you risk being fined £100. The car is better to use for trips to small towns and in the countryside. The country is home to the world’s major car rental companies. It is possible to rent a car from the age of 21 (in some cases from 25), with a driver’s license valid for at least 12 months, and with a valid credit card. Movement in the UK left-sided. Road markings will provide significant assistance to those accustomed to the right steering wheel.
The cost of renting a car in London varies from 200-300 pounds per week for economy cars to 2000-6000 pounds for executive cars.
