Transport
It wouldn't be a holiday without Transport, so we have to go into some depth about the main components of the industry. There are four main types of transportation, they are
Road (including Buses and Coaches)
Rail
Sea
Air
We will go through them all individually below:
Road (including Buses and Coaches)
Rail
Sea
Air
We will go through them all individually below:
Road Transportation
Road Transport, mainly on coaches, is a great option for the domestic traveller. Nearly every single town and city in the UK is linked by a coach service, and the UK's largest coach operating organisation is National Express. They don't stop at coaches either. In major urban areas, National Express operate door to door transfers from their coach/bus stations, or to the nearby airports. Their website also has an online booking facility too, which is cheaper than paying on board the bus, and they offer promotions to further reduce the cost of travel. One of National Express' subsidiaries, Euro Lines, caters for coach travel within Europe, from the UK, and travel is offered as part of a bigger package of hotels and entertainments.
Needless to say, there are other coach companies too. National Holidays and Shearings Tours are just two of them, they provide a similar service to National Express and Euro Lines respectively. Their websites, along with National Express', can be seen below:
Needless to say, there are other coach companies too. National Holidays and Shearings Tours are just two of them, they provide a similar service to National Express and Euro Lines respectively. Their websites, along with National Express', can be seen below:
Rail Transportation
The UK has great rail links across the country, and now, there are more and more airports with their own railway station, two examples being Manchester Airport and Heathrow Airport. So, if you're coming to the UK on a plane, it's easy to arrange onward rail travel. There are lots of Train Operating Companies (TOCs) in the UK, they are all divided up by geographical areas, so it's always a good idea to make sure that you're using the right TOC for the area that you want to go to, or are arriving in. Railway operations in the UK are franchised too, meaning that the operator of the journeys themselves can change after a few years, if the contractor changes. This shouldn't affect most the journeys on the timetable, but some websites might be out-of-date after a change of franchiser. Always double check with the Association of Train Operator Companies (ATOC), who will keep their website updated constantly.
Most Train Operators are also on Twitter and Facebook, to keep passengers up to date with Real Time Information (RTA), so make sure you follow or like the TOC you will be using to keep up with service delays etc.
Most Train Operators are also on Twitter and Facebook, to keep passengers up to date with Real Time Information (RTA), so make sure you follow or like the TOC you will be using to keep up with service delays etc.
Sea Transportation
Sea Transport is a popular way of holidaymakers and tourists alike enjoying a journey as well as the eventual destination. Sea transport can be divided up into two different types of sea passenger transport:
Ferry
Cruise Ships
There are many different companies offering passenger sea travel. One of the most famous ferry companies is P&O, whose subsidiary company Ferrymasters operates ferry services primarily within Europe, from a number of different ports within the UK. P&O also operate Cruise Liners, as do Royal Caribbean International Cruises.
It was announced recently that P&O are to commence construction of the biggest cruise liners in the world shortly.
Ferry
Cruise Ships
There are many different companies offering passenger sea travel. One of the most famous ferry companies is P&O, whose subsidiary company Ferrymasters operates ferry services primarily within Europe, from a number of different ports within the UK. P&O also operate Cruise Liners, as do Royal Caribbean International Cruises.
It was announced recently that P&O are to commence construction of the biggest cruise liners in the world shortly.
Air Transportation
Air Transportation is arguably the most popular way of visiting an overseas country. Airliner companies can fall into either the budget or premium markets; budget operators tend to offer rock-bottom prices for flights, generally in Europe, but can also be further afield too (a "no-frills" mode of travel, without many luxuries). The most famous example of a budget airliner is Ryanair.
The premium market offers flights to long-haul destinations, such as the trans-Atlantic corridor between Britain and the USA, for a much more expensive price, but with added extras such as a bar and on-board catering, and one example of a premium operator is British Airways.
The premium market offers flights to long-haul destinations, such as the trans-Atlantic corridor between Britain and the USA, for a much more expensive price, but with added extras such as a bar and on-board catering, and one example of a premium operator is British Airways.