TRAVEL
TRAVEL IN LONDON : TRAVEL IN THE UK AND EUROPE : AIR TRAVEL : TRAIN SERVICES : BUS SERVICES

TRAVEL IN LONDON

Public Transport

London’s public transport system provides a safe and economical way of moving around the city. The system integrates travel by buses, underground trains (known as the Tube), overground trains, trams, the Docklands Light Railway (DLR), and river boats. By these means, every part of Greater London is accessible to the visitor. Most students use buses and the Tube to get around London. The Transport for London Journey Planner is an excellent tool for discovering what methods will best suit your journey.

The pricing structure of travel on London Transport is calculated according to the Zones through which one travels. The entire network is divided into a series of concentric Zones, with Zone One at the centre covering central London. London Program students spend most of their time within Zone One.

Tickets can be purchased for single journeys, but most people buy tickets that permit any number of journeys within specified Zones for a specific length of time, such as a “One-Day Travel Card for Zone One” or a “Weekly Travel Card for Zones One and Two” or a “Monthly Travel Card for Zones One to Three”.

It is possible to purchase these sorts of tickets exclusively for the bus network. These have their own pricing structure and are the cheapest way of traveling around London. But these tickets cannot be used on the Tube. As the Tube is the most convenient way of getting around London, most Londoners buy Travel Cards for the Tube which, although more expensive, permit travel on buses, trams, overground trains and the DLR as well.

Transport for London is moving towards a cashless and ticketless public transport system. Most Londoners now buy Oyster Cards that permit travel on nearly all the forms of public transport in London, and the London Undergraduate Program provides Oyster cards for its students. On the Tube, travelers merely touch their Oyster Card against the circular yellow touch pads on the entry gates when they enter the system and touch the pads once again when they exit the system. Travelers on buses need only touch in once on the pads beside the driver.

Oyster Cards can be used in two ways. There are Pre-Pay Oyster Cards which work like debit cards. Travelers credit their cards with money – which is easily done online and at ticket machines in Tube stations and other outlets – and then the appropriate fare is deducted from the card for each journey made. Oyster Cards may also be used for weekly or monthly travel cards which are good for travel for any number of journeys on any form of transport within a specified period and specified Zones.

Students get a 30% discount when buying a weekly or monthly Travel Card if they have a Transport for London Student Discount Card. Students may apply for a Student Discount Card in the Undergraduate Office. Students will need to provide a £5 postal order and a passport photograph. They will receive a Discount Photo-ID Card and a registered Oyster card, which must be kept together.

Given the complexities of the pricing structure, it is impossible to advise on which form of payment is best for students. It depends on how much a student intends to travel on public transport and which form of transport the student wishes to use. The following chart gives comparative prices for travel in Zone One, the zone within which most students travel. For further information, please consult Transport for London.

	Cash Bus	Cash Tube	Oyster prepay Bus only	Oyster prepay Bus and Tube	Oyster + Student card Bus only	Oyster + Student card Bus and Tube
Start up cost	£0	£0	£0	£0	£5 fee	£5 fee
Single	£2.00	£4.00	£1.00	£1.60	£1.00	£1.60
Daily	£3.50	£7.20 / £5.60	£3.30*	£6.70* / £5.10*	£3.30*	£6.70* / £5.10*
Weekly	NA	NA	£13.80	£25.80	£9.60	£18.00
Monthly	NA	NA	£53.00	£99.10	£36.90	£69.20

* If you use an Oyster Card, this fare is automatically capped for the day at these prices, so there is no need to buy a one-day travelcard in advance.

When deciding how to pay, students should bear in mind the following points:

A Pre-Pay Oyster Card will always save you money.

If you make a sufficient number of journeys, a weekly or monthly Travel Card may save you more money, especially when purchased in conjunction with a Student Discount Card. But bear in mind that if you are going to be away from London for two and a half days out of seven or one week of a month, you may not make a sufficient number of journeys to make this worthwhile.

Pre-Pay Oyster Cards may be shared among friends. An Oyster Card charged with a weekly or monthly Travel Card, however, may be used only by the person to whom it is registered.

Black Taxi Cabs

Official black taxi cabs are a safe but relatively expensive way of moving around London. Taxis are on the streets 24 hours a day and empty cabs (identified by a lit amber light on the front of the roof) may be hailed, or flagged down, anywhere on the street. Taxis may also found in taxi ranks at mainline stations and other central locations. Black taxi cabs can also be booked in advance for specific journeys, and called, for a fee, through these services.

Even though black taxi cabs are expensive, when they are shared (they take up to five passengers) the price is less prohibitive and they provide a useful and safe alternative to night buses when heading home at night.

Students are strongly advised not to use any of the mini cabs whose drivers tout for business outside bars and clubs at night. These are invariably unlicensed and un-insured cabs in which the safety of passengers is easily compromised. You can find details of legitimate, licensed mini cab operators from this website, or by texting the word HOME to 60835, which uses GPS to send you the numbers of two licensed mini cab companies close to your location.

TRAVEL IN THE UK AND EUROPE

During their time in the Program, many students take the opportunity to travel to continental Europe. This can often be a rewarding and exciting experience, but spending time travelling on the continent leaves less time for exploring London and the UK. Indeed, with fascinating day trips and weekend trips to places such as Oxford, Cambridge, Canterbury, Brighton, Windsor, York, and Edinburgh, staying in the UK for a weekend is often the wiser choice. For longer breaks, a trip to the Lake District (home to Wordsworth, Shelley, Byron, and Coleridge among others) is a must; and a tour through the Highlands and Islands of Scotland is an experience not to be missed. And travelling within the UK is often easier, cheaper, and safer too.

Planning a trip can seem daunting, but good planning is the single most important element in ensuring a successful journey. Well before making any reservations, students should consider what they want from their trip, how much money they want to spend, and with whom they wish to travel. Here are a few sensible precautions to keep in mind.

An International Student Identity Card can be useful to obtain student discounts on travel, and their webpage offers good general travel advice.

Students should consult the Consular Information Sheets on the US Department of State website for the countries they plan to visit. These sheets include the location of the US Embassy or Consulate, unusual immigration practices, health conditions, minor political disturbances, unusual currency and entry regulations, crime and security information, drug penalties, and descriptions of any unstable conditions.

It is always better to spend more time in a few well-chosen locations rather than attempt to see too much in a limited time. Otherwise, students return to London with memories of only airports and train stations.

Many student hostels are said to be "close" to railway stations, but this can still mean a walk of at least half-mile or a mile, so students should pack light.

Some airports - especially those used by budget airlines - are often a considerable distance from the cities they serve. Students should therefore find out exactly where their flights will land and chart a course from the airport to the city and back. Always be sure to leave sufficient time to return to the flats in London before midnight on Sunday.

Allow sufficient time for travel delays at airports, railway terminals, and so on. Always have a contingency plan. If a travel delay prevents you from returning to London in time, you must contact the Rector on duty as soon as possible.

Review city maps to locate the US Embassy or nearest US Consulate in case of any major change in the political situation.

Always give a detailed itinerary to the Rectors before leaving the flats in London. Email the same information to family.

Students should never travel without photocopies of their passports, credit cards, and other important documents. Keep these in a separate bag. Bring Notre Dame emergency numbers (which will be issued in London) and insurance cards.

Remember to complete and submit a travel form for each journey or overnight stay you make. Each person in the group needs to complete a separate form so that we can contact you in case of emergency.

AIR TRAVEL

Travelling by air is one of the fastest ways to get around Europe. Budget airlines can be very economical if you book early and travel at off-peak times. Check to see if there is a comparably priced flight from any of the major airlines. If you are booking late, major airlines sometimes offer the best deals.

Budget Airlines

RyanAir, the so-called "king of budget air travel", offers some of the cheapest flights and flies out of Stansted and Luton airports. But be sure to check the actual location of the airport you are flying into. The website also gives information on buses to and from the airports and city centers.
EasyJet, a budget airline, offers cheap flights from Luton and Gatwick throughout Europe. Again, it is wise to book well in advance.
British European is another smaller budget airline.
Air Berlin offers services throughout Europe
Niki offers services throughout Europe
Sky Europe offers services throughout Eastern Europe
Wizz Air offers services throughout Eastern Europe
Transavia offers services to the Netherlands
German Wings offers services to Germany
Norwegian Air Shuttle offers services to Norway

Major European Airlines

British Airways flies mainly out of Heathrow, with flights to destinations throughout the world. It is sometimes a bit more expensive than its competitors, but it is widely regarded as one of the best airlines in the world.
BMI British Midlands offers inexpensive flights out of Heathrow and London City Airport to locations across Europe. At times, it offers very low prices to places such as Paris, Dublin and Barcelona. Book early.
Virgin Atlantic offers international flights out of Heathrow to the USA and other places such as Asia and India.
Lufthansa, the major German airline.
Air France, the major French airline.
KLM, the major Dutch airline.

GETTING TO THE AIRPORTS

Heathrow

London Underground
All four Heathrow terminals are served by the Piccadilly line. The tube runs from around 6.00am to midnight. The journey from central London takes about one hour.
Heathrow Express
This mainline train leaves from Paddington. It runs from about 5.00am to midnight. The journey takes approximately 15 minutes and the service runs every 15 minutes during peak hours.

National Express
This coach service provides a bus service to Heathrow via Marble Arch and Baker Street. It runs from about 4.00am to 10.00pm. The journey time is about one hour.
Black Cab
Official black taxi cabs service Heathrow at any time of the day or night. Book 48 hours in advance. The journey time is anywhere between 45 and 90 minutes, depending on traffic, and is an expensive option.

Stansted

National Express
Buses from Marble Arch and Baker Street run 24 hours a day. The journey takes a minimum of 90 minutes.
Stansted Express
A fast mainline train from Liverpool Street Station takes about 45 minutes, and runs from about 5.00am to midnight. The fare may be discounted for Ryan Air passengers - check when booking your tickets.
Black Cab
Official black taxi cabs service Stansted at any time of the day or night. Book 48 hours in advance. Journey times vary greatly, depending on traffic, and is an expensive option.

Gatwick

Gatwick Express
A fast mainline train from Victoria Station takes about 30 minutes. It runs from about 4.30am to 12.30am.
Thameslink Trains
A slow mainline train from King's Cross Thameslink Station takes about 30 minutes.
Black Cab
Official black taxi cabs service Gatwick at any time of the day or night. Book 48 hours in advance. Journey times vary greatly, depending on traffic, and is an expensive option.

Luton

Greenline Buses
A bus service runs from Marble Arch from about 4.00am to 2.00am. It takes a minimum of 90 minutes, but the fare is discounted for Easy Jet passengers.
Thameslink Trains
A slow mainline train from King's Cross Station or Elephant and Castle Station takes about 30 minutes.
Black Cab
Official black taxi cabs service Luton at any time of the day or night. Book 48 hours in advance. Journey times vary greatly, depending on traffic, and is an expensive option.

London City

London Underground
Take the Jubilee Line or the Docklands Light Railway to Canning Town for a connecting shuttle bus service. Or take the Circle Line to Liverpool Street Station for a connecting shuttle bus service.
Black Cab
Official black taxi cabs service London City Airport at any time of the day or night. Book 48 hours in advance. Journey times vary greatly, depending on traffic, and is an expensive option.

TRAIN SERVICES

The British Isles are served by an excellent railway network, making it easy to get to almost any city in Britain. Purchasing tickets well in advance can save a lot of money.

International Travel

Rail Europe Connection Page offers both schedules and prices (in US dollars) for major cities. Some of the smaller cities, although listed, are not in the database. This site also allows you to book trips and reserve seats in advance.
Deutsche Bahn offers a search engine for all trains in Western Europe, but it provides booking and prices only for Deutsche Bahn Trains.
EuroStar offers links to plan and book Eurostar trains to Paris, Lille, and Brussels from London.
Euro Railways offers information on a variety of rail and youth passes. Also, under the link for point-to-point travel, the site offers information on the connections and rates for train travel from one city to another. The site also contains timetables for train travel throughout Europe.
www.eurail.com offers information and prices for youth rail passes.

British Isles Travel

Q-Jump offers online booking and train schedules for all major British train services.
Brit Rail is mainly train travel within Britain. Information is provided on rail passes, train times, and fares.
Iarnród Éireann is the official website for train travel on the Irish Railway system.

BUS SERVICES

Travelling by bus (coach) is by far the cheapest means of travel in Britain and Europe. Inevitably, however, it is usually less comfortable and many European routes have prohibitively long travel times.

Long-Distance Bus Services

Eurolines is an international bus network that covers most of Europe. It provides links to its national sites.
National Express is the British partner in Eurolines. It provides bus services to all parts of the UK out of Victoria Coach Station in London. This website offers travel, fare, and booking information to locations across Europe and to Heathrow, Luton, Gatwick, and Stansted airports. Travel must begin or end in the UK.
Greenline Buses offers great value day trips as well as airport shuttles.
Megabus offer limited, but extremely cheap, bus travel between an ever expanding range of UK destinations with fares as low as £1.

Airport Bus Services

National Express offers bus service to Heathrow and Stansted via Marble Arch and Baker Street.
Greenline Buses offers service to Luton from Marble Arch. Check for discounts if you are flying with EasyJet.

Regional Bus Services

The Oxford Tube offers frequent low-cost service to Oxford by bus.
Oxford Bus is another company offering frequent low-cost service to Oxford by bus.