Arriving By Sea, Coach, Or Car
By Sea
Despite the growth in low-fare air travel and the opening of the Channel Tunnel in 1995, Britain's sea links with Europe continue to amongst the busiest in the world. No fewer than 13 British ports are linked to more than 20 Continental ports by dozens of ferry operators.
The most popular sea route from the Continent is that between the French port of Calais and Dover on England's southern coast. Ferry and catamaran services operate daily from Calais, with a range of bewildering fare options and deals available. Stena Lines has the most extensive timetable and some excellent prices for travellers on a budget.
By Coach
A number of coach services link European cities to London. In general, arriving by coach can be the most cost-effective way of travelling to and from Britain, but of course there are traffic congestion and comfort issues to be considered.
Coach lines quoting fares should include the cross-Channel component of the cost - make sure that this is the case. Coaches generally drive directly onto the ferry, allowing you to disembark from the coach deck and climb stairs to the passenger decks. Coaches can also drive directly onto Le Shuttle, the freight version of Eurostar. Passengers remain on the coach as the train heads along the Channel Tunnel.
The major coach operator from Europe to London is National Express, who offer a range of deals.
By Car
Drivers from Europe can utilise one of the numerous drive/drive off ferries or the Le Shuttle drive on train. Le Shuttle runs every 15 minutes at peak times (generally 10am to 5pm) and the ferries operate a number of daily services from Calais and other European ports such as Boulogne, Ostend and Zeebrugge.
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