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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