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Getting To Great Britain |
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General Information
Getting there from the Continent |
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General Information...
| It is very easy to get to Great Britain. There are several major airlines that travel to Great Britain from the United States. And, if you are traveling into Great Britain from other countries, you will also find several airlines that can get you there. Most people who fly into Great Britain fly either into Heathrow (Heathrow Airport) or Gatwick (Gatwick Airport) Airports. However, a third airport that handles mainly European and domestic traffic is Stansted. (Stansted Airport) There is however, scheduled service into Stansted from New York City. |
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Cunard Line (555 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10017, tel. 1-800-221-4770) also operates four ships that make transatlantic crossings. The Queen Elizabeth 2 is probably the most popular making regular crossings from April through December between New York City, Boston, and Baltimore to Southampton, England. They also offer fly/cruise packages and pre- and post-land packages. If you want to make the trip by sea, contact them or contact any of the other cruise ship operators that sail to Britain. The Sunday newspaper travel pages is a good resource for finding this information.
For a great many people, their first visit to Great Britain is on a tour. There is not any way I can go over the thousands of tour opportunities there are and therefore will only refer you to your local tour operator or travel agent. A prepackaged tour or independent vacation package plan can make your trip to Great Britain less expensive and more hassle-free. Everything is prearranged and, as the tour operators handle several hundred thousand travelers each year, their purchasing power and volume gets you a good price. However, there are several things you should be on the lookout for when booking a tour: Beware of hidden costs, check out the operator, be sure the firm has a consumer protection program, do lots of research, and be sure you are working with a good travel agent. (If you want a good one, e-mail me and I will give you the 800 number of my travel agent.) And, be sure you have your travel agent check out the tour operator with either the United States Tour Operators Association or the National Tour Association. You can also do this yourself. At the end of this page is a listing of several good companies that offer group tours.
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and more. Full Coverage available for: Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Ireland, Spain and Switzerland. Full detailed coverage in major cities of: Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Norway and Sweden. Coverage in Eastern Europe includes: Estonia (Tallinn), Latvia (Riga), Lithuania (Vilnius), Slovakia (Bratislava and Kosice), Hungary (Budapest, Balaton, Debrecen, Miskolc, Eger and Tokaj), Slovenia (Ljubljana and Maribor), Croatia (Zagreb, Rijeka and Pula, Split, Selin, Zadar, Dubrovnik and the Island of Krk), Bulgaria (Sofija), Romania (Buburesti (Bucharest) and Timisoara). |
Doing It On Your Own!
As most people fly into Great Britain, this is the area on which I will concentrate. The information that follows is geared to help the independent traveler get to Great Britain from the United States, and then get into London. I will concentrate here on flying into London as most first-time visitors to Great Britain make this their first destination. You can find information on getting to other countries in Great Britain (Scotland and Wales) and also to Ireland and Northern Ireland when you click on those countries on the
Great Britain page.
Major Airlines
There are several air carriers flying to Great Britain from the United States. Among the major airlines are American Airlines,
1-800-433-7300 to Gatwick and Heathrow; British Airways, 1-800-247-9297 to Gatwick and Heathrow;
Delta
Airlines, 1-800-241-4141 (Delta
Airlines) to Gatwick and Heathrow; Northwest Airlines, 1-800-447-4747 () to Gatwick; TWA, 1-800-892-4141 () to Gatwick; United, 1-800-241-6522 () to Heathrow; and Virgin Atlantic, 1-800-862-8621 () to Gatwick and Heathrow. These are the airlines I normally recommend as they offer a lot of flights and, as they are in constant competition with each other, often offer some great prices, especially in the off-season. And, for a good price, particularly if your city has more than one gateway, compare prices to and from the different airports. Also, price flights scheduled for off-peak hours which many be significantly cheaper.
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Getting
Away Air Fare Finder! |
The least-expensive fares to Great Britain (Except when the carriers are having a “fare war” or other special promotion.) are priced for round-trip travel normally booked well in advance with a stay of at least seven days. Normally only about 30 people on each of those wide-bodied planes that fly over the ocean even get this price. So, book early! When you are booking your flight you should use words such as “ultrasaver” and “supersaver” as they are normally the cheapest. Ultrasaver tickets are normally booked at least 90 days in advance and are non-refundable. Supersaver tickets normally are booked at least 30 days in advance. Be sure you are confident with your travel plans as penalties for refunds and scheduling changes are much stiffer for international flights, normally about $150. And, as the entire area of airline pricing and ticketing is so difficult to understand, I recommend that you use a travel agent.
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Consolidators
Consolidators can often offer you reduced price tickets for scheduled fights. However, if you do purchase from a consolidator, be sure to confirm your consolidator reservation with the airline yourself. Also, when dealing with a consolidator, go through your travel agent. This gives you some built-in safety and security features. For additional information contact the United States Air Consolidators Association (916/441-4166) at 925 L Street, Suite 220, Sacramento, CA 95814.
Charters
You may want to consider a charter. They normally have the lowest fares, but are not always dependable. Departures can be infrequent and are seldom on time. I have heard lots of horror stories about flights being delayed for as much as 48 to 72 hours and sometimes canceled as late as 10 days before departure. Be very careful when choosing a charter.
The Difference Between “Direct” and “Nonstop”
Always try to get a nonstop flight when you travel to Great Britain or anywhere in Europe. A “nonstop” flight means just that. It will not stop until you reach your destination. A “direct” flight will normally stop at least once. A lot of U.S. airlines often fly direct flights while an international fight on a country’s flag carrier (British Airways, in this case.) are almost always nonstop. Average flying time from New York is about 6 ½ hours, Chicago about 7 ½ hours, and Los Angeles about 10 hours. This is long enough to travel without stops and connecting flights adding to the travel time.
And, as for connecting flights, try to avoid them when you are making your travel plans and purchasing your tickets. Connecting flights require a change of airplanes and it is often easy to miss a connection. I recently returned from Paris and my travel time was over 36 hours. Why, I missed a connecting flight! Also, two airlines may jointly operate a particular flight when it is a connecting flight and you may be arriving on a different airline than the one you are departing on. You may want to ask if your airline operates every flight segment so you will know you are flying on the airline you want to fly with.
Using An Agent
Even though I know quite a bit about travel, I almost always use an agent. A good travel agent can take care of just about everything for you. The one think that I do is appraise the agent of any good deals I have found. Such as deals on the Internet. Good agents know and understand the seasonal fluctuations of air fares and can normally anticipate a sale or fare war. So, work closely with them and don’t be afraid to ask is the prices is likely to get any lower. And, after you do book your seat, don’t blame the agent if you see a lower price. Remember, it is not the agents fault. They only did what you told them to do! And, although a wait-and-see attitude will sometimes get you a better price, it often will have you ending up without a seat as many seats are sold out during the busy tourist season.
Don’t Get Bumped!
Believe it or not, it is very easy to get bumped on an international flight. Many times there will be only one or two flights a day on a specific carrier from many international airports in the United States to Great Britain. Major cities such as New York, Boston, and Atlanta may have more flights, but many other large cities just don’t book as many flights. Airlines routinely over book planes knowing that not everyone with a ticket will show up. But, sometimes they do! When this happens airlines ask for volunteers to take another flight in exchange for free passes, discounted tickets, and sometimes money. They then are rebooked on a later flight. However, if there are no volunteers, the airline chooses who will be bumped. This bumping begins with the passengers who where the latest to check in for the flight. Therefore, it is important that you arrive early for any international flight. Especially during peak flying periods. I normally try to arrive at ticket counter about two hours before departure. So, arrive early and check in early. Just bring a book or something to read after you know you have assured yourself of a seat on the plane. You will also want to be sure you have your passport and another piece of photo identification with you. I never travel with my billfold, but always have my credit card and drivers license with me in my front pocket. In the other pocket I carry a little bit of American money for spending at the airport and some of the currency of the country to which I am traveling. Everything else is in my money belt.
Enjoying The Flight
Once you get onto the plane you should do everything you can to make the flight as enjoyable as possible. Try to avoid jet lag by maintaining as normal a routine as possible while flying. Three of the most important thing are keeping hydrated (Drink plenty of water - not alcohol.), getting as much sleep or rest (on a day flight) as possible, and eating light. It also helps to move about the cabin as much as possible to stretch your legs, if the weather permits. However, when you are in your seat, keep your seat belt on. My wife and I normally do not have jet lag when we arrive. We follow some simple procedures (I have an article I wrote on making overseas flights easier on the body that you may find helpful. If you would like me to send it to you just e-mail me and request “First Overseas Flight” and I will send it to you.) I have come up with from traveling into Great Britain so often through several time zones. We also take a special magnetic seat cushion with us on the plane. We sit on this special seat during the flight and then sleep on it at our hotels. This magnetic seat, and the other things we do, have really helped us enjoy ourselves a lot more. We find we arrive relaxed and refreshed and, while others are heading for the hotel for some sleep, we spend our first day in Europe having a good time getting to bed about 10 or 11, and then getting up the next morning refreshed and ready to go, outdoing many people half our age!
How To Complain
If you have a problem, say something. If you are not treated the way you think you should be treated,
say something. (However, I have found that it is always best to be very civil and quiet with my
complaints.) If your luggage goes to Paris while you are flying to London, say something. If the flight is
not everything you expected it to be, say something. Most carriers require you to file a claim immediately
if there is a problem. I always contact someone from the airline immediately whenever I have a problem.
And, I take names!
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Getting there from the Continent
I have taken the trip about every way you can across the English Channel both from England to France and the other way around. I will have to admit, although it is the slowest way, I prefer the ferry as it tends to make me take a day off to relax a bit during my travel. But, there are plenty of other ways to get across. Here are your choices.FERRY: There are several ferries that travel between Dover and Calais (my usual destination), Boulogne and other locations. You can either be a foot passenger or can drive on. Much like any other ferry, they are equipped with public bathrooms, cafeteria, decks and lounges and are pretty comfortable. The trip takes a little under two hours. It is the least expensive way to go and I recommend the ferry, especially if you enjoy the sea and have the time. http://www.doverport.co.uk/flash.html
HOVERCRAFT: If you are traveling from Dover to Ostende or Calais, Folkestone to Boulogne or Newhaven to Dieppe, you must experience the hovercraft at least once. Some of the largest hovercrafts in the world cross the Channel at speeds of about 60 miles per hour. I will warn you that it can be a little rough if the seas are running high and that it is pretty noisy. And, when the sea is high (and just about all other times) there is so much spray that it is difficult to see. It is still a good way to get there as the seats are pretty comfortable (somewhat like being in an airline) and the food is pretty good. This is the fastest way to get across the channel by water. http://www.doverport.co.uk/flash.html
HYDROFOIL: The Hydrofoil is more comfortable than the hovercraft, and almost as fast. The ship rises to skim the top of the waves and is a pretty awesome way to go. As you "fly" across the waves you hardly feel a bump. The hydrofoil moves at about 50 mph and it is about a 65 minute trip. Along with the good ride there is food and other services. The hydrofoil is grounded if there are rough waters so check weather conditions and call ahead to confirm the schedule. http://www.doverport.co.uk/flash.html
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CHUNNEL: Other than flying, this is the quickest way to get between London and Paris. You can also take the short thirty five minute shuttle from Folkstone to Coquelles through the Chunnel. Besides long waiting lines, it is like taking a flight. Having to be there at least 45 minutes before departure, boarding the shuttle and being seated is reminiscent of just about any large airport on a weekend. But, if you are in a hurry, don't mind the high prices or the crowds, this is the choice for you. Prices vary for the channel crossing with the ferry being the cheapest, the Chunnel and the Hydrofoil being the more expensive and the hovercraft at a more moderate price. Of course there are flights across the Channel but, as I already mentioned, who would want to miss a hovercraft or hydrofoil ride or the more leisurely ferry trip. It is an experience you won't soon forget.
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| And, if you are looking for good flights for a holiday or vacation outside of the UK, Click on the Air France logo to your right. |
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