Travel

Immigration Control

When you arrive in Britain the first thing you have to do is to go through passport control. You will find that there are two different queues of people going through passport control: European Union (EU) and European Economic Area (EEA) nationals. All other passport holders Please go to the queue for all other passport holders unless you hold a British or European Passport. When you reach immigration control you should have all your documents ready and be prepared to answer questions about and what you intend to do during your stay in the UK.

The documents you should carry in your hand luggage include

• Your passport
• Your letter of offer from the UK University
• Accommodation Details (If Available)
• X ray from medical test (if required by the High Commission/Embassy in your own country).

The Immigration Officer will then stamp your passport, which will advise you on how long you are allowed to stay in the UK.

You can then collect your baggage and clear customs.

Remember to telephone home on arrival! It is important to telephone your family as soon as you arrive in the UK. Public telephones are available throughout the UK and will accept coins or British Telecom Phone cards. BT Phone cards are available in values from £2 - £20 at Post Offices, or shops displaying the green Phone card sign. You would need approximately £5 to phone India for 2 - 3 minutes depending on the time of the call.

Travelling in the UK

Destinations Outside London

purchased from a travel agent in your own country or directly at the airport. The cost could be anywhere ranging from £60 - £200 There is another Airline called "EasyJet" that flies from London Luton airport to major UK cities. These tickets can only be purchased by phoning the airline direct once you are in the UK or through the internet- they do not work through travel agents. The cost of one way ticket will be around £39, £49, or £59 - the price will depend on how busy the flight is and when you book your ticket. To get to London - Luton Airport there is a direct bus service from Heathrow airport, for times, tickets and directions to the bus terminal at Heathrow please go to the Airport Information Desks, which are around the airport.

If you fly with another European airline from your own country you may be able to fly direct to your final UK destination via another European city such as Amsterdam, Paris or Frankfurt and thus avoid London. This may work out cheaper than going via London Heathrow.

Trains

The rail network provides a fairly fast way of travelling around the country. You can find out information about train times and ticket prices from National Rail Enquiries (Tel: 08457 484950, Web: www.nationalrail.co.uk) or from a train station or travel agent. You can buy train tickets from any train station/telephone/on-line. Tips for cheap train travel Young Persons Railcard: If you are 26 years old or younger or a full time student, you can buy a Young Persons Rail card. This will gives you a 1/3 discount every time you buy a train ticket, so it is worth getting one if you intend to travel a lot in the UK. You can buy one at most stations in the UK.

Buy a return ticket: Return tickets are usually cheaper than two single tickets. If you are travelling to and from your destination in one day, you might be able to buy a ‘cheap day return’, which is even cheaper.

Buy your ticket in advance: If you plan to make a long journey, it is often worth buying your ticket a few days, or even weeks before your journey – this will save you money and should ensure you get a seat on the train. The tickets you can buy in advance include Saver, Super Saver and Apex tickets. For some of these tickets, you will need to book the time of train you will travel on – your ticket will not be valid if you travel on a different train. In the South East of England, a ‘Network Card’ works out cheaper (at the time of writing) than other discount cards, such as the Young Person’s Railcard.

Travel cards/season tickets: If you are intending to travel around in London or any of the major cities, it will probably be cheaper to purchase a travel card. A one-day travel card allows you unlimited travel for one day, and normally works out to be the price of three journeys! In London, you can buy an offpeak travel card for Mondays-Fridays after 9.30am, or weekends. You can also buy a travel card for weekdays before 9.30am, but these are much more expensive. You can also buy travel cards/season tickets for longer periods, e.g. a week, a month, a year for travel in lots of towns/cities in the UK.

Check at the train station which would be the best ticket or you – do compare the costs of the different types of tickets available.

Train stations in London

Local buses

You can get information on the routes and times of buses in your area from Travel-line (Tel: 0870 608 2 608, Web: www.traveline.org.uk). You can often find a leaflet with local bus routes and times from a public library.

Many buses in large towns and cities operate an ‘exact fare’ policy – which means that the driver will not give you change if you do not have the right amount of money in coins. Make sure that you have a selection of coins ready before you board the bus. You may be able to buy a travel card or season ticket to save money if you use the local buses regularly. To catch a bus, find a bus stop for the right bus route. When your bus approaches, show the bus driver that you want to use the bus by stepping to the edge of the pavement and stretching your arm towards the road. You usually need to pay the driver, or show any travel card/season ticket as you get on the bus. When you want to get off the bus, you usually need to press a button that tells the driver to stop at the next bus stop.

Ask the driver for help if you don’t know where you need to get off the bus – the bus driver will then tell you when you reach your destination.

Long-distance coaches

National Express, a chain of national coach operators operates a comprehensive network of coach services across the UK and this can often work out much cheaper than other forms of travel. However, travel by coach takes longer, may not be as comfortable, and often has fewer services. If you are 26 years old or younger or a full time student, you can buy a Discount Coach card. This will save you 30% on many National Express journeys. It is wise to book your ticket in advance, as seating is limited. For more details, visit your local coach station or contact National Express (Tel: 08705 808080, Web: www.nationalexpress.com).

You can also travel by coach to many destinations in continental Europe – these services are run by Eurolines. These coaches always start and finish at London Victoria coach station. Contact National Express (details above) for details of the Eurolines services.

The Underground

Several cities in the UK have an underground or metro system (in London, this is called the ‘tube’). The underground has the advantage that trains are not held up by traffic. However, be prepared for a squeeze, especially at peak travelling times! It is easy to plan your journey if you are not familiar with where you are going. Stations are clearly marked on maps and by signs in the street. You need to buy your underground ticket before you get on the train – either from a machine or a ticket seller. You can find out more about the London underground here http://tube.tfl.gov.uk.

Taxis Sometimes you need to travel in areas where there are no buses or trains. In this case, taxis are useful. Look for names of taxi companies in local telephone directories. All taxi firms have to be registered by the local council so for short journeys, different taxi companies will charge you similar fares. However, always get a quote before taking a journey of more than 8 miles: prices can vary a lot between different firms. Taxis are often thought to be expensive, but if a group of people use a taxi together, and divide the cost, the price will work out quite favorably. It is usual to give a tip to taxi drivers of 10% of the fare for short journeys.

Cars

If you plan to be in the UK for some time, you may consider buying a car. Remember that you can purchase a second hand or used car more cheaply than a new one! It is a good idea to take a British friend along with you to help you check it out. You could also arrange for someone from the AA (the Automobile Association, a British organisation that provides services for car drivers) to check a second hand, for a fee. Having a car can work out quite expensive, as you will need petrol, insurance, motor tax as well as paying for repairs. You will also need to obtain a UK license although if you have a car in your own country it is worth asking the Driving Vehicle License Center at Swansea whether you are covered to drive in this country on your own license.