Travelling to Britain
Introduction
Whether you’re travelling to Britain by LeShuttle, Eurostar, coach, ferry or plane, there are plenty of options to make getting here as easy as possible.
Getting to Britain by air
Flying to Britain is easy. London Heathrow is the largest airport and is very well connected to central London. The capital is also home to Gatwick, Stansted and City airports.
Other major international airports include Manchester, Liverpool and Newcastle in the North of England, Birmingham in the Midlands and Bristol in the South West. Scotland is served by both Edinburgh and Glasgow airports. Cardiff Airport provides international connections for Wales, while Northern Ireland is served by Belfast.
All British airports are well connected with local public transport. The Heathrow Express provides a fast, direct train into London Paddington station, while the airport is also connected to the London Underground network and the Elizabeth Line. Gatwick, Stansted and Manchester have regular express train connections, while Edinburgh has a tram link to the city centre. Shop for Heathrow Express tickets and Stansted Express tickets here.
Getting to Britain by train via LeShuttle or Eurostar
The Channel Tunnel links Britain to the European continent via LeShuttle trains (which take passengers in their cars) and Eurostar trains (which take passengers only), providing a greener alternative to flying.
LeShuttle links Calais in France with Folkestone in England and provides a high degree of flexibility, in terms of when and where you travel. There are up to four departures an hour, and once you reach our side of the Channel Tunnel you can drive to your choice of Britain’s most popular destinations and attractions.
Eurostar trains link Paris, Lille and Calais in France; Brussels in Belgium; and Amsterdam and Rotterdam in the Netherlands directly via the Channel Tunnel with London and South East England.
LeShuttle run services between Calais and Folkestone up to four times an hour, seven days a week. The journey takes just 35 minutes. On one fare you can travel with up to nine people, and even your pets. From Folkestone, the drive to London is approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes.
Find out more about LeShuttle live departures and journey information.
Frequent Eurostar services operate from around 7am to 9pm between Paris and London every day of the week, taking around 2 hours 30 minutes.
The Paris-London train arrives at London’s St Pancras International station, home to world-class shopping, top restaurants and bars.
Services also run between these destinations and London every day of the week.
Services from Amsterdam to London take just 4 hours 10 minutes. Direct services will resume from 10 February 2025 following renovations at Amsterdam Centraal station.
Services from Brussels to London take just 2 hours.
See the full Eurostar timetables.
Once in Britain, the rail network here covers the whole country, serving more than 2,500 stations. From London, it’s possible to be in Scotland in just four hours, and in Wales in around two hours.
Getting to Britain by car
LeShuttle car trains connect Calais in France with Folkestone in just 35 minutes. One fare includes up to nine people and there is an unlimited baggage allowance. Unlike ferry services, all passengers remain in their vehicles for the duration of the journey, making LeShuttle the fast and convenient way to cross the Channel in the comfort of your very own car. This also means that it can provide a higher level of accessibility.
LeShuttle offer lots of opportunities to save money on ticket fares, including the option to get a better price by booking early online, as well as a range of different ticket types to best suit the type of trip you’re planning. For example, ‘Short Stay Saver’ tickets are ideal for those looking for a mini break, while Flexiplus tickets offer you the freedom to stay as long as you like!
A network of car and passenger ferry services conveniently link several ports around the UK with northern and southern Europe. Key international UK ferry ports include: Felixstowe, Harwich, Folkestone, Dover and Southampton in southern England; Hull and Liverpool in northern England; Edinburgh in Scotland, and Belfast in Northern Ireland.
Fares vary according to the season, time of travel and duration of stay so it’s worth checking before you book. Crossing times also vary, from just over an hour on the shortest routes to 24 hours on services from places like Spain and Scandinavia.
Travelling to Britain by coach
Using coach or bus services is a cheap but often time-consuming way of travelling to the UK. Many services offer regular routes that cross the English Channel from the European continent. You could choose to terminate your journey in London or other major cities in the UK.
