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Category Archives: Transport

Useful information regarding 2012 Olympic Games train tickets

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Posted by admin on January 20, 2012 – 10:25 am
Filed under Events, Transport

If you’re a 2012 Games event ticket holder, you can buy 2012 Games train tickets before everyone else. Train companies have assembled special fares from every station on the National Rail network to London and the co-Host Cities, helping you to get to your 2012 Games ticketed event, including the opening and closing ceremonies.

Flexible tickets

2012 Games Train Tickets have special terms and conditions that offer flexibility designed to suit travel to and from the Games.

Longer trains, more services

Over 100 extra train services will be added to the regular timetable each day across the National Rail network during the 2012 Games. Trains will run with more carriages to help provide additional capacity at busy times. 2012 Games train services will start earlier and finish later to help you to get to and from your Games event.

Don’t miss out on the great value train fares, exclusive to 2012 Games ticket holders

Train tickets are likely to get snapped up fast once they go on general sale, so make sure you buy now before they are available to the general public in April 2012. Railcard holders can get discounts too.

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Does London need another airport?

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Posted by admin on January 18, 2012 – 8:31 am
Filed under Transport

Interest in a Thames estuary airport on the east side of London has been growing and it has been revealed that the government is to hold a formal consultation on the matter.  Dubbed ‘Boris Island’ because it has the backing of London mayor Boris Johnson – as well as seemingly having some support from Prime Minister David Cameron – the consultation is expected to be announced in March 2012.  Plans to expand at Heathrow were shelved when the coalition government took over, but does London really need another airport do you think?

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The secret ticket which brings back the true British railway holiday

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Posted by trev on January 16, 2012 – 12:10 pm
Filed under Transport

We seem to hear every 6 months or so that train fares are going up again, so it might seem that the old railway holiday around Britain is something for a few rich enthusiasts, isn’t it?

Actually not exactly as there is one ticket type on Britain’s railways that allows pretty much unfettered access to the entire network for a fixed price with virtually no restrictions on getting on and off trains from Penzance in the south west to Thurso in the far north of Scotland.

So what is this ticket?

It’s called a National Rail Rover ticket and runs for either 7 or 14 days, and you can buy one from any main railway ticket office. The ticket only works if you plan to take quite a few railway journeys during the time such as maybe changing location each day, but in those cases it will significantly save money.

Prices for the National Rail Rover are as below with discounts for those with a Rail Card:
(all costs taken from National Rail web site in Jan 2012)

7 Day Standard-class fare costs £450 (£225 child)
7 Day First class costs £680 (£340 child)
14 Day standard class fare costs £680 (£340 child)
14 Day first class costs £1040 (£520 child)

 

Compared to buying individual tickets:

The above might still sound quite expensive, but taking the 7 day standard ticket would work out an average of £64 per day. According to some calculations based on real train fares starting 2 weeks from now and avoiding the expensive commuter trains, the average closest tickets I could find were still over £100 per journey.

The above tickets were mostly anytime tickets allowing stops in the journey and taking almost any train, but they still restrict to one particular journey which the Rail Rover doesn’t although on some major lines they can’t be used before 10am on Monday to Friday.

 

More details can be found buried in the National Rail Web site:
- 7 Day Rail Rover details
- 14 Day Rail Rover details

 

UK Resources:
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With thanks to Andrew Spooner for spotting this (prices on that page are now out of date).

Become a human sat-nav with “natural navigation”

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Posted by trev on January 14, 2012 – 3:02 pm
Filed under Transport

We might forget in this age of sat nav units, accurate maps and compasses but for 1000s of years people navigated themselves around the country quite well using only what nature provided.

So the big question is – can we really become a human sat-nav and dispense with all the technology? We don’t recommend you immediately set off and try to find your way to a city 100 miles say to the north without first doing a little research, but in essence we don’t strictly need even a compass to find out way between A and B.

The sun is probably one of the most accurate and important parts of the natural navigation toolkit and yes there are those quite frequent times when it disappears behind a cloud or two, but with a little observation you can still get a pretty good idea where its hiding.

Just remember that the sun faces south at its highest point after rising in the east and travelling west. If you have trouble remembering this, just think that the sun works down the alphabet so E -> S -> W. Having a watch would help during these calculations, but careful observation of where the sun is sitting will still give a pretty good clue.

The stars have also been a major part of the navigation process and if you can find the north star which is essentially in line with the edge of the big dipper or saucepan – see this web site for a good graphic. This is a little harder to work out if you’re driving of course or if there’s cloud so don’t entirely get rid of the compass just yet.

The clouds are a surprising navigational tool as long as you know which way the wind is generally blowing. TV forecasts can give a pretty good idea of this in the morning and very often the clouds will blow roughly west to east in Britain due to the Atlantic. Even if the forecast can’t tell you accurately about the rain, they are generally not too far off on the general wind directions.

This navigation system won’t help if you’re trying to find Poplar Street in Wolverhampton, but it could be an interesting way to find your way around and at least you’ll have a general idea if the sat nav suddenly decides you’re in the middle of the Atlantic (as they’ve been known to do).

If you want to know more, have a look at this interesting article from Fresh Air Fix on Natural Navigation.

Five of the best London Bus tours for 2012

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Posted by trev on January 12, 2012 – 1:10 pm
Filed under Attractions, Transport

London for a tourist has a reputation as one of the easiest and hardest places to get around, so why not let someone else stress about the route and take a bus tour of London instead?

Surprisingly, there are lots and lots of bus tours out there from those using the traditional red Routemaster buses (with the door at the back) to the rather quirky London Duck Tours with their bright yellow amphibious vehicles.

Tip: A little tip when taking a bus tour is to make sure they offer hop on, hop off services so you can interupt the tour at various locations and rejoin another tour later on at the same place.

So to help out visitors from the UK and further afield, here are the best bus tours available in London this year:

 

1) The Original London Sightseeing Tours offer what many see as the London bus tour experience with a proper opened topped London bus and commentary as you wander around the sights of the capital.

Live commentaries are in English, but they also offer recorded commentaries in a number of other languages, plus they have hop-on-off services so you can use the bus as your personal transport to various famous locations and even free tickets for various other services.

Intro video for the Original London Sightseeing Tours:

 

2) Golden Tours Open-Top Bus Tour offers an open topped bus service around London in one of the most colourful buses seen in the capital. Hop on, hop off services are available as well as various extras such as discounted Thames river passes.

An introduction to the golden age of Golden Tours:

 

3) London Duck Tours take the London tour to a whole new level, transporting visitors from the London streets straight onto the River Thames which is quite a good way of avoiding all the traffic. Their bright yellow amphibious vehicles take in sights such as Trafalgar Square, the Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace and Big Ben and then take to the water for a trip along this famous river.

Have a whale of a time with this Duck Tours preview:

 

4) Brit Movie Tours take a different approach to many of the other tours, by visiting famous London landmarks associated with TV and films such as Harry Potter, Notting Hill, James Bond and Bridget Jones film locations. There’s also a whistlestop tour option which takes in over 40 locations from 35 films.

Tours are also available in other locations – see preview video:

 

5) The Ghost Bus Tours uses on the classic Routemaster buses you see so much in the films about London, but takes visitors around some of the most haunted and scariest locations in London including haunted palaces and unmarked burial grounds. Definately not for the faint hearted!

A little taster of the Ghost Bus Tours:

 

More London Landmarks: If you’d like to make your own tours around London there’s plenty to see as the UKattraction guide to London will show.

 

Fare-dodging on UK trains – what’s your view?

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Posted by admin on December 13, 2011 – 4:55 pm
Filed under Miscellaneous, Transport

An investigation is underway after a youth attempting to travel without a ticket was – almost quite literally – thrown off a  train by another passenger at Linlithgow Station. It was the Edinburgh to Perth Scotrail train and the youth in question was refusing to disembark despite not having a ticket, using some rather choice vocabulary despite young children being present and generally being antisocial. In situations like this, the train would usually be delayed until police arrived to take the individual off the train, but one disgruntled passenger wasn’t prepared to wait for all of that and helped to physically remove the passenger, to the applause of other passengers.  The incident happened last Friday and can be viewed here:

It’s been viewed more than half a million times already but that will no doubt escalate now that BBC and Sky News have covered it.

Anyway, what’s your take on it all? There’s rumour that the passenger who went to the aid of the conductor could face prosecution for taking the matter into his own hands? Is this unfair or should we all have a zero tolerance to individuals who have such little regard for the system and other passengers? Comments, please!

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Devon’s award winners

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Posted by admin on December 2, 2011 – 4:35 pm
Filed under Accommodation, Attractions, Eating & Drinking, Events, Miscellaneous, Transport

The Devon Tourism Awards celebrates the best of Devon and this year’s awards sees a bumper crop of businesses offering outstanding service and unforgettable experiences. Amongst them, having picked up no less than three awards is Gidleigh Park Hotel. Also on Dartmoor and Silver Award Winners are Ilsington Country House Hotel and  Woodovis Park, and specialising in creating lasting memories is Aerosaurus Balloons and south Devon’s Pennywell Farm.

To find out more about the Devon Tourism Awards and the best of Devon’s accommodation, attractions and more click here.

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Transport hotspots to avoid during London 2012 Olympics

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Posted by admin on November 30, 2011 – 9:03 pm
Filed under Events, Transport

Through a series of heatmaps, Transport for London has outlined a number of transport hotspots to avoid during the London 2012 Olympics.  If you’re going to be in London for the Olympics – or just happen to be in the capital for another purpose at a time that co-incides – it’s worth taking note of how different parts of the city are likely to be affected.  The busiest day of the Olympics is expected to be Friday 3rd August 2012 (for which a heatmap can be found here), but there’s also information showing how roads will be affected during the Olympic torch relay the month before.

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Redesigned motorway service signs could create new game

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Posted by trev on November 7, 2011 – 7:19 pm
Filed under Transport

Roads Minister Mike Penning wants to encourage us to take more breaks while driving, so is now allowing motorway services to add 6 symbols of their choosing to the 1 mile & 1/2 mile signs.

The idea seems to be that the motorway services will be allowed to add logos and pretty much any other symbol to the signs rather than the rather bland if universally understood knife & fork, wheelchair symbol and similar.

Burger King, KFC, M&S are fairly likely to be widely understood, but at UKSeries HQ we’re thinking this will create a new game for long journeys, the – “What the heck does that symbol mean!?” game.

Of course this could be used by clever marketing people to encourage those on more leisurely travels to pop in and see what magical mystery ingredients a certain motorway services has to offer, but apart from a couple in the Lake District at Killington Services (M6 J36 – J35) and Tebay (J39 – J38) they all appear to be pretty much the same. The aforementioned could both include duck symbols for “We have a lake” perhaps.

The proposals are that the new signs could appear within the next couple of months, so if you’re travelling for Christmas, keep a look out for strange new symbols and remember to report back any sightings!

PS: Could we possibly have a credit card sign to mean “annoying credit card sales people operate here”, thus allowing us to avoid those particular service stations. :)

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Jingle all the way to South East England this Christmas

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Posted by admin on November 5, 2011 – 11:15 pm
Filed under Accommodation, Attractions, Eating & Drinking, Events, Transport

With Santa and his elves hard at work, the nine counties making up South East England have been equally busy putting the final touches to its exciting events calendar for Christmas 2011. So why not escape to South East England this winter and make the most of a huge array of events, days out and short breaks with your loved one?

Couples visiting Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Surrey, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire can see how Queen Victoria liked to spend Christmas at Osborne House, take a ride with Santa on the Isle of Wight Steam Railway, skate against the backdrop of Brighton’s Royal Pavilion, shop for stocking fillers at one of the UK’s largest Christmas markets, and much more.

Get your skates on at the Royal Pavilion Ice Rink
East Sussex; 12th November 2011 to 22nd January 2012
Following the enormous success of its inaugural year in 2010, the Royal Pavilion’s Eastern Lawn is set to return as the quintessential festive skating experience in Brighton. The real-ice rink will be set against the backdrop of King George IV’s historic royal palace and will offer lessons, group skating packages, and one of the most romantic and beautiful settings for skating couples this Christmas. Hour-long sessions will be available daily between 12th November 2011 and 22nd January 2012, except Christmas Day. Adult tickets booked via Ticketmaster cost £13 per person for a one-hour session including skate hire.

A Victorian Christmas at Osborne House
Isle of Wight; 19th & 20th November 2011
If you ever wondered how the Victorians used to celebrate Christmas then there’s no better place to find out than Osborne House, the former home of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in the 1800s. On 19th and 20th November 2011, the spectacular stately home will be converted into a festive 19th-century scene with Christmas trees, traditional Victorian fairground stalls, entertainment from a bygone era, and Dickensian characters including the cheeky chimney sweeps. The sumptuous ground floor rooms will be adorned with festive decorations as they would have been when Queen Victoria celebrated at her family home, with colourful trees bedecked in the style favoured by Prince Albert. Adult tickets cost £13.50 for non-members, or £2.10 for members, and include entry to Osborne House.

Victorian Festival of Christmas
Portsmouth; 25th-27th November 2011
It’s nearly time to step back in time… at the Victorian Festival of Christmas. The magical three-day event will see Portsmouth Historic Dockyard transformed into a Dickensian-style bygone era of snowy white streets with seasonal carols, the ever-eventful Fagin’s Tavern, and the largest Christmas market on the South Coast with over 140 stalls! Visitors can meet real-life baby reindeer, take part in Victorian dancing with piping pipers, learn how to cook traditional recipes, enjoy the visually stunning Victorian Magic Lantern show, indulge in roasted chestnuts and steaming mulled wine, and meet a whole host of colourful characters from the 19th-century as they ride by on their Penny Farthings. Adult tickets cost £14.50 and include entry to the attractions of Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.

Dickens Christmas Market and Festive Food Fayre
Kent; 30th November – 18th December 2011
Christmas is coming and there’s no better place to get in the seasonal spirit than the Dickens Christmas Market and Festive Food Fayre. Set in the beautiful grounds of Kent’s Rochester Castle, overlooking the River Medway, the event will kick off with the “Big Christmas Lights Switch-On” with legendary American rapper Vanilla Ice, followed by an enchanting Lantern Procession led by the local choir and a host of quirky characters from the Dickensian era. A truly festive atmosphere awaits at the Castle where visitors will find one of the largest German-style Christmas markets in the UK, complete with Christmas chalets selling a variety of Christmas gifts, hand-crafted goods and festive treats. Live street entertainers, Dickensian characters, musical bands and carol singers will further add to the excitement of festivities. This is a free event open to all.

Light Night throughout Oxford
Oxfordshire; 2nd December 2011
Celebrate the arrival of the Christmas season in Oxford as the city comes alive with a buzzing evening of extravagant illuminations, dance, art, live music and performance, all thrown together with a generous helping of festive cheer. During the evening of Friday 2nd December 2011, Oxford’s museums, Castle, Town Hall, theatres and galleries will throw open their doors to the public for one-off late night viewings of their exhibitions and displays, which will be enhanced by special performances. There will also be parades of people holding lanterns through the street to add a bit of extra sparkle, in addition to festive choirs singing carols, brass bands playing amidst the opening of Oxford Christmas Market and mesmerising street performances. This is a free event open to all.

Christmas Market at Oxford Castle
Oxfordshire; 2nd-18th December 2011
Roasted chestnuts and Glühwein will fill the air at Oxford’s star tourist attraction, Oxford Castle, as the ever-popular Christmas Market returns for another year. Over the course of 17 Christmassy days, the Norman medieval castle will be transformed into a winter wonderland with beautifully-decorated wooden stalls offering an array of Christmas gifts and seasonal treats. The market will feature local choirs and brass bands performing a varied selection of festive carols and spreading seasonal cheer, while a Victorian carousel and Father Christmas will provide additional entertainment. Admission is free and open to all.

Santa Specials on Isle of Wight Steam Railway
Isle of Wight; 3rd, 4th, 10th, 11th, 17th, 18th & 21st-24th December 2011
It’s “all aboard” as Santa lets off steam on a magical 50-minute journey on the award-winning Isle of Wight Steam Railway. The Santa Special service will run on selected dates from 3rd-24th December and will allow passengers to enjoy festive drinks, visit Santa’s grotto, or stock up on last-minute gifts at the Railway Museum at Havenstreet. The festive fun will continue after Christmas with the railway’s “Mince Pie Special” service on 26th and 27th December, where passengers can settle back in a warm and comfortable Victorian or Edwardian carriage and experience the Isle of Wight’s unspoiled winter landscape. Adult tickets cost £22.50* and include return Wightlink catamaran tickets from Portsmouth Harbour, a 10-mile steam train journey, and seasonal refreshments. *Adult prices increase to £23.50 between 18th-24th December 2011.

Denbies Late Night Shopping & Craft Fair
Surrey; 5th & 19th December 2011
This year, why not get into the festive spirit and do a spot of last-minute shopping at the UK’s largest winery? There will be free mulled wine, mince pies a-plenty, Christmas carolling with live music – not to mention a wonderful opportunity to stock up on an award-winning range of wine and local artisan crafts – at Denbies Vineyard. What’s more, on selected days leading up to Christmas, visitors can enjoy a ride through the gently falling snow on the indoor train to Santa’s Grotto. Set in 265 acres of Vines in Dorking, Denbies is an all-weather destination and the UK’s largest single estate vineyard. Admission is free.
www.denbiesvineyard.co.uk

A Victorian Christmas on board HMS Warrior 1860
Portsmouth; 16th December 2011
This December, step on board HMS Warrior 1860 and enter the world of a Christmassy Victorian sailor. From 7pm to midnight, visitors can enjoy a traditional Victorian Christmas celebration complete with carol singers, mulled wine and Christmas fare. The beautifully-restored ship will be festively dressed and each guest will receive mulled wine, dinner, entertainment and a lively disco to dance the night away and celebrate the approaching arrival of Santa. Tickets cost £65 per person and can be purchased individually or for tables of 10.

Southampton City Art Gallery Eco Christmas Workshop
Southampton; 17th December 2011
Budding artists and those with a creative leaning can learn how to make festive decorations from wire, beads and other recycled materials, as part of an Eco Christmas workshop at Southampton’s City Art Gallery. The day is designed to help visitors reduce the amount of waste that goes into landfill and discover ways in which we can better support our environment this Christmas. Among the exhibitions that participants in the Eco Christmas workshop will be able to see are recent works by Boo Ritson, who is known for her unique style, merging painting, sculpture, performance and photography. The one-off workshop is open to anyone aged 13 years or over and will take place between 11am and 1pm. This is a free event but pre-booking is essential.

Creative Christmas Crafts at St Barbe Museum & Art Gallery
Hampshire; 20th & 21st December 2011
Ever since Kirstie Allsopp hit our screens with her Homemade Home programme, artistic souls around the country have been putting their creative skills to the test by making things for the home or adding a personal touch to gifts for friends and relatives. Now the St Barbe Museum and Art Gallery in Lymington is running a Creative Christmas Crafts event for those who want to design and create their own Christmas cards, gifts and decorations for friends and family. The drop-in workshop, which will take place between 10am-1pm and 2pm-4pm, is included in the price of admission to St Barbe Museum & Art Gallery. Tickets to the museum cost £4 for adults.

Burning the Clocks – Winter Solstice Parade
East Sussex; 21st December 2011
Celebrating the winter solstice’s longest night of the year, Brighton’s annual Burning the Clocks – Winter Solstice Parade sees thousands of people gather to make paper and willow lanterns to carry through the city and illuminate the darkness of winter. This spectacular event attracts over 20,000 spectators who flock to watch many of the paper lanterns being burnt on the beach as a token for the end of the year. Visitors can also join free lantern-making workshops held from late October onwards.

Cosy Christmas retreats for couples
Isle of Wight; from 24th December 2011
Couples visiting the Isle of Wight this Christmas can take advantage of half price ferry travel once they’ve booked their cosy Christmas escape. When booking their car crossings online with ferry operator, Red Funnel, customers will receive 50% off their ferry transfers. Discounted stays are available at various charming retreats, including The Bernay in Sandown. This four-star B&B makes for a wonderful get-away for couples with easy access to sloping sandy beaches for winter walks. Whether looking for a romantic festive holiday, or an idyllic base to chill-out away from life’s busy schedule, The Bernay is sure to add an extra special sparkle this winter. Prices start from £612 per room for a four-night escape.

Christmas at a Great Country Pub
Kent; 25th December 2011
Christmas is the one of time of year when hearty food, tip top hospitality, great company, and a bucket full of laughs are an absolute must. Visitors are guaranteed to find all of the above at one of the region’s great country pubs this winter. An ideal choice is The Grove Ferry, situated near Canterbury in Kent and dating back to 1831, which offers the finest local produce from a gorgeous riverside setting. The team that transformed The Wiremill into one of the finest pubs in the land have teamed up with the oldest brewer in the UK, Shepherd Neame, to return The Grove Ferry to the traditional coaching inn it once was. It’s the perfect location to enjoy a Christmas feast with all the trimmings before retiring, with a rounded Santa-esque belly, to one of the six beautifully-furnished en-suite rooms. An overnight stay starts from £64 per night for a double room.