Visiting Canada all in one trip is a massive undertaking.

Over 7,200 kilometres (4,475 mi)

separate St. John's, Newfoundland from Victoria, British Columbia (about the same distance
separating London and Riyadh, or Tokyo and Kolkata). To drive from one end of the country
could take 7–10 days or more (and that assumes you're not stopping to sight see on the way). A
flight from Toronto to Vancouver takes over 4 hours. When speaking of specific destinations
within Canada, it's better to consider its distinct regions:
Canada regions
Atlantic Canada (New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince
Edward Island)
This region prides itself on its history, particularly that of the formation of Canada as a sovereign
state. Atlantic Canada is well-known for unique accents, the origin of Acadian culture, natural
beauty (particularly around coastal areas), the historic beauty of Halifax and St. John's, and a
huge fishing and shipping industry. It is also home to the distinctive culture of Newfoundland
and Labrador, which was simultaneously the first part of what is now Canada to be explored by
Europeans and the last part to join the confederation.
Quebec
Quebec is the only province with a French-speaking majority, having been settled as part of the
New France colony. The region is culturally distinct from the rest of Canada, and is known for
its cultural landscape, such as Quebec City's Winter Festival, Montreal's classic architecture, and
maple syrup and poutine (two staples of Canadian cuisine). Montreal is also a prominent global
francophone city, though through centuries of influence from both the British and the French, it
is also very much a bilingual city, and its inhabitants have developed a self-proclaimed distinct
sense of identity.
Ontario
Canada's most populous province is geographically vast, allowing for endless activities to
partake in. Toronto, Canada's largest city, is eclectic, multicultural, and vibrant with 140 unique
neighbourhoods. Ottawa is Canada's charming, bilingual capital and features an array of art
galleries and museums that showcase Canada's past and present. Farther south is Niagara Falls
and the north is home to the untapped natural beauty of the Muskoka and beyond. All these
things and more highlight Ontario as what is considered quintessentially Canadian by outsiders.
Prairies (Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan)
Known for their vast open spaces and plentiful resources, the Canadian Prairies are a dynamic set
of provinces with some of the most stunning natural beauty in the world. The region is rich in
geographic variety, from rolling hills and canola farm fields in Manitoba and Saskatchewan to
forests rich in diversity and the rather unique rock formations of the Rocky Mountains in
Alberta. This region is also one of the fastest growing in Canada, and is well-known for
mountain resorts like Banff and Jasper. The major cities of Calgary, Edmonton, Regina, and
Winnipeg are modern cities with massive rodeos, museums, and stunning architecture.
British Columbia
Vancouver is the heart of British Columbia. It is known as one of the most liberal and culturally
diverse cities in North America with everything from world-class skiing to nude beaches.
Travelling outside Vancouver, one finds Victoria, provincial capital with a bustling downtown
and stunning legislature grounds; the Okanagan, which is home to wineries, graceful mountains,
and resorts; and retirement villages. Get lost in the vastness of mountains, lakes, and other
natural wonders. The province also has the mildest winters in Canada on average (though often
cloudy), especially in coastal regions, making it popular with Canadians who are less
enthusiastic about winter.
The North (Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Yukon)
The territories are some of the most remote regions on Earth and constitute most of Canada's
landmass. Though more known for their unique fauna and landscapes, the Territories also have
some interesting human settlements, including Dawson City, a city that looks nearly untouched
from the gold rush of 1898, and Iqaluit, Canada's newest territorial capital, which is home to
some interestingly adaptive architecture to the harsh climate of the North.

England is the largest and, with 55 million inhabitants, by far the most populous of the United
Kingdom's constituent countries. A 'green and pleasant land', England is home to much more
than this famous description implies. From urban bustle to rural idylls via spectacular coastline
and dramatic natural scenery, England has an incredible variety of landscapes and attractions to
experience. Historical sites and cultural attractions abound here, whilst modern architecture and
exciting technological innovations litter England's largest cities; many of which have seen
successive programmes of regeneration from the mid-19th century (or earlier). A diverse and
culturally-rich country, with immigrants from the world over, visitors to England can seldom
help being entranced by its charm, character, and unique culture.
Regions

England can be divided most generally into three sections, with deep historical and linguistic
roots for each of them. These can be further divided into regions, which in turn consist of
counties, most of which also have long histories.
Southern England

Southern England is roughly the area south of The Wash and the Bristol Channel.
Regions of England
London
A vast and diverse metropolitan region in itself, the capital city of both England and the United
Kingdom, a global capital of finance, fashion, and culture.
South East England
Broadly speaking, the area around and south of London, including the territory along the English
Channel.
West Country
The often-rugged peninsula extending southwest into the Atlantic and adjoining counties.
Cornwall is sometimes considered a distinctive entity.
East of England
A low-lying territory northeast of London, mostly rural.
Midlands

The English Midlands are roughly the area east of Wales and across to the North Sea.
West Midlands
The birthplace of William Shakespeare, Rugby and the Industrial Revolution, the historic West
Midlands spans from the eastern border of Wales to the centre of England. Alongside its large
industrial urban conurbations, the region is the home to five Areas of Outstanding Natural
Beauty.
East Midlands
From the geographic centre of England and the rugged peak district to the traditional coastal
resorts on the North Sea. The East Midlands boasts both rich historical legend, in the form of
Robin Hood, and industrial and scientific heritage. The region is primarily covered by
agricultural land and is famed for its culinary produce.
Northern England

Northern England is anywhere north of Staffordshire in the west and roughly north of the River
Trent in the east, up to the Scottish border.
Yorkshire
Regarded as one of the most scenic, varied and interesting of all the traditional counties.
North West England
Major industrial cities and breathtaking scenery between Wales and Scotland.
North East England
The urbanised areas of Teesside and Tyne and Wear plus the largely rural large county of
Northumberland with its sparsely populated borders with Scotland and beautiful countryside and
coastline.
Cities
+
-
100 km
Wikimedia maps | Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Map of England

England has many large cities. Listed below are nine of the most popular:

1 London — the largest metropolitan area in Western Europe, with a range of attractions so
rich, varied and – well – bloody enormous, you won't know where to start
2 Birmingham — England's second largest city in the country's heartland; "workshop of the
world" it was, now boasts super shopping
3 Brighton — Regency seaside resort and university town with quirky shopping, good eating,
rich culture and eclectic gay nightlife
4 Bristol — vibrant music scene, lovely historic buildings and an attractive waterfront, with
many festivals to enjoy in the summer
5 Liverpool — booming cosmopolitan city, famous for its grand landmarks, world-changing
music heritage and footie-mad population
6 Manchester — the north's cultural, sporting, entertainment, shopping and media hub is often
viewed as Birmingham's main rival to second-city status
7 Newcastle upon Tyne — seriously good nightlife and "Geordie" inhabitants warm enough to
offset the north-eastern chill
8 Nottingham — the "Queen of the Midlands" is home to Robin Hood, Sherwood Forest and
Nottingham Castle
9 York — ancient capital of Yorkshire, with Roman, Viking and Medieval architecture

Other destinations
The Lake District

England has many outstanding landmarks and sites of interest. Listed below are nine of the most
notable:

1 Hadrian's Wall — the Romans built this 87 mile wall to protect their province of Britannia
from northern raiders.
 2 Isles of Scilly — magical archipelago of tiny islands off the south western coast of
Cornwall.
3 Lake District National Park — glorious mountains, lakes and woodlands; the land of
Wordsworth.
4 New Forest National Park — one of the few remnants of the great oak and hornbeam
woodland that once covered southern England.
5 North York Moors National Park — with heather-clad hills, woodlands, impressive sea cliffs
and secluded beaches, this area is one of the true English gems.
6 Peak District National Park — rugged moors and hills in the north, secluded dales and
limestone escarpments in the south.
7 South Downs National Park — the gentle rolling chalk downs of southern England, which
culminate at the coast in massive white cliffs.
8 Stonehenge — the iconic Neolithic and Bronze Age monument; as mysterious as it is
famous.
9 Yorkshire Dales National Park — charming, picture postcard villages set in some of the
finest landscapes anywhere in Britain.

Understand
Orientation

Don't confuse "England" with the larger "Britain" or "United Kingdom"; see the United
Kingdom article for details. Within the island of Great Britain, Scotland sits to the north of
England and Wales is to the west. Northern Ireland (also part of the UK) and the Republic of
Ireland lie across the Irish Sea to the west of England (and Wales). France and the Channel
Islands are across the English Channel to the south, and to the east is the North Sea.
Climate
Tower Bridge and the City of London, London
Tower Bridge at sunset, London

England has been stereotyped as being cold, grey and rainy since the ancient Romans wrote
home, but this is not an entirely accurate picture. Temperatures rarely get very cold or very hot,
and while the country certainly gets rain, it's really not as wet as rumour has it. London alone has
lower annual rainfall than Paris, New York and Sydney, and it's not uncommon for parts of the
country to go without rain for weeks. Parts of southern England often have summer water
restrictions due to a lack of adequate rainfall during the previous winter. All the same, make sure
you've got a raincoat.
Northern and western parts are usually wetter than the rest of England due to the prevailing wind
from the north west bringing down cold moist air from the North Atlantic, and the sunniest and
warmest areas are in the far south and south east.

Winter and autumn are usually the wettest seasons where the weather is often very changeable
and at times quite windy, especially in the north and west, where cold Arctic winds arrive.
Spring conditions are very changeable: a day of hot sunshine is likely as not to be followed by a
week of cold wind and rain; and vice-versa. Occasional snow even as late as May is not unheard
of in northern England, but it will melt quickly. Snow is particularly rare in the south east.
Summer is generally warm in the south with average highs usually ranging from 18-23°C, but be
prepared for unsettled weather at any time of the year and make sure to check a weather forecast
if you plan to be outdoors.

Hot spells of weather can occur from May to September where temperatures may reach 30°C in
the warmest areas of England, typically London and parts of the South East. Central Europe has
very hot summers and very cold winters, but England is both less extreme (surrounded by water)
and milder in the winter (influenced by the warmth of the North Atlantic Drift). If it were not for
the North Atlantic Drift, England would be much much colder.

Heavy, prolonged, snow is rare and temperatures are rarely below freezing for more than a few
days. Some years there will be a few days of road and rail disruption from snow - even the
slightest amount of snow often causes delays on public transport, especially rail. Very severe
weather conditions are rare and remedial action is usually taken promptly. Flooding and droughts
are unlikely to affect the traveller. High winds occasionally disrupt travel, most often outside
summer.

English people are said to have a passion for debating the weather: actually this is usually just an
opening gambit to start a conversation with a stranger. Often, these conversation openers are
heard among the elderly members of society. Most discussions that do involve weather usually
include criticisms of it - including (though perhaps not at the same time) both that it's "too cold"
and it's "too hot". Well-known conversational gambits (with due acknowledgement to Peter Kay)
: "It's too cold for snow"; "It's that fine rain that soaks you through".
People
View of Cornmarket Street, Oxford

The people of England, like their language, are a mixed bunch who have regularly been infused
with new blood - from the Romans nearly 2000 years ago taking control of the ancient British in
the region, to the later influences of Angles, Saxons and others from Europe after which created
the original idea of the English, to the Vikings and then the Normans about a thousand years ago.
Since then, there have been Huguenots, Chinese, Jews fleeing pogroms, people from former
British colonies in the Caribbean in the 1950s and 60s, Indians expelled from newly independent
former African colonies, workers from new EU member states such as Poland, not to mention
people from other UK nations and the Republic of Ireland. The full list is very long, but England
has long been used to outsiders making it their home - even before England existed! It is true to
say that not all English people welcome foreigners and some distastefully racist political
organisations exist, but it's a very small fraction of the population who subscribe to such views
and are looked down on with disgust by the overwhelming majority of the country. Almost
everyone will treat you well if you are polite and make an effort to fit in. Smile, be polite, don't
be pushy if you can help it: that's how to get on with the English.

The English are well used to foreign visitors and you can expect them to be friendly and polite.
One thing to bear in mind is that many (mostly elderly) English people are terrified of causing
offence and dislike lying, and so will try to avoid potential pitfalls by sticking to safe (often
boring) topics of conversation. They will occasionally attempt to avoid offence by evading a
question which worries them, while also trying not to offend you by point blank refusing you an
answer. This sort of thing generally wears off as people get to know you. The younger generation
are often more open with their opinions and emotions, but you can still expect them to be polite.

Big cities and even some rural areas, as in any country, have their social problems, but England
is predominantly an affluent country with little visible poverty. Rough areas see their fair share
of petty and semi-serious crime: muggings, car theft, and other street crime are unhappily
common in some districts of many towns and cities, but England is by and large a very safe
country as long as you use common sense. Unless you are in a very touristy area (such as Covent
Garden in London), you the traveller are no more likely to be targeted by criminals than is
anyone else. However in places that are very popular with visitors, less careful tourists can
sometimes be victims of scams and crimes such as pickpocketing. Don't be one of them!

In tourist destinations you will meet mostly friendly people who will take the time to answer a
stranger's question, and who may speak English in a colourful or accented way but will usually
be willing to standardise and simplify their speech if you make it clear that you're struggling to
understand. Some say that there is a north-south divide with regard to friendliness of people,
with people in the North seen as more friendly and approachable, while those in the South
(particularly in urban areas such as London) tending to be less willing to stop and speak to
strangers. Remember not to take offence, however; most people you see on the streets will
usually be rushing to get to somewhere (e.g. work) and simply don't have the time to talk.
However in rural areas, particularly East Anglia and the West Country, people can be more
inclined to spare their time to have a chat with strangers. You should bear in mind that these are
generalisations and do not apply to all people in the areas mentioned. In any case, you will
usually find that if you are polite and friendly, you'll get the same in return from anybody you
speak to.
London itself is a very international city where you may meet a variety of nationalities,
depending on what part of the city you are in.
Talk

Unsurprisingly, English is the main language in England, though it is spoken with many different
accents throughout the country. Generally, English accents can be broadly divided into Northern
and Southern accents. However, within these two main 'regions', accents can vary widely
between different counties, towns and cities. For example, natives of Liverpool (called
'Liverpudlians' or more informally 'Scousers') have a distinctive accent that is easily
distinguishable from that of someone from nearby Manchester (called 'Mancunians') and even
from the surrounding countryside. Some cities even have multiple accents depending on the area
of the city and the social class of the speaker. For example, working class 'Cockneys' of the East
End of London sound very different to more well-heeled denizens of west London. England is
generally considered to have the greatest variety of accents in the English-speaking world, even
when compared to a much larger country like the United States.

In Cornwall, a very small number of people speak Cornish, a Celtic language similar to Welsh
and completely separate from English. However, with fewer than a couple of hundred speakers
of the language, any experience of Cornish you get is likely to be confined to road signs or
information boards.

No other languages are widely spoken, but with widespread immigration to England from other
Commonwealth and European Union countries in the past few decades, you might also hear
other languages spoken in the big cities. You may hear (and even see signs in) Urdu, Punjabi,
Hindi, Gujarati, Polish, Italian, Greek, Turkish and varieties of Arabic. Largely because of links
with Hong Kong and the overseas Chinese community in Malaysia, many Chinese Cantonese
speaking people live here; London, Manchester and Sheffield in particular have thriving
communities.

The English are not known for being particularly fond of learning foreign languages, and often
rely solely on English when they travel abroad! French (and to a lesser extent Spanish, Italian
and German) is usually taught in schools, but they are no longer compulsory. Few English
people are fluent in a foreign language but they may remember enough to be willing to help a
stranger in difficulties (if they can get over the embarrassment of being seen to "show off"). For
this reason, you should be prepared to have to use English to make yourself understood.

There are some peculiar words and phrases that even a native speaker of another variant of
English may not understand. For example, when an English person says "Meet me at half five",
they mean "Meet me at 5:30". If the directions say "go to the top of the road", that means the end
of the road. Some words mean one thing to Americans and something else entirely to English
people. When an English man says he shared a "fag" with his "mate" that means only that he
smoked a cigarette with a friend. If he adds that they also had a "gorgeous" meal, it means it was
followed by a nice dinner. Then there are the words unique to British English; a sneaker or tennis
shoe, for instance, is called a "trainer." The expression "cheers!" is used both when drinking with
somebody and as a substitute for "thank you."

Another English peculiarity is the use of terms of endearment for strangers such as "darling",
"pet", "love", "hun", "duck", "bab", "mate", "sweetheart", "flower", "queen" and a few others. It
can be confusing, or perhaps even embarrassing, for somebody who is not accustomed to this to
be called "darling" by a total stranger and it can also contrast quite sharply with the popular
image of English people as being very reserved. However, this is something which is nowadays
mainly used by the older generation and found less in the younger generation except for between
friends, although some younger males may call a woman "Darlin". This is usually either as a
form of cat calling (and can often be followed by derogatory demands or language but is often
harmless) or directed towards a female friend.

You will hear English people say "sorry". This is not down to guilt or self-consciousness but
simply because it is synonymous with "excuse me", and is used to get somebody's attention.
Alternatively it can be synonymous with "pardon". Any comments along the lines of "What are
you sorry about?" are pointless and likely to be received with blank looks.

As London is one of the world's most multicultural cities, you will be hard-pressed to find a
major world language that is not spoken by someone there.
Accents and dialects

The diverse history of England, and the constant influx of various cultures and peoples over the
centuries (e.g. Vikings, Normans, Romans, Celtic peoples, all the way up to recent immigration
from Commonwealth and EU countries), have produced a wide range of accents, and there are
still traces of regional dialects (vocabulary and grammar). Best not to imitate the accents, you
will be seen as mocking.

An accent will usually reveal where someone was brought up — sometimes to within quite a
small area (there exists an urban legend of criminals being caught because their accents on
recorded phone calls were traceable to a single neighbourhood). Today, even well-educated
professionals are happy to keep their regional accent: the unhappy days when people from
outside the South East felt that they had to hide their accent to "get on" have gone. It is now only
people who go to public (i.e. private, fee-paying) schools who learn to speak in a "geography-
free" way (the "upper-class accent" of colonial rulers, well-known from old British films, or
modern parodies). Differences in accent are very real: a visitor who is expecting a particular
accent they are familiar with from the cinema or television (perhaps "Dick van Dyke Cockney"
or "Hugh Grant Silly Ass Upper Crust") will usually have to wait a day or two to get really
accustomed to the real accents they hear around them. Even English people, familiar with other
accents from TV or by knowing neighbours or colleagues who have moved from other areas, can
still struggle when far from home. "Geordie", the accent/dialect of Tyneside, is a famously strong
accent when spoken quickly among a group of people who do not know that a stranger is trying
to tune in. Most people are happy to tone down (or slow down) their accent when a stranger is in
difficulty. When encountering a broad Geordie accent it can be quite difficult for someone who
is not accustomed to it to understand it, and there are still various dialectic words in common use
such as hyem = home, gan/gannin = going, wor = our, divvint = don't and howay = come on.
Many of these regional terms are similar to words in modern Scandinavian languages due to the
Viking influence on the area.

Dialects exist, but to the traveller this should be a matter of interest, not confusion. People across
England would expect to understand anyone from anywhere else in England, because the few
everyday dialect words are usually well known from TV. Some examples from the north of
England: "ey up" ("Hello"), "aye" ("yes", as in Scotland and the North of England); "tha" ("you",
as in thee and thou, still common in Yorkshire). Real differences are subtle and of little
consequence these days: for instance, people growing up in Manchester, Leeds and Sheffield use
"jennel", "jinnel", and "ginnel" respectively as the word for a particular type of narrow alley
between houses. Other common words are "wee", "bonnie", "lass" (small, beautiful and girl,
respectively in the north east, as well as over the border in Scotland).

A few useful words which may help you understand the English (particularly in the Midlands
and North): "ta" = thank you, "ta ra/ta ta" = goodbye, "summat/summit/summink" = something,
"nowt" = nothing, "owt" = "anything", "dunna/dunno" = don't know, "canna/cannit = cannot.
Get in

See the United Kingdom article for information on immigration and visa requirements.

By road
From outside Great Britain
The white cliffs of Dover

Since England is on an island, it is not possible to drive directly into England from outside Great
Britain. Motorists have two choices to enter England from outside Great Britain, by various car
ferry routes, or the Channel Tunnel.
Car ferries
 From mainland Europe. - there are a wide variety of routes and operators from various
countries. Ferry routes to British Mainland
From the Channel Islands. Services connect Jersey and Guernsey with the south of England.
From the Isle of Man. Services connect Douglas, Isle of Man with the north west of England
From Ireland. There are only limited car ferry services connecting Ireland directly with
England. Alternatively it is possible to take a ferry from Ireland to Wales or Scotland and then
continue the journey by road to England.

See "by boat" for further details.

Channel Tunnel

From France. Eurotunnel run a frequent train service from Calais, France, to Folkestone which
carries vehicles and their passengers.

From elsewhere in Great Britain

A number of roads cross England's borders with its British neighbours. These roads range from
the simple country lanes to motorways. There are no border controls with Scotland or Wales;
indeed, on smaller roads the border may not be noticed at all.

There are no tolls to cross into England; however, motorists need to be aware that crossing from
England into Wales via the M4 and M48 Severn Bridges will need to pay a toll. Also, there is a
M6 toll road to bypass the congestion of Birmingham (England's second largest city) on the main
M6 motorway.

The most important road connections into and out of England are.

A1 from Edinburgh to Eastern Scotland

M4 from South Wales
M74/A74/M6 from Western Scotland
A55 from North Wales.
By plane

Most people flying to England from outside Europe are likely to land in London Heathrow,
London Gatwick or Manchester. Those flying from inside Europe have a great many options
with low cost carriers connecting large European cities with many regional airports within
England. Flying to England from Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland is popular, although
there are almost no flight connections from Wales.

London and the South East

London Heathrow (LHR IATA) - By far the largest airport in UK, it is also the third busiest in
the world.
London Gatwick (LGW IATA) - London's second most important airport
London Stansted (STN IATA) - Important low cost carrier airport near Cambridge
London Luton (LTN IATA) - Smaller airport to the north west of London
London City (LCY IATA) - Small airport in the centre of London, mostly targeting business
travellers who want to get into the city's financial districts quickly

The South: Southampton and Bournemouth are on the south coast.

The South West: Bristol, Exeter, Newquay and Plymouth mostly serve domestic and European
destinations.

The East Norwich

The Midlands: Birmingham International, and East Midlands Airport

The North: Manchester International (MAN IATA), Liverpool John Lennon, Newcastle
International, Leeds-Bradford, Doncaster Sheffield Airport, Humberside, Durham Tees Valley
and Blackpool
By train

See also Rail travel in the United Kingdom

Eurostar links mainland Europe to England. Its high speed trains run from Paris, France and
Brussels, Belgium as well as other cities in France (Avignon, Calais, Lille, Lyon and Marseille),
crossing into England via the Channel Tunnel (and often stopping at either Ebbsfleet or Ashford)
before continuing to St. Pancras Station in London. Occasional services run from other
destinations in France. Book as early as possible as fares can be considerably more expensive if
trying to book at the last minute.

The rail system with Wales and Scotland is fully integrated, with regular services crossing the
borders into England. In addition to regular daytime trains, sleeper trains link Scotland and
England. As they are subject to franchising and the current contract runs to 2030, they are
unlikely to share the fate of many continental European night trains which were cut and
withdrawn since the 1990s.

BritRail Passes are also available to non-UK citizens which allow the traveller unlimited rail
travel in England on one ticket.
By boat

See also: ferries to the British mainland

With so much coastline and so many ports, England has extensive shipping links with many
countries worldwide. Major ports are Dover, Folkestone, Harwich, Hull, Plymouth, Portsmouth,
Southampton, Liverpool, Ipswich and Newcastle. See Ferry routes to British Mainland.
By bus

While Britain has had long distance buses for decades and many of them serve various points
inside and outside of England, France only opened its long distance bus market in 2015. Of
course, several companies have jumped at the opportunity and London-Paris (via the Chunnel) is
probably the most obvious international route, which is offered by several companies, including
French ouibus, British Megabus or German Flixbus. While travel times are usually a lot longer
than by plane or train, the prices tend to be rather low and fares below 20€ are not unheard of.
Get around
The Humber bridge, Hull

England is well serviced by domestic air, land and sea routes.

There are taxi firms everywhere (many are by booking only—find the phone number of the local
company and phone ahead), and every town has a bus service. 'Black cabs' are also common in
cities and can be hailed from the side of the road. Sometimes in city centres, usually just after the
nightclubs have closed, there will be queue for taxis which will sometimes be monitored by
marshals or police.

To be safe, make sure you take a registered taxi or black cab; despite government action, many
unlawful unregistered private taxi drivers exist—these do have a reputation for being unsafe,
particularly if you are a woman.

England has one of the highest densities of railway lines per square mile in the world. There has
been much improvement and investment to the railway network and rolling stock but delays and
cancellations do occasionally occur. Overcrowding can be a problem in large cities, especially at
'rush-hour' times (7AM–9AM and 5PM–7PM, Monday to Friday) so it is best to avoid these
times when tickets can be expensive as well. See also Rail travel in the United Kingdom.

Buses are numerous, frequent and reliable in most of the larger towns and cities and an ideal way
of getting around. Rural areas are less well served and hiring a car is often the best option to
explore the countryside and villages.

The roads are of generally excellent quality (although can deteriorate in rural areas) and the signs
and markings are clear. The main problem with driving in England is the sheer volume of traffic
on the roads. Unfortunately this is not only limited to rush-hours and large cities, and even cross-
country motorways can slow to a stop as they pass urban areas. Prepare for travel times being
longer than you'd normally anticipate in relation to the mileage. The speed limit, unless
otherwise stated, is 30 or 40 mph in built-up areas, 50 or 60 mph (approx 95 km/h) elsewhere
and 70 mph (approx. 110 km/h) on motorways and other controlled-access roads. Speed cameras
and traffic police are numerous so caution is advised. The traditional British 'reserve' and
politeness may occasionally dissolve under the stress of congestion on the major routes,
especially with the traffic problems in some of England's larger cities, but generally driving
around Britain is an enjoyable experience and it is polite to acknowledge the courtesy of another
driver with a nod or the raising of the hand as a form of thank you. Drivers will often flash their
headlights to indicate that you are clear to pull out, or otherwise to give way to you, and it is
considered polite to say thank you by giving a wave or a quick flash of your headlights.

Flashing your hazards (i.e., both indicators at the same time) is only used as an indication of
danger. Usually it's used to indicate that the car has broken down or to warn other drivers that
there's a hazard up ahead. But flashing your hazards a couple of times is another way of saying
thank you.
Brown road signs with white text indicate nearby tourist attractions, and the blue i sign denotes
Tourist Information.

The UK isn't as cycle-friendly as some other European countries, but cycling is still a great way
to get around. You'll see a lot more from a bicycle, have the freedom to stop wherever you want,
no parking headaches and once you've got the bicycle there is nothing to pay. It is
unquestionably the fastest way around London and other major cities–it does have its dangers but
it's well worth the risk.

There are many lovely cycle paths where you can avoid the traffic and soak in the cityscape or
countryside. Rough examples of journey times at moderate speed: Buckingham Palace to Tower
Bridge: 20 minutes; Buckingham Palace to Windsor Castle: 2 hours; Central London to Oxford:
5 hours. A national online route planner can be found at Cycle Streets

You can hire a bicycle from some local bicycle shops, or purchase a decent one privately for less
than £100 secondhand as the UK has a surplus of old bicycles. Make sure you get a helmet,
particularly for city cycling, and lights, especially in winter as the days are very short. Helmets
aren't compulsory but the police will fine you for not using lights when it's dark. A decent lock is
also essential, particularly in the cities; bicycle theft is a common problem—do not leave your
bicycle unattended, not even for a minute.

Most of the London underground trains and local buses do not accept cycles, but overground
trains and long-distance coaches will normally let you on with a bicycle, as long as they're not
too full. Arrive early for coaches so you get a space in the luggage hold.