How to Get Around England

England is the easiest country in the world to cross without a car, because it built the railway first and never quite finished dismantling it: 1.8 billion journeys a year on about 10,000 miles of line, 18,000 trains a day, 125 mph on the main lines, and the Beeching cuts of the 1960s still mourned. Fares are the catch -- walk-up tickets are among Europe's highest -- and the answers are booking Advance tickets weeks ahead, travelling off-peak, and buying a Railcard, which for £35 a year (£80 for three) takes a third off most tickets; Great British Railways is due to reunify the system in late 2026. Eurostar runs from St Pancras through the Channel Tunnel to Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam and Rotterdam, 20 million passengers in 2025. Buses carry 4.8 billion journeys a year, most of them in London, where the Underground of 1863, the Elizabeth Line, the buses and the river boats all take a contactless card or phone touched in and out, with fares capped by day and by week; a bus or tram ride costs £1.75 with unlimited changes within an hour, the daily cap is £5.25 and the weekly £24.70, children 5 to 10 ride buses free, cash has not been accepted on a bus since 2014, and a Visitor Oyster card costs £10.50 if you would rather not use a bank card. Heathrow, the busiest airport in Europe with 83.9 million passengers in 2024, is 14 miles west: the Heathrow Express reaches Paddington in 15 minutes for £26, or from £10 booked a month ahead, with children under 16 free; the Tube and the Elizabeth Line are the slow cheap ways.

Driving is on the left, on excellent but narrow and crowded roads: 30 mph in built-up areas with street lights, 60 on single carriageways, 70 on dual carriageways and motorways, many 20 mph zones; the drink-drive limit is 35 micrograms per 100 ml of breath; central London charges a daily congestion fee and all of Greater London is an Ultra Low Emission Zone, and city parking is scarce and dear. The Canadian advisory reminds pedestrians that traffic comes from the other side. Walking is a right: 140,000 miles of public footpaths and bridleways, open access land on mountain, moor, heath, down and common under the 2000 Act, the King Charles III England Coast Path, and the Countryside Code -- gates as you found them, dogs under control, litter home, no fires -- as the only rule.

The great sites have their own logic. Stonehenge is open 9.30 to 5 with last entry at 3, cheaper booked online by midnight the night before, £4 to park, and reached from London Waterloo in about ninety minutes by train plus the Stonehenge Tour Bus from the nearest station twelve miles away. The national museums are free. Westminster Abbey charges £31 (£14 for children 6 to 17), the Roman Baths at Bath £26.50 to £29 booked ahead and £2 more on the day, Canterbury Cathedral sells passes from £19.50 with children free; Hexham Abbey is free, Chichester Cathedral asks a £7 donation, Lullingstone Roman Villa near Eynsford opens free on Thursday-to-Sunday open days during conservation, and Bignor Roman Villa runs April to October, Wednesday to Sunday. Entry to the country needs an ETA (£20, up to six months, most nationalities including Europeans, Americans, Canadians and Australians) or a visa (£135 for a Standard Visitor).

Entry

Electronic travel authorisation (ETA): £20, valid for visits of up to 6 months, required by most visitors including those from Europe, the USA, Canada and Australia, by every traveller including babies, and by airside transit passengers who pass border control; does not guarantee entry; apply only through GOV.UK. Standard Visitor visa where an ETA is not enough: £135 for up to 6 months, apply from 3 months before travel; a visa is advisable for anyone previously refused entry or with a criminal record. Canadians travel on the passport used for the ETA (strictly enforced since 25 February 2026).

Roads

Drive on the left. Speed limits for cars: 30 mph on lit roads in built-up areas, 60 mph single carriageways, 70 mph dual carriageways and motorways, with signed local limits such as 20 mph zones. Drink-drive limit 35 µg/100 ml breath or 80 mg/100 ml blood. London: daily Congestion Charge in the centre, Ultra Low Emission Zone across all boroughs, limited and expensive parking. Roads are narrow and congested; rural roads are hazardous in bad weather; use licensed taxis only.

London transport

Pay as you go by contactless card or device or Oyster card, touching in and out; caps apply daily and weekly (Monday to Sunday) in Zones 1–9; use the same card for every touch. Bus and tram: £1.75 adult with the Hopper fare (unlimited journeys within one hour), daily cap £5.25, weekly cap £24.70, one-day Bus & Tram Pass £6; children 5–10 free on buses and trams; no cash on buses. Visitor Oyster card £10.50 plus postage, pre-loaded with £10–£50 credit; unused credit refundable, card fee not. Tube zone caps and single fares: TfL's caps tool (not stated here). Heathrow Express: Paddington–Heathrow Central 15 minutes, £26 single standard, £32 Premier+, Advance Discounted Single from £10 booked 30+ days ahead, children 15 and under free with a paying adult.

Rail beyond London

Railcards: most £35 for one year or £80 for three, one-third off most tickets. Advance and off-peak tickets are far cheaper than walk-up. Eurostar from St Pancras: fares not stated (JavaScript). Bank holidays in England and Wales 2027: 26 and 29 March, 3 May, 31 May, 30 August (weekend holidays move to the next weekday); expect full trains and closures around them.

Countryside

Public rights of way (footpaths, bridleways) and the right to roam on open access land -- mountains, moors, heaths, downs, common land and some land around the King Charles III England Coast Path. Countryside Code: leave gates and property as found, do not block gateways when parking, stay on marked paths except on open access land, use gates and stiles, take litter home, no fires and barbecues only where signed, dogs under control and in sight with waste bagged, do not disturb wildlife or historic sites; cyclists give way to walkers and riders on bridleways; call 999 for an unattended fire.

Sites and prices

Stonehenge (English Heritage): Monday–Sunday 9.30am–5pm, last entry 3pm; book online by midnight the day before for the discount, on-the-day tickets full price, tickets valid all day; £4 parking for non-members; English Heritage and National Trust members free; nearest station 12 miles away, direct from London Waterloo about 1h30, then taxi or the Stonehenge Tour Bus. Westminster Abbey: adults £31, 65+ £28, children 6–17 £14, under 6 free; entry times vary daily (a published calendar), registered disabled visitors and a companion free. Roman Baths, Bath: adult £26.50–£29 in advance (£2 more on the day), child 6–18 £19.50–£22, families from £51; hourly guided tours 10am–3pm £8 (under 6 free); private tours £80. Canterbury Cathedral: annual passes from £19.50 with unlimited return visits and Kids Go Free; guided tours bookable on arrival; areas may close for services and events. Bignor Roman Villa: 1 April–31 October, Wednesday–Sunday 10am–4.30pm, daily in August, last entry one hour before closing, closed Monday and Tuesday. Lullingstone Roman Villa (Eynsford): partially closed for conservation; free open days Thursday–Sunday 10am–5pm, suggested £3 donation. Hexham Abbey: free (donations welcome), Monday–Saturday 10am–5pm, Sunday 11.30am–5pm. Chichester Cathedral: admission by donation (recommended £7), Monday–Saturday 9am–5pm, Sunday 12.30pm–3pm. Runnymede (National Trust): car parks free for members, charged for non-members; Riverside car park April–September; 0.6 miles from Egham station; bus 8 from Egham and Windsor Town Centre; dogs on short leads by the memorials. Windermere Lake Cruises from Bowness Pier: cruises from £14.80 and £19.20, electric boat hire from £46, rowing boats from £28. Tower of London, Hampton Court, Windsor Castle, the Lake District, Peak District and Dartmoor car parks: prices not stated (their sites refuse scripts). National museums: free.

Emergency numbers

999 for police, fire, ambulance and coastguard; NHS 111 for urgent medical advice that is not life-threatening.