| One
of the most complicated procedures to any trip is booking travel.
Strikes, disruptions, travel agents over-booking, or going out of
business, and a host of other problems, can cause a lot of anger,
frustration and
upset.
These are just things we have to accept. However, margins of error
and misplaced trust and judgement can be narrowed.
There are a lot of
well-established and generally respected companies who can help your
trip run as smoothly as humanly possible. And in a competitive
market, it is easy to find really good deals.
Disruptions to
services are a different issue though. Any strike or work-to-rule
will be reported in the media. That is one good reason to stay in
touch with the UK through our news sources. You will not be able to
avoid disruption to your journey, but at least being forewarned is
being forearmed.
Anticipation
should be a virtue of any travel agent and getting you to, or back
from, your destination should be made less stressful in the event of
any disruption.
We shall try to
provide you with all the information you may need to get from A to B
with the minimum fuss.
► One little tip we offer
to anyone travelling abroad is this: arrive early! For example, if
you are flying, and turn-up late, you may find your seat has gone.
It's better to stand in a queue and book yourself and your luggage
in as soon as possible rather than suffer the stress of rushing and
being uncertain of your seat allocation.
►
As a bonus, also consider the weight of your luggage. If you are
transferred to another airline, or your trip involves different
airlines, be careful to check on all luggage weight restrictions for
each airline. See below for Airline contact numbers from the
Yell.com online telephone directory.
Before travelling, check
out the useful links from:
Marco Polo Travel Advisory
Useful links to travel
and facilities located in the UK:
[1]
Taxi Services - an excellent facility
from 'Traintaxi' giving information on local taxi firm telephone numbers. If you need
a taxi when arriving in the UK, this should be your first stop. Have
your taxi waiting for you as you arrive.
[2]
Buses, Coaches and Trains - Integrated
information on bus
services, coaches and trains from 'Traveline'.
[3a]
Network Rail [3b]
National Rail Enquiries - everything you need to
know about services.
[4]
Airlines - This is the first page
of the on-line telephone directory from Yell.com. From here you can
check on airline restrictions such as luggage weights, delays,
cancellations, etc. One tip be would advise, be cautious of booking
directly from an airline due to cost. Unless you are really
desperate to book your ticket as quickly as possible, it's worth
shopping around for deals with independent travel agents.
[5]
Ferry Services
- More directory information from Yell.com.
[6]
Transport Direct - Arrange travel
from door-to-door within the UK. Also, useful updates on road
traffic problems.
Other useful links:
AIRPORTS:
[7]
World Aeronautical Database - technical
data and a list of all the world's airports.
[8]
USABC of airports around the world
[9]
Airports worldwide
- from Travelshop
RAILWAYS:
[10]
Great Rail Journeys
[11]
Railserve - directory of railway /
metro networks around the world, and much more.
[12]
Trainweb - information on train
services. Also for train enthusiasts.
BUSES:
[13]
The Bus Station
- website for bus enthusiasts with some useful links to operators.
[14]
Routes International - excellent
site with many links. |
