TRAVEL, VEHICLES and DRIVING:

No one resource can promise to tell you all you need to know. But click on the links below and we'll try.

This is a complex area, but the following points should be emphasised:

• A number of different government agencies are responsible for transport in the UK, but we have provided information explaining which is which!
• It is fairly easy to get around the UK by coach and bus. You may not need a car.
• It is quite easy to travel from the UK to other countries by ferry, by air, and through the Channel Tunnel (to France).
• To drive in the UK you have to have a vehicle which has an MOT certificate to say it is safe, a tax disk to say you have paid to use the road system, insurance for the vehicle and/or the driver, and a suitable driving licence
• If any of the above comply with requirements in another EU country (e.g. you have Polish driving insurance, or you have a Dutch car) then, at least temporarily, you will be street-legal as a visitor. But you need to check all the regulations as soon as possible because the situation can be complex - and you don't want to get into trouble!
• The British drive on the left in right-hand-drive vehicles. It will take time to get used to this if you drive here. And you must take extra care to cross the roads too!
• This country has many speed cameras, many traffic wardens who can have your car taken away and destroyed, the London congestion charge (you pay each day to drive in the capital city), and it has toll charges on some roads - including one motorway - and bridges.
• There are very serious penalties for driving after drinking alcohol or taking drugs, and the police can stop anyone to make checks. Likewise dangerous and careless driving are very serious.
• This is a high-tech society where, for example, a police car can check one passing car number-plate every second and feed its number to a central computer to see if it is taxed and insured. If you are not complying with the law it could be very expensive!
• We have many systems to help travellers in trouble, though they are not all free. And, in the main, you will find that the British will be sympathetic to you if you need help and you're a long way from home!

Click on the item below to take you to the information you want!

• An overview of travel in the UK
• The key authorities responsible for transport in the UK
• Key rules for driving and vehicle ownership
• How long can I drive in the UK on a foreign licence?
• Are all foreign licences equally valid to use in the UK?
• How do I swap my licence for a UK or EU licence?
• How long can I drive on foreign number-plates?
• When does a foreign vehicle have to have an MOT?
• Motor insurance in the UK. Different types and major providers
• Car hire. Major providers and what they will want from customers
• Learning to drive in the UK
• Details of the National Express and rival bus systems
• Details of the motorway network including toll motorways and bridges
• Congestion charges
• Motoring advice on your radio and mobile phone
• Breakdown Services
• Details of the rail network with links to major providers
• The Highway Code and the Driving Standards Agency
• Drink driving limits and penalties
• Speed limits and cameras
• Parking in the UK including charges, fines, wheel-clamps and towing away
• The penalty points system
• Major airlines with links
• The major airports
• The major ferry terminals and ferry companies
• The Channel Tunnel
• Countryside Code
• Going into the countryside