Planes, Ferries And A Railway Among Ways To Get From England To The Rest Of Europe

For international travelers visiting Europe for the first time, the first stop is often London. Then, many of these inexperienced travelers assume that flying to Paris is the best way to get onto the European continent. There are other options for getting from England to the rest of Europe, however.

While flying into London is the best option from reaching Europe from some international locations, getting around the continent need not involve another plane. Because rail service and ferries are uncommon in some parts of the world, tourists often fail to consider the efficiency and comfort of these modes of travel.

Tourists and residents alike have been choosing to get from England to France through the Channel Tunnel since it opened in 1994. The rail lines that run under the English Channel are an efficient way to make the crossing.

Once in France, trains and other ground transportation can take travelers to Paris, but some visitors find plenty to do in the country without visiting its capital city.

Ferries run several times each day across the English Channel, and they can be a beautiful and fun way to make the short crossing. There is also no better way to see the white cliffs of Dover than to make the quick crossing from Dover to Calais.

As with traveling beneath the channel, it is possible to take a vehicle across on a ferry. Booking in advance is always advisable for traveling from England to the rest of Europe, but it essential when crossing with a car.

Those with a fear of confined spaces often prefer to make the crossing by ferry rather than by rail. While one method is not necessarily safer than the other, frequent travelers usually develop a preference for one method or the other.

Although France is the only destination available by rail from England, other destinations are accessible by ferry. A ferry to Holland, for example, takes much longer than most of the ferries to France, but it can still be more efficient than dealing with airports. Onboard shopping and entertainment is available on many longer ferry crossings.

Air travel is in fact a great way to get between major cities in Europe, but rail and ferry travel is also common in Europe and is a good option for both value-conscious and time-constrained travelers.

All three methods, in fact, have their place for travelers looking for maximum sightseeing and minimum hassles.