By car to London
Allegedly there are many roads to Rome, but what if you'd rather go to London by car? Are there as many roads into the UK? After all, the English Channel, the North Sea and the Atlantic separate the island state from mainland Europe.
If you're with the automobile If you want to go to London, you actually have several options. It depends on whether you want to reach the English capital as quickly as possible or whether the route is the destination before you take the "London" exit in the left lane.
By car to the island - the quick options
- The ferry connection from Calais in France - located on the north coast of France - to Dover in England on the south-east coast of England is well known. Assuming you are driving from Cologne via Brussels and Ghent to Calais, there are a little over 400 kilometers behind you before you arrive at the ferry port.
- The ferry port in Dunkerque is less well known, but this ferry port is even 40 kilometers east of Calais, so save yourself half an hour. Crossings to Dover take about 90 minutes each before you drive your car on English soil.
- The Eurotunnel is significantly faster, but a little more expensive. It connects Coquelles near Calais in France with the English Folkstone. It is a shuttle train that covers the 38-kilometer route in 35 minutes. Calculate the loading and unloading time with a total duration of about 90 minutes. The tunnel runs below the strait on the eastern English Channel.
- Once in Dover, there are two quick ways to get to London. Either you drive on the A20 to Folkstone and from there on the M20 to the M25 to London or you drive directly in Dover onto the A2, onto the M2 and further on via the A2 onto the M25, the large ring road that surrounds London shows around. Don't let the names confuse you, A-streets are comparable to German federal highways, while M-streets are autobahns.
By car to England - you should pay attention to that
England has many great destinations, such as London. If you don't go there ...
Reach London via detours
- Would you like to let the wind of the sea blow around your face before diving into the hustle and bustle of London? Then the ferry connection Esbjerg in Denmark to Harwich in England would be just the thing. 19 hours at sea while your car is safely lashed along. The Esbjerg ferry port is located 120 kilometers northwest of Flensburg and your journey goes across the North Sea to Harwich on the east coast of England.
- From Harwich you can take the A-roads via Colchester and Chelmsford onto the M25, the ring road. The distance should be done in 90 minutes by car if you drive through in one go.
- Remember that there is left-hand traffic in the UK! But that's not a problem, because the road layout is just as good as in Germany and with a little care it's almost impossible to drive on the wrong side.
- A city toll is due in central London. It is best to go to one of the numerous petrol stations before you get to the center, because you can pay the fee there. Or you can get it in advance Toll ticket on-line. The toll is charged from Monday to Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and also applies to foreign visitors to the city.
- You will certainly want to park your car every now and then - have fun. It is best to head for a commercial parking lot straight away, because it will be difficult to just get hold of a suitable space in the streets. Masterpark and National Car Parks are the two largest car park operators in London. The best thing to do is to take a look at your travel documents so that you will know where you can safely park your wheelchair when you arrive. (All information: as of 09/2013)
How helpful do you find this article?
