Anne Boleyn Experience 2010

The Anne Boleyn Experience 2010 starts with a coach pick up from London Victoria at approximately 4pm on 17th may and will end with the coach dropping you off at Victoria on the 21st May. You will however need to get yourself to Victoria so this page is here to help you do that.

Travelling to London from Overseas

Those travelling to London from outside of the UK will obviously need to arrange transport like flights. It is definitely worth shopping around for flights and not just going with the first carrier you find. Shopping around takes effort but it is well worth it and a saving here may mean that you can extend your holiday and take in a few more of England’s attractions.

Here are the main ways you can shop around for flights:-

• Comparison sites - These sites work by you choosing your date and destination and then giving you the various options from airlines, flight brokers and travel operators. Comparison sites worth looking at include Kayak, Skyscanner, Priceline.com and Openjet, but you should also compare them with Expedia and Travelocity.
• Brokers - Flight brokers get special deals from airlines and so can pass on discounts to customers and they are worth checking out too. Brokers to consider include Travelocity,  Expedia, Lastminute.com and ebookers.

You will need to search for flights to London Gatwick (LGW) or London Heathrow (LHR). Both have superb links to central London.

It may be advisable for you to fly into the UK the day before so that you can be sure to be at our meeting point on time and so that you are not overtired. Both Gatwick and Heathrow airports have hotels. Click here to see a comprehensive list for hotels near Heathrow and click here for Gatwick. There are also “budget” Travelodge hotels at Heathrow and Gatwick - see www.travelodge.co.uk for details.

Getting from Heathrow to Central London

Heathrow has excellent links to Central London. You can find out more at a very helpful website - www.londontoolkit.com/travel/heathrow.htm, but here are the main options:-

• London Underground (”The Tube”) -See www.londontoolkit.com/travel/lhr_underground.htm for details. The underground trains runs from Heathrow to Central London on the Picadilly Line. A Tube map can be found at http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/standard-tube-map.pdf. Take the Picadilly Line to Hammersmith, get off the train, walk across the platform and take the eastbound District Line to Victoria.
• Bus - National Express run several coaches an hour from Heathrow bus station to Victoria Coach Station. The journey takes about an hour.
• The Heathrow Express Train - This special train service runs every 15 minutes and will take you from the airport to Paddington. www.heathrowexpress.comTo get to Victoria you can then take a black cab (London taxi) or take the underground - Bakerloo Line (Brown) to Oxford Circus and then the Victoria Line to Victoria.
• Heathrow Connect Train - This train runs on the same track as the Heathrow Express but is not as frequent. It’s cheaper though. Find out more at www.heathrowconnect.com/.
• Hotel Shuttle Bus - The Dot2Dot shuttle bus service will transport you from Heathrow to any Central London hotel. See http://www.dot2.com/ for more information.
• Taxi - London taxis, black cabs, queue outside Heathrow’s terminals and you should not have any problem finding one. Fares are metred and will cost anything from £40-70 depending on where you are going. Black cabs are fully licensed and are a reliable and comfortable method of transport.

Getting from Gatwick to Central London

Gatwick also has great links to Central London and you can find out more about them at www.londontoolkit.com/travel/gatwick.htm. The main methods of transport from the airport to Central London are:-

• The Gatwick Express - This express train takes you from Gatwick directly to London Victoria. You can find out more at the Gatwick Express homepage www.gatwickexpress.com.
• The First Capital Connect Train - This is fast and is cheaper than the Gatwick Express. It stops at many stations in London and you can be at Victoria in about half an hour. See their timetable and journey planner page at www.firstcapitalconnect.co.uk/Main.php?sEvent=Timetables
• Normal train - These local trains take longer than the Gatwick Express but are cheaper. They run to London Victoria and other destinations in London. See www.southernrailway.com for information.
• National Express Coaches - Cheaper than the Gatwick Express but the journey time is much longer. See the National Express Coaches Gatwick page for information - http://www.nationalexpress.com/Airport/gatwick.cfm.
• Minibus shuttle - easyBus do transfers from Gatwick to West/Central London and you can find out more information at their website www.easybus.co.uk.

Travelling within the UK

If you are travelling to “The Anne Boleyn Experience 2010″ within the UK and you have your own car, you will probably want to travel direct to Hever Castle. Hever Castle have a map on their website www.hevercastle.co.uk but also give the following directions:-

Hever Castle is situated three miles South East of Edenbridge off the B2026 between Sevenoaks and East Grinstead in the village of Hever. It is situated 30 miles from London in West Kent, exit the M25 at junctions 5 or 6 and follow the Brown tourist signs. It is also well signed from the Hildenborough exit of the A21.

There is secure private parking at the castle so you can be assured that your car will be safe while you enjoy The Anne Boleyn Experience.

Travelling within Europe

Obviously it depends where you are coming from as to what method of transport suits you best - flights, ferry, Eurostar etc. I generally use Skyscanner to check out flights when I fly within Europe.

The Eurostar train connects London directly with Lille, Paris and Brussels, which then connect with many destinations in mainland Europe. The Eurostar website is http://www.eurostar.com.

The Eurotunnel also links the UK with mainland Europe - see www.eurotunnel.com.

If you want to travel by ferry, it will depend on your origin country as to what company to use and it will be best to do a google search.

General Advice

Please make sure that you can get to London for pick up on the 17th May and that you have passports, visas (if required) etc. sorted out well in advance of your holiday.

Entry Requirements - If you are from the United States or Canada should not need a visa unless you are planning on extending your holiday and staying longer than 3 months. You will, however, need a passport that is valid for the entire length of your stay and you should hold an outward bound ticket or return ticket. The US Department of State have got a special page on the UK at http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1052.html. European Union citizens will just require a valid passport.

Tour members coming from the United States, Australia or other far away places may want to come to the UK earlier than the 17th. We can advise you on places to visit and landmarks to see while you are in the UK, to make the most of your holiday. Either contact me at claire@theanneboleynfiles.com or once you have booked on the tour you will be able to ask questions on the private forum.