In the UK today, running a car costs a small fortune, traffic jams are hard to avoid, and we’re all responsible for trying to protect the planet - so a reliable public transport system has become more important than ever.

But despite local council and government efforts to improve services, we are still behind most of the rest of Europe. However, some areas are better than others – so how good (and how cheap) your local public transport is depends on where in Britain you live.

London

Most famous of all here is the London underground, also known as the ‘tube’. At peak times it gets incredibly busy. At peak times (between 08:00 and 09:00 in the morning and from 17:00 to about 19:00) you can expect there to be no seats available on most trains with every space taken up by someone standing up! Expect to hear people on the platform who are trying to get on asking you to “please move down”. They want you to use all the available space so they can also travel. Its considered rude if you don’t do this. If you are visiting London and you don’t need to travel at these busy times, its best not to!

However, it remains a very sensible way of getting around. Being ‘underground’ means you get the benefit of missing the traffic, and there are trains every few minutes on most lines.

You’ll also find London buses are regular, and there are all sorts of over-ground trains, and even Thames riverboats you could use.

Oyster card

If you are using public transport often in the capital, you might want to invest in an Oyster card. This is valid on the Tube, on buses, trams, Docklands Light Railways (DLR) and most, but not all, other train services.

You need to obtain a card, buy some credit for it, and then use it everywhere you go. It combines all the journeys and charges you the cheapest fares available (Oyster promises to refund any difference if this is not the case). That amount is then taken off the credit on your card. Many newsagents will provide Oyster cards or you can get them at tube stations and some railway stations.

If you don’t live in the UK’s capital city, you will have to do some research to find out how to get about. But here are some tips:

Buses

Buses in the UK can be brilliant at best and completely useless at worst. Unfortunately, how reliable the bus service is depends on where you live, because different companies operate in different areas of the country.

The buses in London and Manchester are regular and are becoming increasingly reliable. Statistics show that people are using them more than in recent years, and both cities have spent money improving the service. However, if you live in a smaller town, or in the countryside, you might find you’re in for a long wait at the bus stop! Often in more rural areas, buses are infrequent, which means if you miss one, you have a long wait until the next one comes along!

Also, the buses are cheaper in some cities - in University cities like Manchester, there are discount student buses. If you plan to use the bus service in your area regularly, you can get a weekly bus pass to save you money on daily tickets.

To find out about who operates in your area, about bus timetables, details of routes and bus passes check the internet for your local bus operator’s website. Or you can have a look in our "Find a..." section. 

Trams

If you are very lucky, you might also find you have a tram service in your town – they currently only exist in the following areas. In early 2008 trams are operating in Croydon, London Docklands, Birmingham, Manchester, Sheffield, Newcastle, Nottingham and Blackpool.

Trains

The train system in the UK is privatised which means it is now run by independent companies and not by the government.

Depending where you are and where you want to go to, you might have to catch a train with any of 26 companies.

Young persons’ railcard

If you are under 25 (or over 26 and in full-time education) you can order one of these online for £26 and save 1/3 off all rail fares! If you are likely to use the trains more than even a few times a year, this is well worth the fee and can be ordered online.

If you don’t qualify for this, but use trains a lot in the south-east of England, you can apply at the same website for a network rail card which gives you 1/3 off fares in this area.

However, if you don’t qualify for either of these, you can still get some special offers. It’s always worth checking these before just booking your tickets if you want to get the best deal.

Coaches

Instead of using the trains, you can choose to travel by coach. It takes longer, there are more stops, the stops are longer, and there isn’t a restaurant carriage, but there is one advantage – it’s much cheaper!

There are coach services from almost anywhere to anywhere and there are excellent links to airports. They are also much more adaptable than trains, because they don’t have to stick to the track – which means they can offer more direct services to specific events such as the Glastonbury festival, and international rugby matches. They even offer services to Europe! Have a look in our "Find a..." section for more information.

By Matt Taylor

USEFUL WORDS

bus – single / double-decker / bendy

train – intercity / overground / local

tram

underground / tube

ticket office

single ticket

return ticket

season ticket

travelcard

reservation

bus terminal

tram / bus stop

train / underground station

GRAMMAR SPOT

Revision of Tenses

Present Simple

To talk about routines and habits, and for things that are true for a long time:
I spend a lot of my time travelling by bus.

The tube is the fastest way of travelling in London.

Present Continuous (to be + -ing)

To talk about things that are happening at the moment:

What are you doing?  I’m buying my travelcard.

To talk about temporary situations:

I’m travelling by bus until my car is repaired.

To talk about arrangements that have been made for the future:

He’s taking the 7 o’clock train from King’s Cross.

Going to (be going to + verb)

To talk about plans and intentions in the future:

I’m going to make a reservation next week.

Past Simple
To talk about completed actions in the past, often with a time reference (yesterday, last year etc.):

I bought my season ticket last year.

Past Continuous (was/were + ing)
To set the scene in a story:

The rain was falling and the wind was blowing when I got off the bus.

To describe an action (finished or unfinished) which took place at a specific time in the past:

We were sitting on the train yesterday afternoon.

Present Perfect (have + past participle)
To talk about your experience:
I’ve travelled on trams in a lot of European countries.