LONDON CONNECTIONS - London 2015 - page 735

three separate tunnels—two for trains (one in each direction) and one for service
and ventilation. The walls are concrete panels and rebar fixed to the rock around
it. Sixteen-thousand-horsepower engines pull 850 tons of railcars and passengers at
speeds up to 100 mph through the tunnel.
The ambitious project—the world's longest undersea tunnel—helped to show
the European community that cooperation between nations could benefit everyone.
To Paris: You'll take a train from London to the port of Dover (trains depart hourly
from London's St. Pancras International Station to Dover's Priory Station, 1.25 hours),
then catch a ferry to Calais, France, before boarding another train for Paris. P&O Ferries
sail from Dover to Calais (up to 2/hour, 1.5 hours, www.poferries.com ) ; TGV trains run
from Calais to Paris.
To Amsterdam: Stena Line's Dutchflyer service combines train and ferry tickets
between London and Amsterdam via the ports of Harwich and Hoek van Holland. Trains
go from London's Liverpool Street Station to Harwich (hourly, 1.75 hours, most transfer
in Manningtree). From Harwich, Stena Line ferries sail to Hoek van Holland (8 hours),
where you can catch a train to Amsterdam (book ahead for best price, 13 hours total travel
time, www.stenaline.co.uk , Dutch train info at www.ns.nl ).
By Bus and Boat
You can take the bus from London direct to Paris (4/day, 8.25-9.75 hours), Brussels (4/
day, 9 hours), or Amsterdam (4/day, 12 hours) from Victoria Coach Station (via ferry or
Chunnel, day or overnight). Prices are the same to Paris, Brussels, or Amsterdam (around
£ 60-70 one-way, cheaper in advance, tel. [phone], www.eurolines.co.uk ) .
London's Cruise Ports
Many cruises begin, end, or call at one of several English ports offering easy access to
London. Cruise lines favor two ports in particular: Southampton , 80 miles southwest of
London; and Dover , 80 miles southeast of London (each one within about a 1.5-hour drive
or train ride into the city).
While London offers plenty of public-transportation connections for getting you from
your ship into town (explained below), most cruise lines offer an “On Your Own” excur-
sion that includes an unguided bus trip from your ship to downtown London (usually Pic-
cadilly Circus), then back again at an appointed time. While a bit pricey (usually around