Plane, Tube, Train, Bus

Before Leaving

One of the most daunting aspects of moving abroad for the first time is navigating public transportation. I had never been overseas before, let alone take public buses or trains back in the States. Everyone here is reliant upon public transport—it is a normal part of everyday life. 

I had booked my tickets in advance, but this still offered no comfort, as I did not know anything about how to navigate through train stations or the legendary “Tube.” To be truthful, I was most worried about making it to Norwich more than anything else. I did not know how the Tube was different from the train, or how I could access the Tube right from the airport. I took everything one step at a time, was not afraid to ask questions, and made it to my destination on time. 

Plane

I took an American Airlines flight from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport to London Heathrow Airport. While others may have varying opinions on this subject, I recommend taking a non-stop overnight flight. It will be more money, but it is worth it to attempt to get sleep before a long travel day and to arrive as quickly as possible. I bought a flight that allowed for one free checked bag and allowed for changes. The airline website may require you to add passport information before checking in. I had never flown overseas before, so seeing the large plane was shocking—three seats to the left and right, one row of four right down the middle. My study abroad advisor and online recommended ordering a kosher meal for the airplane. I was served baked chicken with rice, mushrooms, bell peppers, a side of hummus, and cinnamon raisin bread. Breakfast was another slice of bread, a cinnamon roll, and apple juice. The flight was nearly 10 hours long, and I think I slept for maybe 15 minutes. 

International Flight from Phoenix to London Heathrow

I touched down around 10:30 a.m. and after the flight de-boarded, I went through the passport check. While I could have gone through an eGate, I talked to a border force officer instead. The eGate is only available for travelers from certain countries, including the U.S. You scan your passport face down, and walk right through. While I had proof of my extended stay in the U.K. printed out and ready to go, they never looked at it. I am studying in the U.K. for under six months, so I traveled on a visitor visa. If I were staying for over six months or wanted to work, I would have needed to apply for a student visa. 

After my passport check, I walked through “Nothing to Declare.” This means I have no items I am legally obligated to inform customs or immigration. Following the signs, I continued to retrieve my luggage before locating an entrance to the Tube. 

Tube

“The Tube”, formally known as the London Underground, is an underground rail system that services London and some surrounding areas. Fares vary between stations and journeys (it is cheap), and you can buy a ticket at the station or when booking a train ticket online. My Tube ticket was included in the cost of my train ticket. The Tube is accessible from right inside the airport too, which is extremely convenient.

My ticket said “Terminal 2 and 3” but you can enter the Tube from any terminal and still get where you need to go. I entered the Tube at Terminal 4 and waited a while before boarding. While timing does not necessarily matter, getting on the right Tube does. Multiple tubes come through and you can take any one. Though they all leave from the airport, some do not stop at certain stops along the way. 

Train

I took the Tube to the London Liverpool Street Station where I transferred to a Greater Anglia train. The London Liverpool Street Station was huge and this was definitely the scariest part of the journey. I got off of the Tube and had roughly 20 minutes before transferring to a train. The Tube is underground, so to reach the trains I had to take a specific set of lifts (elevators) to get to the platforms. 

Look at a lift map before getting onto it, because I got onto the wrong one, and had to backtrack to get out of the underground area. U.K. trains are operated by National Rail, which has a railroad track-like logo to signify where on a map you can access the trains. 

After taking a series of two or three lifts up to the platforms, I went to get my ticket. I booked my train ticket online through Greater Anglia (a British train company), and chose to print it at one of the station’s many ticket booths. The Greater Anglia trains service the eastern portion of England, also known as East Anglia. I had a code on my Greater Anglia account I entered at the ticket booth for it to print my ticket. I also had to insert the credit card I purchased it on to confirm. The ticket booth printed out two slips, one was my receipt, and the other was my ticket. I inserted my ticket through a slot in the forward-facing side and it spit it out on top and opened the gate. If I had a digital ticket I would have scanned it on a scanner on top instead. 

The scariest part of my journey was navigating the train station. I had 20 minutes from getting off the Tube to board my train. I bought my ticket online on the Greater Anglia website for $77. While I could have opted for a bus, it would have taken an extra hour or so. Plus I wanted the true English experience of taking a train!

Greater Anglia train to Norwich

I walked down the wrong platform at first, with only 2 minutes to make it to the right train. On the Greater Anglia app, it had predicted a different platform. So rather than making the train one minute before it leaves like I did, I would suggest just looking at the timetable at the station. While technology is great, it is not in the station and plans do change. I nearly missed the train because of this change. 

On the train, there were many different seating options. Some trains will assign seating based on train car letter and seat number, but on Greater Anglia trains you can pick. Some seats face each other with tables in between. 

The train from London Liverpool Street Station to Norwich Railway Station took roughly 2 hours. I looked out the window the entire time. There is all farmland and plains outside of the city. There were five other stops from London Liverpool Street before arriving in Norwich: Colchester, Manningtree, Ipswich, Stowmarket, and Diss. 

Bus

I arrived at the Norwich Railway Station in the late afternoon. There are far fewer platforms there than at the London Liverpool Street Station. To get to the university I had to take a bus. Many buses stop at the train station throughout the day, but not all of them stop near the university. I remembered UEA advertising First Buses’ 25 and 26 lines service the university, so that is what I took. 

This was my first experience taking a double-decker bus but I sat on the lower deck due to my heavy luggage. To get around town, you could book a ticket online or just buy a ticket as you board. They do tap-to-pay which is convenient. I bought a single ticket to UEA and arrived 20-30 minutes later.

First Bus double-decker 

Now that I have settled in, I take the bus at least once a week to go into town or do groceries. UEA also has a night bus that comes every hour to pick up students from the city center late at night. First Bus does have options for students to purchase a bus pass, but I decided it was not worth the money for the number of times I would have to travel to the city center. They have options for students to purchase a pass valid per term and per year.

My long journey came to an end as the bus pulled in front of the student accommodations on campus. 

Railcards

Since I arrived, I have planned trips to see my parents while they visit in London and to visit my friend Abi studying abroad at Swansea University in Wales. I booked these visits by train and decided to buy a railcard from Trainline. Trainline is a website and app that find the cheapest travel options and lets you book multiple different trains all in one place. I purchased their 16-25 railcard for £30 for a year. The railcard gets you a discount on trains, and it has already paid itself off even though I will not be here for a few months.

Apps

I would highly recommend downloading local transport apps before traveling. I could easily check routes and times based on my exact location.

This post was written as a blog for HON491C.