Help Visitors Enjoy Stress Free Travel
First impressions matter! Help your visitors navigate one of the busiest travelling times of the year and make the start of their stay a pleasure, rather than a pain. Here's some tips:
Car travel
1. It's All in The Timing - Delaying or bringing a journey forward by a few hours can make a big difference. Here a couple of tools for planning:
o Highways Agency Traffic Forecaster - choose a date/ region and watch an animation of predicted traffic over those 24 hours
o Summer Getaway Map - Although produced for 2010 the information on this map showing peak traffic times and locations is still relevant.
2. Use 'Live' Information - Real time information is available in a number of formats:
o Internet - View the latest news on maps, by route and more
o For Smartphones - a version for mobiles and an iphone app
o Traffic Radio - available on DAB digital radio on online
o Twitter - A tweet service specifically for holiday routes to the SW
o Phone - Call 08700 660 115 (24 hrs, no more than 8p/min from BT landline, calls from mobiles usually cost more)
3. Good News on Roadworks - The Highways Agency will be completing or suspending over 100 miles of roadworks over the late May Bank Holidays. This means there will be no roadworks on any of the main routes to the SW.
4. Cut Fuel Costs - Rising fuel prices make eco-driving tips all the more valuable. These can save around 10% - around £4 for the average SW trip.
Train Travel
1. Book Ahead to Save - This is relevant at any time of year but even more so at busy times of use when more are travelling for pleasure. Booking through the relevant train operator's website can sometimes access exclusive prices.
2. Book Ahead for a Seat - Trains can become overcrowded at busy holiday times so it is equally important to book in order to reserve a seat.
3. Got luggage? - Cross Country Trains (operate services from the North and Midlands to the SW) allow you to ‘Select Your Seat' as part of online booking. This allows you the chance to book in Coach D which has extra luggage space and to sit near your luggage.
4. Want Entertainment? - First Great Western run ‘Entertainment Carriages' with a range of TV programmes to choose from for a small fee. Choose the "At Seat TV" option in the ‘seating preferences' section when booking tickets.
5. Disruption to Services - Sadly bank holidays are often taken as an opportunity for engineering work and all 3 of the operators serving the region are due to be affected to some extent.
Want Just One All-Rounder to Promote?
Promote Transport Direct which has a wealth of journey planning and live travel news for road, rail and air.
Want more tips for helping visitor travel?
See our top 10 tips for visitor travel - covering travel to, and within, the destination
Date added: Tuesday 24th May 2011
Latest updated: Thursday 8th March 2012
