Meeting Letter Absolute Western

Please make sure you have downloaded the latest documents for your tour, available on the tour page under ‘Essential Information’.

Meeting point in London Arriving in London Important passenger information Emergency contact number

MEETING POINT FOR THE START OF THE TOUR Your tour starts in London and finishes in Rome. If you wish to meet the tour in Paris instead of in London, please contact us: [email protected].

LONDON MEETING POINT – OPTION ONE Check-in time: 06:30 hrs Location: Car park on the corner of Deal Porters Way and Surrey Quays Rd, 50 metres across from Canada Water Tube Station. The departure is not from the public bus area at the station. Please bring a jacket or umbrella in case of adverse weather.

Canada Water Underground Station

Expat Office

Expat Explore

Meeting Point

Meeting Letter Absolute Western

The easiest way to travel to Canada Water is by the London Underground (subway/metro) system. Canada Water station is on the Jubilee and Overground lines. Please use Transport for London’s Journey Planner to plan your journey.

LONDON MEETING POINT – OPTION TWO Pick-up time: 07:00 hrs Location: Holiday Inn Express Hotel, Greenwich Bugsby Way, Greenwich, London, SE10 0GD

This hotel serves as Expat Explores 2nd meeting point - the coach will pick up outside the hotel at 07:00 hours (traffic dependant).

To check availability and make a booking at this hotel, please click here.

If you are meeting the tour here please ensure you have notified us by completing your Important Passenger Information.

ARRIVING IN LONDON There are 5 airports in London, namely London Heathrow, Gatwick Airport, City Airport, Luton Airport, Stansted Airport. The 2 most frequently used airports are Heathrow and Gatwick.

Both Heathrow and Gatwick have good public transport options for travel into central London. Expat Explore offers an airport transfer service from these airports to any location in central London, please click here for more information.

Travelling from Heathrow Airport Heathrow Airport is 15 miles west of central London and easily reached by public transport. Heathrow Express is the fastest option, with a journey time of 15 minutes to London Paddington Station and departures every 15 minutes. London Underground's Piccadilly Line provides the most cost-effective rail route between Heathrow Airport and Central London, journey time is under an hour and you shouldn't have to wait longer than ten minutes for a train, even off-peak.

Travelling from Gatwick Airport There are 2 terminals at Gatwick Airport, namely the North and South Terminals. Gatwick Railway Station is directly linked to the South Terminal and is only 2 minutes away from the North Terminal via the free shuttle service. The free shuttle service runs between terminals every few minutes 24 hours a day.

The airport is 30 miles south of central London and easily reached by road or public transport. Gatwick Express is the fastest option, with a journey time of 30 minutes to London Victoria Station and departures every 15 minutes. Southern Trains services to Victoria via East Croydon and Clapham Junction run four times an hour with a journey time of around 35 minutes. First Capital Connect serves London Bridge and St Pancras International Station’s four times an hour with a journey time of between 30 and 45 minutes.

Meeting Letter Absolute Western

Travelling around London on the Underground London has the oldest and largest tube train network of any major city, operating 12 lines through miles of underground tunnels. Its 500 trains cover 260 stations. They operate from 05.30 hrs Monday to Saturday, and 7am on Sundays. The last one leaves between 23:30 hrs and 12.30 hrs, depending on when and where you’re going. The London Underground is divided into six concentric zones, with the inner city itself as number one. The closer you get to the centre, the higher the fare. For further information on route planning on the Underground, fare costs and maps please see www.tfl.gov.uk.

IMPORTANT PASSENGER INFORMATION If you have not already sent us your ‘Important Passenger Information’ please click here to complete the online form for yourself and every person travelling in your group.

TRAVEL INSURANCE If you require travel insurance, please click here for more information.

EMERGENCY CONTACT NUMBER Should you have any queries you can contact Expat Explore on +44 (0)207 394 5232 between the hours of 09:00 hrs and 17:00 hrs.

If you encounter an emergency on the morning of departure you can contact Expat Explore on +44 (0)7854 002475. This number is a service for emergency calls only. We respectfully request that you consider the urgency of your enquiry. Non-urgent enquiries should be made during office hours. Please be considerate of time zones.

*Please Note: The starting points are subject to change. Please download the latest meeting letter from the tour page of the website (under ‘Essential Information’) 7 days before the tour departs.