Remember:  This advice is worth what you paid for it!
Tolle lege
...Literally translated from the Latin that means, 'Take up and read.'

First, some straight talk:  Do not count on this page to alert you to any and all situations.  We are not 'the ultimate authority' on what may or may not affect your travel plans.  Do what we do before traveling anywhere.  We read our holiday destination's local newspapers (internet editions) for several weeks ahead of time and use common sense.  By staying informed, we can adjust our itinerary to minimize inconvenience and disappointment.  We access the internet editions of London's The Telegraph and The Times and The Sunday Times newspapers every day.  Be sure to check-out the British Foreign Office website and their travelling overseas pages.  Also, check the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs website.  Last but not least, check the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs website for their Travel Warnings and Consular Information Sheets.  These three government websites provide information for their respective citizens.  But, if it is valuable information for them, it is valuable information for all.  Do your homework!  Know before you go.

London Congestion Charge Is Here !

• You will pay a fiver ['five pounds sterling'] if you drive in London between 7am and 6.30pm.  See our Driving in Great Britain - Recent News page.

Health Alert for Long-Distance Flights

• See the Update on our Flying to Britain page.

Should I Be Flying Now?

• Sorry.  We cannot answer that one for you.  But we do know that question is on your mind.

• Unfortunately we live in a world where criminals and terrorists with berserk moral compasses prey upon the innocent.  Recent reports in the press of possible terrorist activity plus the events of 11th September 2001 would give anyone pause.

• There is an old story about the difference between an economic recession and a depression.  A recession is when your neighbour ['neighbor'] is made redundant ['loses his job'] and a depression is when you are made redundant.  The point is rather straightforward...  quoting statistics - the odds of something happening - is fine, unless it happens to you.  Thus, this falls in the category of a very personal decision based on your own assessment of the circumstances.

• You may well want to visit the U.S. government's website for their FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) (another link) and the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs websites listed above.

Railway Delays

• A massive programme ['program'] of inspections and repairs of main line railway tracks is currently in progress and will last several years!  In order to allow maintenance staff time for efficient repairs, late night passenger trains are being replaced by a bus service.  Similarly, maintenance work can shut down selected rail routes for an entire weekend.  Again, in many cases, trains are being replaced by a bus service. 

Railway Safety

• Over the last five years, there have been five major railway accidents.  Any thoughtful person could question the safety of traveling by railways in Britain. After all, these trains travel at sixty, eighty, even over one hundred miles per hour.  Considering the tens of thousands of trips the railway trains make each year, it can be reassuring to note that - while these accidents are most certainly tragic for the victims and their families - these accidents are fortunately few in number. 

Visiting London in the Near Future?

• Please read the BBC's 22nd September 2001 article with the comments of Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir John Stevens.

Copyright © 1999 - 2005  J. C. Nash. All worldwide rights reserved.
Last modified:  Thursday, 27 October 2005.

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