Useful Tourist and Visitor Information for The Royal Forest of Dean, Wye Valley, Vale of Leadon and the Severn Vale
Royal Forest of Dean Travel and Tourist Information Centre for travelling to and around the Royal Forest of Dean region by air, sea, rail, car, and gives highly useful contact information and local markets together with a list of visitor and tourist information centres. From here you can contact the motoring organisations, and official bodies to give you details of other areas of the United Kingdom and Britain.
Travelling to the Royal Forest of DeanBy Car
The Royal Forest of Dean is approximately
120 miles west of London (via the M4).
65 miles from Birmingham (via the M5).
35 miles from Bristol to the centre of the forest.
Travelling to Herefordshire by Car
Herefordshire is located on the English borderlands with Wales in the West Midlands.
Herefordshire, deep in rural countryside,is more accessible than you might first imagine. Just 3 hours drive from London and only 1 ½ hours from Birmingham airport; easy access via the motorways M4 or M5/M50.
Distances to Hereford
From Birmingham 58 miles
From London 135 miles
From Manchester 138 miles
From Cardiff 56 miles
By Rail
There are railway stations located at Hereford City, Leominster, Colwall and Ledbury. There is a rail station at Birmingham International Airport and trains run regularly into Birmingham New Street Station.
- From Birmingham New Street, direct trains run via Colwall and Ledbury to Hereford daily. Journey time is about 1 hour and 45 minutes.
National Rail Enquiries: Tel +44 (0) 08457 484950
By Coach - National Express Coaches operates a service throughout the UK . Visitors may travel direct from London and Birmingham to Hereford, Ledbury or Ross-on-Wye.
Monmouthshire is easily accessible by car from the West Midlands, West Country, South Wales and London. Birmingham and West Midlands M5, M50, A40. London, South East and Home Countries M4, M48, A449, A466. Bristol and South West - M5, M48, A449, A466. South Wales M4, M48, A449, A40.
Bus & Coach:
Regular luxury express coach services to Newport, full details from National Express and Red and White Services.
Rail:
Intercity 125 high speed Train Service from Paddington to Newport and then local bus services.
Air:
Cardiff, Birmingham and Bristol airports offer both comfort and convenience for passengers to and from the UK.
Access by Air
The nearest major international airport is Birmingham (BHX) with daily scheduled flights from America and many European hubs. A larger choice of flights and destinations is available into Heathrow Airport (LHR), 25 miles west of London on the M4 motorway from which there is easy access to the M25 motorway.
Directions to the Forest of Dean are prominently signposted on the M5 (Gloucester exit), and the M4/M48 (Chepstow exit)
Car hire is available from most major car hire companies at airports.
If you plan to make several rail journeys, the BritRail pass is a value-for-money ticket which gives unrestricted travel on the British Rail network. The pass cannot be bought in Britain (see the link below for further information).
For planning your UK travel including times of trains and coaches - See Traveline.
For your travel around London using tube trains, buses, cabs and river taxis - See Transport for London.
The Royal Forest of Dean and surrounding regions are easy to reach from Europe with ferry services via Hull, Felixstowe, Harwich, Holyhead and Pembroke. The Eurostar train from Amsterdam, Brussels or Paris links London's Waterloo International Station in just over 3 hours. Le Shuttle, vehicle carrying trains operate between Calais and Folkestone, a journey of about 35 minutes.
Most banks are open from 09.30 to 16.30 Monday to Friday. Credit cards are widely accepted but may not be at the smaller shops and B&Bs.
Visitors who will be returning to a country outside the European Union can take advantage of the Retail Export Scheme (often called Tax-free Shopping), whereby you can reclaim VAT (Value Added Tax) on goods purchased for export.
Rheola House, Bellevue Centre, 4 Belle Vue Road, Cinderford, Gloucestershire Tel: 01594 823184 Tourist information point within one of the District Council's branch offices.
1 King Street, Hereford,Herefordshire,HR4 9BW
Tel:- 01432 268 430
In the centre of Hereford, on the corner of Broad Street and King Street, opposite the Cathedral
