Useful Links

Here is our selection of useful links, none of which are directly related to our line of business, but some are of business use. The rest are for when you are feeling inquisitive, or simply want to share our interests. If you have no immediate interest in our products but bookmark our site for the links, then at least we will always be available at the click of a mouse.

Generally useful

www.frixo.com
Frixo is a road / motorway traffic reporting site and think it may be a useful resource for your readers. It gives users up to date information as the site gets updated every 3 minutes via feeds from various sources including the government's official Highways Agency site.

www.polybags.co.uk
For all your packaging needs. Search and purchase from massive stock list online with FREE DELIVERY TO UK. Also, free online quotations for personalised carriers, bags/film made to order.

www.bizwiki.co.uk
UK focused Wiki-style business directory Bizwiki. It accepts free business listings, consumer reviews of businesses and allows registered users to edit and add to business information.

www.highways.gov.uk
Traffic England is a new service from the Highways Agency that brings to your desktop real-time traffic information from the National Traffic Control Centre.

www.transportdirect.info/TransportDirect/en
This site brings together road and public transport information to give you choices when planning journeys from your door to anywhere in Britain.

www.homecheck.co.uk
Thinking of buying a house?  Check with this site to make sure it is not in an area likely to flood etc., or to take the area crime rate into consideration.

uk2.multimap.com
Going somewhere?  Download a street map from this site and never get lost again.

www.companieshouse.co.uk
Check that limited companies are fit to be your customers. Go to the Company Information section to do a free check on incorporation, whether accounts are overdue, or to check on disqualified directors. Company accounts etc. are available for a charge.

www.ripofftipoff.net
Don't fancy being ripped off?  Try this site from Trading Standards to round up your local cowboy.

www.scantips.com
Do you want to learn the wrinkles of photograph scanning?  All the ins and outs are to be found on this excellent site.

home.clara.net
Interested in all the old weights & measures? Here's some really fascinating anorak stuff. By the way, should we still be able to buy mint imperials?  Shouldn't they be metric mints?!!! 

www.nationalrail.co.uk/planmyjourney
Going by train?  For timetables try this site.

www.nationalrail.co.uk
The site allows you to view station departure boards for all mainland National Rail stations. You can also access this information from a mobile device.

www.bahn.co.uk
The German Railways site for timetables, even British ones.

This leads us very nicely to:

Who doesn't like flying then?

Statistically, along with rail travel, flying is far safer than stepping into your car every day, but for some people it's just not fun.  For those that think that a European holiday is impractical unless you fly, get a numb bum for hours on end in a coach, or have to drive (we do that the rest of the year), here are some useful sites to help you go by rail. 

www.seat61.com
How to travel by train & ship...
Maybe you don't like flying. Or perhaps you just prefer classic travel by express train and ocean liner, where you eat in a restaurant, sleep in a bed, and get to see where you're going... This website will tell you how to travel comfortably by train or ship for many journeys where you might think that air was now the only option.

www.eurostar.com
If you are near to the South-East corner of England, then your most useful asset is Eurostar. You can visit the Book Now part of the site to see what is available without having to go as far as booking.  Beware, this part of the site times you out if you hang around too long and you have to start again.

If you intend to travel by rail around European countries for up to a month, then it may be worth you considering an InterRail pass. For information go to www.bahn.co.uk.

For European rail tickets try the following:

www.bahn.co.uk
There are some good bargain tickets to be had when travelling via Germany. Also, for travel within areas of Germany click this link to go directly to the page.

www.festtravel.co.uk
Festiniog Travel

Stephen Walker Travel   tel. 01205 310000

www.trainseurope.co.uk
Trainseurope offer all types of passes and tickets. Can also be contacted on 0871 700 7722 (national rate). The website also links to the Enthusiast Holidays site.

www.raileurope.co.uk
Rail Europe particularly useful for breaks by Eurostar and TVG to places on the French high-speed network, French motorail services, and winter trains to the French Alps.

Most general high street travel agents are a complete waste of time for continental rail tickets (possibly apart from Eurostar or as part of a standard package).  Use one of the specialists above, they have an interest in rail travel.

General tip:  If you just book a Eurostar ticket with the intention of purchasing onward tickets at Brussels Midi, allow plenty of time.  Their system of "take a number from the machine and wait for your number to come up" is very fair and organised, but sheer quantity of customers at busy times means you are in for a wait, and possibly missed connections.  Buy your complete ticket package from someone like German Rail before you go, including Eurostar tickets.

www.stc.co.uk
If you want the most comprehensive pass for Switzerland then buy the Swiss Pass (or the Swiss Flexi Pass).
Purchase this in advance from the Swiss Travel Centre.

Details of continental rail passes (there are far more than are available for travel in the UK) can be found annually in the magazine Today's Railways, usually in the May and June dated issues.  Available from your newsagent or Platform 5 Publishing on  tel. 0114 255 8000

Here are links to some European national railway sites:

www.oebb.at
Austrian Railways. Efficient system, good service, realistically priced, integrated bus links, and wonderful scenery.

www.b-rail.be
Belgian Railways. Intensive service, reasonably priced. They offer some very good value weekend tickets

www.cdrail.cz
Czech Railways.

www.dsb.dk
Danish Railways.

www.ns.nl
Dutch/Netherlands Railways. Intensive regular pattern service at prices that encourage its use.

www.sncf.fr
French Railways. Famous for its fast and efficient TGV services. However, away from these the service can be somewhat sparse, or even a bus! Their timetable can be most complicated, with the same train having varying timings on different days of the week. They are at last waking up to the idea that not everyone wants to travel via Paris......but only just!

www.bahn.de
German Railways. Vast system. Superbly integrated mixture of high speed and local services. Click on the "Int. Guests" part of the site for details of ticket offers (in English), including their day tickets for various areas of Germany.

www.mav.hu/
Hungarian Railways. Hungarian citizens over 65 years of age can travel free of charge in second class, as can their war widows, disabled soldiers etc. What you might find useful is that, now Hungary is in the EEC, EEC passport holders aged 65 or more can also travel free of charge on the national railway system in Hungary.

www.trenitaliaplus.com
Italian Railways

www.cfl.lu
Luxembourg Railways. Small country but with a system well integrated with its neighbours.

www.nsb.no/internet/en/index.jhtml
Norwegian Railways. Scenic splendour - Must go someday!

www.pkp.pl
Polish Railways.

www.cp.pt
Portuguese Railways.

www.zsr.sk
Slovakian Railways.

www.renfe.es
Spanish Railways.

www.sj.se
Swedish Railways. Abba look at this (sorry!)

www.rail.ch
Swiss Railways. Superb regular interval system serving the whole country with both the national railway system and loads of private railways, all integrated and running like clockwork (very appropriate for a nation famous for its clocks!). This site has links for the private lines. Rail travel is not cheap in Switzerland (consider buying a Swiss Pass if you want to travel a lot), but you do get a quality product for your money. The scenery is pretty good as well!!!

www.thalys.com
Thalys rail services. High speed trains linking Paris/Brussels/Amsterdam/Cologne etc. Priced to suit those in a hurry and wishing to reserve a seat. Good service but desperately short of leg-room at some second class seats.