Transport Travel Guide 

Worcester, Gloucester and surrounds - designated part of "the Heart of England" - are easy to reach by road, rail or air. Two major motorways, the M5 north - south and the M4 from the south-west - east to London, link the area to the best of the UK transport system.

With no airport within the region, all parts of the South Midlands are still within easy reach of the UK's major international airports and flights to all short and long haul destinations. Birmingham International and East Midlands Airports are both within a 1 hour drive to Cheltenham in the middle of the area. Manchester and Liverpool are an hour further to the north whilst London Heathrow and Gatwick are within approximately a two hour drive to the east. All have excellent road and rail links to the areas main towns and attractions.

The south coast ports of Southampton and Portsmouth for ferries and hovercraft to Europe are approximately 2 hours 30 mins by car via the M4 and M3.

A good network of main rail lines and stations with links to local branch lines make train travel to the area easy. Trains direct from London Paddington to Stroud for example take just 1 hour 30 mins.

The M50, off the M5 near Tewkesbury travels to Ross-on-Wye - ideal for driving to the International Festival, Herefordshire's top cultural event.