21 Pembridge Gardens
London W2 4EB
ENGLAND
closest tube stop: Notting Hill Gate
maps: Google, MapQuest
printable directions: pdf

tel: (011.44) 207.792.8751
fax: (011.44) 207.792.8251
freephone (from UK): 0500.827.885
emergency after-hours pager: (011.44) 7659.120.619

office hours: M-F, 9am-5pm (GMT)

web: www.ifsabutler.co.uk
email: bob@ifsabutler.co.uk

• Lynne Alvarez
• Andrew Williams
• Belinda Beggs
• Oran McAllister
• Charlotte Robinson
  
• Jessica Davies
  
• the GRs

These directions are available in printable form as a pdf here.

The London office (address above) is located very conveniently about 150 metres from the Notting Hill Gate Station in central London (maps: Google, MapQuest). This station lies on the Central, Circle and District underground (tube) lines. When exiting the tube, head north on Pembridge Gardens (the road flanked by the Royal Bank of Scotland and the Book Warehouse) and the office will be on your right. It has a blue door and a fair amount of foliage out front.

To get to the office from any of the following airports:

HEATHROW
You have two options coming from Heathrow. The easiest and fastest is to jump on the Heathrow Express (15 min ride; costs about £29 return) which will take you straight to Paddington Station in central London. From here you can either take a cab (10 min ride; costs £7, baggage is extra; just give the driver the address above) or take the tube to Notting Hill Gate Station (5 min ride; costs £4 for a cash single). Option #2 is to take the tube the whole way (takes over an hour and is a greater hassle, but will cost only about £4): take the Piccadilly line to Earl's Court where you'll switch to the District line and take it up to Notting Hill Gate. The office is within walking distance from there.

GATWICK
As with Heathrow, the express train is definitely easiest. Take the Gatwick Express to Victoria Station (30 min ride; costs about £24 return) and then either take a cab to the office (20 min; about £15) or the tube on the Circle Line to Notting Hill Gate Station (about 15 min; £3 for a single). Unlike Heathrow, the tube does not go all the way out to Gatwick so your only other option is a bus with the National Express or EasyBus, for somewhere between £1-10.

STANSTED
The Stansted Express is your best option here, and this will take you to Liverpool Street Station (45 min ride; costs about £24 return). As above, you can either get a cab (30 min; about £25) or the tube on the Central or Circle Lines (Central is quicker) to Notting Hill Gate Station (about 25 min; £4 for a single). You can also take a bus with the National Express or EasyBus, for somewhere between £1-10.

LUTON or other airports
There is no express train service from these airports, but you can always take a shuttle or a bus with, again, the National Express or EasyBus, for somewhere between £1-10.

1100 W. 42nd St., Suite 305
Indianapolis, IN 46208-3345
USA

toll-free: 800.858.0229
local: 317.940.9336
fax: 317.940.9704

web: www.ifsa-butler.org
email: study-abroad@butler.edu

24 Grosvenor Square
London, W1A 1AE
ENGLAND

tel: (011.44) 207.499.9000

Emergencies: 999
Telephone operator: 100
Directory enquiries: 118118
International enquiries: 153
International operator: 155

The British Council

The Council for International Education
9-17 St Albans Place
Islington
London N1 0NX
(011.44) 207.288.4330
advice line: (011.44) 207.107.9922
Information and advice to all students.

International Students House
229 Great Portland Street
London W1W 5PN
(011.44) 207.631.8300
Accommodation and a social club for UK and international students.

Overseas Visitors Records Office (Metropolitan Police)
Ground Floor, Brandon House
180 Borough High Street
London SE1 1LH
(011.44) 207.230.1208/1286
Registration with the police is required for some international students.

Great information for travelers: Boots'n'All

Coach trips around the UK (and US imported foods): Travel and Treats

British coach services: National Express. MegaBus . Young Person's CoachCard

British train information: The Train Line . QJump . Eurostar . Young Person's RailCard

European train information (including rail passes): RailEurope . European Rail Guide . Rail Choice . Boots'n'All

Getting to the London airports: Heathrow Express . Gatwick Express . Stansted Express . National Express (coach)

Cheap Airlines: RyanAir . EasyJet . British Midlands . STA Travel . lastminute.com . WikiTravel guide to cheap airlines

Hostels in UK, Europe: Hostelling International . HostelsWeb.com . Hostels.com . Hostel World . Hostelz . Boots'n'All

BBC
The British Broadcasting Company: more than 2 million pages on news, sport, radio, television, weather and far too much more to mention.

streetmap.co.uk
Find any street or road in Great Britain on a nicer looking map than Mapquest.

Yell.com
Generic yellow- and white-pages.

TimeOut
The world-renowned city guide, specifically for London.

This is London
The city guide produced by London newspapers The Evening Standard and Metro.

Transport for London
Explore your travel options within London. Get exact transport directions between two destinations, Tube and bus maps, ticket prices, general information and more.

(Please also visit the 'For Travelers' links section on this page.)

What is the best way to travel in the UK?
The British train system goes almost anywhere you desire in Britain. It is privatised with some 26 different passenger carriers. If you will be doing extensive tourism by train in Britain, consider investing in a BritRail pass. Alternatively, coaches are usually a cheaper option and may even give a better view of the countryside. They take about 50% longer than the trains to reach any given destination. See Wikipedia's guide to the British Rail System for extensive history and franchise information. More links are under 'For Travelers' on this page. Alternatively, consider flying around the island. The larger British airports are in London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Belfast and Dublin (ROI).

What is the best way to travel around Europe?
There are numerous airlines that specialize in cheap flights around Europe, the two largest being RyanAir and EasyJet. See our links under 'For Travelers' for more information. If you are going to be visiting a large number of cities, look into Eurail (if you have not yet lived here six full months) or Inter-Rail (if you have) train passes for significant savings and flexibility.

What are the Young Persons Railcard and Coachcards?
These cards give you discounts (of 1/3) for trains and coaches, respectively, throughout the UK. For both, you must be under 26 years old. The Railcard will cost about £20 for a year while the coachcard is priced at about £10. You can buy them online or at certain stations.

Where can I store my luggage if I am not in residence?
Most students who are staying in halls of residence can arrange with their individual dorm staff or housing office at the beginning of their stay to store luggage over the holidays for a small charge. For those who cannot, there are various services that will store luggage in certain locations. Try the Drifters Club at drifterstravel@ukonline.co.uk for one example.

What do I need to know about cell phones in the UK?
First of all, 'cell phone' is completely unused terminology; ask for a 'mobile phone' instead. You will most likely find a mobile indispensable for social connectivity, especially with the widespread use of text messaging. If you are not staying for an entire twelve months you will probably want to get a Pay-As-You-Go plan which allows you to pay for only the calls you have used (at higher per-call rates, of course). Also, choose the same network as your friends because calls between phones of the same network are much less expensive. To sell the phone at the end of your stay, a good idea is to bring it home with you and offer it to students preparing to study in the UK soon.

Where can I buy appliances and electronics?
The cheapest option for many of your needs will be your local Argos. This is a catalog ordering store that has everything from dishware to sports equipment to computers to electronics and cables to furniture to appliances. Though you can use both the phone and the Internet to place your order, most people prefer to visit the store where they can immediately retrieve the item(s).