British transport (IPS)
Released in:
September 2020
For further information, please contact research@visitbritain.org.
Report highlights
- In 2018, the most commonly used mode of transport by inbound visitors was ‘bus, tube, tram or metro train (within town/city)’, which was reported to be used by almost half of all respondents (49%).
- Over one-in-four say they used a taxi during their time in the UK (28%) and 23% used a train to travel outside of towns and cities.
- Looking at transport within towns and cities, transport sharing apps have developed into a common alternative mode of transport, with 10% of inbound visitors using these in 2018.
View the report
Modes of transport used by inbound visitors
Read more about rail travel and the other types of transport used by inbound visitors to the UK during their visit in 2018 by downloading our report about internal modes of transport. Published in September 2020.
Mode of transport used in Britain: by inbound market
Discover what types of transport visitors from different markets are likely to use by downloading our summary spreadsheet (xlsx, 21KB) based on IPS 2018. Published in September 2020.
About this survey
Every year, we add extra questions to the Office for National Statistics International Passenger Survey (IPS) to help us better understand the needs and characteristics of inbound visitors to Britain. One of the questions that we added during 2018 focused on the types of transport that visitors used during their stay. Please see more information about the IPS project on this page.
Further resources
Getting to Britain
Our market profiles pages provide detailed information on access to Britain from each market.
Role of rail transport
As part of the Discover England Fund, we have produced research reports to highlight how product development can help encourage more visitors to extend their travels beyond the capital. Please view this report focused on the role of rail transport. Published in July 2016.
Booking a holiday
Additional Discover England Fund research has also been completed to further understand the decision-making and booking processes of international travellers. This included information on when transport tickets for trips to Britain may be booked. Read our report about the booking process. Published April 2017.
