By Tracey Waples
Travel to Hertfordshire is made easy by its great connections from London. Bordered by Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire to the north, Essex to the east, Buckinghamshire to the west and Greater London to the south, it’s fair to say that Hertfordshire is pretty centrally located in southern England.
Getting here
By train
Not surprisingly, many Hertfordshire towns are commuter hotspots with excellent road and rail links making it possible to enjoy country life while working in the city. The county also lies across major road and rail routes connecting the capital to the north of the country which makes Hertfordshire particularly accessible to the Midlands, Northern England and Scotland.
Four principal national railway lines pass through the county: The West Coast Main Line, The East Coast Main Line, The Midland Main Line and The West Anglia Main Line. The West Coast Main Line from Euston provides commuter and regional services in the far west of the county. Virgin Trains also operates high speed inter-city services via Watford Junction to the Midlands, North Wales, North West England and Scotland.
Hertfordshire has excellent rail links and connections
The East Coast Main Line from London King’s Cross runs high speed inter-city services via Stevenage to Yorkshire, North East England and Scotland. The Midland Main Line which forms part of the Thameslink route between Bedford and Brighton via Central London with services are provided by Thameslink.
East Midlands Trains also provide inter-city services along the line from London St Pancras to the East Midlands and Yorkshire. The West Anglia Main Line from London Liverpool Street offers local and regional services mainly in the east of the county. A number of other local rail routes also cross Hertfordshire including:
The London to Aylesbury Line from London Marylebone runs via Rickmansworth and Chorleywood.
The Abbey Line, a local line from Watford to St Albans Abbey.
The Cambridge Line, a branch of the East Coast line which runs via Royston and Letchworth to Cambridge.
By Tube
Three commuter lines operated by Transport for London enter the county: the Lea Valley Lines, a suburban metro line from Liverpool Street to Cheshunt via Seven Sisters. There is also the Watford DC Line, another suburban metro line that runs from Euston to Watford Junction. Five stations on the London Underground Metropolitan line – Chorleywood, Croxley, Moor Park, Rickmansworth and Watford are also in Hertfordshire.
By air
Stansted and Luton are within 10 miles (16km) of the county’s borders and there is a commercial airfield at Elstree for light aircraft. The Grand Union Canal passes through much of the far west of Hertfordshire at Rickmansworth, Watford, Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted and Tring.
London Standsted and Luton Airports are within easy reach of Hertfordshire
By bus
Local bus services are run by a number of private operators. Intalink is an organisation run by the county council that manages transport and funds bus services in rural areas.
By road
Hertfordshire has some of the principal roads in England: A1, A1(M), A5, A6, A41, M1, M11, and the M25.
By waterways
Although you may have to leave the county to get to the coast, there are some stunning waterways to travel throughout Hertfordshire.
Enjoy the views on a trip down the Grand Union Canal
The Grand Union Canal passes through much of the far west of the county including Rickmansworth, Watford, Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted and Tring.
Read more about Hertfordshire
