Travelling from Gondar to Leicester

Flights from Ethiopia to the UK

Travelling by air from Gondar to the UK takes place via Addis Ababa. Ethiopian Airlines has direct flights from Addis to London Heathrow. You do not need to change planes, and there is good public transport from Heathrow to Leicester.

Flights are also available to regional UK airports. For instance, you can fly to Birmingham Airport by Lufthansa, Air France or KLM, changing planes in Frankfurt, Paris or Amsterdam, respectively. These can be more expensive, are much longer journeys and may require a transit visa. Contact our administrator at info@halethiopia.org for advice. If you are planning to travel to Birmingham Airport, you will need to arrange to be met there.

Getting from London Heathrow and Leicester

There are frequent National Express coaches from Heathrow Central Coach Station to Leicester St Margaret’s Bus Station. The journey takes about two and a half hours. Do not get any bus or coach going into central London.

Go to the Central Coach Station as soon as you have collected your luggage and cleared customs. It is within walking distance and well signposted.

If an e-ticket for the coach has been arranged for you in advance, you will need the reference number to quote to the coach driver when you reach the Central Coach Station. You will not need to pay.

If no prior arrangement has been made, buy an open return ticket at the Coach Station. You will need UK currency for this – the ticket will cost about £95. Keep your receipt so that you can claim back the cost of the ticket.

Please telephone your contact to let them know which coach you will be travelling on. You should be met by your contact person at St Margaret’s Bus Station, Leicester and taken to your accommodation.

If there is a problem…

Please make all necessary meet-up arrangements before you leave Ethiopia. However, if a problem does arise and your contact is not there to meet you.

Accommodation

You will stay in a self-catering flat which is about two minutes walk away from the main hospital (Leicester Royal Infirmary) and about ten minutes walk away from the University. We will give you local maps and information when you arrive.

There are good food shops close by. Bedding, towels and kitchen equipment are all supplied. You will have your own bedroom and shared kitchen and bathroom facilities in a 3- or 4-room flat. You will need to buy and prepare your own food. The flat has wired broadband. If you are not bringing a laptop, let us known and we will arrange computer and web access for you.

Important points

You must ensure that you have travel insurance (including health insurance while you are in the UK) before booking your travel. If not, then the cost of travel etc may be forfeited if the visit has to be cancelled.

If you expect to be in clinical contact with patients in the UK, you will need an appointment with the Occupational Health Department as soon as you arrive.

If you become ill during your stay you must immediately contact your host or if not our administrator at info@halethiopia.org or on 0116 252 5321.

You must be on time for all of your appointments. If you are unable to make any of the appointments that have been arranged, you must contact our administrator before the appointment. Staff often have very full schedules and work to tight deadlines, so it causes a loss of goodwill and can be seriously detrimental to other future projects if appointments are missed.

Currency

Your living expenses in Leicester will be provided, if funding has been arranged in the UK. You will be given an initial sum as soon as you arrive. However, spare cash on arrival will be needed if you do not have an e-ticket for coach travel from Heathrow.

Communicating whilst in Leicester

You can very cheaply buy a UK sim card for use during your stay. Check with your mobile phone provider before travelling to ensure they will allow you to use this for a short period.

If you have any further questions about your visit to Leicester, please contact our UK-based Administrator info@halethiopia.org