I am visiting London and Londonderry. What is the best way to get to Londonderry from London? If I take the ferry and train what is the best way to go? Plus, is it cheaper to buy my tickets in advance

cheapest quickest is to fly. try www.raynair.com or www.whichbudget.com for cheap flights. Long way by ferry/train - yes cheaper to buy the British portion at least in advance.

You may find Londonderry under Derry in flight timetables

Ryanair fly direct to Derry from London stanstead (BTW the correct address is www.ryanair.com) but their have only 2 flights per day.

If they don't suit try Easyjet from eith Gatwick or Stanstead to belfast and take the airport bus http://www.belfastairport.com/en/con...a=2&id=183 www.easyjet.com or Flybe from Gatwick to Belfast www.flybe.com

Well, you asked about ferries.

Go to www.directferries.co.uk for a list of Irish Sea ferries. The quickest train journey is to Liverpool, but the ferry to Belfast (whence NI Railways to Derry) takes forever. Trains to Stranraer take for slightly less ever, but the ferry across to NI is a lot quicker.

If you want a surface route, you might find it quicker to get a ferry to Dublin, then the bus to Derry. None of these routes have stellar scenery (except for the coastal bit of the Belfast-Derry train), and they're all (except the heroic 19 hr all-bus route) likely to be a lot pricier than Ryanair.

Personally, I'd fly - possibly to one of the Belfast airports, so I could get the nice train.