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United Kingdom Travel Guide
No matter where you decide to travel within the UK, you are bound to be bowled over by the sheer weight and significance of its history; an unending procession of historic towns, cities and important cultural sights await your arrival on the British Isles.
The United Kingdom is made up of four constituent nations: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Of these, England - and particularly, its cosmopolitan capital of London - is the most popular tourist destination, followed by Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, whose troubled political history has until recently kept it largely off the global tourism radar.
England abounds with fascinating things to see and do, from London's celebrated sights of Big Ben, Buckingham Palace and Piccadilly Circus (best viewed from the top of an iconic double-decker bus), to the mysterious Stonehenge, to historic cities such as York, Durham and Bath, and the famous university towns of Oxford and Cambridge. Culture-vultures will find plenty of enjoyment in England, with peerless art galleries, West End theatre shows, and a plethora of live music venues.
Scotland's compact and friendly capital of Edinburgh is a constant source of delight to foreign visitors, offering an intriguing mixture of historic grandeur and a modern, progressive social atmosphere. Edinburgh Castle, the symbol of Scotland, is a must-see, and nature-lovers will love walking the untamed hills of its Highlands region. Wales, meanwhile, is undergoing a tourism renaissance of sorts, with its capital Cardiff emerging as a hip and attractive city to rival any in Europe. Wales also remains one of the UK's most unspoilt and ruggedly beautiful places, with a vast network of National Parks and conservancy areas for visitors to enjoy.
Best time to visit the United Kingdom
Without a doubt, the best time to visit the United Kingdom is in the summer (June to August), when days are long, temperatures are warm without being uncomfortable, and the majority of the best festivals and events take place. Rain is possible at any time of year in the UK. The myriad attractions of the country ensure that travel during any season can be delightful.
What to see in the United Kingdom
-Any sightseeing tour of London will take in this proud city's most famous tourist attractions, which include Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, St Paul's Cathedral, Tower Bridge and Westminster Abbey.
-The archaeological site of Stonehenge is the most famous megalithic structure in the world.
-The entire city of Bath is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with its honey-coloured stone buildings, Roman Baths and Georgian architecture providing a feast for the senses.
-Stratford-upon-Avon features photogenic Tudor houses and is home to the Royal Shakespeare Company.
-Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland is one of the most spectacular natural attractions in all of Europe.
What to do in the United Kingdom
-Take in some high culture by visiting a selection of London's famous museums and art galleries, including the Tate Modern and the Natural History Museum.
-Enjoy a long, slow driving tour of the Cotswolds - a region of rolling hills and picturesque villages.
-Head to Edinburgh, Scotland's lively capital city, and enjoy the vibrant nightlife before heading further north into the wild moors and misty marshes of the Highlands.
-Take a ride on the London Eye for spectacular views of London's most historic areas.
Getting to the United Kingdom
Cheap flights to the United Kingdom are available from an enormous variety of international destinations. The United Kingdom is blessed with a huge amount of international airports that are served by major airlines and low-cost carriers alike. The most common entry-point to the United Kingdom is London Heathrow Airport, which happens to be the world's busiest international hub for passenger traffic.
Read
Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson, Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, 44 Scotland Street by Alexander McCall Smith, and How Green Was My Valley by Richard Llewellyn.
Watch
The King's Speech (2010), The Young Victoria (2009), The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain (1995), and Bend It Like Beckham (2002).
Eat
Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, fish and chips, shepherds' pie, bangers (pork sausages) and mashed potato, and English breakfasts (eggs, bacon, sausages, fried bread, mushrooms and baked beans).
Drink
Tea, and a pint of locally-brewed beer.
What to buy
T-shirts, key chains and magnets with some of the UK's most iconic sights on them. 'Mind the Gap' t-shirts are also very popular UK souvenirs.
What to pack
The weather in the United Kingdom is notoriously changeable, and visitors should ensure they pack a lightweight rain-slicker to carry around in the event of sudden showers. Cigarettes are extremely expensive in the UK, so smokers might want to bring the maximum allowed with them.
What's on in the United Kingdom
The Edinburgh International Festival (August/September) is the largest arts festival in the world, transforming Scotland's capital into a vibrant arts hub. The Notting Hill Carnival (August) is the second-biggest street party in the world (after the Rio Carnival). The London Marathon (April) draws about 30,000 participants every year to make a scenic tour of England's capital. The Glastonbury Festival (June) is one of the world's most famous outdoor music festivals, attracting top-drawer musicians from all over the world.
Did you know?
-The trip from Leicester Square to Covent Garden is the most popular tube route for tourists in London, despite the fact that this distance is quicker to cover on foot.
-The average Briton drinks more tea than any other national in the world.
-The UK has an official 'most depressing day of the year': Blue Monday, usually the 3rd Monday of the New Year.
A final word
The United Kingdom is a deservedly popular tourist destination, whose rich and mighty history has bequeathed it with a treasure-chest of cultural sights and attractions, that are guaranteed to delight visitors to this proud island nation.
Things to do in United Kingdom
The United Kingdom continues to rank as one of the top tourist destinations in the world, steadily attracting more than 32 million foreign visitors every year. This comparatively small island nation packs a touristic punch completely disproportionate to its size, with its small size and excellent transport networks making it easy to get around for travellers.
For tourists, England remains the most popular country in the UK, and the vast majority of travellers visiting England spend time in London. Many tourist attractions are found in the capital, such as the National Gallery, St Paul's Cathedral, the Tower of London, the Tate Modern, the Natural History Museum, Epping Forest, Science Museum and the incomparable British Museum. The only Top 10 UK attraction that isn't in London is Brighton Pier, the landmark feature of the UK's most beloved seaside resort. Other much-visited tourist attractions outside of London include Cornwall's Eden Project, Bath's Roman Baths, Canterbury Cathedral, Warwick Castle, the Lake District's Windermere Lake and the iconic Stonehenge.
The UK is blessed with ample natural beauty and is well-suited to walking holidays, with the Lake District, the Scottish Highlands and Wales particularly beguiling to hikers. But when the infamous weather doesn't oblige, many hours can be spent soaking up the culture in world-famous museums, galleries, shops and theatres. Another big drawcard is the surfeit of grand estates and old castles, conjuring up the worlds of Jane Austen and Shakespeare. For something more Dickensian, the UK is chock full of wonderful old pubs in which to while away the rainy days.
United Kingdom travel info
Electricity
The electrical current in the UK is 240 volts, 50Hz. Flat, three-pin plugs are standard.
Language
English is the official language, though visitors will be astonished by the variety of regional accents.
Money
The currency is the British pound (GBP), which is divided into 100 pence. ATMs are available in almost all towns and Visa, MasterCard and American Express are widely accepted. Foreign currency can be exchanged at bureaux de change and large hotels, though better exchange rates are likely to be found at banks.
Tipping
Tips of 10 to 15 percent are expected in restaurants and upmarket hotels in the UK if a service charge hasn't been included. Hotel service staff receive an optional amount, while taxi drivers are usually given 10 to 15 percent of the fare. Tipping bartenders isn't expected, and tipping for other services is discretionary.
Health
There are no specific health risks associated with travel to the UK and food and water can be considered safe. The British National Health Service is excellent, and a number of countries have reciprocal health agreements with the UK including Australia, New Zealand and EU countries. Visitors from other countries such as Canada, South Africa and the United States are advised to take out comprehensive travel insurance.
Safety
It's generally safe to travel throughout the UK.
Local customs
Handshaking is customary when introduced to someone new. Smoking is banned in all enclosed public spaces, including pubs, restaurants and public transport. Queue barging is frowned upon and there is strict etiquette on escalators: stand on the right, walk on the left. Visitors may find Londoners more rushed and less friendly than locals in other parts of the country, particularly on London transport, where tourists are often the only people who talk.
Doing business
The four countries of the United Kingdom, although culturally and historically different, generally keep to the same business practices. Politeness and punctuality are key to good business relations and initial meetings are often conducted formally and impersonally, becoming more open and social as things progress. Business cards are exchanged at introductions, and dress is formal with dark suits preferred. Business hours are generally 8am to 5pm Monday to Friday with an hour taken at lunch.
The communication style can be difficult to adjust to: the British people respect politeness to a point that often obscures their ability to say exactly what they mean. As a result, travelling business people may need to learn to 'read between the lines' and to take cues from tone of voice and facial expression. Humour is also an integral part of the British system of communication, and is used to diffuse a tense situation and to cultivate relationships. Foreigners should never assume that an attempt at humour undermines a person's ability to do their job, or discredits the importance they attach to a deal or negotiation. Furthermore, they shouldn't be fooled into thinking that the British propensity for irony and sarcasm equates with an informal work environment.
Foreigners should be tactful during meetings, avoid becoming emotional and illustrate their experience with the subject at hand. Performance and initiative are looked upon favourably, whereas academic pretension is given far less credence. Meetings are often used as platforms for debate, rather than moments of confirmation, so there should be no surprise if not much progress is made. Foreigners should be sure to respect and appeal to all parties involved, as the British have recently begun to take a far flatter approach to management and the responsibility of decision-making. And if things go well, it's worth purchasing a pint or two for clients or colleagues; though gifts are borderline inappropriate, a round of drinks will rarely be refused.
Duty free
Travellers can bring the following goods into the UK tax or duty free: 200 cigarettes, 100 cigarillos, 50 cigars or 250g of tobacco, 18 litres of still table wine, 42 litres of beer, 4 litres of spirits or strong liqueurs or 9 litres of fortified wine, sparkling wine or other alcoholic beverages of less than 22 per cent volume.
Communications
The international country dialling code for the UK is +44. Mobile phone coverage is extensive and free WiFi is widely available in pubs and coffee shops. Travellers can purchase local prepaid SIM cards for unlocked phones or use eSIMs if their cellular providers support it on their networks.
Passport & Visa
If a visa is not required, travellers should hold a return or onward ticket, and proof of funds for the duration of stay. Passports must be valid for the period of intended stay in the UK. It's highly recommended that travellers' passports have at least six months' validity remaining after the intended date of departure from their travel destination. Immigration officials often apply different rules to those stated by travel agents and official sources. For visitors who are visa exempt up to a maximum stay of six months, the period of stay will be determined by the Immigration Officer on arrival.
Entry requirements
US travellers must hold a passport that is valid for the duration of their stay; a visa is not required for stays of up to six months.
Canadian passports must be valid for at least the expected duration of the stay. No visa is required for stays of six months or less.
Australian passports must be valid for at least six months after the departure date. No visa is required for stays of six months or less.
South Africans require a valid passport and a visa for entry or transit through the UK. South African temporary passports are not recognised.
Under the Common Travel Area agreement, citizens from the UK and Ireland are not required to pass through passport control. They can travel between both countries without a valid passport if they can prove they are a valid UK or Irish national.
New Zealand nationals must hold a valid passport, but no visa is required for stays of up to six months.
Useful contacts
United Kingdom Tourism Website: www.visitbritain.com
999 (General)Embassies / consulates in other countries
British Embassy, Washington DC, United States: +1 202 588 6500.
British High Commission, Ottawa, Canada: +1 613 237 1530.
British High Commission, Canberra, Australia: +61 2 6270 6666.
British High Commission, Pretoria, South Africa: +27 12 421 7500.
British Embassy, Dublin, Ireland: +353 1 205 3700.
British High Commission, Wellington, New Zealand: +64 4 924 2888.
Embassies / consulates in United Kingdom
United States Embassy, London: +44 20 7499 9000.
Canadian High Commission, London: +44 20 7004 6000.
Australian High Commission, London: +44 20 7379 4334.
South African High Commission, London: +44 20 7451 7299.
Irish Embassy, London: +44 20 7235 2171.
New Zealand High Commission, London: +44 20 7930 8422.
Climate in United Kingdom
The United Kingdom is positioned at the convergence between the moist maritime and dry continental air currents, which results in atmospheric instability and extremely unpredictable weather. Many types of weather can be experienced in one day and travellers should go prepared, particularly as in most regions of the UK rain is possible at any time of year. Winters, between December and February, are cold and wet with occasional snow, especially in the high-lying areas.
Summers, between June and August, are generally warm with frequent showers. Northern Ireland, Wales and the western regions of England and Scotland enjoy the mildest temperatures, but are the wettest and windiest parts of the UK; the eastern regions of England and Scotland are drier and cooler with more extreme temperatures.
Generally speaking, southern regions are more temperate and mild than northern regions. England enjoys the warmest temperatures on average and is generally more sunny and less rainy than the rest of the UK, with Scotland enduring the coldest and wettest weather.
The peak tourist season in the UK is summer, between June and August, but it's pleasant to visit any time between April and October. The winters are cold and sometimes snowy, but travelling out of season is cheaper and the winter months can be cosy and exciting, particularly over the festive season.