Social ConventionsThe Monarchy, though now only symbolic, is a powerful and often subconscious unifying force. Members of the Royal family are the subject of unceasing fascination, with their every move avidly followed and reported by the popular press, both in Britain and abroad. Handshaking is customary when introduced to someone for the first time. Normal social courtesies should be observed when visiting someone’s home and a small present such as flowers or chocolates is appreciated. It is polite to wait until everyone has been served before eating.
Clothing: Some nightclubs
and restaurants do not allow jeans and trainers, otherwise casual wear is widely acceptable.
Use of public places: Topless sunbathing is allowed on certain beaches and tolerated in some parks. Smoking or non-smoking areas will usually be clearly marked. A complete ban on smoking in bars, restaurants, clubs, pubs and offices came into force in Scotland in 2006. A ban is being implemented in Northern Ireland and Wales from April 2007 and in England from July 2007. Cigarettes should not legally be sold to children under 16 years of age.
International Travel:Getting There by AirThe principal national airline is
British Airways (BA) (tel: 0870 850 9850; website:
www.britishairways.com).
Departure TaxNone.
Main AirportsSee
Getting There in the country sub-sections.
Getting There by WaterMain ports: Dover,
Harwich,
Holyhead and
Portsmouth.
There are many ports offering ferry connections between the UK and mainland Europe, Ireland, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Wight, the Scilly Isles and the Isle of Man.
UK
ferry operators include:
Brittany Ferries (tel: 0870 366 5333; website:
www.brittany-ferries.co.uk);
Caledonian MacBrayne (tel: 0870 650 000; website:
www.calmac.co.uk);
Condor Ferries (tel: 0845 243 5140; website:
www.condorferries.co.uk);
DFDS Seaways (tel: 0870 252 0524; website:
www.dfdsseaways.co.uk);
Fjord Line (tel: 0870 143 9669; website:
www.fjordline.co.uk);
Irish Ferries (tel: 0870 517 1717; website:
www.irishferries.com);
P&O Ferries (tel: 0870 598 0333; website:
www.poferries.com);
Red Funnel (tel: (0870) 444 8898; website:
www.redfunnel.co.uk);
Superfast (tel: 0870 234 0870; website:
www.superfast.com); and
Stena Line (tel: 0870 570 7070; website:
www.stenaline.com).
A map of ferry routes is available on
VisitBritain’s website:
www.visitbritain.com.
Getting There by RailTrains meet connecting ferries at Dover, Newhaven, Portsmouth and Weymouth, sailing for Belgium, France, Germany and Spain; and at Harwich, sailing for Germany, The Netherlands and Scandinavia.
Eurotunnel (tel: 0870 535 3535; website:
www.eurotunnel.com) runs shuttle trains for vehicles between Folkestone in the UK, and Calais in France. All road vehicles are carried through the tunnel in shuttle trains running between the two terminals. Terminals and shuttles are well-equipped for disabled passengers. Passenger Terminal buildings contain a variety of shops, restaurants, bureaux de change and other amenities. The journey takes about 35 minutes from platform to platform. Services run every day of the year. Fares are charged according to length of stay and time of year and whether or not you have a reservation. The price applies to the car, regardless of the number of passengers or size of the car.
Eurostar (tel: 0870 518 6186, within the UK,
or (01233) 617 575, outside the UK; website:
www.eurostar.com);
or Rail Europe (tel: 0870 584 8848; website:
www.raileurope.co.uk) a service provided by the railways of Belgium, the UK and France, operating direct high-speed trains from London to Paris and to Brussels. It takes 2 hours 40 minutes from London to Paris (via Lille) and two hours 20 minutes to Brussels. Work on the UK section of the high-speed rail line is being done in two stages. Stage 1 (from the Channel Tunnel through Kent to the outskirts of London) has been completed. Stage 2, to be completed in January 2007, will take the route to a new terminal at St Pancras. When it is completed, the transit times between London St Pancras and Brussels will be just two hours and between London St Pancras and Paris just two hours 15 minutes.
Rail PassesInterRail: offers unlimited first- or second-class travel in up to 30 European countries for European residents of over six months with two pass options. The
Global Pass allows travel for 22 days, one month, five days in 10 days or 10 days in 22 days across all countries. The
One-Country Pass offers travel for three, four, six or eight days in one month in any of the countries except Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro. Travel is not allowed in the passenger’s country of residence. Travelers under 26 years receive a reduction. Children’s tickets are reduced by about 50%. Supplements are required for some high-speed services, seat reservations and couchettes. Discounts are offered on
Eurostar and some ferry routes. Available from
Rail Europe (website:
www.raileurope.co.uk/inter-rail).
Getting There by RoadEurolines (tel: 0870 514 3219; website:
www.eurolines.com) and
National Express (tel: 0870 580 8080; website:
www.nationalexpress.com) run regular coach services from the UK to numerous European cities. Travelers can either choose Mini-Pass breaks or book a 15-, 30- or 60-day pass. The six Mini-Passes give travelers the freedom to visit three cities. Travelers can stay as long as they like in each city.
Few formalities are encountered when
driving between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
OverviewThe Channel Islands and Gibraltar are treated as being outside of the EU for the Duty Free section.
The following items may be imported into the UK without incurring customs duty by travelers aged 17 years and over arriving from non-EU countries:
200 cigarettes or 100 cigarillos or 50 cigars or 250g of tobacco;
2l of table wine; 1l of alcoholic beverages stronger than 22 per cent or 2l of fortified or sparkling wine or other liqueurs;
60ml of perfume and 250ml of eau de toilette;
other goods including souvenirs up to the value of £145.
Goods obtained duty and tax paid in the EU are unlimited.
Traveling with petsThe UK is one of the few regions of the world completely free of rabies and, until recently, all cats and dogs imported into the country had to spend six months in quarantine. To bring animals and birds into the UK, an import license must be obtained at least six months in advance. Some animals may now qualify for the PET Travel Scheme (PETS) and can be brought into the UK without being put into quarantine. At present, this is limited to certain travel carriers and animals. Severe penalties are imposed on persons attempting to smuggle domestic animals into the country. An illegally imported animal is liable to be destroyed. For further information about importing animals, contact the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Area 207, 1A Page Street, London SWIP 4PQ (website:
www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/quarantine/index.htm);
or the PETS helpline (tel: (0870) 241 1710; e-mail:
pets.helpline@defra.gsi.gov.uk)
or the nearest British mission abroad.
Abolition of duty-free goods within the EU
On 30 June 1999, the sale of duty-free alcohol and tobacco at airports and at sea was abolished in all of the original 15 EU member states. Of the 10 new member states that joined the EU on 1 May 2004 and the two states that joined on 1 January 2007, these rules already apply to Cyprus and Malta. There are transitional rules in place for visitors returning to one of the original 15 EU countries from one of the other new EU countries. But for the original 15, plus Cyprus and Malta, there are no limits imposed on importing tobacco and alcohol products from one EU country to another. Travelers should note that they may be required to prove at customs that the goods purchased are for personal use
only. Member states may follow the EU’s guide levels of: 10l of spirits; 20l of fortified wine; 90l of wine; 110l of beer; 800 cigarettes; 400 cigarillos; 200 cigars and 1kg of tobacco.
Note: The UK follows the above EU guide levels, with the exception of cigarettes (3200) and tobacco (3kg).
Prohibited ImportsProhibited items include unlicensed drugs, offensive weapons, indecent and obscene material featuring children, counterfeit and pirated goods, meat, dairy and other animal products and pornography.
Restricted items include firearms, explosives and ammunition, live animals, endangered species, certain plants and their produce and radio transmitters.
Internal Travel:IntroductionNoteThis section is a general introduction to transport within the UK. Further information is given in the individual
Travel sections for England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.
Getting Around By AirBritish Airways operates a shuttle service from London to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester and Newcastle amongst other cities. Other internal operators include
bmi (BD) (website:
www.flybmi.com),
flybe (BE) (website:
www.flybe.com),
easyJet (EZY) (website:
www.easyjet.com), and
Ryanair (FR) (website:
www.ryanair.com).
From London to
Aberdeen is one hour 30 minutes; to
Belfast is one hour 15 minutes; to
Edinburgh is one hour 20 minutes; to
Glasgow is one hour 20 minutes; to
Jersey is one hour; to
Manchester is 55 minutes; and to
Newcastle is one hour and 10 minutes.
Getting Around by WaterInformation on travel to the Channel Islands, Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Scottish islands are given in the relevant
Travel sections for those countries.
Getting Around by RailThe UK is served by an excellent network of railways.
Intercity lines provide fast services between London and major cities, and there are services to the southeast and to major cities in the Midlands, the north and south Wales and between Edinburgh and Glasgow. Some rural areas are less well served (eg the north coast of the west country, parts of East Anglia, Northern Ireland, Northumberland and North Yorkshire, parts of inland Wales, and southern and northern Scotland), although local rail services are generally fairly comprehensive.
Rail PassesThere are many discretionary fares, and visitors using trains may like to consider one of the all-line
BritRail range of passes giving unlimited travel. This is available to visitors from overseas and is not available in the UK; tickets must be purchased in the visitor’s home country, although tickets can be collected in the UK. Further details can be obtained from
BritRail (website:
www.britrail.com).
InterRail’s One-Country Pass offers travel for three, four, six or eight days in one month within the UK. Travel is not allowed in the passenger’s country of residence. Travelers under 26 years receive a reduction. Children’s tickets are reduced by about 50%. Supplements are required for some high-speed services, seat reservations and couchettes. Discounts are offered on
Eurostar and some ferry routes. Available from
Rail Europe (website:
www.raileurope.co.uk/inter-rail).
For information about UK train services and fares, contact
National Rail Enquiries (tel: (08457) 484 950; website:
www.nationalrail.co.uk). It can be much cheaper to purchase rail tickets in advance. Disabled travelers are also entitled to discounted train fares; see the
Disabled Traveller appendix.
Getting Around by RoadThere are trunk roads (‘A’ roads) linking all major towns and cities in the UK. Roads in rural areas (‘B’ roads) can be slow and winding, and in upland areas may become impassable in winter. Motorways radiate from London and there is also a good east–west and north–south network in the north and the Midlands. The M25 motorway circles London and connects at various junctions with the M1, M3, M4, M10, M11 and M40. The only motorway that leaves England is the M4 from London to South Wales. Access to Scotland is by the A1/A1(M) or the A68 to Edinburgh, or the M6 to Carlisle followed by the A74 to Glasgow. Within Scotland, motorways link Edinburgh, Glasgow and Perth. In Northern Ireland, motorways run from Belfast to Dungannon and from Belfast to Antrim. For further information on roads within each country, see the respective
Travel sections.
Coach: Every major city has a coach terminus: in London, it is Victoria Coach station, about 1km (0.7 miles) from the train station. There are coach services to all parts of the country. Many coaches have onboard toilets and refreshments. Private coaches may be hired by groups wishing to tour the UK; these can be booked in advance and will visit most major tourist attractions. Many of these destinations now have coach parks nearby. The main carrier is
National Express (website:
www.nationalexpress.com).
Traffic regulations: Traffic drives on the left. Speed limits are 30mph (48kph) in urban areas, 70mph (113kph) on motorways and dual carriageways, elsewhere 50mph (80kph) or 60mph (97kph) as marked. Unleaded petrol and diesel are sold at all petrol stations. LPG (liquified petroleum gas) is increasingly available. Seatbelts must be worn by the driver and front seat passenger. Where rear seat belts have been fitted, they must also be worn. It is illegal to use a hand-held mobile phone while driving. The minimum driving age is 17.
Documentation: National driving licenses are valid for one year. Drivers must have Third Party insurance and vehicle registration documents.
Automobile associations: The AA (website:
www.theaa.com) and RAC (website:
www.rac.co.uk) are able to provide a full range of services to UK members touring the UK. These organizations can also assist people who are traveling from abroad with maps, tourist information and specially marked routes to major events or places of interest.
Getting Around Towns and CitiesAll cities and towns have bus services of varying efficiency and cost. Glasgow, Liverpool, London and Newcastle have underground railways. London and Glasgow’s date back to the 19th century. The urban areas of Birmingham, Cardiff, Glasgow, Liverpool and Manchester are also well served by local railway trains. Manchester has an efficient modern tram service.
Taxis: Licensed taxi operators are generally metered; small supplements may be charged for weekends, bank holidays, excess baggage and late-night travel. In the larger cities, unlicensed operators offer a cheaper (but less efficient and knowledgeable) unmetered service with fares based loosely on elapsed clock mileage; these taxis are called mini-cabs and can be summoned by telephone.
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