Did You Know?
Travel-
If you are flying to London from the West and have a connecting flight, it's important to get your documents checked and boarding pass stamped at the connecting airport, even though they were already checked at your departure airport.
___________________________________________________________________________________
Once you arrive at London Gatwick or Heathrow airport there are a number of option to get into Central London, taxi is the most convenient and depending on the time of day could cost from £40-70. There are trains from both airports, the Tube from Heathrow and an express overground train from Gatwick to Victoria Station. If you would like a private car transfer, this can be quite inexpensive, click here to reserve.
___________________________________________________________________________________
If you have reserved a rental car and want an automatic be sure to specify, unlike in the US rental cars are both manual and automatic in the UK.
___________________________________________________________________________________
London is a wonderful city to walk, major attractions are not as far apart as you might think. But if you would rather take the bus or tube (try to avoid rush hour) there are several ways to save. The minimum cost to travel on the tube is £4 within Zone 1 (Central London) even if you are only traveling one or two stops!
So purchase a Travel Card available for 1, 3, 7 days or a month and includes tube or bus travel in Zone 1. A 7 day card is £25.80 more details are available at http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/faresandtickets/10628.aspx.
There is another option, the Oyster Card, which can be pre loaded with any amount up to £90, and is generally the less expensive way to go because rather than paying £4.00 for a Zone 1 tube ride, you pay £1.60. To get an Oyster Card and more information, click here.
___________________________________________________________________________________
When flying out of the UK, leave room in your carry as there are some excellent shops at both airports once you get past security.
___________________________________________________________________________________
For reasons I cannot fathom, the boarding procedures at London airports can be very confusing. I have flown back from London on three different airlines in the past 8 months, and none of them boarded by row number, it was a mass of humanity headed towards the gate as they announced they are "Now Boarding" so be prepared! I hope you are on an airline that is more organized.
___________________________________________________________________________________
You will soon figure this out, but that the 1st floor in the UK is the Ground Floor.
___________________________________________________________________________________
Shopping-
When shopping in the UK you will find that unlike the US not tax is added, the listed price is the price you pay. However, that's because a 15% VAT (value added tax) has already been added to the cost, this appies to almost everying except food, books and children’s clothing, but restaurants are required to add it to all bills.
As a tourist it is possible to get this tax refunded, but it's very inconvenient (probably purposely!), firstly not all shops participate and those that do require the purchase to be over £75 and you need to ask for a form 407. You complete the form and take it to customs with the item and receipt when you depart at the airport. If verified by them, then the form is sent back to the shop and 8-10 weeks later you get a refund. Now you can see why in over 30 years of traveling to and from London, I have never participated! But if you want more information go to: http://www.globalrefund.com.
___________________________________________________________________________________
Let's talk about shopping in general for a minute... you are very unlikely to find a bargain on any items at traditional stores, if it's available in the US, it will be less expensive as a general rule, so look for the unusual items. Unfortunately, like most major cities around the world the shopping options are dominated by the familar names and it has become more difficult to find those unique shops, selling unique items. A good example is Regent Rtreet one of London's most popular shopping streets next to Oxford Street. Over the past 5-10 years I have seen most of the unique stores disappear to be replace by Burberry, Banana Republic, Gap, Guess and a huge Apple store, so you get the idea.The trick to shopping in London is finding the unique shops and there are still some around. The markets are always fun, Portobello, Camden, Greenwich, etc, and there are stores tucked away down side streets, check out Carnaby Street famous in the 1960, but still has some fun shops especially in the small surrounding streets. Even in some of the traditional name stores there are items only available in the UK, so check them out.
If you are traveling around Britain it becomes a litle easier especially in the smaller villages and seaside towns.
___________________________________________________________________________________
A few shops on the don't miss list are Hamley's Toy Shop on Regent Street (whatever age you are!), Hatchards Book Shop and Fortnum and Mason's both on Piccadilly and of course Harrods. Harrods also has shops in the departure lounges of both major airports for those last minute gifts!
___________________________________________________________________________________
Food & Drink -
You will sometimes be asked, especially in coffee houses (and there are lots of them), cafes and even fast food restaurant "For here or take away?", on most occasions that dictates the type of container you get, but can also determine the cost. If you eat or drink in the establishment, you will pay a little more, so don't be surprized. Since we are talking about coffee, refills are not free as they are in most places in the US, so you drink four cups in the morning, you will be charged four times.
____________________________________________________________________________________
There are some wonderful places to eat in London, and across the UK, but it can be expensive especially if you decide to visit one of Mr Gordon Ramsey's restuauants, or any hotel restaurant for that matter. If you are on a budget, try pub food, it's very good and usually you can get a very good meal for around £7.00 to £9.00, place your order at the bar and they will ask where you are sitting, at most pubs tipping isn't expected unless they have a restaurant and you have a server. Another option especially for lunch is a wonderful sandwich shop call Pret, you will see them everywhere across London, try a baguette, they are excellent and no chemicals, additives or preservatives!
____________________________________________________________________________________
At least once during your trip order a Full English breakfast, your cardiologist won't approve but it's wonderful, hotels charge too much for it, check it out at a local cafe don't pay more than £7.00. Another meal not to miss is a traditional Sunday Roast, roast beef, roast potatoes, mutiple veggies, lots of gravy and Yorkshire pudding, my experience has been the pub version is the best and most reasonably priced about £7.50 to 10.00.
____________________________________________________________________________________
You should be aware that in a pub or cafe, if you are a party of two and sit at a table for two, expect company, it probably wouldn't happen in the US but in the UK if it's crowded, the locals will not think twice about joining you, and usually won't ask, it's an accepted practice.
____________________________________________________________________________________
The British love their beer, I know, I am one! There is a wide variey to choose from, the most popular are the lagers, try Carling or Carlsberg on draught of course. The traditional bitters are strong so be careful, every pub has to post the alcohol levels of each beer so watch for that.
____________________________________________________________________________________
If you are flying to London from the West and have a connecting flight, it's important to get your documents checked and boarding pass stamped at the connecting airport, even though they were already checked at your departure airport.
___________________________________________________________________________________
Once you arrive at London Gatwick or Heathrow airport there are a number of option to get into Central London, taxi is the most convenient and depending on the time of day could cost from £40-70. There are trains from both airports, the Tube from Heathrow and an express overground train from Gatwick to Victoria Station. If you would like a private car transfer, this can be quite inexpensive, click here to reserve.
___________________________________________________________________________________
If you have reserved a rental car and want an automatic be sure to specify, unlike in the US rental cars are both manual and automatic in the UK.
___________________________________________________________________________________
London is a wonderful city to walk, major attractions are not as far apart as you might think. But if you would rather take the bus or tube (try to avoid rush hour) there are several ways to save. The minimum cost to travel on the tube is £4 within Zone 1 (Central London) even if you are only traveling one or two stops!
So purchase a Travel Card available for 1, 3, 7 days or a month and includes tube or bus travel in Zone 1. A 7 day card is £25.80 more details are available at http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/faresandtickets/10628.aspx.
There is another option, the Oyster Card, which can be pre loaded with any amount up to £90, and is generally the less expensive way to go because rather than paying £4.00 for a Zone 1 tube ride, you pay £1.60. To get an Oyster Card and more information, click here.
___________________________________________________________________________________
When flying out of the UK, leave room in your carry as there are some excellent shops at both airports once you get past security.
___________________________________________________________________________________
For reasons I cannot fathom, the boarding procedures at London airports can be very confusing. I have flown back from London on three different airlines in the past 8 months, and none of them boarded by row number, it was a mass of humanity headed towards the gate as they announced they are "Now Boarding" so be prepared! I hope you are on an airline that is more organized.
___________________________________________________________________________________
You will soon figure this out, but that the 1st floor in the UK is the Ground Floor.
___________________________________________________________________________________
Shopping-
When shopping in the UK you will find that unlike the US not tax is added, the listed price is the price you pay. However, that's because a 15% VAT (value added tax) has already been added to the cost, this appies to almost everying except food, books and children’s clothing, but restaurants are required to add it to all bills.
As a tourist it is possible to get this tax refunded, but it's very inconvenient (probably purposely!), firstly not all shops participate and those that do require the purchase to be over £75 and you need to ask for a form 407. You complete the form and take it to customs with the item and receipt when you depart at the airport. If verified by them, then the form is sent back to the shop and 8-10 weeks later you get a refund. Now you can see why in over 30 years of traveling to and from London, I have never participated! But if you want more information go to: http://www.globalrefund.com.
___________________________________________________________________________________
Let's talk about shopping in general for a minute... you are very unlikely to find a bargain on any items at traditional stores, if it's available in the US, it will be less expensive as a general rule, so look for the unusual items. Unfortunately, like most major cities around the world the shopping options are dominated by the familar names and it has become more difficult to find those unique shops, selling unique items. A good example is Regent Rtreet one of London's most popular shopping streets next to Oxford Street. Over the past 5-10 years I have seen most of the unique stores disappear to be replace by Burberry, Banana Republic, Gap, Guess and a huge Apple store, so you get the idea.The trick to shopping in London is finding the unique shops and there are still some around. The markets are always fun, Portobello, Camden, Greenwich, etc, and there are stores tucked away down side streets, check out Carnaby Street famous in the 1960, but still has some fun shops especially in the small surrounding streets. Even in some of the traditional name stores there are items only available in the UK, so check them out.
If you are traveling around Britain it becomes a litle easier especially in the smaller villages and seaside towns.
___________________________________________________________________________________
A few shops on the don't miss list are Hamley's Toy Shop on Regent Street (whatever age you are!), Hatchards Book Shop and Fortnum and Mason's both on Piccadilly and of course Harrods. Harrods also has shops in the departure lounges of both major airports for those last minute gifts!
___________________________________________________________________________________
Food & Drink -
You will sometimes be asked, especially in coffee houses (and there are lots of them), cafes and even fast food restaurant "For here or take away?", on most occasions that dictates the type of container you get, but can also determine the cost. If you eat or drink in the establishment, you will pay a little more, so don't be surprized. Since we are talking about coffee, refills are not free as they are in most places in the US, so you drink four cups in the morning, you will be charged four times.
____________________________________________________________________________________
There are some wonderful places to eat in London, and across the UK, but it can be expensive especially if you decide to visit one of Mr Gordon Ramsey's restuauants, or any hotel restaurant for that matter. If you are on a budget, try pub food, it's very good and usually you can get a very good meal for around £7.00 to £9.00, place your order at the bar and they will ask where you are sitting, at most pubs tipping isn't expected unless they have a restaurant and you have a server. Another option especially for lunch is a wonderful sandwich shop call Pret, you will see them everywhere across London, try a baguette, they are excellent and no chemicals, additives or preservatives!
____________________________________________________________________________________
At least once during your trip order a Full English breakfast, your cardiologist won't approve but it's wonderful, hotels charge too much for it, check it out at a local cafe don't pay more than £7.00. Another meal not to miss is a traditional Sunday Roast, roast beef, roast potatoes, mutiple veggies, lots of gravy and Yorkshire pudding, my experience has been the pub version is the best and most reasonably priced about £7.50 to 10.00.
____________________________________________________________________________________
You should be aware that in a pub or cafe, if you are a party of two and sit at a table for two, expect company, it probably wouldn't happen in the US but in the UK if it's crowded, the locals will not think twice about joining you, and usually won't ask, it's an accepted practice.
____________________________________________________________________________________
The British love their beer, I know, I am one! There is a wide variey to choose from, the most popular are the lagers, try Carling or Carlsberg on draught of course. The traditional bitters are strong so be careful, every pub has to post the alcohol levels of each beer so watch for that.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Copyright © 2010 World Tourism Network, LLC
