| United Kingdom (UK) Travel Map and Travel Resources | |
| Start here if you're contemplating a trip to England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, or Wales. | |
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A travel map of the United Kingdom showing England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and the islands.
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Map of the UK showing Britain, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland © 2003 by James Martin, Licensed to About.
UK Resources on Europe for Visitors: Links
United Kingdom and Ireland Travel Directory
Edinburgh Scotland Travel Resources
Newcastle upon Tyne Travel Resources
UK Resources: London
London Picture Gallery 49 annotated pictures of London attrations, with visitor information.
Little Venice - London Pictures
Little Venice - Barge Trips and Walking Tour Links
UK Essentials: Currency
The currency in the UK is the British Pound (£). At the time of writing, the Pound was worth 1.579 Dollars.
UK Essentials: Language
English is spoken. Properly, the natives insist. You may not understand it. For those confused, the American-British Dictionary might help.
UK Essentials: Restaurants
The UK offers a variety of local cuisine as well as a wide array of ethnic cuisines from around the world. Chefs are beginning to pay attention to local food traditions rather then looking overseas for the gourmet answer. No longer is "English Food" defined by overcooked vegetables and greasy sausages containing unpronouncable (and to US tastes inedible) parts of animals.
British pubs serve a decent meals at reasonable prices. Try Cornish Pasty or a shepherd's pie if you are looking for the traditional fare.
Pizza is also a bargain food for the traveler. In London, try Indian food or fish-and-chips.
Restaurants open for lunch at around 11-11:30am and 6 or 7pm for dinner. On Sundays expect some restaurants to close early.
UK Essentials: Tipping
The restaurant tipping situation in the UK is a bit confussed. A gratuity may or may not be added to the bill. Prices may or may not include a service charge. In London, a tip of around 10-15 percent is standard.
Taxi drivers get about 10%, Porters and doormen will accept 1-2 British Pounds for simple service.
UK Essentials: Transportation
Rail Travel in the UK. The UK's rail lines were privatized in the 1990s and are composed of many regional railroad companies. Buying tickets at large railway stations can be confusing if you don't know which line goes where. Train tickets tend to be quite expensive compared to other European countries.
Britrail offers two types of Passes, Classic and Flexi. Classic is consecutive--days are counted regardless of whether you travel or not, whereas the Flexi pass is flexible and the days are only counted when you actually travel.
More information on UK rail travel is available on About's United Kingdom/Ireland for Visitors Rail Travel Links.
Driving. The British drive on the left side of the road. You'll need to get used to this before you can roar off into the sunset. A good intro to driving in the UK is found in the article 10 Things You Should Know About Driving in the UK.
Airports. There is a list of UK and Irish Airports here.
UK Essentials: Weather
The weather in the UK tends to be cooler and wetter than the continental countries, especially in summer. For representative temperatures in various cities, see GeographyIQ.
