Toll Free (USA & Canada) +1 866 978 2997
CAPITAL
London
OFFICIAL LANGUAGE
English is the main language.
RELIGION
As a multi-faith society, students of all religions can expect to feel welcome in the UK, along with plenty of places to practice their faith. The UK’s official religion is Christianity, and churches of all denominations can be found throughout the UK, such as Catholic, Protestant, Baptist and Methodist. The main other religions are Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, Judaism and Buddhism.
ELECTRICITY
In England the standard voltage is 230 V and the frequency is 50 Hz. You can use your electric appliances in England, if the standard voltage in your country is in between 220 - 240 V (as is in the UK, Europe, Australia and most of Asia and Africa).
PASSPORTS AND VISAS
A valid passport is required by all nationals. All Passengers are responsible for securing proper documentation prior to joining the tour. Please ensure that passport/s are valid for a minimum of 6 months beyond the intended date of return and contain between 2-6 blank “Visa” pages. You should have at least two free pages in your passport. Please access the Travel & Visa Requirements Section on the top of this page for the latest visa entry requirements for the country/ies you are visiting. Passports are required; in addition, travelers are also advised to check with local consulates for full details regarding visa requirements. Please note securing a valid visa for entry is the sole responsibility of the traveler.
CURRENCY INFORMATION:
A Pound (GBP; symbol £) = 100 pence. Notes are in denominations of £50, 20, 10 and 5. Coins are in denominations of £2, 1, 50, 10, 5, 2 and 1 pence.
Credit Cards:
American Express, MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted across the country. Cash can be obtained from a multitude of ATMs available across the country.
ATM:
Cash can be obtained from a multitude of ATMs available across the country.
Banking hours:
The following information is based on the average bank opening hours in France. There may, however, be differences from bank to bank.
Monday-Friday 9:30am-4:30pm. Some banks are open Saturday morning, and some all day on Saturday.
Currency exchange:
There are no restrictions on the import or export of local or foreign currency. However, amounts exceeding €10,000 or equivalent must be declared if travelling from or to a country outside the European Union.
Money can be exchanged in banks, exchange bureau, some post offices, and many hotels. The exchange bureau are often open outside banking hours but charge higher commission rates. All major currencies can be exchanged.
CLOTHING
As the UK is very much a western society - we wear very much the same as any other modern western society - ranging from Jeans and Tee shirts (whether with designer labels or not) to full business suits for office work (if required). Special clothes for the climate include heavy overcoats or anoraks for cold wintry weather and raincoats and umbrellas for rain.
COMMUNICATION & EMAIL
Telephone
National Emergency is 112 or 999
Police, Fire and Ambulance is 112 or 999
Non-urgent crime is 101
The United Kingdom’s famous red phone boxes can be found in most towns and cities, as well as other more modern phone booths. Some boxes take coins, others phonecards or credit cards.
Mobile Phones
Roaming agreement exist with most international mobile phone companies with good coverage. In rural areas it can be patchy. It is also possible to buy a pay as you go sim card from any phone shop or booth.
Internet
Most hotels, restaurants and public buildings offer wi-fi, although this may be less likely in more rural areas. The city of London now has free wi-fi, which covers 95% of the Square Mile, whilst London Underground now offers wi-fi at stations across the network. In urban areas, you can also find internet cafes.
WEATHER & CLIMATE
Britain is an island country and the surrounding sea gives England a varied climate. The overall climate in England is called temperate maritime. This means that it is mild with temperatures not much lower than 0ºC in winter and not much higher than 32ºC in summer. July and August are normally the warmest month in England and around the coasts, February is normally the coldest month. Rain is well distributed throughout the year, with late winter/spring (February to March) the driest period and autumn/winter (October to January) the wettest.
MEAL COSTS
|
Budget breakfast |
Breakfast is included at many hotels, often the classic and filling "full English breakfast." If not, a basic breakfast is easy to find in most neighborhoods. |
$5-8 USD |
|
Budget lunch |
Food in London can be shockingly expensive. Good budget lunch choices include sandwiches and kebabs. |
$8-13 USD |
|
Budget dinner |
A filling meal at a pub is a good budget choice, as is a stop at one of the many Indian or Chinese restaurants all over. |
$10-20 USD |
|
Coffee (cup) |
Finding a cheap cup of coffee can be a challenge, and now Starbucks are popping up all over. |
$2-4 USD |
|
Pint of beer |
Most pubs have similar prices regardless of the decor. Some of the chain pubs run happy hour specials which can be good value. |
$5-8 USD |
|
Fish and chips |
London's classic tourist meal isn't always easy to find and it's usually quite expensive. |
$12-17 USD |
FOOD & DRINKS
Specialities:
Iconic cakes, splendid sandwiches and heart-warming stews all hail from the United Kingdom. For fancy occasions, there is afternoon tea with three tiered plates of sandwiches, cakes, and scones.
SUGGESTED TIPPING SCALE
In hotels, a service charge of 10-12% is usual, which may be added to the bill automatically. For restaurants, 10-15% is standard. If you notice that it is already on the bill, a further tip is not required.
HEALTH & MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS & GUIDELINES
As a general recommendation, it is advisable to check with your family doctor or travel clinic for latest health information.
TRAVEL INSURANCE
It is highly recommended that you purchase travel insurance. Your home country health plan may only provide limited coverage while traveling outside of the country. Indus Travels can offer you a complete travel insurance package. Some credit cards do offer travel insurance; however, they do not always provide adequate coverage. Review and understand the terms of your credit card insurance policy. Extra travel insurance can be purchased. Most insurance companies do have exclusions in their coverage. Pre-existing medical conditions are not insurable.
