Destinations
Great Britain – four countries in one bottle: monarchical England with lots of landmarks, mountains and blue lakes of Scotland, the edge of medieval Wales castles and the cozy villages of Northern Ireland.
The country of rains, tubes and fox hunting, the UK is attracting worldwide attention every now and then. Lord of the Dance tour is visiting the country, or Katherine Zeta-Jones and Sean Connery sparkle in another Hollywood tale. And let it be difficult to get a British visa, and a trip to the foggy Albion promises to flow into not a small sum, the flow of tourists to the country is not exhausted – we all want to stand at the threshold of the English monarchy, to delve into the rules of pubic etiquette, to pick up a kilt for a cold weather and to proclaim “be or not to be?” directly in the homeland of Shakespeare.
The United Kingdom is the only country in the world that does not yet have a written Constitution, however, the rights and freedoms of citizens are being adhered there.
In addition, the United Kingdom is home to medieval castles and Gothic cathedrals, the tranquil beauty and tranquility of rural landscapes, the despair and chad of evening London, the granite of science in the finest language schools and shopping in expensive prestigious boutiques.
In short, diversity.
Hotels in the UK are from 1 to 4* “luxury”. Not all hotels include breakfast in room rates. In addition, there is often a 10-15% surcharge – “for services”. In low-star English establishments, the rooms are small and the service is very modest.
Waiters and taxi drivers can leave tips (about 10% of the bill). Neither bartenders, maids, nor guides are allowed to tip.
Rural hotels are increasingly popular in the country: they have a special charm, and they are cheaper than hotels in the city. In addition, B&B (Bed and Breakfast) is widespread in the UK: these are mostly private homes with rental rooms. Most of them in tourist areas and on the outskirts of cities. Boarding houses in size, prices and amenities is something in between the hotel and B&B, and breakfasts are usually included in the room rate. Bed in a London hostel costs from GBP 9 per night, overnight at a 2* hotel – from GBP 20. You can rent a room in a cozy mini-hotel for 35-45 GBP, in a guest house – for 50-55 GBP per day. Luxury 5* hotels will open their doors for a minimum of £ 80-100 per night.
The mains voltage is 240 V, it is necessary to take care of the adapter for electrical appliances in advance.
We must say that British cuisine is absolutely unfairly attacked by the type of harassingly repeated phrase “Oatmeal, sir!”. Local dishes are varied and delicious, you just need to know where and when to try them. Most often the sight of culinary wits are two things: oatmeal and pie with acne.
Meanwhile, real oatmeal in English is cooked with yolks, milk, cinnamon, nuts and zest – so the taste of it, as you might guess, is very pronounced. As for the notorious pie, there is even a separate island called the Eel Pie on the Thames, where gourmets from all over the world float with enviable constancy to taste the pie in various versions, both warm and chilled.
Materials are from the site: tonkosti.ru
The United Kingdom has a very developed rail link. From almost any part of the country you can travel by train: the choice of routes, carriages and travel tickets is enormous. For example, Intercity-125 connects London, west, central and north-east England, south and west Wales and Scotland. And Intercity-225 will deliver passengers from London to Yorkshire or the east and north-east coast of Scotland in record time. Eurostar high-speed trains will take you from Brussels or Paris to the Waterloo train station in London in just 3 hours, price is from £ 60. Tickets for most long-distance trains can be booked in advance. Night trains with sleeping cars give tourists a great opportunity to get an immediate day for rest and excursions.
For multiple trips in the country there is a thoughtful system of discounts. BritRail travel is available for foreigners: Classic Pass for England, Scotland and Wales (valid for several days in a row or on selected dates, cost from GBP 141), London Plus Pass for the capital and south-east England (from GBP 131 for 3 days) , England Pass for England (from £ 177 for 3 days) or Spirit of Scotland Pass for Scotland (from £ 175 for 4 days). The rest of the tickets and prices are National Railways website.
Big cities in the UK are connected not only by trains but also by domestic airlines. Charter flights are operated by Astraeus Airlines, Atlantic Express, Eastern Airways, EasyJet and other carriers. Flight from London to Glasgow can cost 60 GBP, from Belfast to Bristol – 41 GBP.
Buses are less popular than trains: they are less frequent and slower. The largest long distance carriers are National Express, CityLink (offical website serving Scotland) and Megabus (offical website offering low prices). Traveling from London to Liverpool will cost from GBP 20, to Birmingham – from GBP 3,51.
In major cities there are all types of public transport: buses, underground, trams, commuter trains. Through London runs, perhaps, the most famous bus in the world – a red two-story Routemaster, he is the “master of the roads.” Until 2005, it served regular city routes, and today carries tourists on popular destinations from Albert Hall to Trafalgar Square, and from there to the Tower Bridge. Fare for city buses is GBP 1.50-2.460, in the capital city subway – from GBP 5 for cash payment and from GBP 2.20 for Oyster card payment.
Taxis in Britain are of several types. Black cabs ply around London and other big cities: their drivers are polite, punctual and brilliantly versed in geography. There are also ‘pre-order taxis’ across the country: sedans and minivans that need to be called in advance. Unlike classic cabs, they are not always equipped with meters: the fee is set depending on the route or length of the trip. There are also unlicensed taxis, but we do not recommended to use them. 5 minutes drive around the city costs on average 10-15 GBP, transfer from Heathrow to the center of the capital will cost 65-70 GBP. On weekends and holidays, rates are rising. Taxi drivers decided to leave a tip in the amount of 10-15%.
Compared to other European countries, car rental in England will cost a hefty amount: a week-round subcompact will cost at least £ 100 (minimum rate – £ 20-30 per day). An appropriate option may be a “house on wheels” – it is more expensive than renting a car, but saving on housing. The car can be rented to drivers at least of 23 years old with a driving experience of one year.
Safety belts must be worn in the country. Along the side streets of English streets, it is often possible to see “Look right” at pedestrian crossings – a reminder of the unusual direction of road traffic.
Movement in the UK is leftsided. Parking in central London is forbidden and costs £ 1.33 per 60 minutes in other areas. In addition, finding a free parking space is usually not easy.
Bicycle rental facilities operate in all British cities. The cost of renting two-wheeled transport in London is around GBP 2 per day and from GBP 10 per week.
Sheffield (54.85km)
Leeds (35.60km)
Manchester (28.64km)
Bradford (22.69km)
North Korean won, ₩
CHN, KOR, RUS
£2.45
£20
+850
