HOW TO PLAN A TRIP FOR

UNITED KINGDOM

Planning a trip to the UK probably seems pretty easy. The destinations of this country have something unique to offer to its guests. The UK, is made up of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The popular destinations In United Kingdom which are most visited are London, Edinburgh, Llandudno, Torquay, Liverpool and Blackpool.

During the travel experience of India the visitors will find themselves ringed by new as well as enticing sounds, sights, smells and other things that happens only in India. The country is captivating beautiful and at times overwhelming country, that why it is recommend planning the trip to India carefully. Every travel planning needs to be done by following some steps.

Where to go and for how many days?

United Kingdom is a vast country with so much to cover which makes it difficult to decide where to go and for how many days. UK has always had a history and heritage to be proud of, and a glorious regional diversity – from coast to hills, festivals to foodstuff and almost everything. So the first concern is where to go? To begin to get to grips with England, London is the place to start and nobody has a doubt about it. This city is considered to be the highlight of this country and no other city or town can match what this city

offers. This city accommodates country’s best spread of nightlife, cultural events, museums, galleries, pubs and restaurants. Whereas the other famous cities that includes Birmingham, Bristol, Newcastle, Leeds, Sheffield, Manchester and Liverpool offers more of historic and cultural diversity. The cities like Lincoln, Canterbury, York, Salisbury, Durham as well as Winchester to name a few house

most celebrated of England’s cathedrals and the university cities of Cambridge and Oxford, arguably the two most beautiful seats of learning in the world.

The country also offers a very soothing countryside through its long-established villages as Devon, Cornwall, the Cotswolds and the Yorkshire Dales harbour that are also considered to be one of the best picturesque specimens of UK. For a more dramatic visit the travellers can head to moors and uplands that can be found in Exmoor, Dartmoor, the North York Moors and the Lake District. The other countries like Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland represents the serene environment and are known to be peaceful as well as relaxing.

So planning days and destinations need vigorous research and one has to be quite selective as it is difficult to cover everything in a limited amount of days.

Where to go and for how many days continued……

Apply for your travel documents

The next step is applying for travel documents. First, check the current validity of your passport as all travellers will need a passport valid for at least 90 days following your departure date from United Kingdom. It is strongly recommend to travel with 6 months validity on your passport at all times. Second, make sure your passport has blank Visa pages as most destinations, including United Kingdom, require that to have adequate un-used pages in your passport that allows for any necessary stamps upon arrival and departure. Finally, confirm if transit visa is required for any connections and for that check with your airline in case one have connecting flights overseas as part of their journey to United Kingdom. It may be the case that countries you pass through en route to your destination may require a separate transit visa. United Kingdom tourist visa is not required for citizens of United States for a stay up to 180 days.

The General requirements for coming to the UK as a visitor must be able to demonstrate that they wish to visit the UK for no more than six months and that they will be leaving the UK at the end of the visit. In addition, individuals must be able to show that they have sufficient funds to maintain and accommodate themselves (and any dependants) without assistance from UK public funds.

Bookings

After all the documentations comes the booking of hotels or travel packages if you intend to. Places to stay in UK are as varied as the places to be visited. Whatever is the budget, the choice or from basic barn to smart hotel, from tiny cottage to grand castle every accommodation is a fun its own way. There are many sites that offer cheap as well as luxurious accommodations at their best price. One can log onto http://www.justorbit.com/europe/united-kingdom/ to surf for deals, other information regarding the cities the visitor is planning to cover.

Packing

Packing for a UK trip needs to be done cautiously as the weather changes unexpectedly. In this area, the large temperature variation creates atmospheric instability and this is a major factor that influences the often unsettled weather the country experiences, where many types of weather can be experienced in a single day. So packing has to be done very carefully.

The visitors should try to wear layers, as weather in the UK can change quickly. Pack one or two heavy shirts only, and layers to go underneath. Cardigans are perfect for this country’s weather.

Like all countries, the UK also has restrictions on what one can bring into the country. Certain foods, like fresh fruit and vegetables, raw meets or unpackaged foods are restricted. Even certain cosmetics and bottles of water, lotions, and perfume were not allowed carry-on luggage for security reasons. Do check with the airline you will be flying with.

Tips Every country have their own customs or rules that one should get acquainted with before entering that country. Same is the case with UK, the country follows some basic customs or traditions that the visitors should know and follow them.

In UK they eat continental style, with fork in the left hand and the knife in the right. The British generally pay a lot of attention to good table manners. Even young children are expected to eat properly with knife and fork. The foods they don’t eat with a knife, fork or spoon include sandwiches, crisps and fruit. British people are quite reserved when greeting one another. A greeting can be a bright ‘Hello’ ‘Hi’ or ‘Good morning’, when you arrive somewhere.

When in UK a visitor should present itself to be gentle as well as well-mannered. Using words like “Excuse Me”, “Please” and “Thank you” matters a lot to people of UK.

Cautions UK is such vast country and it’s easy to make mistakes while travelling. Here is a list of Do’s and don’ts that will help out while exploring the cities if this beautiful country. Do stand in a line and wait patiently for your turn e.g. boarding a bus. Do not push in front as

Queue jumping’ is considered to be really bad in UK. Don’t talk loudly in public. Don’t throw any rubbish or cigarette puffs on the floor in the street or anywhere as one has to

pay a fine of 80£ as Police is all around and they will catch you. Don’t confuse Tower Bridge with London Bridge in London. Drive, walk or stand on the left side of the street and sidewalk. Avoid wearing "Mind the Gap" or “Union Jack” shirts fresh from purchasing them as souvenirs

as you become a target for pickpockets and thieves, because you are obviously a confused tourist.

The majority of London's museum are completely free so don’t pay to go to a museum. Big museums including Tate Modern, British Museum, the National Gallery, Tate Gallery, Victoria & Albert Museum, National Portrait Gallery, National Maritime Museum, the Imperial War Museum and many more, offers a great time without spending a single sterling.

Enjoy the trip

The last and the most important step is to enjoy the trip with no worries. Pack carefully and don’t forget to carry your passport and other necessary document. Do your last minute checks, head to the airport, board the plane and enjoy your trip. Don’t forget to enjoy the cosmopolitan nightlife of London town or prefer to go hiking in the Lake District, sandy beaches of Bournemouth, The Isle of Skye of Scotland for a true British experience. Indulge in cultural activities as much as possible.

With these steps the travel planning procedure for UK will surely become less cumbersome as well as it leads to a great experience of the royal as well as beautiful United Kingdom.

THANK YOU