If you’re planning to visit the United Kingdom, there are hundreds of things to see and do – so much so that you probably won’t get to enjoy them all in one trip. While it’s a relatively small island compared to the rest of the world, the UK is packed with something for everybody with a wide range of vibrant and different cities to explore from London to Manchester to Edinburgh and everywhere in between. We’ve put together some top tips to help you make your upcoming trip to the UK your best one yet.
Book Travel in Advance
Traveling in the UK is easy with a wide network of train services, domestic flights, buses, taxi services, trams, and car hire options to choose from to help you get between your chosen destinations. If you plan to travel by train or bus, it’s a wise idea to book your travel in advance as this will help you avoid lengthy queues at ticket offices, and in some cases, you can even buy priority tickets to ensure that you are amongst the first to board. You can book your rail tickets throughout the UK in advance at Rail.Ninja™.
Try a Group Tour
There are plenty of options for exploring the UK by means of a group tour, which can be an ideal choice if you are unsure where to go or want to make sure that you get to see all the best and most popular attractions in a destination. Book onto a group tour to explore the entire of the UK or specific UK areas that you want to see, along with a group of like-minded people and an experienced tour guide who will be able to help you learn even more about the area you are exploring.
Plan Your Itinerary
Despite its small size, the UK has thousands of amazing things to see and do, so it’s a good idea to do your research beforehand, decide which ones you definitely want to do, and plan your itinerary in advance so that you can maximize your time spent on the island. You can plan an Ireland travel itinerary easily as you explore and learn about the different destinations, attractions, and activities available and decide which ones you definitely don’t want to miss out on.
Choose a Central Location
It’s a good idea to choose a centralized location with good transport links when choosing where to stay in the UK. London, for example, is a very popular choice with travelers since not only does it have its own set of awesome attractions and things to do, but there are also excellent bus, train and air travel links to the rest of the UK and everywhere else in the world. You can even get the train or bus abroad from London with services headed to France and the Netherlands.
Try a Sightseeing Pass
If you are planning to visit some of the big UK cities like London, Glasgow, or York, a sightseeing pass can be an ideal way to make sure that you maximize both your time and your budget. Purchasing one of these passes gives you entry to a range of the most popular attractions in the city that you are visiting and there are often travel options included, making it easy to get around without having to worry about paying every time. Overall, if you plan to visit a lot of attractions and there is a sightseeing pass available it’s definitely worth investing in one for the savings.
Come Prepared
One of the most unpredictable things in the UK is the weather so it’s important to make sure that you come prepared for every eventuality. It’s not uncommon for there to be rain, sunshine, and windy weather all in the same day so keep this in mind when packing and prepare outfits that consist of several layers so that you can easily adjust what you are wearing when out and about if needed. Bring an umbrella in your bag, too – you never know when you might need one!
Customs and Norms
Getting to grips with some customs and norms before your trip to the UK will help you feel more prepared and make for an easier trip. For example, always stand to the left side when on an escalator, particularly in busy London tube stations. If you’re in a restaurant or bar, tipping is not compulsory – but if you received particularly good service, a small tip is always welcomed. And, don’t forget to queue.
