DIB Trade Country Profiles In the Country

United Kingdom: In the Country

Accommodation

Self Catering: Cottages for rent in many areas and self-catering apartments in cities.
Visit Britain
Hotels: Budget chain hotels to luxurious country house manors. Hotels are more expensive in large cities, especially London.
Visit Britain
Bed and Breakfast: There are guest houses and bed & breakfast facilities throughout the country.
Visit Britain
Camping/Caravanning: There are camping and caravan sites throughout the UK, for short and long stays.
Visit Britain
Youth Hostels: Over 300 youth hostels in the UK. Standards vary greatly, but prices are very reasonable.
Visit Britain
Hotel Rules: Prices are given per person per night. Hotels are fairly expensive.
For Further Information: VisitBritain

Price Indications

Economy Room	40-45 GBP
Medium Price Room	45-120 GBP
Good Quality Room	120 GBP+

Source: Lonely Planet

Eating Out

Categories of Restaurant
Modern British/French/European: The top category. Run or inspired by celebrity chefs.
Traditional: Traditional British food.
Specialty restaurants: Catering for vegetarians, etc.
Ethnic restaurants: They can be excellent value for money.
Pub food: Most pubs offer food
Fast food restaurants: Mostly in towns.
Rules For Eating Out: Booking is recommended for top restaurants or if the party is larger than 4. In pubs, orders are taken at the bar, then brought to your table.
In restaurants, a service charge of 10 to 15 per cent is usual, which may be added to the bill, so a further tip is not required. There is no legal requirement to pay service charges added to bills and if the service has been unsatisfactory, the customer may deduct it.

Price Indications

Economy Meal	10-25 GBP
Medium Price Meal	25-55 GBP
Good Quality Meal	55 GBP+

Food Specialties: Examples of traditional (family) English dishes include: Full English breakfast, Bangers and mash (sausages and mashed potato), Fish and chips (battered fish and chipped potatoes), Shepherd's pie or Cottage pie (minced meat and mashed potato gratin), Cornish pasty (potato, meat and vegetables in pastry), Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, Bread and butter pudding, Apple pie, Treacle tart etc.
Drinks: England is famous for its beer (dark ale, served draught in pubs) and cider, and Scotland for its whisky. The south of England produces a very small quantity of wine. There is a wide range of water, fruit juices and non-alcoholic drinks available.
Table Manners: UK table manners are similar to European table manners.

Getting Around

Means of Transport Recommended in Town

Recommendation: In cities, due to traffic congestion, the use of public transport (Underground or buses) is recommended.
Taxis are widely available. Taxis drivers are highly trained but they mostly speak only English. Pedestrians are injured and even killed every year in accidents, forgetting that traffic drives on the left. Extra care should be taken when crossing streets.
Maps of Urban Networks: Transport for London
Urban Transport Agencies: Transport for London (Underground)
Transport for London (buses)
Department for Transport
Find an Itinerary: Subway Navigator
Taxi Companies: London black cabs
Transport for London (taxis and minicabs)

Transportation From Airport to City Centre:

Airport	Distance	Taxi	Bus	Train	Car Rental
Heathrow Airport	25 km / 15 miles	£ 35-60 / 45-70 min	£6.90/ 40-80 min	£16.50 / 22 min	Available
Gatwick Airport	45 km / 28 miles	£ 23-60 / 60-90 min	£8/ 60-90 min	£17.80 / 30 min	Available
London City Airport	City	-	-	-	Available
Standsted Airport	65 km / 40 miles	£ 60-100 / 75-120 min	£12/ 120 min	£8 / 47 min	Available
Luton Airport	55 km / 35 miles	£ 35-60 / 45-70 min	£5-10 / 45-60 min	£15.50 / 47 min	Available

Means of Transport Recommended in the Rest of the Country

Recommendation: The country has a good rail network. Intercity lines provide fast services between London and major cities, and there are services to the southeast, to the Midlands, north and south Wales and between Edinburgh and Glasgow. Some rural areas are less well served.
The National Rail network is now operated by train operating companies. Internal flights depart regularly to major cities.
Rail Companies: Rail.co.uk

Airlines

Name	Type	Domestic Flights	International Flights
British Airways	Major	Domestic	Yes
Virgin Atlantic	Major	No	Yes
Flybe	Low cost	Domestic	Yes
Ryanair	Low cost	Domestic	Yes
Easyjet	Low cost	Domestic	Yes

You Can Consult The EU Air Safety List. Look Also at the rating of the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Travelling By Yourself

Recommendation: There is a good quality road and motorway network. Roads tend to be congested, particularly in the South. There are a lot of trucks on the roads; only the heaviest loads travel by rail. In London, avoid parking in the street, as parking spaces are reserved for those with a resident's permit.
Driver's License: For information on driving in the UK on a foreign license, consult the website of the UK Government . For general information, see the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency's website.
Conditions For Renting a Vehicle: Generally the driver must be 21, hold a valid driving license featuring photo ID, present a recent utility bill if the address given is different from that mentioned on the license, and in some cases leave a thumbprint. Specific conditions apply when paying cash.
Rental Agencies: Hertz
Avis
Europcar
Tolls or Taxes: Motorways are mostly free, apart from the M6 Toll Road and certain bridges/tunnels. In London, a congestion charge applies to cars entering the inner city zone.
Road Maps: Bing map
Google map
Find an Itinerary: The Automobile Association's route planning facility.
Traffic Conditions Online: The Automobile Association's live traffic reports.
Parking Facilities: NCP Car Parks own and manage a number of public car parks throughout the UK.

Rules of the Road

Minimum Driving Age: 17 years
Side of the Road For Driving: Left
Speed Limits: Speed limits: in towns 30 miles/h (48 km/h), on ordinary roads 50 miles/h (80 km/h), on motorways 70 miles/h (112 km/h).
Safety Belts: The law requires drivers and passengers over 14 to wear a seatbelt if available. The driver is responsible for ensuring that anyone under the age of 14 wears a seat belt or uses an appropriate child restraint as required in the regulations.
Permitted Amount of Alcohol in the Blood: 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood
National Roads Organizations: The Automobile Association (AA)
The World Road Association - UK national committee
The Highway Code: the rules of the road for drivers and pedestrians.

Time and Time Difference

Current Local Time: It is %T:%M %A In London
Summer Time: March to October.

Map of the Time Zone

Time zone

Climate

Type of Climate: As an island, the UK has very variable weather. Extremes of temperature are rare but snow, hail, heavy rain and heat waves can occur. Average temperatures: January 2°C, June 22°C . Waterproof, warm clothing is advisable at all times, and is essential for any visits to upland areas. The best time to visit the UK is in the summer (June, July, August), but good weather cannot be guaranteed.
For Further Information: The Meteorological Office British Broadcasting Corporation - Weather Section Weather.com

Average Annual Temperatures and Rainfall

Climate

Electrical Standards and Measurement Systems

System of Measurement Used: Metric, except for roads where distances, speeds and size restrictions are still signed in Imperial units. Some consumer goods are labeled in both units.
Unit of Measurement of Temperature: Degrees Celsius, with degrees Fahrenheit often quoted in brackets.

Use our service Measurement Converter.

Electricity
Voltage: 230V (+10% / -6%)
Frequency: 50 Hz
Type of Electric Socket: Type G (British 3-pin): BS 1363 (British 13 A/230-240 V 50 Hz earthed and fused).
Type of Telephone Socket: BT431A, see picture.
DVD Zoning: Zone 2

Paying

Domestic Currency: British Pound
ISO Code: GBP
To Obtain Domestic Currency: The Pound Sterling (£) is divided into 100 pence.
Banknotes: 5, 10, 20 and 50 GBP; Coins: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 pence, 1 and 2 GBP.
Additional bank notes issued by Scottish banks (including 1 GBP notes) are legal tender in all parts of the UK, but may not be accepted for exchange outside the UK.
Possible Means of Payment: Credit, debit cards and traveller checques (preferably in GBP) are widely accepted. Cash can be obtained from the many ATMs available across the country.

To Find a Cash Machine Where You Need, Use the ATM locator

Speaking

Official Language: English. Welsh in Wales.
Other Languages Spoken: Scots and Scottish Gaelic in Scotland, Irish Gaelic in Northern Ireland
Business Language: English
Getting Some Knowledge: Useful English business phrases can be found at About.com
Free Translation Tools: WorldLingo : Free online language translator
Systran : Free online translation box
Promt : Free on-line translator
Google Translate : Free on-line translator
IATE : The European Union Dictionary (12 languages avalaible)

Emergency Numbers

Official UK emergency phone number	999
Official EU (and worldwide, via GSM) emergency phone number	112
Non-emergency health advice with NHS Direct	08 45 46 47
Gas leaks	0800 111 999
Non-emergency Police and Local authorities	101

Communications

Quality of Communications: The UK telecommunications system is excellent; its mobile network is highly developed. Despite competition, cost is fairly high. There are numerous public telephones, some coin-operated, some taking phone or credit cards.
Telephone Codes: To Make a Call From the United Kingdom, Dial 00
To Make a Call to in the United Kingdom, Dial +44
Number of Digits of National Telephone Numbers: The UK has an open numbering plan, with up to 11 digits (0 + local area code + number). For detailed information, see Ofcom UK.
To call the UK , dial 00 + 44 + number (zero omitted).
The NumberingPlans website gives the full list of UK regional codes.
Mobile Telephone Standards: International telephone standards GSM 900 and GSM1800. See Mobile-phones-uk.
National Mobile Phone Operators: O2, Orange, T-Mobile, Vodafone

Availability of Internet

Internet Suffix: .uk
National Internet Access Providers: The largest ones by subscriber size are: BT Retail, Virgin Media, Carphone Warehouse, Tiscali, Sky Broadband, Orange etc. See Ispreview.
Access in Public Places: There are Internet cafés and centers in most urban areas. Some multimedia phone booths, often located at main railway stations and airports, offer touch-screen access. Hotspots providing Internet access include Wi-Fi cafés, where would-be users need to bring their own wireless-enabled devices. These services may be free to all, free to customers only, or fee-based.
Access in Hotels: Many hotels now also have public terminals, though these are usually fee-based. Some hotels are equipped with Wi-Fi facilities.

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