United Kingdom <div style="float: right; margin: 0 0 1em 1em"> <table cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" style="border: 1px solid #9866FF; background-color: #f3f3ff" width="312"> <tr><td colspan="2" style="text-align: center; border-bottom: 1px solid #C9AFFF; background-color: #ddddff">Flag</td></tr> <tr><td colspan="2" style="text-align: center; padding: 2px">Image:uk-flag.png</td></tr> <tr><td colspan="2" style="text-align: center; border-bottom: 1px solid #C9AFFF; border-top: 1px solid #C9AFFF; background-color: #ddddff">Quick Facts</td></tr> <tr><td valign="top" style="padding-left: 2px">'''Capital'''</td><td>London</td></tr> <tr><td valign="top" style="padding-left: 2px">'''Government'''</td><td>Constitutional Monarchy<br/>(but without written constitution)</td></tr> <tr><td valign="top" style="padding-left: 2px">'''Currency'''</td><td>British pound (GBP)</td></tr> <tr><td valign="top" style="padding-left: 2px">'''Area'''</td><td>''total:'' 244,820 sq km <br>''water:'' 3,230 sq km <br>''land:'' 241,590 sq km</td></tr> <tr><td valign="top" style="padding-left: 2px">'''Population'''</td><td>59,778,002 </td></tr> <tr><td valign="top" style="padding-left: 2px">'''Language'''</td><td>English, Welsh (about 26% of the population of Wales), Scottish form of Gaelic (about 60,000 in Scotland)</td></tr> <tr><td valign="top" style="padding-left: 2px">'''Religion'''</td><td>Anglican and Roman Catholic 40 million, Muslim 1.5 million, Presbyterian 800,000, Methodist 760,000, Sikh 500,000, Hindu 500,000, Jewish 350,000</td></tr> <tr><td valign="top" style="padding-left: 2px">'''Country Calling Code'''</td><td>+44</td></tr> <tr><td valign="top" style="padding-left: 2px">'''Internet TLD'''</td><td>.uk</td></tr> </table> </div>  Image:uk-map.png|frame|Map of United Kingdom The United Kingdom occupies all of the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern portion of the island of Ireland and most of the rest of the British Isles just off the northern coast of Europe. Made up of four major countries -- England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland -- as well as several minor islands and protectorates, the UK is a patchwork of cultures with fascinating history and modern culture. Although Britannia no longer rules the waves, the UK is still a central destination for all travelers. The capital city of the United Kingdom (and of England) is London, one of the great world cities. ==Regions== The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is made up of several countries and territories: *Great Britain **England **Scotland **Wales *Ireland **Northern Ireland *Smaller islands **Channel Islands (United Kingdom)|Channel Islands **Isle of Man **Isles of Scilly **Isle of Wight **Hebrides **Orkney Islands **Shetland Islands Note that technically ''Great Britain'' is the name for the largest of the British Isles, comprising Scotland, England, and Wales. It is often used as a misnomer for the entire United Kingdom. The Isle of Man and the Channel Islands (United Kingdom)|Channel Islands are not strictly part of the UK, but rather are 'Crown Protectorates'. This means that they have their own democratic governments, laws and courts and are not part of the EU; but they are not entirely sovereign either. On the other hand the Hebrides, Orkney Islands and Shetland Islands are part of Scotland, whilst the Isles of Scilly and the Isle of Wight are part of England. See also: Republic of Ireland ==Cities== There are many cities and towns in the United Kingdom that are of interest to the traveller. Below is a selection of the more notable. Others are listed under their specific regions: *London - the capital of England and of the United Kingdom *Bath - historical city, stunning Georgian architecture and Roman thermal baths. *Belfast - capital of Northern Ireland *Birmingham (Midlands)|Birmingham - England's second largest city *Brighton - sea-side resort near London, gay quarter. *Bristol - largest city in South England (after London), vibrant music scene, historic buildings *Cambridge (England)|Cambridge - historical city, home to the world famous Cambridge University. *Canterbury (city)|Canterbury - Cathedral City and the UK's second most visited tourist city. *Cardiff - capital of Wales, castle and varied cultural events. *Edinburgh - capital of Scotland, castle and culture. *Glasgow - Scottish city, new cultural hotspot. *Leeds - Northern city. *Liverpool - vibrant northern city, home to the Beatles and soon to be European Capital of Culture *Manchester - voted England's second city, thriving bohemian music scene, gay quarter and dozens of tourist attractions *Oxford - historical city, location of the world renowned Oxford University *Sheffield - a large, diverse city in Yorkshire - the greenest city in England, with one third within the stunning Peak District National Park, . *Swansea - Wales' second city, spectacular coastal scenery, sandy beaches and diverse cultural events. *York - historical city ==Understand== ===Using Maps=== Most basic mapping in the United Kingdom is undertaken by the [http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/ Ordnance Survey of Great Britain] (in England, Scotland & Wales) and the [http://www.osni.gov.uk/ Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland]. The maps found in bookshops may be published directly by those organisations, or by private map publishers drawing on basic Ordnance Survey data. One consequence of this for the traveller is the widespread use of Ordnance Survey grid references in guide books and other information sources. These are usually presented [xx999999] (eg. [SU921206]) and form a quick way of finding any location on a map. Alternatively, every postal address has a postcode, and most internet mapping services enable locations to be found by postcode. Popular mapping services are [http://www.streetmap.co.uk/ Streetmap.co.uk] and [http://www.multimap.co.uk/ Multimap.co.uk]. ==Get in== ===Immigration and visa requirements=== * Citizens of the European Union do not require a visa, and have permanenet residency and working rights in the UK. Citizens of the Republic of Ireland have additional rights allowing them to vote in elections. * Citizens of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Siwtzerland also have permanent residency rights, but may require a work permit in some circumstances. * Citizens of Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United States do not require a visa for visits under 6 months. * Most other countries will require a visa, which can be obtained from the nearest British Embassy, High Commission or Consulate. * The UK also operates a '''Working Holidaymaker Scheme''' for citizens of the Commonwealth of Nations, and British dependent territories. This allows residnency in the UK for up to 2 years, with limited working rights. For more information of UK Immigration and visa requirements, see the [http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk UK's Home Office website] ===By plane=== The UK is at the heart of the world's aviation industry, and '''London Heathrow Airport''' is the world's largest international airport. Situated 20 miles west of London, Heathrow offers a large choice of international destinations, with direct flights to most countries in the world. [http://www.british-airways.com British Airways] has its hub at Heathrow and offers a wide range of international flights to Europe, North America, Asia, Africa and Australia. There are less direct flights to South America, although many South American airlines connect to London via Spain. Other large airlines operating at Heathrow include [http:///flybmi.com bmi (formerly British Midland)], [http://virginatlantic.com Virgin Atlantic] and the main national airlines of most countries. '''London Gatwick Airport''', 30 miles south of London in Sussex, is the second largest airport, and also offers a wide range of international flights. '''London Stansted Airport''' in Essex, and '''London Luton Airport''' are hubs for the budget airlines [http://www.ryanair.com Ryan Air] and [http://www.easyjet.com Easyjet] who offer direct flights to a wide range of European destinations. '''London City Airport''' is the most central airport in London, situated 7 miles east of Central London, but mainly serves business passengers to the main financial centres in Europe. Outside London, many of the regional airports offer a wide range of direct links to European and some long haul destinations. '''Manchester International Airport''' in the North of England, is the UK's third largest airport serving many European and long haul destinations. Direct flights from North America are also available into '''Glasgow International Airport''' in Scotland. Other large airports in the regions, including Aberdeen, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds Bradford, Newcastle and Teesside. In Northern Ireland, '''Belfast International Airport''' is the only airport with international flights. ===By train=== [http://www.eurostar.com Eurostar] services run to London's Waterloo Station and Ashford (Kent)|Ashford in Kent from Paris (Gare du Nord), Lille and Brussels through the '''Channel Tunnel'''. The journey time is two hours forty minutes from Paris. A second class return from Paris to London costs between 85 and 230 EUR, although it is often cheaper to fly from London to Paris using a low-cost airline. The main benefit of using the Eurostar is that it cuts down the time it takes to get the airport. ===By car=== The '''Channel Tunnel''' has provided a rail/road connection since 1994. Shuttle trains carry cars from Calais, France to Folkestone, the journey taking around 40 minutes. Fares start at £49 one way and can be booked on the [http://www.eurotunnel.com/ukcmain Eurotunnel website]. On arrival at Folkestone, you can drive on to the '''M20''' motorway which heads towards London. Car ferries also operate to many parts of the UK, see 'by boat' section. ===By bus=== Coaches are the cheapest and most uncomfortable way to travel to the UK from France and Benelux. Eurolines offer daily services from Paris, Amsterdam and Brussels to London Victoria coach station. Journeys take about 8-14 hours. Eurolines will also take you to/from other major European cities. Taking a budget flight is normally cheaper though and spares you from a 24h+ bus journey. ===By boat=== See the city articles for more details on routes, timings and costs. There are a large number of ferry routes into the UK from continental Europe. Newcastle serves several routes from '''Scandinavia'''. Harwich has ferries from Esbjerg in '''Denmark''', Cuxhaven in '''Germany''' and Hoek van Holland in the '''Netherlands'''. You can also sail from Rotterdam or Zeebrugge in '''Belgium''' to Hull, or from Rotterdam to Rosyth (near Edinburgh). Dover (Kent)|Dover is one of Britain's most popular passenger ports with sailings from Zeebrugge, Dunkerque and Calais in '''France'''. The Dover-Calais route is particularly busy, with three companies competing and up to 50 sailings per day. On the south coast, Portsmouth serves ferries from Le Havre, Caen, Cherbourg, St. Malo and Bilbao in '''Spain''' and there are speedy services between Dieppe and Newhaven. The other route from Spain is Santander to Plymouth (Devon)|Plymouth, Plymouth also has ferries from Roscoff. From '''Ireland''', ports of entry include Swansea, Pembroke, Fishguard and Holyhead. There are sailings from Dublin to Holyhead, Mostyn and Liverpool. ==Get around== ===By plane=== The UK has a wide range of domestic air services linking the major cities. However given the distances involved, it may be short enough to make other forms of transport cheaper and easier. [http://www.british-airways.co.uk British Airways] operates a wide range of services from its Heathrow and Gatwick hubs throughout the country including Aberdeen, Belfast, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Manchester and Newcastle. Fares start from as low as £60 for an economy seat. [http://www.flybmi.com bmi] also fly from Heathrow to Aberdeen, Durham Tees Valley, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Leeds-Bradford. The arrival of budget airlines [http://www.ryanair.com Ryan Air] and [http://www.easyjet.com Easyjet] at London's Gatwick, Luton and Stansted Airports saw a boom in domestic UK air travel, and forced the cost down considerably. Other domestic airlines include [http://flybe.com Flybe], operating from Birmingham, Exeter and Southampton Airports; and [http://www.bmibaby.com bmibaby] operating from Cardiff and Nottingham Airports. In Scotland, Loganair operate a British Airways franchise serving remote destinations in the Scottish Highlands and Islands from Glasgow Airport (flights are booked through the British Airways website). To get the best fare, it is advisable to book as far in advance as possible. It is also worthnoting that most UK regional airports are not connected to the national rail network, with connections to the nearest cities served by expensive buses. ===By train=== The UK has an extensive train network, covering most of the country, from Penzance in Cornwall to Wick in the North of Scotland. While ticket prices are relatively high, a train is often the best and sometimes the only way to get from A to B by public transport. Train services seldom match their high-speed counterparts in France, but nonetheless are often faster than driving a car. Train services in England, Wales and Scotland, which were previously operated by the state-owned British Rail, were privatised in the 1990s and are now run by a patchwork of different operators. However the former British Rail network is now known as the National Rail network, and tickets can be bought from any National Rail station for travel anywhere on the National Rail network. Train times anywhere on the National Rail network can be found on the [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/planmyjourney/ National Rail Planner] or by calling 08457 484950 from anywhere in the UK. Tickets can also be booked online on http://www.thetrainline.com. The website is a bit slow and shoddy but it does the job nonetheless. Fares vary widely depending on when you travel and when you book. Often it is quicker and cheaper to purchase by phone. Privatisation has resulted in a huge range of quality and price of rail services. While some connections and companies are appalling in terms of speed, reliability and cleanliness others offer excellent service and value for money. A second class return ticket from London to Manchester can cost anything from 20 to 180 pounds, depending on how, when and where the ticket is booked. As a general rule, tickets should be booked as early as possible. The main cross country services are: * the West Coast Main line, operated by [http://www.virgintrains.co.uk Virgin Trains], running between London's Euston Station, and up the west coast of England, with stops at Rugby, Crewe, Preston, the Lake District, Carlisle, and on to Scotland, with stops at Motherwell and Glasgow's Central Station. * the East Coars Main line, operated by [http://www.gner.co.uk GNER], runs between London's King Cross Station and up the east coast of England with stops at Peterborough, Doncaster, York, Durham, Newcastle and onwards to Scotland with stops at Edinburgh and Glasgow. Some services continue further north to Dundee, Aberdeen and Inverness. * the Cross Country network, operated by Virgin Trains runs a variety of routes across the UK from Aberdeen to Penzanze, and North Wales to Brighton. The main English cities of Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham and Liverpool are served by these lines. * a sleeper service, operated by [http://www.firstscotrail.co.uk First Scotrail] runs between London and Scotland, with stops at Inverness, Fort William, Glasgow, Edinburgh. Train services in Northern Ireland are operated by the state owned [http://www.translink.co.uk/ Translink], who also operate rural and urban buses within Northern Ireland. Train services in Northern Ireland are not part of the National Rail network. Train and bus times can be found on Translink's web site, or by calling 028-9066-6630 from anywhere in the UK or +44-28-9066-6630 from outside the UK. Other domestic rail services which are not part of the National Rail network include the Heathrow Express service between London Heathrow Airport and central London, the London Underground system, and several smaller metro or light rail systems in other cities. For details of these see articles on the city in question. ===By car=== A car will get you pretty much anywhere in the UK. Parking can be a problem in large cities, and especially in London, can be very expensive. Petrol (Gasoline) is heavily taxed and therefore expensive, currently at around 75-80 pence per litre (around $6 USD a gallon), however there are very few tolls (mainly on some large bridges/tunnels). Traffic can be very heavy, especially during 'rush hour', when commuters are on their way to and from work. The M25 London orbital motorway is particularly notorious - it is best avoided on Monday mornings and friday afternoons, and only use it if you need to. All of the UK drives on the ''left'' (the other side from Europe and the USA). Speed limits for cars are 70mph on Motorways and most dual carriageways, and 60mph on single carriageway roads unless otherwise signposted (in towns the limit is 30mph unless signs show otherwise): enforcement cameras are widespread. ===By bus and coach=== Local bus services are of variable quality and cost. Getting to outlying rural areas can be especially hard, as there may be only one bus a week. Services run by major coach companies like [http://www.nationalexpress.com/ National Express] and the new cut-price [http://www.megabus.com Megabus] provide an alternative to train travel for longer journeys. ===By taxi=== There are different types of Taxi in the UK In London, strictly regulated "Black Cabs" (not always Black) can be easily recognised by the unique vehicle type. The drivers must pass a strict knowledge test of the geography of London. These types of vehicle are often found in other major cities, with similarly strict regulation. Minicabs are normal saloon cars or vans/minibuses used as taxis. Properly regulated Minicabs will always carry additional plates, usually at the rear, giving details of their approval by the relevant local authority and number of passengers they can carry. Any other car or driver offering to take you anywhere may not be licensed or insured; some large cities have a problem with such drivers touting for business so take care. ===By boat=== Ferries link the mainland to the many offshore islands including the Isle of Wight, Isle of Man, Orkneys and Shetland islands. Car ferries also run between Dover and Calais (England and France) whiand Ireland and the UK. ==Talk== '''English''' is spoken everywhere. In some parts of Wales or the Scottish highlands, Welsh or Gaelic may be used, but everyone will speak English to tourists. There are strong '''regional accents''' which may make comprehension difficult. Slang terms are also used widely by some Brits, which can further hamper efforts at understanding by foriegners. Government bodies whose area of competence covers Wales are officially bi-lingual with English and Welsh (for example, see [http://www.dvla.gov.uk/ The DVLA site]) ==Buy== The currency throughout the UK is the '''pound sterling''' (£), divided into 100 pence (p). Coins are 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p, 50p, £1 and £2. Notes are £5, £10, £20 and £50 and show the Queen on one side and famous historical figures on the other. £50 notes are often not accepted by vendors. A few Scottish and Northern Irish banks issue their own notes that are not always accepted in the rest of the UK. ATMs are very widely available and usually dispense £10 and £20 notes. Traveller's cheques can be exchanged at most banks. Example exchange rates (from 5th January 2005) are: *£1 = 1.42 euros *£1 = 1.88 US dollars *£1 = 2.46 Australian dollars *£1 = 2.30 Canadian dollars For more, and more up to date, rates, try using [http://www.xe.com/ucc/ the XE.com Universal Currency Converter]. ==Eat== Certainly only the minority of visitors will come here for the famous food. Whilst a tactful description of what you can get for food would be that quality and prices of all food can vary enormously. The truth is that Great Britain certainly is among the most expensive places to eat out in Europe, sadly and here comes the double trouble, it is among the poorest performing ones as well. The Brits share this thoughts about their cuisine and polls have shown that chicken tika masala (Indian cuisine) is their favorite dish. ===Sandwich shop=== A very British way to have food is to go to the sandwich shop and get a freshly prepared take-away sandwich which is considered to be a proper meal. Alternatively, most towns and many road routes now have a branch of an American fast food chain. Many large shops will have a coffee shop or restaurant. A variety of take-away (carry out) food of various types is available in most towns, ranging from fish-and-chips to Indian, Chinese, Thai and other cuisines. Take-aways are known for their low standards and British GPs (doctors) warn pregnant woman against eating at them. ===Pubs=== Almost all pubs (see below) serve food, although not all will do so during the whole of their opening hours. Quality and prices of all these types varies enormously as mentioned above and you should seek for some local advice. Pubs work on a self service basis; you order your drinks and food at the bar and pay upfront. Opening times are regulated by law and pubs open at 11am till 11pm during the week on Sundays they open at 12 pm. ===Restaurants=== Larger towns have a range of restaurants to suit most tastes and you will find a very broad range of different cuisines, because Brits are very open minded and love food from India, China, Thailand, France and Italy. Waiters generally expect a 10% tip and in most places you get directly charged for the service. The service is average and you should keep your expection in the same level. ===Motorway Service areas=== Motorway Service areas are notoriously expensive places to eat, though they are open 24 hours by law. Most contain well known american-style fast food outlets, and toilets. ===Children=== Children are not necessarily allowed in all pubs and restaurants, and high chairs are not always available. Most pubs that serve food will accept children, and it is usually rather easy to distinguish those that do. ===Typical food=== Fish and Chips Jacket potato and beans Chips BLT sandwich Tuna sandwich Filet Wellington All day breakfast ===Local specialities=== *'''Haggis''', a mixture of sheep innards and oatmeal boiled in a sheep's stomach. Available in Scotland *'''Deep Fried Mars Bar''' - Available in Glasgow and parts of Scotland *'''Yorkshire Pudding''', a pastry baked with meat drippings. Available in Yorkshire *'''Lava Bread''', a puree made from seaweed, rolled in oatmeal and fried. Available in Swansea and West Wales. *'''Black Pudding''', a sausage made of congealed pig's blood and rusks cooked in an intestine. Available in Manchester and parts of the North of England ==Drink== Some think that Britons tend to drink alcohol mainly in the evening, during the day they are sustained by '''tea''' and '''coffee'''. Bill Bryson was only half-joking when he said "I remain impressed by the ability of Britons of all ages and social backgrounds to get genuinely excited by the prospect of a hot beverage", however latest reseach has shown that Britons are Europes heaviest drinking bunch. Getting drunk is acceptable and often it is the objective of a party. This applies for all levels of the British society - it may be worth remembering that the Prime Minister, Tony Blair, had to collect his son Euan from a police station after he had been found drunk celebrating the completion of his GCSE exams. Nevertheless, Britons have a good sense of humour and everthing is forgotten after a hangover, at least until the next time. ===Pub=== The '''pub''' (public house) is the most popular place to get a drink in the UK. Even small villages will often have a pub, serving spirits, lagers, ales, snacks, and increasingly a selection of wines and alcopops. British '''real ales''', championed by the [http://www.camra.org.uk/ Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA)] are amongst the best in the world - though they are not to everyone's taste. The best selections can be found at 'freehouses' which are not 'tied' to a particular brewery. Many pubs are very old and bear traditional names, the "Red Lion" or "King's Arms"; before widespread literacy pubs would be identified by most customers solely by their signs. Recently there has been a trend, strongly resisted in some quarters, towards chain-pubs such as the Hogshead, Slug and Lettuce and those owned by the JD Wetherspoon company. Another recent trend is the '''gastro-pub''', a smartened-up traditional pub with of high-quality food (often at restaurant prices). Beer in pubs is served in '''pint''' and '''half-pint''' measures, or in bottles. Simply ordering a beer on tap will be interpreted as a request for a pint, eg 'A London Pride, please'. Alternatively 'half a London Pride, please' will get you a half-pint. Beer is relatively cheap in the UK compared to most parts of Western Europe, even considering the high inflation of beer prices recently. Prices vary widely based on the city, the pub and the beer, but generally pints will be in the range £2 to £3. Pubs often serve food during the day. Drinks are ordered and paid for at the bar. Check out http://www.beerintheevening.co.uk/ for an excellent directory of pub listings with reviews and customer ratings. ===Wine bars=== In cities there are more modern '''wine-bars''' and '''cafe-bars''', though the variable weather means that there is not as much of a 'street scene' as in other European cities. ===Clubbing=== '''Clubbing''' is popular in large towns and cities, Manchester and London have world-renowned venues as well as many alternative joints. Prices in clubs tend to be considerably higher than those charged in pubs. ==Sleep== The UK offers a wide variety of '''hotels''' rated on a scale of stars, from 5-star luxury (and beyond!) to 1-star basic. There is also a vast number of privately-run '''bed and breakfast''' establishments (abbreivated as "B&B"), offering rooms with usually a fried 'full English breakfast'. Budget travellers can opt to stay in a '''youth / backpackers' hostel''' *YHA England and Wales [http://www.yha.org.uk], tel 0870 770 6113 *Scottish YHA [http://www.syha.org.uk/], tel 0870 1553255 *HI Northern Ireland [http://www.hini.org.uk/], tel 028 9032 4733 There are also many '''campsites''', with widely varying levels of facilities. Many travellers to the United Kingdom decide on a campervan holiday, whereby your accommodation travels with you.... Most parts of the country have a good range of camping and caravan parks available. As a more quirky option, the '''Landmark Trust''' [http://www.landmarktrust.org.uk/] is a charitable organisation that buys up historic buildings, follies and other unusual examples of architecture - especially those in danger of destruction - and renovates them in order to rent them out to holidaymakers. For bookings, tel 01628 825925, mailto:bookings@landmarktrust.org.uk ==Learn== The UK has been a centre of learning for the past 1000 years, and contains many ancient and distinguished Universities. There are 66 universities in England, the two most famous being '''Oxford''', offering mainly arts and language courses, and '''Cambridge''', offering mainly science courses. Other large universities in England include the '''London School of Economics''', '''Durham University''', '''University of Manchester''' and the '''University of London'''. Scotland as its own educational system, with 4 ancient univerisites: '''University of Aberdeen''', '''University of Edinburgh''', '''University of Glasgow''' and '''University of St Andrews'''. Foreign students make up a large proportion of the student body at UK univerisites, with over 300,000 foreign students in 2004. All applications go through a central body [http://ucas.com UCAS], which allocates places on behalf of all UK universities. Fees for course vary considerably for overseas students, costing significantly more for the prestigious institutions. ==Work== Citizens of the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland have permanenet work rights in the UK. Citizens of Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, or Slovenia may need to to register under the Worker Registration Scheme. Generally the citizens of other countries will require a visa to work for more than six months in the UK. However, the UK has low unemployment, making it easier for those with specialist skills to gain working visas. A general shortage of skilled labour in the health sector means the British health service actively recruits abroad, making it easier for those with speacilist health care skills to work in the UK. The UK does operate a working holiday programme, for citizens of Commonwealth countries which allow residnecy and limited work rights for 2 years. For more details see the [http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk British Home Office's visa and immigration website]. ==Stay safe== In some areas petty crime such as pickpocketing can be a nuisance more than a threat, but such crime is not very common in almost anywhere except city centres etc. Some general points for the worried: When out and about: * Avoid looking like a rich target , don't flash wads of cash or wear massive amounts of jewlery. * Keep your eyes open , if the area is heavily vandalised and there are groups of young people hanging around , perhaps its not the best place to stop. * Try not to get too drunk - if you have had too much get a taxi home. When using a private car it vitally important to: * Keep the boot or trunk locked - in some areas thieves open the boot and snatch bags at the traffic lights. * Keep mobile phones, valuables out of sight - this goes double when you park the car. * Park in well lit places with no cover around the car - if there are bushes etc. thieves can work on the locks out of sight. * Its worth extending your insurance to cover all costs of window / windscreen replacement, it's not uncommon for thieves to just smash the glass to get in. When on public transport: *Buses and trains: Stay near the driver/conductor when getting on *Taxis: Use the licenced black cabs, rather than private taxis, even though they might be slightly more expensive When in public: * In some towns is an offense to drink alcohol in public although this law is widely flouted. * Public nudity is frowned upon and is classed as lewd behavior, a criminal offense. Nude sunbathing on the few days of the year it isn't raining is therefore better carried out in private :-) * Sex in public places is likewise frowned upon , although it's not uncommon in some public parks at night or known "lovers lanes". * The age of both heterosexual and homosexual consent is 16. However, the homosexual age of consent is 18 where there is a "relationship of trust". ==Stay healthy== The local emergency telephone number is 999, however the EU-wide 112 can also be used. For advice on non-emergency medical problems, you can ring the 24 hour NHS Direct service on 0845 4647. Emergencies can be dealt with under the NHS (National Health Service) at any hospital with a '''Casualty''' or '''A & E''' (Accident & Emergency) department. At A&E be prepared for upto 4 hours to be seen to if the medical complaint is not serious. For advice on minor ailments and non-prescription drugs, you can ask a pharmacist (there are many high-street chemists). ==Respect== General rules apply for entering churches and other such establishments, and it is generally frowned upon to be topless (for men and women) indoors in public places, especially those such as pubs and bars where food is served. On the whole, the British people are very accepting of a lack of clothing in the summer. ==Contact== ===Telephone=== In case of emergency, call '''999''' or 112 from any phone. Such calls are free and will be answered by an emergency services operator who will ask you for your location, and the service(s) you need (police, fire, ambulance and coastguard). The UK's calling code is 44. To phone another country, dial 00 followed by the calling code and subscriber number. Payphones are widely available, especially in stations, airports etc. Payphones usually take cash (minimum 20p) and don't give change. Some newer payphones accept credit and debit cards and may even allow you to send emails and surf the web. Phonecards have been phased out, though various pre-paid phonecards can be purchased from newsagents for cheap international calls. A simpler and often cheaper alternative for international calls is to use a direct-dial service such as [http://www.telediscount.co.uk/ Telediscount] or [http://www.just-dial.com/ Just-Dial]. These offer vastly reduced call rates over the standard providers and don't require you to purchase a card or sign up for an account. Mobile phones are heavily used. The main networks are T-Mobile, Vodafone, Orange and O<sub><small>2</small></sub> and are all currently GSM based. Since 2003 new CDMA based 3G networks have begun to be deployed, 3 being the first commercial provider. I'd recommend you buy a pay as you go SIM if you’re going to make calls and put it in your current mobile (if compatible) if you are coming from abroad. However be aware prices do vary considerably – from £9.99 (with £10 call credit) from Fresh (available at the Carphone Warehouse) to £30 (with £2.50 credit) from Vodafone (available at all mobile phone shops). Costs for calls can vary significantly depending on when, where from and where to. Calls from hotel rooms can be spectacularly expensive because of the hotel surcharges; check before you use and consider using the lobby payphones instead. Calls from payphones and landlines to mobile phones can be expensive too, if you have the choice call the other party's land line. Beware of premium rate calls, which can be very expensive. Calls between landlines are charged at either local rate or national rate depending on the originating and destination area codes; if both are same then the area code is optional and the call will be local rate. Note that local calls are not generally free. The following table relates the first few digits dialed to call types, so you can avoid some of the pitfalls above: <table cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" style="border: 1px solid #9866FF; background-color: #f3f3ff"> <tr> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #9866FF; border-right: 1px solid #9866FF; background-color: #ddddff">Digits dialed</td> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #9866FF; background-color: #ddddff">Call Type</td> </tr> <tr> <td>00</td> <td>International call</td></tr> </tr> <tr> <td>01</td> <td>Call to a landline at local or national rate (see above)</td> </tr> <tr> <td>02</td> <td>Call to a landline at local or national rate (see above)</td> </tr> <tr> <td>07</td> <td>Call to a mobile phone or pager</td> </tr> <tr> <td>080</td> <td>Free call</td> </tr> <tr> <td>0844</td> <td>Variable rate up to about 5p/min</td> </tr> <tr> <td>0845</td> <td>Call at local rate</td> </tr> <tr> <td>0870</td> <td>Call at national rate</td> </tr> <tr> <td>0871</td> <td>Variable rate up to about 10p/min</td> </tr> <tr> <td>09</td> <td>Call at a premium rate</td> </tr> </table> ===Internet=== Internet access is widespread. Internet cafes can be found in cities and large towns, check the city pages for details. Public libraries may also be able to provide access for free. A number of :WikiPedia:ISP|ISPs charge nothing for Internet access by telephone modem - they get their payment from the phone company, local call costs are time related. Examples are [http://www.Gonuts4Free.com/ GoNuts4Free], [http://www.DialUKT.com/ DialUKT]. There are some WiFi hotspots, although publicly available wireless is not yet widespread. [http://www.consume.net/ Consume.net] provides a directory free hotspots. [http://www.totalhotspots.com/ TotalHotspots] provides a directory of pay-for WiFi access points, many in high-street coffee chains Caffe Nero and Starbucks. Broadband is now available in most locations using either ADSL over the phone line or cable modem over the cable TV network. This will either need to be already installed or you must be staying for long enough to make it worth your while. A good starting point is [http://www.adslguide.org.uk]. ===Post=== The Royal Mail has a long history. Post boxes are still the traditional red colour, (although there are green and gold Victorian "Penfold" boxes retained in some areas and a historically important blue box in Windsor and Eton|Windsor). Mail can also be posted at post offices. Postage stamps cost 30/21p (domestic 1st/2nd class), 40p (Europe), 47p (Worldwide). ==External links== *[http://www.visitbritain.com/ Visit Britain] -- the official Web site of UK Tourism  de:Vereinigtes Königreich fr:Royaume-Uni ro:Regatul Unit WikiPedia:United Kingdom {{stub}} First page | Prev | Next | Last page |

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