10 Tips for Americans traveling in the United Kingdom England Great Britain

1. Public transportation is everywhere. 

but be prepared to walk

Busses

If you are staying at least a week in one city, you should be able to buy a bus pass for Ł12-15. There are different bus companies, however, so make sure you ask the bus driver which bus lines the pass will work on. Some passes are only for a certain route, so do your research. Almost every bus company has their own website.

Public busses are way cleaner and nicer than in the US.

The front seats on the bus, first floor, are reserved for handicapped and parents with strollers. If you are sitting in a front seat, you may be asked to move.

Don't expect the driver to wait for you to sit before they start moving. Hold on to the rails going up the stairs!

You can purchase a bus ticket at the window when you walk on the bus. The bus drivers have change but they prefer you to have the correct change. Most do not take credit cards.

It is perfectly acceptable to take a suitcase on the bus. It is also acceptable to be seen rolling a suitcase down the street.

Trains

Usually more expensive than busses but much faster if you are traveling city to city. Buy your tickets ahead of time.
www.virgintrains.co.uk is a good place to start.
Usually a train from Manchester to London is Ł25-Ł35 if you buy it months ahead of time. To walk up and buy you will pay Ł75-Ł125 or more. But a bus ticket from Manchester to London will probably be Ł12-Ł20.

If you walk up to buy a ticket you will pay up to 3 times as much as buying 2-3 months ahead.

There are different train stations for travel inside a city and outside of a city. This confused me at first. For instance in Manchester  the Metrolink is NOT the train that will take you outside of the city.

For Manchester transportation Manchester Travel
For London transportation London Transportation

2. Personal Space

In England there is less space than in the US.  Expect to sit and stand physically closer to strangers than you ever would in the US. People will keep getting on a bus or train until there is no more space and then they will keep getting on the bus or train. Take a deep breath and hold on. 

In restaurants and pubs the tables and chairs will be closer together than they are in the US. You will not be able to get up without others having to move. They usually don't mind because this is just what you do. 

People will probably stand closer to you to talk to than you are used to.  Sometimes Americans perceive this as a threat. It is not. It's just what you have to do when there is less space available. 

3. Shopping

The line is a "queue." The cashier/cash register is the "till." Your American credit or debit card should work.

Sign the back of your credit cards. I know in the US we don't sometimes because then they will ask for ID. But in the UK they WON'T take your card if it is NOT signed. And make sure you sign a signature that looks like the one you have on your card.

Way more people in the UK provide their own bags while shopping. This has to do with walking and taking public transportation more than driving. I never go anywhere without my backpack. I just put my purchases in the backpack (after I pay for them of course!)

There are no one pound notes, only one pound coins. Your cash will weigh more than it does in the US because way more coins. Take a change purse.  

Vending machines take the one pound coins. 

Dollar to pound exchange has stayed around 1.5-1.6 to 1 for a few years. This means your US dollar is NOT worth as much as the pound, and most things are more expensive anyway. 

4. Weather and Heat/Air conditioning 

Most rooms will have a radiator. Make sure you ask the hotel manager or host/hostess how to turn the radiator on and off. If not, you may find yourself freezing in the middle of the night. Radiators do not blow air, they 'radiate' air. They take a while to heat, so don't think you can immediately warm a room like you can in the US. 

It will be rare to have air conditioning. It is rare for you to need it. If you find yourself wandering around in July heat and are about to wilt, try a Costa (coffee shop chain similar to Starbucks). They are usually air conditioned. But your room will probably not be unless it is very expensive or an American chain. Few houses have air or ceiling fans. Hopefully you will have a small electric fan. If not, you can buy one at Marks & Spencer, Primark, or TKMaxx (Yes, it's TK not TJ). Walmart in the UK is Asda, but you will not find one in town centers.

If you open your window at night you should be fine. It cools at night even if it is warm during the day.

5. Clothing

Buy a light rain coat to for summer travel. By light I mean something you can always have with you in purse or daypack/backpack. I always keep one with a hood so I don't need a head cover or umbrella. Umbrellas take a hand and I like to have my hands free. Frogg toggs sells a light rain jacket that folds up small and light. I don't like the ponchos because my arms get wet. 

For winter, take a coat that will keep you warm in sub-zero weather. Even if it doesn't get that cold, it's a wet cold. If you are from the Southern or Western US, you are not used to this. I also advise long underwear also known by its politically correct term "base layer." I prefer a polyester mix but some people swear by silk like Wintersilks.  How to choose a base layer of clothing is helpful. Hats, gloves, scarves, yes.

Wool socks. Cotton will not keep your warm. Icebreaker socks are my favorites. The ski socks last at least five years with 2-3 times a week wear. I advise wool socks even in spring/summer/fall. You will be walking way more than in the US unless you are a marathon runner/walker. I promise. Wool prevents blisters better than cotton. Put Vaseline or a clear diaper rash ointment on feet before you put your socks on to prevent blisters. 

Walking sandals are great in summer. My favorites are Chaco Unaweep. I wore these walking 6-8 miles a day in London. In shoes your feet will swell more, especially when it is hot. No one cares if you wear these with dresses, ladies. If you are walking 6-8 miles a day forget the cute shoes, even flats. 

Women---many places in the UK you will not see women over 25 in shorts, even the longer bermuda shorts. You will see women of all ages wearing shorts in London because of the large tourist population. But in Manchester, Bristol, and Oxford I have rarely seen a woman over 20 wearing shorts no matter how hot it is. They wear skirts and sundresses in the summer. 

6. Waiting

A bus might be delayed. A queue for the till may be long. Americans complain when they have to wait. We are impatient. We expect everything to happen now. But it won't. So don't complain. Just wait patiently like those around you. 

7. Noise level

I never believed 'Americans are the loudest' until I left the country. We are. Fact.

Be aware of this. You will find the British being loud in pubs late at night watching a football (soccer) match or at the football match, but not many other places.  A bus might be louder after midnight when it is full of drunk college students, otherwise way quieter than any American public gathering.

8. Scots are not English, but they are British, and other details

Once upon a time the United Kingdom was a bunch of little countries and even though it isn't today, they have kept their separate identities.

The official name of the country is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland (Ireland) are NOT the same country. 

The Republic of Ireland is not part of the United Kingdom. So if you go from England to Ireland you will have to show your passport. 

Scotland is part of the United Kingdom and it is included in Great Britain, and has been since 1707. However, many Scots still think this is wrong and assert for separation from Great Britain. Do not call a Scottish person or Scot, "English."

People from Wales are Welsh, not English, and they may even speak Welsh. They are British, however.

Think about it like this. If you are from Texas, do you want to be called an Oklahoman? If you are a Georgian, do you want to be mistaken for a Floridan? 

9. Food

Dairy is way better in the UK than in the US.  It is one of the few products that cost less. 

There will be more types of cheese in the stores than you have ever dreamed. And they are all wonderful.

Chocolate. Ah, the chocolate is way better. Try Dairy Milk Chocolate. 

Do not leave the UK without trying Scones and Clotted Cream with Strawberries. 

Mushy peas are peas that are mushed. They even eat them cold. You will find them in fast food restaurants.

In a pub, you order food at the bar. They rarely wait on tables. Waiters are paid a living wage. Don't leave the tip on the table, but if the waiter has been great you can put a pound coin or two in their hand when you leave. 

Free refills are almost nonexistent unless it is an American chain like Subway. Even then, the cups are tiny. Their large is our small. Most cups are what we call child sized. 

Ice. Ah Ice. I spent my first summer in England searching for ice. The next summer I packed an ice cube tray.  If you want ice in a restaurant you have to ask for a cup of ice AND a drink.

Ask for 'tap water' in a restaurant or they will bring you bottled water and charge you for it. 

Leave your desire for iced tea at home.  Even Starbucks will not serve iced tea. If you are really desperate, ask for tea and a cup of ice and put it together yourself.  

'Puddings' means dessert. 'Bread and cheese' may be on the dessert menu. 

10. A few suggestions to keep you from looking like an idiot.

Don't raise two fingers for the number 2. It is like putting up your middle finger in the US.

"Fanny" means something you don't want it to mean so don't say it.

"Pants" mean panties or underwear. Say Trousers. "Baggy pants" means "big butt." 

"Knickers" also mean panties.

You will never hear or see the word "restroom." Say "Toilet" or "washroom."

Beds do not have box springs. 

The beds will not have top sheets.

French fries are called chips and chips are called crisps. Chips are eaten with fork and knife.

Leave your camouflage at home. 

You can exchange money at a pawn shop. But check the exchange rate online before to make sure they are giving you the going rate. 

Buy an international plan for your cell phone.

Google maps will work with data disabled if you turn it on when you have wifi. 

I have seen many travel experts say to travel light which means washing out clothes by hand and letting them drip dry overnight. However, the UK has a humid climate and clothing does not dry fast. Even the clothing that claims 'quick dry' may take up to 3 days to dry. Take this into consideration when packing. Jeans will NEVER drip dry even if you hang them outside.