49 Things to Know Before Visiting Britain (UK Travel Guide)

I am not an original Canadian but rather, as most Canadians are, an immigrant to the country. There is much to love about Canada but it never truly felt like home to me. So when my husband and I retired and started housesitting around the world, beginning in Chelem, Mexico, one of our bucket list destinations was Ireland and the UK. After living in England (London) I learnt a lot about British quirks and unwritten rules of behaviour. Things to know about England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales differ from place to place, but never forget that although these are all part of the United Kingdom, each thinks of itself as a separate country.

We’re lucky enough to hold dual citizenship, so we began our housesitting and travelling journey in Tipperary and have since travelled most of Ireland, from the Wild Atlantic Way to Dublin. We were fairly well prepared for the eccentricities of the British Isles, having grown up around them and living in London for 10 years so we thought this would be a good chance to share our experiences. It’s funny how when I’m in Canada, the U.K. feels like home, and when I’m in the U.K., Canada is home. I’m still getting used to that dichotomy.

Is the UK the Same as Great Britain and the British Isles?

No and getting this wrong is one of the fastest ways to offend someone. The United Kingdom is England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Great Britain is just the first three (no Northern Ireland). The British Isles is the broadest term: the UK plus the Republic of Ireland and around 6,000 smaller islands. People from Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland generally do not like being called English it’s a real point of pride, especially in Scotland and Wales.

Where Should You Go in the UK After London?

England has a real North/South divide Northerners are known for directness, hearty pub food and a pint at the local; the South leans toward polish and postcard scenery. Both are worth your time.

Best Places to Visit in Northern England and Scotland

Yorkshire including the ancient city of York and the medieval Shambles, one of the oldest streets in the world

Manchester, Liverpool (home of the Beatles) and Blackpool for a great beach and the Blackpool Illuminations

The Lake District lakes, hiking trails and boat tours

Newcastle the Tyne Bridge and lively nightlife, Leeds and its canals and Northumberland for Bamburgh Castle, Hadrian’s Wall and Roman history

Edinburgh and the Scottish Highlands castles, lochs and dramatic scenery

Best Places to Visit in Southern England and Wales

London Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, Big Ben and Westminster, the London Eye a giant ferris wheel, Chinatown and Covent Garden Market not to mention all the London street markets and the famous Borough Market and the Camden Market and Lanes

Windsor Castle and Windsor Town the official residence of the British Monarchy

Oxford and Cambridge the UK’s two great university cities

The Cotswolds picture-postcard villages and rolling hills

Stratford-upon-Avon Shakespeare’s birthplace

Bath Georgian architecture and Roman baths

Stonehenge and Avebury Henge the UK’s famous stone circles

Cornwall coastal villages, beaches and a proper Cornish pasty

Cardiff and Snowdonia, Wales castles, coastline and mountain trails

Pub Culture: What Do You Need to Know Before Visiting a British Pub?

What time do pubs close in the UK?

Most pubs close at 11:00pm, though some stay open until midnight on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and close earlier around 10:30pm on Sunday. Children under 16 can go in accompanied by an adult; those over 16 can enter without an adult but can’t be served alcohol. Dogs are welcome in pubs with a beer garden.

Do you tip in a UK pub?

No you don’t normally tip bar staff. If you want to say thanks, offer to buy them a drink instead; they can accept it or take the cash value as a tip. When I worked in the pub we could put a bottle cap in a box which allowed us to save up our tips and if the landlord agreed we could then take bottles home with us.

How do you order a drink in a pub?

Order and pay at the bar nobody comes to take your order at the table. Ask for lager, ale, bitter or spirits and you’ll get a full pint unless you specify a half. A shandy is lager mixed with lemonade. Fancy cocktails are hit-or-miss outside upmarket pubs, though more places now carry them. At quieter pubs you can sometimes leave a card behind the bar and run a tab.

Why Do the British Take Queuing So Seriously?

Queuing is treated as close to law. Even with only two people and no visible line, you queue jumping the queue is viewed as close to a criminal offence, and locals notice.

Which Side Do You Stand On, On UK Escalators?

Stand on the right, walk on the left this applies on the London Underground and escalators generally, and keeps foot traffic moving.

What Should You Know About Regional British Accents?

The UK packs an enormous range of accents into a small area from the musical lilt of Wales to the many distinct dialects of Scotland and England’s own north/south divide. Don’t be afraid to ask someone to repeat themselves.

What Is Bog Snorkelling?

A genuinely bizarre British sport: swimming through a peat bog without using any conventional swimming stroke. It’s a real, organised event and a good example of UK eccentricity if you want something out of the ordinary.

Which UK Castles Are Worth Visiting?

England and Wales are packed with them Windsor Castle (the Monarchy’s official residence), the awe-inspiring Edinburgh Castle, Blenheim Palace, the ruins of Kenilworth Castle, and Warwick Castle, which stages medieval battle re-enactments. There is also the magnificent Buckingham Palace and did you know that Wales has more castles than any other area?

How Do You Pronounce Tricky UK Place Names?

Some UK place names don’t sound anything like they’re spelled Edinburgh, Leicester and Warwickshire are classic examples. Don’t hesitate to ask locals for the correct pronunciation before you arrive.

How Much Does It Rain in the UK?

Per Met Office 30-year climate data, the UK averages 106.5 rain days a year (rainfall of 1mm or more) meaning it rains on about 29% of days and stays dry on the other 71%. Average annual rainfall is 557.4mm, with around 1,410 hours of sunshine a year. Pack a proper umbrella regardless of season.

Understanding British Humour and the National Psyche

Dry wit and sarcasm run through daily conversation expect friendly banter and “taking the mickey.” Being teased is often a sign you’re accepted, not disliked.

Is It Rude to Make Eye Contact With Strangers in the UK?

Not rude, just less common than in some other cultures people value personal space, so prolonged eye contact with strangers isn’t the norm.

Practical Things to Know Before You Go

Does the UK use metric or imperial measurements?

Both, confusingly. Distances, heights, body weight are usually given in miles, feet/inches and stone/pounds, while most groceries are sold in metric.

What currency does Britain use?

Pounds sterling (£). Scotland and Northern Ireland print their own banknotes, and while they’re technically legal tender UK-wide, many shops in England won’t accept them safest to stick with standard Bank of England notes where possible.

Money Tips before you go – How to use Credit Cards and Debit Cards

Getting cash in the UK — Don’t bother with banks they will refuse to give you cash use the Post Office instead (better rates, and same/next-day pickup)

Which ATMs to use — bank-branded only; independent ones (shops, pubs, tourist spots) often carry a £1.50–£3+ fee

The currency prompt — always pick Pounds Sterling / GBP, never “US Dollars” — that’s Dynamic Currency Conversion offering a worse rate

How to pay by card — contactless up to £100, chip-and-PIN above that or wherever contactless isn’t taken; know your PIN before you fly, since signature backup basically doesn’t exist there. You can even use your debit or credit card for fares on buses, trains etc.

Visa and Mastercard — accepted essentially everywhere: shops, pubs, restaurants, transport, vending machines. If a place takes cards at all, it takes these.

American Express (Amex) — accepted at larger chains, hotels, and many restaurants, but smaller independent shops, pubs, and market stalls often don’t take it (some display a small surcharge or decline it outright due to higher merchant fees).

Discover / Diners Club — rarely accepted outside a few major hotel chains and airports; not worth relying on.

Contactless mobile pay — Apple Pay and Google Pay ride on the Visa/Mastercard networks and work anywhere those do, often faster than tapping a physical card.

Personal Tip: carry a Visa or Mastercard as your primary card, and leave the Amex and Discover at home. Plenty of pubs and small independent places genuinely won’t take it, which catches a lot of American travellers by surprise.

How do UK hotel room key cards work?

Many UK hotel rooms use an energy-saving slot by the door you insert your key card to activate the lights and power sockets. Take it out to charge a phone while you’re away from the room and you’ll come back to a dead battery.

What plug adaptor do I need for the UK?

The UK uses Type G plugs at 230V. North American travellers need a genuine voltage converter, not just a shape adaptor, unless the device is dual-voltage (most modern phone and laptop chargers are check the label). Many hotel rooms now have USB ports built in.

How Do You Order Coffee in the UK?

Coffee culture has caught up fast, but hotel and B&B room coffee is still often instant. Here’s how to order what you actually want:

Americano: a double shot of espresso topped with hot water. It began during WWII when American soldiers in Italy asked for coffee that resembled filter coffee.

White coffee: a double espresso with hot water and milk.

Latte: one or two shots of espresso with hot milk and a little foam.

Cappuccino: a double espresso with roughly half hot milk, half milk foam.

Flat white: a double espresso shot topped with hot milk originally from Australia.

Builder’s tea / a cuppa: strong, sweet, milky tea the everyday British hot drink. Iced tea and sweet tea are not really a thing here.

What Should You Eat in the UK?

Chips vs crisps: the British call French fries “chips” and potato chips “crisps.” A chip butty is a fries sandwich.

Fries and gravy: not usually served together on menus in the South, but common in the North of England, and the gravy here is real meat-based gravy, not the North American brown-sauce version.

Egg or tuna salad sandwich: a full sandwich with lettuce, tomato and cucumber, not just egg or tuna and mayonnaise. Sweetcorn is usually mixed in too.

Mushy peas: marrowfat peas left to dry naturally on the vine, then mashed with a little sugar and salt a classic side, especially with fish and chips.

Prawns vs shrimp: used almost interchangeably; prawns are usually larger with sweeter meat. UK prawn cocktail is served with Marie Rose sauce (mayonnaise, tomato chutney, Worcestershire sauce, horseradish, lemon) on shredded lettuce, not the tomato-and-horseradish version North Americans know.

Butties: a sandwich with a hot filling chip butty, bacon butty a British comfort-food staple.

Indian food: hugely popular in the UK, especially England, where curry houses outnumber fast food outlets in many towns. Chip shops in the North often ask if you want gravy; in the South, curry sauce.

Sunday roast: roasted meat with roast potatoes, mashed turnip, Yorkshire pudding, gravy and (often sweet) red cabbage restaurants usually call it a carvery. Condiments follow the meat: horseradish with beef, mint sauce with lamb, cranberry with chicken or turkey, apple sauce with pork.

British chocolate: generally creamier than American chocolate, largely down to differences in the cocoa and milk used.

Fish and chips: England’s best-known national dish crispy battered fish with fluffy chips and mushy peas. Chicken tikka masala, invented in Glasgow, is often called the unofficial second national dish.

Full English breakfast: toast, tea, sausages, bacon, mushrooms, tomatoes, beans and eggs. In Northern Ireland it’s often served with fadge (potato pancakes).

Can You Buy Aspirin and Medication Easily in the UK?

Over-the-counter medication is cheap by North American standards a pack of paracetamol at a chemist typically costs under a pound. But sales are limited: it’s illegal to sell more than two packets (100 tablets) of paracetamol (500mg) or aspirin (75–300mg) in one transaction, a rule brought in after a rise in overdoses. Pharmacists can now also prescribe certain medications over the counter, so ask staff what’s available.

Driving in the UK: What Do You Need to Know?

Which side do you drive on in the UK?

The left. If you’re renting a car or crossing the street, look right first. The convention traces back to medieval times, when travelling on the left made it easier to draw a sword if needed.

How do UK roundabouts work?

Give way to traffic already on the roundabout, and to traffic approaching from your right, unless signs or road markings say otherwise. They’re far easier in practice than they look on paper.

What do UK traffic lights mean?

Amber means get ready to go, not get ready to stop, which catches out a lot of visitors. Lights are also positioned directly in front of you at the junction rather than across the intersection.

Are UK gas stations different?

Petrol/filling stations usually have clean bathrooms and a attached shop selling everything from sandwiches to fresh vegetables. Expect to pay roughly double the North American price per litre-equivalent.

Shopping in the UK: What Is VAT and How Does UK Sizing Work?

What is VAT and can tourists claim it back?

VAT (Value Added Tax) is a sales tax built into the price of most goods. Some shops offer a VAT refund scheme for visitors leaving the country ask at the till and bring your passport as proof of residency elsewhere.

How does British clothing and shoe sizing compare to North America?

Run smaller than you’d expect. A North American women’s size 10 shoe is roughly a UK 8. A North American size 18 in clothing is closer to a UK 22–24.

What historic site passes are worth buying?

The UK has 33 recognised UNESCO World Heritage sites. The London Pass, English Heritage membership and National Trust membership can all pay for themselves quickly if you’re visiting several paid attractions, alongside regional options like the Edinburgh Pass.

What Islands Make Up Great Britain?

Great Britain itself comprises England, Scotland and Wales. Ireland (Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland) sits alongside it. Hundreds of smaller islands surround the mainland, including the Isle of Wight, the Hebrides, the Orkneys, the Channel Islands of Jersey and Guernsey, Anglesey in Wales, the Isles of Scilly and the Shetlands each with its own landscape, from rugged coastline to highland mountains.

FAQs About Visiting Britain

Is Ireland part of the UK?

No. The Republic of Ireland is an independent country. Northern Ireland is part of the UK. The term “British Isles” geographically includes the whole island of Ireland, but that’s a geographic term, not a political one, and it’s worth keeping the distinction straight.

What’s the difference between the UK, Great Britain, and the British Isles?

The UK is England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Great Britain is just England, Scotland and Wales. The British Isles is the broadest term, adding the Republic of Ireland and roughly 6,000 smaller islands.

What side of the road do they drive on in the UK?

The left-hand side. Rental cars have the steering wheel on the right.

Do you tip in the UK?

Not at the bar in pubs buy staff a drink instead if you want to say thanks. In restaurants, a tip of around 10–12.5% is standard, and some places add a service charge automatically, so check your bill before tipping twice.

Can I use Scottish or Northern Irish banknotes in England?

Technically yes, but in practice many shops in England will refuse them. Where possible, use standard Bank of England notes or card.

What plug adaptor do I need for the UK?

A Type G adaptor. If your device isn’t dual-voltage (most phone and laptop chargers are, but check the label), you’ll also need a voltage converter, since the UK runs on 230V.

Does it rain a lot in the UK?

It rains on roughly 29% of days on average, per 30-year Met Office data pack a proper umbrella and layers no matter the season.

What is a Full English breakfast?

A cooked breakfast of toast, tea, sausages, bacon, mushrooms, tomatoes, baked beans and eggs. Regional versions add extras like fadge (potato pancakes) in Northern Ireland.

Explore More of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

Explore more of the region with guides to England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, or the full United Kingdom Travel Guide. If you are a foodie take a look at my Global Food Guide.

Historic Britain is layered with Roman ruins, medieval abbeys, castles, ancient monuments, and historic market towns. Exploring beyond the major tourist cities often reveals some of the country’s most memorable experiences.

• Avebury Henge
• Roman ruins in Britain
• Hadrian’s Wall and Vindolanda
• The Mysterious Rosslyn Chapel – Scotland
• Evocative Ruined Abbeys in Yorkshire
• Walk the Suffragette Trail across the UK
• Shibden Hall Yorkshire – home of Anne Lister – widely celebrated as “the first modern lesbian”
• Alan Turing and Bletchley
• Rievaulx Abbey
• Whitby Abbey
• Kenilworth Castle
• Bamburgh Castle

Accessible UK  Broader guide to accessible rail travel, National Trust accessibility schemes, and city-by-city notes.

Accessible London  Compared to many older European capitals, London is genuinely one of the more accessible large cities you can visit.

Accessible Bath Discover how to explore an accessible Bath including the Roman Baths, and other attractions.

Accessible Cotswolds many of the lovely Cotswolds villages and towns are accessible.

Accessible Edinburgh Accessible Edinburgh travel is entirely possible, but it rewards realistic planning far more than an aggressive checklist.

Accessible Historic sites in England Discover accessible historical sites in England including castles, Roman ruins, cathedrals, museums, and heritage attractions with realistic tips for limited mobility and hidden disabilities.

Accessible York Explore the great city of York with tops for what sites are accessible and how to visit.