Food
Architecture
Scenic
Europe
United Kingdom
Current status
Safe to travel
Safety
Very safe
The United Kingdom is generally safe for travelers, with petty theft, nightlife incidents, demonstrations, severe weather, and terrorism alerts the main risks. Check current advice from Travel.State.gov.
- Watch phones, wallets, and bags in busy stations, pubs, markets, nightlife areas, and major sights.
- Follow local instructions around demonstrations, strikes, football crowds, or security incidents.
- Check weather and transport disruption before rural, coastal, island, or winter trips.
Emergency
999
Emergency
112
Entry Information
Most visitors need either a UK visa or an Electronic Travel Authorisation. Check the official UK visa checker before booking.
- An ETA lets eligible travelers visit for up to 6 months and currently costs £20.
- Your passport must be valid for your full stay; onward destinations may require extra validity.
- Border officers may ask about accommodation, return travel, funds, or the purpose of your trip.
Vaccination
No recommendations
Regional Weather
Cold
Rain
Off Season
Cold
Rain
Off Season
Mild
Rain
Shoulder
Mild
Dry
Shoulder
Mild
Dry
Peak Season
Mild
Dry
Peak Season
Hot
Dry
Peak Season
Hot
Dry
Peak Season
Mild
Dry
Shoulder
Mild
Rain
Shoulder
Cold
Rain
Off Season
Cold
Rain
Shoulder
Prices
Level 4
Expensive
$$$$
$$$$
Must Know
The UK is one of Europe’s pricier destinations, especially London, Edinburgh in festival season, rail travel, and hotels in summer.
- Smaller cities, free museums, pub meals, supermarkets, and advance train tickets help control costs.
- Accommodation can jump sharply around school holidays, concerts, football, and major events.
Travel Hack
Book intercity trains early, compare coach routes, use contactless daily caps in London, and avoid airport express trains when slower local routes work.
Tipping Guide
Restaurants
10%
Cafes
No tips
Taxis
No tips
Hotels
No tips
Must Know
Tipping is optional in the UK. Many restaurants add a 10 to 12.5 percent service charge; if it is included, no extra tip is needed.
- If service is not included, 10 percent is a common restaurant tip for good service.
- Cafes, pubs, taxis, and hotels usually only need rounding up or small change when service is helpful.
Pro Tip
Card tipping is common in restaurants, but small cash is useful for hotel porters, tours, and rural pubs.
Currency
British Pound
GBP
US Dollar Rate
$1 = £0.8
Euro Rate
€1 = £0.9
Select currency...
Pro Tip
Cards and contactless payments are widely accepted, including on much of the transport network, but cash is still useful in small markets, rural areas, older taxis, and tips.
- Use bank ATMs and avoid high-fee standalone machines in tourist zones.
- If a card terminal offers conversion, pay in pounds sterling, not your home currency.
- Scottish and Northern Irish banknotes are legal currency, but they can be harder to spend outside their home region.
Traditional Food
Fish and Chips
Battered fish with thick fried chips
Full English Breakfast
Eggs, bacon, sausage, beans, and toast
Sunday Roast
Roast meat with vegetables, gravy, and Yorkshire pudding
Cornish Pasty
Crimped pastry filled with meat and vegetables
Scones
Baked rounds served with jam and cream
Bangers and Mash
Sausages with mashed potatoes and gravy
Sticky Toffee Pudding
Sponge cake with warm toffee sauce
Afternoon Tea
Tea served with sandwiches, cakes, and pastries
Beef Wellington
Beef wrapped in pastry with mushroom filling
Shepherd’s Pie
Minced meat pie topped with mashed potato
Power
The United Kingdom uses 230V electricity at 50Hz.
Type G
Transport
Direction
Left side
The UK is easy to explore by train in major corridors, with buses, coaches, metros, ferries, domestic flights, taxis, and rental cars filling the gaps.
- Use National Rail for train times, fares, live departures, and disruption in Great Britain.
- London, Glasgow, Newcastle, Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, and other cities have useful local transit, but coverage varies.
- Coaches are often cheaper than trains, while cars help with villages, national parks, islands, and remote Scotland or Wales.
- Driving is on the left, roads can be narrow outside cities, and parking or congestion charges can add up quickly.
Language
English is the main travel language across the UK, while Welsh, Scottish Gaelic, and Irish appear on some signage and local services.
English language level
Good
Official
Useful words and phrases
Hello
Hello
Thanks
Thank you
Please
Please
How much is it?
How much does it cost?
Where is the toilet?
Where is the bathroom?
Can I have the bill, please?
The bill, please
Which platform?
Which train platform?
I need help
I need help
