United Kingdom travel guide
Royal London, Scottish Highlands, castles, countryside villages and pubs full of history.
#9 most visited country41.8 million international arrivals in 2024 (UN Tourism)Capital: LondonCurrency: GBP
Top destinations
Tower of London
London
Crown Jewels and Yeoman Warders
Stonehenge
Wiltshire
Book timed tickets online
Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh
Book ahead in August
Scottish Highlands & Loch Ness
Scotland
Road trips, glens and lochs
Lake District
Cumbria
Hiking, lakes and Beatrix Potter country
Cotswolds
England
Honey-stone villages
Giant’s Causeway
Northern Ireland
Basalt columns on the coast
Snowdonia (Eryri)
Wales
Mountains, castles and railways
🏝 Top islands
Isle of SkyeOrkneyIsle of WightShetlandIsles of ScillyAngleseyIsle of Mull
Top cities
Route & transport
From the airport
✈️ London — Heathrow (LHR)
- Elizabeth line to central London
- Heathrow Express non-stop to Paddington (fastest, pricier)
- Piccadilly line (Tube) — cheapest rail option
✈️ London — Gatwick (LGW)
- Gatwick Express to Victoria
- Thameslink and Southern trains to central London
✈️ Edinburgh (EDI)
- Tram to the city centre
- Airlink 100 bus to Waverley Bridge
🚆 Getting around
- Trains link all major cities — book Advance tickets early and consider a Railcard
- In London tap a contactless card or phone on the Tube, buses and trains (daily cap applies)
- Long-distance coaches (National Express, Megabus) are cheaper than trains
- Rent a car for the Highlands, Wales and countryside — driving is on the left
Money & currency
- Currency: Pound sterling (£, GBP)
- Contactless is accepted almost everywhere, including buses
- Scottish and Northern Irish banknotes are legal tender across the UK, but some shops in England may hesitate
- Tipping 10–12.5% in restaurants is common; check if a service charge is already on the bill
- Choose to pay in pounds when card machines offer your home currency
Live exchange rate — Pound sterling (GBP)
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Rates by ExchangeRate-API, updated daily. Money changers and banks add their own margin.
What to avoid
🙏 Culture & etiquette
- Queue patiently — cutting in line is a serious faux pas
- Stand on the right on Tube escalators
- Order and pay at the bar in pubs; there’s no table service in most
- Say “please”, “thank you” and “sorry” often
📍 Places, scams & seasons
- Pickpockets in busy London areas such as Oxford Street, Leicester Square and on the Tube
- Weather changes fast in the mountains — prepare properly for Highland and Lake District hikes
- Check for rail strikes and weekend engineering works before travelling
⚖️ Laws & restrictions
- Many visitors now need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before travelling — check before booking
- Carrying knives in public (even small ones with locking blades) is a crime
- Drink-driving limits are stricter in Scotland
- Recreational cannabis is illegal
💬 Words & topics to avoid
- Don’t call Scottish, Welsh or Northern Irish people “English”
- Avoid the Troubles, Brexit and football rivalries unless you know the company
- Words differ: “pants” means underwear, “football” means soccer
Safety situations change. Always check the latest official advice: US travel advisories · US travel advisories.
Accommodations
London
South Bank or Westminster (sights), Covent Garden (theatre), Shoreditch (nightlife), King’s Cross (transport)
Stay near a Tube station
Edinburgh
Old Town or New Town
Prices soar in August — book far ahead
Scottish Highlands
Inverness, Fort William or Skye
Book Skye in summer well ahead
Budget idea
Hostels and B&Bs
Many B&Bs include a full breakfast
Widely available. In London, whole-home rentals are limited to 90 nights a year without planning permission, and Scotland requires a short-term let licence — check listings comply.
See today’s best-rated and best-value places (live prices):
London: Booking.com — best rated & valueAgodaAirbnb
Edinburgh: Booking.com — best rated & valueAgodaAirbnb
Manchester: Booking.com — best rated & valueAgodaAirbnb
Liverpool: Booking.com — best rated & valueAgodaAirbnb
Top restaurants
Borough Market
London
Historic food market by London Bridge
Brick Lane
London
Curry houses and bagel shops
Manchester Curry Mile (Wilmslow Road)
Manchester
South Asian and Middle Eastern food
Grassmarket
Edinburgh
Pubs and Scottish food below the castle
Top-rated restaurants right now: London on Google MapsEdinburgh on Google MapsManchester on Google MapsLiverpool on Google Maps
Top foods
Fish and chips
Battered fish with chips — best at the seaside
Full English breakfast
Eggs, bacon, sausage, beans, toast
Sunday roast
Roast meat, Yorkshire pudding and gravy
Afternoon tea
Tea with scones, clotted cream and jam
Chicken tikka masala
A British-Indian favourite
Haggis
Scotland’s national dish
Language
Official: English (de facto)
English: Spoken everywhere
Also spoken: Welsh is official in Wales; Scottish Gaelic, Scots and Irish are also spoken
| English | Local | Say it |
|---|---|---|
| Hello | Hiya / All right? | HY-ya / awl-RYT |
| Thank you | Cheers | CHEERZ |
| Restroom | Toilet / Loo | TOY-let / LOO |
| Thank you (Welsh) | Diolch | DEE-olkh |
| Hello (Scottish Gaelic) | Halò | HA-loh |
Festivals
Chelsea Flower Show
May
London
Wimbledon Championships
Late June – July
London
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
August
Edinburgh
Notting Hill Carnival
August bank holiday weekend
London
Bonfire Night
5 November
Nationwide
Trooping the Colour
June
London
Hogmanay
31 December
Edinburgh
Dates shift each year — confirm before booking.
Internet & SIM
📱 SIM & eSIM
- Main networks: EE, VodafoneThree (Vodafone and Three merged in 2025), O2
- Prepaid SIMs in supermarkets and phone shops, no ID needed; eSIMs work well
- EU roaming is no longer automatically free — check your plan
📶 Coverage & Wi-Fi
- Good 4G/5G in cities; patchy in the Highlands and rural areas
- Free Wi-Fi in most cafes, pubs and Tube stations
🔌 Power plugs
230V, 50Hz — plug type G
News
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Explore the United Kingdom with a local
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Sources: Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA), US State Department, UN Tourism, national tourism boards. Last reviewed 2026-10-11. Prices, rules and schedules change — double-check before you travel.