Travel guide: United Kingdom 🇬🇧

🗓️ Best time to visit

• The best time to visit is spring and summer, when the weather is nicer and the days are longer. This time can be great for city breaks, road trips, and outdoor activities. However, one can expect rain throughout the year.
• Central London’s Christmas Lights are a fantastic sight if you can embrace the rain and the wind
• Most homes in the UK don’t have air conditioning. This is not usually needed. However, due to climate change, there are more and more heat waves, which can make indoor temperatures very uncomfortable during such events

📍Notable places to go

• The United Kingdom consists of four countries: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
• The City of London is known as the Square Mile, which is the oldest settlement in London
• Most of the UK’s major national museums (like the British Museum, the V&A, and the National Museum of Scotland) are free to enter (except special exhibitions), though donations are encouraged
• Popular day trips from London include visiting Oxford and Cambridge, Windsor for royal extravagance, and Stonehenge (which is located on a farm)
• Towns in the Cotswolds are often considered quintessentially British due to their use of honey-coloured Cotswold stone, limestone buildings, and, in some areas, medieval timber-framing
• The Lake District is not only famous for its scenery, but also for literary giants such as the Lake Poets (Wordsworth, Coleridge and Southey) and the Brontë sisters
• Devon and Cornwall are delightful in summer, and the UK now have more frequent sightings of whales and dolphins along its coasts
• The Scottish Highlands are home to the UK’s highest peak, Ben Nevis (1345 meters). The North Coast 500 route is an epic driving route in the North of Scotland.
• Snowdon, or Yr Wyddfa, is the highest peak of Wales. Located within the Snowdonia National Park, it's a popular hiking place.
• In the UK, National Parks are often designated for landscape aesthetic reasons rather than biodiversity importance.
• Northern Ireland is also a great place to visit, often as a destination in itself.
• Check out Kodama Travel's UK Tours across the four nations.

😎 Good things to know

💂🏻‍♂️Cultural Etiquette

• Queuing is a national sport. Never "cut" or "budge" in a line; it is considered the ultimate social sin. Even if there’s no clear line, there is usually an invisible order. When in doubt, ask, "Is this the back of the queue?"
• If a local asks, "You alright?", they aren't actually asking about your health or mental state, or implying that you are looking NOT alright. It’s just a greeting. The correct response is simply "Yeah, you? Alright?" and then moving on.
• On the London Underground (The Tube), there is one golden rule: Stand on the right, walk on the left. If you stand on the left, you will hear a very polite but firm "Excuse me" from a commuting Londoner.

🍺 Food and drinks

• Britain is not known for their cuisine, but a cosy pub Sunday Roast after a long countryside walk is something the locals are very fond of
• For the most authentic Fish & Chips, look for a "Chippy" rather than a fancy restaurant. Eating them out of paper while sitting by the sea is a mandatory UK experience.
• UK tap water is perfectly safe to drink. When asked still or sparkling, it's perfectly fine to answer 'tap' which is free.
• In most traditional pubs, you don't wait for table service. Note your table number, go to the bar, order your food and drinks, and pay right there.
• Tipping is often not expected. Restaurants usually include an optional 12.5% service charge in the bill. If the service charge is not included, the staff will normally inform you (and likely expect you to tip a similar amount to the service charge)

🚆 Getting Around

• Mind the gap when getting off the tube in London. Some of the gaps are quite large.
• Train travel can be eye-wateringly expensive if you buy on the day. Use apps like Trainline to book in advance. Cancellation is common.
• If you’re renting a car to see the countryside, go small. British country lanes (especially in Cornwall or the Cotswolds) are incredibly narrow with stone walls on either side. A massive SUV will be a nightmare to park and manoeuvre