Overview
From the hills of the Cotswolds to vibrant London to the sleepy hamlets of Cornwall and a dramatically beautiful coastline, little England has a lot to offer. English people are often said to be cold and distant, but generous and kind at heart – and of course fanatical tea drinkers and football fans. The dynamic and multifaceted capital of London with its architectural diversity is England’s most important metropolis. In addition, Cambridge and Oxford not far from London shine as traditional university cities.England is an exciting travel destination with a unique culture and population.
- TOPSCHOOLSINTHEUSA: Guides to study in United Kingdom, including geography, climate, economy, and tourism of the country.
Getting there
Arriving by plane
British Airways (BA) connects numerous cities in Germany, Austria and Switzerland with British destinations. BA Cityflyer (CJ), a subsidiary of British Airways (BA), flies from Dusseldorf to London City Airport. Austrian Airlines (OS) flies from Vienna to London Heathrow and from Innsbruck to London Gatwick. The Innsbruck-London Gatwick route is also served by easyjet (U2). Lufthansa (LH) flies from Frankfurt to London Heathrow, London City, Birmingham and Manchester, among others; from Munich to Birmingham, London Heathrow, Newcastle and Manchester. Eurowings (EW) flies to England from major German, Austrian and Swiss cities. Swiss International (LX) flies from Zurich to London City,
Note on arrival by plane
Full information on airport transfer options from London airports to central London and back is available from VisitBritain.
Flight times
Frankfurt – London: 1 hour 40 minutes; Frankfurt – Manchester: 1 hour 40 minutes; Frankfurt – Birmingham: 1 hr 35 min; Vienna – London: 2 hr 25 min; Vienna – Manchester: 2 hours 35 minutes; Vienna – Birmingham: 2 hrs 35 mins; Zurich – London: 1 hr 45 mins; Zurich – Manchester: 2 hours 00 minutes; Zurich – Birmingham: 1 hour 55 minutes
Arrival by car
The extensive motorway and long-distance network connects the cities of England with Wales and Scotland. Long-distance coach: There are numerous coach companies operating between cities in Great Britain. The National Express Information Office is available on toll-free +44 (871) 781 81 81 for information on the nationwide travel service. See also Travel to Great Britain and Northern Ireland for more information. Tolls: There is a toll on the M6 motorway between Birmingham and Wolverhampton, the amount of which depends on the type of vehicle and the time of day you are driving. In London, you pay the so-called congestion charge from Monday to Friday between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. To pay the toll, the license plate number of previously registered vehicles is recorded electronically when entering a toll zone and the toll account is debited. But there are also toll stations with direct payment options.
Arrival by train
The InterCity network connects London with almost every mainland city. Long-distance trains depart from different stations to different parts of the UK: – Charing Cross, Victoria and St Pancras: southern England and southern London; – Liverpool Street: East Anglia, Essex, North East England and East London; – Paddington: South Midlands, West England, South Wales and West London; – Euston, St Pancras and Marylebone: East and West Midlands, North Wales, North West England, West Coast of Scotland and West London; – King’s Cross: East and North East England, East Coast of Scotland and North London. Train connections to the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland are via Fishguard or via Holyhead (by ferry). The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express luxury train connects London with Paris, Venice, Vienna and Berlin. For rail information in England, please contact National Rail Inquiries on +44 (20) 7278 5240 (international), 03457 48 49 50 (UK only).
Rail passes
The InterRail Great Britain Pass and the InterRail Global Pass are no longer valid in England.
Arrival by ship
The four main ports of England are: Felixstowe on the east coast (4th busiest port in Europe), Tilbury near London, Southampton on the south coast (popular cruise destination) and Teesport near Middlesbrough, on the north east coast of England.
Cruise ships
Shipping companies such as AIDA, TUI Cruises, MSC Cruises, Royal Caribbean and Cunard call at ports in England on their cruises.
Ferry provider
There are numerous ferry and boat services between England, Ireland, the Channel Islands and mainland Europe, as well as from the English south coast to the Isle of Wight; detailed information: see Getting to Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Steam Packet Company ferries to the Isle of Man depart from Liverpool and Heysham on England’s west coast. Isles of Scilly Travel operates from Penzance in the county of Cornwall to the Isles of Scilly archipelago to the west of Land’s End (March to November). Lundy Company ferries operate between Ilfracombe and Bideford in Devon and the island of Lundy (no cars).
Passport and visa regulations
Entry with children
Since June 27, 2012, children need their own travel document (passport / children’s passport) for trips abroad (also within the EU). Entries of children in the parental passport are no longer possible.
Language
Overview
English. The standard language, often referred to as The Queen’s English or Oxford English, is enriched by numerous regional dialects as well as expressions determined by social background. In large cities, especially London, the English language is even more colorful: large populations live here who speak English as a second language and have translated some idioms from their mother tongues into English, as well as residents who speak Australian, American, Indian, West Indian or other variants of English Speak language.
Public Holidays
01/01/2022 New Year
04/15/2022 Good Friday
04/18/2022 easter monday
05/02/2022 may day
05/30/2022 spring holiday
08/29/2022 summer holiday
12/25/2022 Christmas
12/26/2022 Christmas
Contact addresses
Visit London
6th Floor, 2 More London Riverside
GB-London
United Kingdom
+44 (20) 72 34 58 00.
http://www.visitlondon.com/en
http://www.visitlondon.com/en VisitBritain and Visit England
Sanctuary Buildings, 20 Great Smith Street
GB-London
United Kingdom
+44 (20) 75 78 10 00.
http://www.visitbritain.com/en/en
http://www.visitbritain.com/en /en
Business
Business etiquette
Working hours are officially from 09.00/09.30 to 17.00/17.30, although in practice many companies work much longer. The world of work, especially in London, is intense and the pace is fast. Long business lunches and going to the pub together after work were common until recently. Nowadays, however, the emphasis is increasingly on intensive work and long working hours. Some traditional businesses may be quite formal, but otherwise business meetings are usually quite relaxed, and after introductions, people usually address each other by their first names. British business people, however, show little emotion in public – vigorous gestures and body language are rarely used and physical contact other than shaking hands should be avoided. Normally, men are expected to wear a suit and tie and women a suit or pantsuit, but dress codes vary widely from company to company. Especially with the new Internet or software companies, there is a tendency towards informal clothing. Women wear a suit or pantsuit, but dress codes vary greatly from company to company. Especially with the new Internet or software companies, there is a tendency towards informal clothing. Women wear a suit or pantsuit, but dress codes vary greatly from company to company. Especially with the new Internet or software companies, there is a tendency towards informal clothing.
Shopping
Overview
Woolens and wovens such as Harris Tweeds are world famous. Elegant clothing, beautiful printed fabrics and silks (such as those from London’s Art Nouveau department store Liberty’s) are available, as are second-hand clothes from London’s famous flea markets. London’s exclusive men’s tailors can be found on Savile Row. We particularly recommend the porcelain from the brands Wedgewood, Crown Derby, Royal Worcester and Royal Doulton. Elegantly packaged tea, chocolates, soaps and luxury groceries are also among the specialties (amongst others available in the famous department store »Harrods«). Antique shops are everywhere in Britain. Charing Cross Road in London is a bookworm’s paradise. London’s street markets of Camden Town, Portobello Road, Petticoat Lane (clothes) and Bermondsey (antiques) are really worth a visit, just to name a few. Shop opening hours: In major cities Mon-Sat 9am-5.30pm, in London’s West End and major shopping centers also Thu until 8pm. Supermarkets are open until 7 or 8 p.m., some even until 10 p.m. Numerous supermarkets, grocery and DIY shops open on Sundays. In many smaller towns, shops are only open half-days on Wednesdays or Thursdays. Shop opening hours: In major cities Mon-Sat 9am-5.30pm, in London’s West End and major shopping centers also Thu until 8pm. Supermarkets are open until 7 or 8 p.m., some even until 10 p.m. Numerous supermarkets, grocery and DIY shops open on Sundays. In many smaller towns, shops are only open half-days on Wednesdays or Thursdays. Shop opening hours: In major cities Mon-Sat 9am-5.30pm, in London’s West End and major shopping centers also Thu until 8pm. Supermarkets are open until 7 or 8 p.m., some even until 10 p.m. Numerous supermarkets, grocery and DIY shops open on Sundays. In many smaller towns, shops are only open half-days on Wednesdays or Thursdays.
Nightlife
Introduction
In the big cities (especially London) there are numerous well-known theaters (including open-air theaters in summer), opera houses and ballet companies, musicals, concerts, cinemas, restaurants, nightclubs, discos and of course countless pubs. In the provinces, the selection is not quite as wide-ranging. The weekly city magazine Time Out lists all events in London.
events
National events
Culinary
Overview
In general, restaurants in the north are cheaper than in the south, and there is a wider choice of traditional dishes. Each region has its specialties: e.g. B. Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding (side dish made of flour dough, no dessert), pies (also called pasties. Pies with vegetable, game, pork or kidney filling), Rack of Lamb (rack of lamb) and numerous fish dishes, especially Fish & Chips, battered fish fillet, mostly cod, with french fries. Popular desserts include Spotted Dick (a bain-marie cake-like dessert with raisins and currants), Plum Duff (roll of dough with lard and plums), Trifle (layers of sponge cake with fruit jelly, cream and alcohol), Apple Crumble with Custard (warm apple compote with cake crumble and custard) and Syllabub (a medieval cream dessert made with cream, white wine and sugar). The traditional English breakfast is particularly rich and consists of fried bacon, sausage, grilled mushrooms and tomatoes, fried egg and toast, or alternatively beans on toast (beans in tomato sauce on toast) or kipper (smoked herring). Chips (French fries), seasoned with salt and malt vinegar, can be found on every street corner, not to be confused with crisps (potato chips), which are a must-have on any picnic. Traditionally, tea is drunk in the afternoon, along with small teacakes with butter, wafer-thin sandwiches and all kinds of pastries. In the west of England, scones and clotted cream, still warm sweet rolls with creamy cream and strawberry jam, served. Each region has its baking specialities: black bun (Scottish fruit cake), flat tea cakes (tea buns with raisins) in the north and Bakewell tart (crust pastry with jam, almond cream and icing) and shortbread (short butter pastry) in Scotland. In many cities you can taste dishes of all international cuisines, especially in London, Italian, Greek, Turkish, Indian, Chinese, French and Arabic restaurants are everywhere. Numerous restaurants also offer their dishes to take away. Cheddar and Stilton are the most famous English cheeses. Drinks: British pubs are a national institution and even the smallest village in the most remote corner has at least one pub. Every region has its preferred beers. The traditional “Real Ale” is enjoying renewed popularity, which has increased the number and quality of the beers on offer. Most pubs belong to a brewery, which determines the range. A restaurant that offers beers from different breweries is called a »Free House«. Bitter (dark beer), lager (pilsner), Guinness, cider (cider), light and dark ale are the favorites to drink. Other popular alcoholic drinks include port and gin, often mixed with tonic water. Wine and cocktail bars are more likely to be found in larger cities. Serving alcohol to young people under the age of 18 is prohibited. The curfew in British pubs has been history since November 24, 2005. Since then, pub owners in the kingdom have been allowed to stay open 24 hours a day and no longer have to ring in the last round at 11 p.m. Nightclubs, discotheques or live music bars (with entry fees) often open after 11pm.
Accommodation
Hotels
There is hardly a town in England that does not have at least one hotel – the village hotel is often the only restaurant at the same time. Some London hotels are world famous (e.g. Savoy, Dorchester or Lanesborough) and there are a large number of ultra-modern 5-star hotels. Further information is available from the British Hospitality Association, Queens House, 55-56 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, GB-London WC2A 3BH. (Tel: (020) 74 04 77 44. Internet: www.bha.org.uk). A selection of the best hotels in England can also be found on the Internet (www.distinctionworld.com). In all major cities, visitors will also find countless smaller and cheaper hotels. In London these are close to Earls Court, King’
Culture
Social Rules of Conduct
Smoking: Smoking is banned in enclosed public spaces in England, including all workplaces, restaurants, pubs and clubs. Smoking is also prohibited on buses, the subway and subway stations. Failure to comply with the smoking ban on buses can result in a fine of £1000. By law, cigarettes cannot be sold to young people under the age of 16. Tipping is not mandatory but welcome. Restaurant bills often include a 10% service charge, but this does not have to be paid if the service is not satisfactory. Inexpensive daily menus are often offered at fixed prices on Sundays. The dishes offered in numerous pubs (taverns) are also worth recommending.
Climate
Best travel time
Temperate climate, humid and warm in summer, wet and cool in winter. Due to the island location, the weather is very changeable. Most rain falls on the west coast and in the higher areas, on the north coast it is colder and stormier. The southeast is sunnier than the north, there is less rain. The southwest has the mildest climate.
Country data
Phone prefix
+44
Area (sq km)
130395
Population
55,977,200
Population density (per square km)
427
Population statistics year
2018
Member of the EU
yes
Main emergency number
112
