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Travelling Alone to the UK
Katrinonus
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Hey guys.
I'm preparing for a trip to the UK around December. It's my first time flying and I'm nervous because I'm going alone. I'm not exactly sure of what all I should know or need to know. I was wondering if you guys had any advice that would really come in handy.
I'm planning to leave from Huntsville, Alabama's airport and landing in Heathrow if that helps.
I'm preparing for a trip to the UK around December. It's my first time flying and I'm nervous because I'm going alone. I'm not exactly sure of what all I should know or need to know. I was wondering if you guys had any advice that would really come in handy.
I'm planning to leave from Huntsville, Alabama's airport and landing in Heathrow if that helps.
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http://www.youtube.com/user/katrinonus
http://www.youtube.com/user/katrinonus
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Other than that: budget your money 2:1, even though the GBP isn't quite that expensive it's much easier to calculate and you'll spend a little less than you think... and, of course, have a blast.
1) Don't forget your passport
2) Bring around $100 cash (U.S.) for an emergency.
3) Call your ATM card company to advise you will be traveling and confirm your card will work in UK (it should w/ no problem). Get your money at ATM's or pay w/ your credit card, don't use money-exchange services.
4) Once you are in the airport past security, buy a bottle of water and a small snack for the flight, depending on the airline you may not get as much water as you'd like.
5) Arrival in Heathrow will be painless, signs will point you everywhere you have to go. For departure, get there very early (I would do 3 hours for an international flight at that airport). Heathrow is very weird in that you don't get your gate when you check in, your gate is announced like 45 minutes before your flight on big screens in the concourse. So don't freak out when you dont' know your gate after you go through security.
6) Depending on your budget and body size, consider upgrading to "economy plus" or equivalent if your airline offers it, sometimes it can be as low as 50 bucks each way. For me (6" tall), economy plus is a fine, comfortable flight, economy plain is torturous.
Find out if your cell phone will work there, and - if it will - how much it's going to cost. May be cheaper to get s prepaid phone at the airport. If you have a smartphone, turn off data roaming!
Bring at least two credit cards, make sure to call both companies and tell them you're travelling.
Write your passport number down somewhere separate from where you carry it, just in case.
Don't stress too much; You probably will overlook something and won't realize it until you're there but it probably won't be a bit deal.
How do you do this? I've tried everything I can think of and I get jet lagged on every trip.
I've tried not sleeping at all one the plane, I've slept when they've turned out the lights, I've taken naps but stayed up for the majority of the flight. No matter what it seems, I am a zombie for the first three days of my trip.
Never use a money exchange place, just use your ATM card at a bank.
You pretty much need to adjust your sleep schedule for a couple days before the flight... which isn't always feasible...
But basically, how you do it depends on what time you're arriving. If you're going to arrive there in the morning, sleep on the way there. If you're going to arrive in the evening, stay up until you get there.
I had to do a bunch of commuter flights back and forth and never had much luck adjusting. What worked best for me is not sleeping the night before, then sleeping on the plane and then going to bed at midnight or whatever. I still crashed a few days later, but at 8 or 9 or so.
I'm about to go all caps; SECONDING VIRGIL'S 'PHONES RECOMMENDATION!!!
Most plane headphones are outside-ear jobs, leak sound, and do nothing to drown out the screaming kids. (Only in my experience, most recent of which was the 9hr flights to- and from Heathrow to Seattle, for PAX).
I prefer to use in-ear buds; noise-isolating headphones, like Sony's. Some people would go with noise- cancelling, but i find that simple isolation works for me, plus the latter is much cheaper!
PSP/ DS/ iPod etc. all help immensely on the long haul...
The weirdest thing is wearing them for four or five solid hours, then taking them off mid-flight for the first time. It suddenly feels like there is a tornado in the plane and you must be hurtling to your doom
Both would be really useful.
http://www.youtube.com/user/katrinonus
What do you plan on doing while you're here? Are you staying in London the whole time or travelling around?
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I hate transatlantic flights so hard.
Shes staying with me in Wiltshire. Hopefuly go visiting places and such.
Ooo arrrrr etc.
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This is true. I'm spending Christmas with him.
http://www.youtube.com/user/katrinonus
Well, you've got a native guide lined up, which should be a massive help. Don't be afraid to tap him for information. He should be able to steer you through any problems that might arise and hopefully he knows some places worth visiting to make your holiday interesting. That means that your time on the ground here in our country should go without any serious hitches.
That'sbecause you live in 'Borough!!!! They speak a rare form of English there (or here' cos atm I'm at Lewie's house) wey aye man, pet, hinny!
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"The power of the weirdness compels me."
..and send them to me.
I haven't flown very often or anything, but Heathrow was kinda terrifying for me. It's huge and there's a ton of people, and rather grumpy old englishmen who didn't understand that I am half deaf and couldn't understand their slurred speech.
So uh, try to figure out how you're getting out of Heathrow ahead of time. Plan well.
Also, say 'bugger' and 'mate' a lot, you'll fit right in.
This is so true.
Also I plan for us to go to Bath to do all the touristy things there. Its very close to me.
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If you have the time I suggest visiting a bit further south, Devon is generally very nice in winter
Totnes market has before yielded such gems as a mint condition snes and G1 transformers
That is the one, thanks
My favourite thing to do was get on the tube (very easy to navigate... Just dont plan to be on time), get out at westminster - see old Ben and the Parliament buildings, cross the river and walk down past the eye until I get to the Tate Modern. You reall get to see what an awesome city it is.
Above someone suggested taking US$100 for emergencies. Dont. You wont be able to spend your stateside Rubles. Just be sensible, have pounds on you just in case, but generally if you have a Visa or Mastercard - you wont have any issues whatsoever.
You'll love it. Make sure to get out into the country as well. Drink some real beer, buy a copy of the Sun newspaper (and try not to feel like a perve when you open it), have some bad food. Glorious.
A customer at my work once got very very angry that we didn't accept dollars...
Someone I know had a really good friend that wanted to see Europe before they got too old, so they went all out for this big adventure around the UK and Europe. Apparently they were genuinely outraged that nobody wanted US Dollars... Apparently this woman tried it in every single country they went to and got more and more irate as the trip progressed.
Hell, I drove round Europe in a VW Kombi van for a few months... It wasn't until Calais that I realised I had absolutely no cash on me. So my point to the OP is that so long as you have a card of some description, you'll have no trouble accessing your money.
Old Sarum is also worth a look (I'd say more so), if this is your kind of thing.
If you tour the baths, and they offer you water, don't drink it. It's a trick. It tastes like warm blood.
Also, go to Oxford. It's amazing.
I'll post more if i think of it, but the gist is that it is a lovely place and you should have a great time.
Another exception to this is St. Martins In The Fields, which is just kickin' rad. Like as in "if I could telecommunicate to a church, I would there." Have lunch in the Mausoleum. It's worth it.
I come from round that area.
If you like touristy stuff in Bath, the Roman Baths museum is interesting. At least the museum is a bit dull, but the old baths themselves are wonderful. Nearby there is a cramped little teashop called Sally Lunn's which is very touristy but kind of nice at the same time. Bath in general is a good place for sitting in a cafe on a cold, rainy day.
In the South West in general you can get incredibly good "real cider" - local ciders that make all other cider I have tasted seem like vinegary water. Pick the local ciders, not the national brand names.
Glastonbury is a great place to visit if you are interested in Arthurian legend and/or paganism.
Don't go to the Jane Austen museum in Bath. It's really bad. I wanted my money back afterwards. It has pretty much nothing interesting to say about Austen, her personal history or her work.
Glastonbury was taken over by hippies back in the 70s. Not that big a problem really, and you get some awesome concerts there as a result. However, the only place in town I could find which would serve me a meat meal was an Indian restaurant. Just saying, it's a nice place but a little weird.
I'd include St. Paul's Cathedral as another exception, if for no other reason than the incredible view you can get if you make the climb up once you're inside.
On a serious note, I'd just say bring emergency money and have something to distract you from your nervousness. Also think of a plane as a movie theater via bringing your own sustanance.
Good luck.