Backpack Europe and Budget Travel: Travelling in the UK
Travelling in the UKTravel: Accommodation: Transportation: |
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Travelling in uk
The UK is a fantastic place to start any European adventure. Especially if you're looking for a more 'gentle' introduction to foreign culture compared to starting in a country where you can't speak the language or anything. That being said, the UK is such a diverse place that many times you won't understand the English people are speaking!
Backpacking in the UK - Quick Facts
Local Language: English. however as mentioned above, there are many dialects expecially when you get out of London and into the countryside. It can take a while before you get used to the accents, and some you may never quite get a handle on. The locals, however, should be able to understand your english just fine.
Visa Requirements: Canadians are allowed in the UK for 90 days without a visa.
Health Risks:None
Costs: The UK, and London in particular is extremely expensive. Seriously, it's way too expensive. This is mainly because of the exchange rate which is about 2 -1 for a Canadian dollar to the British Pound.
Travel in the UK
I haven't spent much time traveling in the UK but from what I have seen, I'd really like to go back. Two or three weeks is a reasonable amount of time to travel from London and then up to Scotland (Edinburgh for example) and get a good look at the major towns and cities along the way. There's seriously so much to see it can be overwhelming. I could easily spend a week or more in London, that is if it wasn't so ridiculously expensive.
Places I would go, based on my own interests: London, Oxford, York, Liverpool, Edinburgh and some other small towns in Scotland. if you only have a few days though, definitely spend them in London, unless you really want to see Scotland too, in which case start in Edinburgh. Thanks to low cost airlines you can get to many cities within the UK for a decent price, and from those cities you can get to several other parts of Europe.
Trains are, as with most European countries, a great way to get around the Britain and the rest of the UK. Most every town is connected via rail and you'll be able to get all over the country quickly and without any difficulty.
Hotels and Hostels in London and the UK
Hotels and hostels in the UK are not cheap - though prices certainly drop when outside of the major cities like London. There are plenty of hostels and relatively cheap hotels to find a bed in London, but none are cheap by our standards. For a a one or two star hotel in London expect to pay around $100 Canadian, or about 50 GBP. You might get away with a hostel for about $30. Definitely book in advance if you're going during the high season, which is really about any time in London. I'd suggest booking online to make sure your room is held for you.
For hotels in London and the UK , check out the links below:
Trains in the UK
uk is also well connected by train, as are most European countries. Eurail passes are NOT valid - there is a seperate BritRail pass required for the UK and you will save a LOT of money by using one of these if you plan on doing any sort of train travel in the UK.
Cheap Train and BritRail Passes
Flights to the UK
London is ridiculously well connected by flights. There are several airports serving the city, with the main one being London Heathrow. You can get cheap flights on low cost airlines at smaller airports like Gatwick and Stansted. If you're flying from Canada or the US then you will most likely be arriving in at Heathrow. You can often get cheap flights from flight brokers, or online seat sales. Flights to else where in London often are connected through Heathrow when flying internationally, but again the low cost airlines serve many other cities all over the UK.
Cheap flights to London, and the UK
Big Ben and the Parliament buildings in London, England
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