United Kingdom & London
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
(commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK , or Britain )
is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands. Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK with a land border, sharing it with the Republic of Ireland. Apart from this land border, the UK is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, the English Channel and the Irish Sea. The largest island, Great Britain, is linked to France by the Channel Tunnel.
The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy and unitary state consisting of four countries: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. It is governed by a parliamentary system with its seat of government in London, the capital, but with three devolved national administrations in Belfast, Cardiff and Edinburgh, the capitals of Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland respectively. The Channel Island bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey, and the Isle of Man are Crown Dependencies which means they are constitutionally tied to the British Monarch but are not part of the UK. The UK has fourteen overseas territories, all remnants of the British Empire, which at its height in 1922 encompassed almost a quarter of the world's land surface, the largest empire in history. British influence can still be observed in the language, culture and legal systems of many of its former colonies.
London - City Overview
London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It is the UK's largest and most populous metropolitan area and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. A major settlement for two millennia, its history goes back to its founding by the Romans, who called it Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the "square mile", retains its mediaeval boundaries. Since at least the nineteenth century, the name "London" has also referred to the metropolis developed around it. Today, the bulk of this conurbation forms the London region and the Greater London administrative area, with its own elected mayor and assembly.
London is a leading global city and one of the world's largest financial centres with the largest city GDP in Europe. Central London is home to the headquarters of most of the UK's top 100 listed companies (the FTSE 100) and more than 100 of Europe's 500 largest. London's influence in politics, finance, education, entertainment, media, fashion, the arts and culture in general contributes to its global position. It is a major tourist destination for both domestic and overseas visitors. London hosted the 1908 and 1948 Summer Olympics and will host the 2012 Summer Olympics. London contains four World Heritage Sites: the Tower of London; the historic settlement of Greenwich; the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; and the site comprising the Palace of Westminster, Westminster Abbey and St. Margaret's Church.
London has a diverse range of peoples, cultures, and religions, and more than 300 languages are spoken within its boundaries. In July 2007 it had an official population of 7,556,900 within the boundaries of Greater London, making it the most populous municipality in the European Union. The Greater London Urban Area (the second largest in the EU) has a population of 8,278,251. While the metropolitan area (the largest in the EU) has an estimated total population of between 12 million and 14 million. The London Underground network, administered by Transport for London, is the most extensive underground railway network in the world. London Heathrow Airport is the world's busiest airport by number of international passengers and the airspace is the busiest of any urban centre in the world.
Good to know
Languages
The United Kingdom does not have a constitutionally defined official
language. English is the main language (being spoken monolingually by more than 70% of the UK population) and is thus the de facto official language.
Currency
The currency of the UK is the pound sterling, represented by the symbol
£. The pound sterling is made up of 100 pence (p) and the singular of
pence is the penny, it is symbolized by "p". The British currency has two units, the pound and the penny. Currently are in circulation coins with denominations of 1p, 2 p, 5 p, 10p, 20p, 50p, £1, and £2, and bank notes of £5, £10, £20 and £50.
Oanda quick currency converter >>
Banks & Credit cards
Standard banking hours are Monday to Friday from 9:00-9:30 until 15:30
or 16:00 (some remain open until 17:30). Many bank branches stay open late once per week (until 17:30 or 18:00) as well as being open on
Saturdays (9:00-9:30 until 12:30 or 15:30). Banks in England remain open over lunch. Major cards such as Visa, MasterCard, Eurocard, Cirrus and Eurocheques are widely accepted. Amex is also recognised although it is less common than Visa or MasterCard.
Visas
You do NOT need a visa for the UK for business, personal visits or
tourism if you are:
- a citizen of an EU country
- a citizen of Norway, Switzerland, Iceland
- from a country listed on the Foreign Ministry list
- not staying more than 90 days
In this case, a passport or ID Card valid for the duration of your stay
is sufficient. Citizens of other countries may need a visa. Please contact your travel agent or the nearest United Kingdom diplomatic authorities for further information. If you should need a visa, please apply early enough to allow sufficient handling time to the authorities. You may ask the EULAR Organising Secretariat for an official letter of invitation (proof of registration required).
Climate
Probably one of the best months to travel to London is May with
temperatures around the 15º-20º. Contrary to popular belief, it DOES NOT rain every day in England or in the rest of the UK! However, it is always advisable to bring some type of waterproof clothing and an umbrella.
The weather in London right now >>
Electricity
United Kingdom, like most other European countries, uses 230- Volt/50 Hz AC current. Plugs have three rectangular prongs that form a triangle. Plan to bring an adapter plug and even a transformer for your personal appliances.
Telephones
For calls to United Kingdom, use the international code +44. The regional code for London is 020. Calls from the United Kingdom follow international standard dialling rules.
Insurance and Liability
It is recommended that participants obtain adequate cover for travel, health and accident insurance before they depart from their countries. EULAR and MCI as organisers cannot accept responsibility for personal injuries, or loss of, or damage to, private property belonging to the congress participants and accompanying persons.
Shopping
London is considered one of the best places in the world to shop along with Paris and New York. Visitors to London are often overwhelmed by the sheer variety of shopping options available to them. Some of the best shopping areas are Oxford Street, Regent Street, Bond Street, and Soho. Bond Street has some of the most elegant and expensive shops in London. Oxford Street is the best-known street for shopping in London, where many fabulous shops for clothes, souvenirs, etc. are located. There are so many famous brand shops available here that you will find it difficult to make a choice.
Time
United Kingdom follows Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) which is GMT hour in winter and BST (British Summer Time GMT+1 in summer).
Tipping
Tipping is not expected in the UK, in the way it is in the United States or Canada, but is much appreciated. A tip is normally not added onto a restaurant bill. It is left up to you to decide how much you want to give. However, some of the restaurants now add a service charge onto the bill automatically, usually when you are dining in a party of 6 or more, so look carefully. If it is not added, the amount most people leave, if the meal/service has been good, is 10% of the total cost.
Also see
Travelling to and in London >>