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The currency used in the UK is the Sterling pound
and it's divided into one hundred pennies. The coins in
circulation are 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p, 50p and £1.
Notes come in denominations of £1 (coin is now more
common and notes have been discontinued in England), £5,
£10, £20, £50 and £100.
The native language in London is English.
In general, the winter months are cold and wet and
have shorter daylight hours. Spring can be very cold and
doesn't arrive until March and October is the crossing point
for the winter weather. From April to September the weather
is at its best and this is also the best time to visit as
you are guaranteed that all the tourist attractions are
open. Unfortunately, this also means that it is between
these months that the queues are longest.
http://london.bargain-city-discount-hotels.com/
Greenwich Mean Time which is five hours ahead of Eastern
Standard Time is the time zone used in London.
Shops generally open between 9.00am and 5.30pm but many
now open until 7.00pm on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Up until
recently, most shops closed on Sundays but this is no longer
the case. Office hours are between 9.00am and 5.00pm from
Monday to Friday and banks generally open at 9.30am and
close at 3.30pm.
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Tourist offices are widespread throughout London and as
well as those that deal specifically with the city, you
will also find centres which deal with information for England,
Ireland, Scotland and Wales as well was most major European
countries. The principal offices are the British Travel
Centre which is located at 12 Regent Street, Picadilly Circus
and the London Tourist Information Centre, branches of which
can be found in the four terminals at Heathrow, at Gatwick,
Luton and Stansted airports, Harrods, the Tower of London
and at Victoria Station.
Electricity in the UK is 240 volts AC (50Hz)
A 17.5% sales tax (VAT) is levied on all goods and services
in Britain at the moment. It does not apply to books or
food. By law it must be included in your hotel or restaurant
bill. With regards to shopping, this tax can be claimed
back on goods taken out of the country by non-nationals
but not all stores participate in this 'Retail Export Scheme'
so, before purchasing, look for a sign or enquire.
Citizens of EU member states are free to live and work in
the UK without a visa and visitors from the Republic of
Ireland do not even need a passport to enter the country.
American, Canadian, Australian, South African and New Zealand
nationals are allowed to stay for up to a period of six
months without a visa. Visitors from all other countries
should contact the British Embassy in their area for entry
details.
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Traveller's cheques are widely accepted and can also be
exchanged in banks and bureau de changes. Banks are generally
open from Monday to Friday, some also open on Saturday mornings.
Bureau de Changes tend to open later than banks. Visa and
Mastercard are also widely accepted but some of the smaller
hotels, restaurants and B & Bs in the north will probably
want cash payment. You can also use your credit card or
your regular bank card to obtain money from an ATM if you
have the pin. Remember, however, that you do pay a charge
every time you withdraw cash. ATMs are available throughout
the city.
To call the UK from abroad you first dial 00, followed by
44, the local area code for London which is 0171 and the
local number. If you wish to call abroad from the UK again
you dial 00, followed by the international calling code
for your particular country and then the local number. It
is worth noting that you also need to drop the first zero
from the local area code for both types of call. Thanks
to the world of cinema, most people associate bright red
kiosks with London public telephones. Today, however, these
are very rare and have been replaced by smoked glass kiosk
and will usually have the British Telecom (BT) logo. Most
take coins and phonecards. Cards can be purchased in newsagents,
tourist offices, train stations and a variety of other outlets.
They come in denominations of £5, £10 or £20.
The cheapest time to make international calls is after 8.00pm
on weekdays and all day on Saturdays and Sundays.
Post offices in Britain are open Monday to Friday from 9am
to 5:30pm and from 9:30am to noon on Saturdays.
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Tipping in the UK is not compulsory, but as with everywhere
else it is greatly appreciated. If you are happy with the
service you should leave some amount, however big or small.
In some restaurants a fifteen per cent service charge is
included in the bill. Where this is the case, you will probably
feel less obliged to leave a tip. If you are paying by credit
card, the final total is left blank so you can leave a gratuity
if you so wish. Taxi drivers and hotel porters are usually
paid a small amount for their services.
It is worth noting what the public holidays are before you
travel to a country as the majority of businesses, banks
and shops usually shut for the day. In the UK they take
place on January 1st, Good Friday, Easter Monday, the first
and last Mondays in May, the last Monday in August and December
25th and 26th. It is a good idea to check the particular
area too as certain towns and cities also shut down during
special events.
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