United Kingdom

About the United Kingdom

• Language: English
• Currency: Pound Sterling (£)
• Exchange Rate: £1- $1.27USD
• Time Zone: Greenwich Mean Time (GMT0)
• High Season: June-August
• Visa Requirements: Not required for most citizens of Europe, Australia, NZ, US, and Canada
• Electricity: 230v with 3-prong plug
• Emergency: 999 for ambulance and fire
• Transportation: Trains and buses are convenient between major towns and cities in the country. Cars are best for more flexibility or when visiting small, out-of-the-way locations.
• Accommodations: International hotels, boutique hotels, and B&Bs are popular.
• For families: Hotel rooms tend to be small so keep that in mind when booking accommodations. In older, less touristy areas, elevators or ramps for strollers may be hard to find.

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Suggested Reading

Rebecca– Daphne du Maurier

Rebecca is a Gothic novel by Daphne du Maurier that tells the story of an unnamed young woman who marries a wealthy widower and moves into his imposing estate, Manderley. The new Mrs. de Winter is overshadowed by the memory of Rebecca, her husband’s first wife, and soon finds herself trapped in a web of deceit and danger.

Notes from a Small Island– Bill Bryson

After nearly two decades spent on British soil, Bill Bryson – bestselling author of The Mother Tongue and Made in America-decided to return to the United States. But before departing, he set out on a grand farewell tour of the green and kindly island that had so long been his home.

Veering from the ludicrous to the endearing and back again, Notes from a Small Island is a delightfully irreverent jaunt around the unparalleled floating nation that has produced zebra crossings, Shakespeare, Twiggie Winkie’s Farm, and places with names like Farleigh Wallop and Titsey. The result is an uproarious social commentary that conveys the true glory of Britain, from the satiric pen of an unapologetic Anglophile.

Brideshead Revisited– Evelyn Waugh

The most nostalgic and reflective of Evelyn Waugh’s novels, Brideshead Revisited looks back to the golden age before the Second World War. It tells the story of Charles Ryder’s infatuation with the Marchmains and the rapidly-disappearing world of privilege they inhabit. Enchanted first by Sebastian at Oxford, then by his doomed Catholic family, in particular his remote sister, Julia, Charles comes finally to recognize only his spiritual and social distance from them.

Lonely Planet Great Britain

Lonely Planet Great Britain is your passport to the most relevant, up-to-date advice on what to see and skip, and what hidden discoveries await you. Puzzle the mysteries of Stonehenge, sip whisky in Scotland, and hike the mountains of Wales; all with your trusted travel companion. Get to the heart of Great Britain and begin your journey now!

Mrs. Dalloway– Virginia Woolf

Mrs. Dalloway takes place over the course of a single day in a woman’s life in 1920s London. There are flowers to buy, outfits to choose, but also a visit from a past lover, and the tragic fate of a young war veteran who cannot adjust to life in post-war London. Virginia Woolf’s supple and mesmerizing account of an ordinary day draws the reader into the minds, perceptions, and emotions of an astonishingly varied and vivid cast of characters. Woolf reminds us that each day, hour, and even minute of our lives harbors the potential to transform us and those around us. The novel ranks among those rare, timeless books that speak to us anew with each reading.