Key facts
The United Kingdom is a member state of the European Union located in Northern Europe. The United Kingdom has only one border country: Ireland.
English is an official language in The United Kingdom. It means that if you speak it, you would be able to communicate with almost everyone. If not, it is highly recommended that you acquire some basic English before traveling to The United Kingdom.
The national currency in The United Kingdom is British pound (GBP). The pound (£) is subdivided into 100 penny (p).
British
Banknotes
£5£10£20£50£100
British
Coins
£1£21p2p5p10p20p50p
Check with your bank before your trip to find out if there are any fees for using your card abroad. Some banks do not charge fees when you use a foreign ATM or pay in foreign currency, but others may charge a fixed cost for each transaction or allow a limited number of free withdrawals. The travel card provided by Wise.com, Revolut or Monose might be an excellent option to cut down on transaction fees.
Ookla® Speedtest The average fixed internet speed in The United Kingdom is 202.43 Mbps and mobile is 108.08 Mbs.The global average is 192.62 Mbps and 126.54 Mbps respectively.
ATM Density The United Kingdom has more ATMs than most other countries.96.28 ATMs per 100,000 people.The global average is 39.49.
SIM Registration In order to purchase a SIM card in The United Kingdom, a passport or ID is required as identification.
Socket types
There is one common socket type used in The United Kingdom. Type G is not very common around the world, so it might be a good idea to check if your electronics need an adapter.
The sockets’ shapes and voltage differ from country to country and a travel plug adapter may be required. Portable devices, such as phones, notebooks or tablets, usually handle the entire range of voltages used across the world (110-240V).
Public holidays
In the year 2024, The United Kingdom will celebrate 5 national public holidays. Furthermore, there are 10 holidays that are only celebrated in certain parts of The United Kingdom. The next one Saint Andrew’s Day will take place on December 2.
| Date | Holiday name | |
|---|---|---|
| January 1, 2024Moving holiday | New Year’s DayNew Year’s Day | Regional holiday |
| January 2, 2024Moving holiday | 2 January2 January | Regional holiday |
| March 18, 2024Moving holiday | Saint Patrick’s DaySaint Patrick’s Day | Regional holiday |
| March 29, 2024Moving holiday | Good FridayGood Friday | |
| April 1, 2024Moving holiday | Easter MondayEaster Monday | Regional holiday |
| May 6, 2024Moving holiday | Early May Bank HolidayEarly May Bank Holiday | |
| May 27, 2024Moving holiday | Spring Bank HolidaySpring Bank Holiday | |
| July 12, 2024Moving holiday | Battle of the BoyneBattle of the Boyne | Regional holiday |
| August 5, 2024Moving holiday | Summer Bank HolidaySummer Bank Holiday | Regional holiday |
| August 26, 2024Moving holiday | Summer Bank HolidaySummer Bank Holiday | Regional holiday |
| December 2, 2024Moving holiday | Saint Andrew’s DaySaint Andrew’s Day | Regional holiday |
| December 25, 2024Moving holiday | Christmas DayChristmas Day | |
| December 26, 2024Moving holiday | St. Stephen’s DayBoxing Day |
Sources
- EF English Proficiency Index (EF Education First)
- Speedtest Global Index® (Ookla®)
- Automated teller machines (ATMs) (per 100,000 adults) (The World Bank Group)
- Registration Policies Per Country (Prepaid Data SIM Card Wiki)
Tourism
What hotel chains are present in United Kingdom?
There are Mariott hotels in 33 cities.
The Hilton hotel chain operates in The United Kingdom.
The IHG hotel chain operates in The United Kingdom.
There are no Best Western hotels in The United Kingdom.
There are Radisson hotels in 24 cities.
The Accor hotel chain operates in The United Kingdom.
What fast food chains are present in United Kingdom?
The McDonald’s chain operates in The United Kingdom.
The KFC chain operates in The United Kingdom.
The Burger King chain operates in The United Kingdom.
The Subway chain operates in The United Kingdom.
The Domino’s Pizza chain operates in The United Kingdom.
The Starbucks chain operates in The United Kingdom.
Sources
- Country by National Dish (Samson Daniel)
Weather
What is the weather like in London?
Weather data for London (capital city) by Open-Meteo.com
Transport
Railways There are passenger trains operating between some cities.
Subway Systems The subway system is available in Glasgow, London.
Sources
- List of high-speed railway lines (Wikipedia)
- List of metro systems (Wikipedia)
- Left- and right-hand traffic (Wikipedia)
- The Global Enabling Trade Report 2016: Road connectivity (World Economic Forum)
Safety
Emergency phones in United Kingdom
Sources
- The United Kingdom Travel Advisory (United States: Department of State)
- Mortality caused by road traffic injury (The World Bank Group)
- Corruption & Economic Crime (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
Smoking & Alcohol
Smoking ban Smoking is forbidden in all public indoor locations, with limited exceptions.
Cananbis legality Recreational usage: Illegal
Medical usage: Legal in certain circumstances
Alcohol and tobacco allowances are only available to those aged 17 and over.
Alcohol allowance
- 4L of spirits or strong liqueurs (over 22% ABV (Alcohol By Volume), or 9L of fortified wine (such as port or sherry), sparkling wine or any other alcoholic beverage of less than 22% ABV.
You can mix these allowances as long as you don’t go over your total alcohol allowance.
For example, if you only bring back 4.5L of fortified wine (50 percent of your total alcohol allowed of 9L), you may also bring back 2L of spirits (50 percent of your total alcohol allowance of 4L) to make up your 100 percent alcohol quota.
Please keep in mind that this is merely an example and that different combinations are possible.
In addition, you may also bring back:
- 42 litres of beer, and
- 18 litres of still wine
Tobacco allowance
- 200 cigarettes, or 100 cigarillos, or 50 cigars, or 250g of tobacco (including shisha tobacco) or 200 sticks of tobacco for heating.
Sources
- Bringing goods into the UK for personal use
- List of smoking bans (Wikipedia)
- Legality of cannabis (Wikipedia)