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| *Travel Tips>>>General - United Kingdom Travel Tips |
Any tips on going to England and Scotland? |
Travel Info I am going to england and scotland on saturday. I am 16 and im going with my soccer team to play 4 friendly games and stay for 11 days. Anyone have any tips on what to take or anything of that sort for me to use? Travel Tips It will be cooler and wetter in the UK than in most of the USA. A small backpack makes a good carryon bag and will be useful in your daily life. You are allowed two carryons so your purse plus the backpack will be OK. Hold your checked luggage to ONE regular-size rolling suitcase (not more than 50 pounds). You don't need 11 changes of clothes for an 11 day trip: Don't worry about wearing the same outfit more than once (just be presentable). If you don't have easy access to laundry facilities, underclothes can be washed in the bathroom sink. You can also wash shirts & trousers in the bathroom sink - there will be a laundry somewhere if you don't want to do that. Shampoo takes out grease stains and a little conditioner (or "conditioning shampoo") reduces wrinkles. 1 Jacket, preferably with a hood and at least semi water resistant 1 or 2 Sweaters 6 Shirts (3 short-sleeve & 3 long-sleeve) 2 Jeans, 2 Not jeans/skirts 1 Short pants 8 Changes of underclothing 2 Pair of comfortable walking shoes 1 or 2 Swimsuits (+ beach clothing & sandals if going to the seaside) 1 Set of gym clothing & shoes (optional) 1 Tavel-size umbrella Try to choose classics, and items that you can mix and match. Have at least one set of "nicer" clothing. Take a supply of USA toiletries and over-the-counter medications with you. The same items will be available in the UK, but the brands will be unfamiliar and they will cost more. Ditto with prescription meds. Wear one set of clothing on the flight. Pack the jacket, a sweater, 1 ss shirt, 1 ls shirt, 1 trousers, a set of underclothing, and basic toiletries in your carry-on. (check the rules at www.tsa.gov). Mark or tag all checked bags with something that makes them more distinct. An example would be to attach a strip of colored tape to each side of the bag. It reduces the chance someone might accidentally pick up your bag by mistake at baggage claim (there are millions of black suitcases). Also clearly tag ALL bags >>> inside and outside <<< with your name and a good phone number + e-mail address (but not your home address). The free tags from the check-in counter are OK. Send an e-mail message to yourself with your passport number & date of issue. Ditto with the numbers of the credit cards you will take with you. That way the info is easily accessible in case something is lost or stolen. ------------------------------... More than about 6 hours in an airplane is really tough, especially if you are in economy class. The result is usually called "jet lag". The time change is part of "jet lag", but only part. For example, people experience jet lag when traveling from North America to South America even when they don't change time zones. Dehydration caused by dry air in the cabin is as important as the time change, and dehydration can be cumulative + aggravated by your environment/activities before the flight. Jet lag can be much worse on the return leg of a relatively short trip because you never really recovered from the lag incurred on the first leg. It can also be aggravated by what you do between trips. I have not found anything that eliminates jet lag, but staying hydrated helps reduce it. Water and non-carbonated liquids are best. Avoid drinking a lot of anything with caffeine, including colas. Lots of alcohol also aggravates the dehydration and you may have a hangover before the end of a long flight. Wear clothing that is comfortable. Especially avoid tight clothing or shoes - your body will swell during a long flight. Sleeping on the flight (even if it isn't very good sleep) also helps. The seats are MUCH, MUCH better in business and first class on long distance flights so upgrade if you can. If you can't upgrade, select a window seat so you can pile extra pillows & blankets against the interior of the cabin to lean against for a bit of extra comfort. A sleep mask (like www.mindfold.com) and earplugs may help you sleep. You can choose to take something to help you sleep on the plane, but try it first. Many sleep aids can make you groggy long after you need to wake up. I just use aspirin. Get up and walk around every few hours. Do some stretching exercises - there is usually room by the exterior doors. Airlines really try to provide good in-flight entertainment on long distance flights. The airline鈥檚 website may list the films & music available and may even give the menu. However, you can鈥檛 absolutely count on the in-flight entertainment. Bring one or more books that you have started and know you like. It is really annoying to open a new book on a flight and realize you don't find it interesting. Things like an I-Pod, Gameboy or PSP, MP3 player, and non-electronic options like crossword puzzles are a good idea. If you have a long layover during the trip, check with the airline(s) to see if you can purchase ($25 to $50) a 1-day pass to their airport lounge. Lounges offer a comfortable, safe place to wait between flights and refreshments are included in the membership. Some lounges even have showers (a Godsend after a long flight). Delta's Crown Room and United's Red Carpet Club are examples. You may be wasted when you get to your destination, even if you fly business or first class. Don't schedule anything important the day you get there. At least try to avoid driving a car - take taxis. Speed your body's adjustment to local time by living on the local schedule: Stay awake until local bedtime at your destination and stay in bed until local morning. If you absolutely must take a nap make sure you don't sleep more than 3 hours. Eat meals at the normal local time. And so on. It still takes me 1 day per hour of time change to fully adjust (a 7 hour time difference takes me a full week to get over). Hope you have a good trip! Others Take in as much History as possible, there are castles everywhere, and you'll see Hadrian's wall, you'll drive right past it. its beautiful country, take a camera and lots o pictures. You'll have a great time. Make sure you have an adapter for your hair dryer or curling iron. They use different voltages & plug in's there. You can get one at your travel agent's or at a department store usually. Try the chips (french fries) and the vanilla ice cream. Delicious!! Look the opposite way when crossing the road. Sounds silly, but you'd be surprised how wierd it is when they are driving on the left side of the road as you are probably used to the right side. Have tons of fun! It's great there!!! Well dont bother bringing your hair dryer or hair curler/straightener unless you have an adaptor because they wont work there. England has some good chip shops...remember chips in england means fries and not potato chips...they are called crisps. It rains alot there so be prepared. The food is pretty heavy and it seems everything is fried. They dont eat alot of cheese i noticed. If i were you i would bring something for an upset stomache. Try jaffa cakes and ice cream screwballs they are good. Doubtless, you would want to take in as much of Edinburgh as possible - this "Prince of Cities" is absolutely magnificent and filled with splendor. Also, if possible, visit Fort William, which is situated next to Britain's highest mountain. It's not like you're going to the back of beyond, so you don't need to take things like tampons with you. However, don't call it soccer. It's football, and it's easy to get people angry about it. It's the national sport, and as such there have been numerous riots between fans of opposing football teams. Have you considered going to watch a professional football game whilst you're over here? Just learn to sing the three lions first if you're seeing an England game. |
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