Next to Big Ben this is probably the most recognizable piece of architecture in London. It is one of the top 10 most famous bridges in the world for its iconic look and design. It all began in the middle of the 19th century. With all of the new development in the eastern part of London, a new river crossing was needed down river from London Bridge. A normal bridge was not an option, because it would obstruct the entrance of ships with tall masts. So a committee had to be formed to solve the problem. Over fifty different designs were submitted to the committee. It wasn't until 1884 that Sir Horace Jones, an architect for the city of London submitted a brilliant design. Jones' engineer, Sir John Wolfe Barry, devised the idea of a bascule bridge with two towers built on piers. The central span was split into two equal bascules or leaves, which could be raised to allow river traffic to pass. The two side-spans were suspension bridges, with the suspension rods anchored both at the abutments and through rods contained within the bridge's upper walkways. Construction started in 1886 and took eight years with five major contractors. Two massive piers, containing over 70,000 tons of concrete,were sunk into the riverbed to support the construction. Over 11,000 tons of steel provided the framework for the towers and walkways. This was then clad in Cornish granite and Portland stone, both to protect the underlying steel-work and to give the bridge a pleasing appearance. Jones died in 1887 and George D. Stevenson took over the project. Stevenson replaced Jones's original brick façade with the more ornate Victorian Gothic style, which makes the bridge a distinctive landmark, and was intended to harmonize the bridge with the nearby Tower of London. The total cost of construction was £1,184,000 (£118 million as of 2014). The bridge is 800 feet (244 m) in length with two towers each 213 feet (65 m) high, built on piers. The central span of 200 feet (61 m) between the towers is split into two equal bascules or leaves, which can be raised to an angle of 86 degrees to allow river traffic to pass. The bascules, weighing over 1,000 tons each, are counterbalanced to minimise the force required and allow raising in five minutes. The two side-spans are suspension bridges, each 270 feet (82 m) long, with the suspension rods anchored both at the abutments and through rods contained within the bridge's upper walkways. The pedestrian walkways are 143 feet (44 m) above the river at high tide. A visit to Tower Bridge Exhibition is the most exciting way to explore and experience the most famous Bridge in the world. Within the Bridge's iconic structure and magnificent Victorian Engine rooms there is plenty to see and do! After watching a new animated video about why Tower Bridge was built, guests can walk into the high level Walkways, 42 metres above the River Thames. This offers visitors the chance to admire stunning panoramic views of London, spying such popular landmarks as St Paul's Cathedral and the Monument to the west and St Katharine Docks leading to Canary Wharf to the east. Tourist Info for the Tower Bridge Exhibition: Opening Times April - September (Summer) - 10:00am - 5:30pm October - March (Winter) - 9:30am - 4:00pm Tickets Adults £9.00 Child (aged 5-15) £3.90 Child (under 5) Free Concessions £6.30 Family tickets from £14.10 Disabled/Carer Free How to Get There The main entrance of Tower Bridge Exhibition is located at the North West Tower of the Bridge; allowing entrance into the Bridge’s iconic structure. On exiting the Bridge, follow the painted blue line on the floor which leads you directly to the magnificent Victorian Engine Rooms and the second part of your tour, located on the south side of the Bridge at river level on Shad Thames. By Bus: The following bus routes will take you to Tower Bridge: 15, 42, 78,100, RV1. By Tube: Tower Hill station can be accessed from the District and Circle lines to the north side of the Bridge. London Bridge station crosses the Northern and Jubilee lines brings you to the south bank of the River Thames with Tower Bridge just a short walk away. By Train: Reach Tower Bridge Exhibition from either London Bridge, Fenchurch Street or Tower Gateway DLR Stations. By Car: The nearest car park is Tower Hill Coach and Car Park situated at 50 Lower Thames Street, London, EC3R 6DP, situated next to the Tower of London. For more info on Tower Bridge and the Tower Bridge Exhibition, check out the official page below. Cheers!
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My good Friend Brandon, has just landed in England to start his first year at University, so I though it a good time to talk about getting over the horrible feeling of jet lag. Fortunately, the best way I can talk about it is simple letting Rick Steves talk about it. Below are his tips for conquering jet lag. Enjoy! Anyone who flies through multiple time zones has to grapple with the biorhythmic confusion known as jet lag. Flying from the US to Europe, you switch your wristwatch six to nine hours forward. Your body says, “Hey, what’s going on?” Body clocks don’t reset so easily. All your life you’ve done things on a 24-hour cycle. Now, after crossing the Atlantic, your body wants to eat when you tell it to sleep and sleep when you tell it to enjoy a museum.
Too many people assume their first day will be made worthless by jet lag. Don’t prematurely condemn yourself to zombiedom. Most people I’ve traveled with, of all ages, have enjoyed productive — even hyper — first days. You can’t avoid jet lag, but by following these tips you can minimize the symptoms. Leave home well rested. Flying halfway around the world is stressful. If you leave frazzled after a hectic last night and a wild bon-voyage party, there’s a good chance you won’t be healthy for the first part of your trip. An early-trip cold used to be a regular part of my vacation until I learned this very important trick: Plan from the start as if you’re leaving two days before you really are. Keep that last 48-hour period sacred (apart from your normal work schedule), even if it means being hectic before your false departure date. Then you have two orderly, peaceful days after you’ve packed so that you are physically ready to fly. Mentally, you’ll be comfortable about leaving home and starting this adventure. You’ll fly away well rested and 100 percent capable of enjoying the bombardment of your senses that will follow. Use the flight to rest and reset. In-flight movies are good for one thing — nap time. With a few hours of sleep during the transatlantic flight, you’ll be functional the day you land. When the pilot announces the European time, reset your mind along with your wristwatch. Don’t prolong jet lag by reminding yourself what time it is back home. Be in Europe. On arrival, stay awake until an early local bedtime. If you doze off at 4 p.m. and wake up at midnight, you’ve accomplished nothing. Plan a good walk until early evening. Jet lag hates fresh air, daylight, and exercise. Your body may beg for sleep, but stand firm: Refuse. Force your body’s transition to the local time. You’ll probably awaken very early on your first morning. Trying to sleep later is normally futile. Get out and enjoy a “pinch me, I’m in Europe” walk, as merchants set up in the marketplace and the town slowly comes to life. This may be the only sunrise you’ll see in Europe. Consider jet-lag cures. The last thing I want to do is promote a pharmaceutical, but I must admit that the sleep aid Ambien (generic name zolpidem) has become my friend in fighting jet lag. Managing a good seven hours of sleep a night in Europe (or after flying home) hastens my transition to local time. That way, I’m not disabled by sleepiness that first afternoon and can stay awake until a decent bedtime. Ambien can have side effects, and if misused, can be habit-forming; consult with your doctor, and read and follow the directions carefully. Other travelers rave about melatonin, a hormone that helps recalibrate your internal clock (available over-the-counter in the US, but illegal in some European countries). Bottom Line: The best prescription is to leave home unfrazzled, minimize jet lag’s symptoms, force yourself into European time, and give yourself a chance to enjoy your trip from the moment you step off the plane. I think it only fitting to start my first London Attraction post on the oldest building in London itself...The Tower of London! This great fortress was built by William the Conquerer in 1066 A.D. when the Normans invaded England from France. After taking the throne of England for himself, William had to have a castle and a fortress. As Rick Steves said "the idea was to put fifteen feet of stone between him and his enemy." Over the centuries this building has seen monarchs, traitors, and enemies being held prisoner, executions and murder. It has had many uses over the centuries: a prison, mint, zoo, and a royal palace (which it still is to this day). But, it is probably the busiest site in London. It is the home of the greatest collection of Crown Jewels in the world. It houses among others: the Imperial State crown, St. Edward's Coronation Crown,the Sword of State,and the Golden Orb. It also includes crowns belonging to Queen Victoria, and the late Queen Mother. The Tower is also known for the resident Ravens. Legend says that the kingdom and the Tower will fall if the six resident ravens ever leave the fortress. It was Charles II, according to the stories, who first insisted that the ravens of the Tower should be protected. It is for that reason that there are always six ravens at the tower at any time with a seventh as an insurance policy. The other main residents of the Tower are the Yeoman Warders known as "Beefeaters". The ‘Beefeaters’, as they are nicknamed, have long been symbols of London and Britain. It is thought their nickname is derived from their position in the Royal Bodyguard, which permitted them to eat as much beef as they wanted from the king's table. They are a detachment of the ‘Yeomen of the Guard’the Queen's personal bodyguards, and they’ve formed the Royal Bodyguard since at least 1509. Their origins stretch back as far as the reign of Edward IV (1461-83). Yeoman Warders are required to have served in the armed forces with an honorable record for at least 22 years. The current contingent of warders have experienced serving in Northern Ireland, the Falklands War, Bosnia, the first and second Gulf conflicts and in Afghanistan. They are happy to answer your questions about the Tower and are some of the most photographed guards in London! A Yeoman Warder tour is one of the most popular attractions for visitors to the Tower. Join one of these famous tours where Yeoman Warders (popularly known as ‘Beefeaters’) will entertain you with tales of intrigue, imprisonment, execution, torture and much more.The tours begin every 30 mins (last tour 3:30 in summer, 2:30 in winter). Tours last approximately 60 mins and start near the main entrance. The tour is included in the ticket admission. The Tower also was home to many exotic animals from around the world. Since the reign of King John animals were kept at the Tower for the entertainment and curiosity of the court. Everything from elephants to tigers, kangaroos and ostriches lived in what was known as the Royal Menagerie. Under James I, the bloody sport of baiting became very popular and a platform was built over the dens so that the King and his courtiers could watch lions, bears and dogs being made to fight each other to the death. The Menagerie finally closed after several incidents where the animals had escaped and attacked each other, visitors and Tower staff. The Duke of Wellington, who was Constable of the Tower, ordered the animals to leave and in 1832 they arrived at their new home in London Zoo. Here is one great tip that myself and Rick Steves would both agree on. The most popular things to do at the Tower are to see the Crown Jewels and to take a Beefeater Tour. To get the best experience without having to wait a long time, go to the Tower early and go straight for the Crown Jewels then go on a Beefeater tour afterwards. This way you avoid long lines and practically have the jewels to yourself. Or, if you go in the late afternoon, you will have shorter lines at the Jewels. It is most busy at mid-day. It is less busy right at opening or close to closing. Bottom line, save time when you can. Here is all the essential Tower Tourist Information:
Opening Times: Mar 1 - Oct 31 (Summer) Tue-Sat- 9:00am-5:30pm, Sun-Mon- 10:00am-5:30pm Nov 1- Feb 28 (Winter) Tue-Sat- 9:00am-4:30pm, Sun-Mon- 10:00am-4:30pm Ticket Prices: Gate Price Online Price Adult £22.00 £20.90 Child (5-15) £11.00 £10.45 Concession £18.70 £17.60 Family £59.00 £55.55 For all of the travel information as well as guidelines and prohibited items, and all that sort of stuff, check out the official website for the Tower below! Cheers! This is the final chapter of my mini booklet. This deals with how you pack up all of your stuff to bring back from London. Enjoy... Packing to go Home! One of your biggest obstacles now lies before you. You have to pack up all your fun to take home. This is the biggest advantage of packing light as you leave home. This way you have a lot more spare space to bring stuff back. Now to begin, whether your clothes are dirty or not, arrange them just as you did when you originally did. As a matter of fact if you are quite skilled at folding, try and make them occupy even less space. Now, unlike when you left with your valuables in your day pack, here is what you should do. Take everything out of your day pack, and deep store it in your carry-on suitcase. Except your important travel documents. These you should place in the outer pouch if your suitcase has one. That way you are able to have quick access to them. Then, if possible also store your day pack in the suitcase as well. This may sound strange but it will make sense in a moment. Now, you shall make use of that extra tote I mentioned in the packing section. Inside this you are to place all of you souvenirs. If you need extra space, you can use any un-occupied space in your suitcase. To explain my strange method now. By putting your day pack into your suitcase, your souvenir tote bag now becomes your second carry-on bag. As you should well know by now, most all airlines allow you a carry-on suitcase and one personal bag. When you left home you had the carry-on and the day pack. Now, when you go back home you shall have the carry-on and the souvenir tote. This way you avoid having to spend the extra money to ship your souvenirs and risk them being lost. There is one thing you may have need to worry about. The weight of the souvenir bag. All airlines have different weight limits. I would suggest checking on the airline’s website for their maximum weight limits. If you go over the limit, you will just have to pay a little fee or a big fee depending on how much over the limit it weighs. A great bag that I would suggest buying is Rick Steves' Hideaway Tote bag. It is pictured above and below. It folds up into a very small little pack so you can store it in your suitcase. It costs a measly $19.99.It is big enough to carry a bunch of souvenirs and yet withing most size restrictions for carrying it on airlines. One note, i have been advised by Rick Steves' Travel office. If you over stuff it where it is near exploding you may be required to check it on the airline. The only thing to keep in mind is that you have to be able to fit it under the seat in front of you. So, for that reason, it is very important that you are able to make spare space in your Carry-On suitcase so you will not be forced to over-stuff your souvenir bag. I should also mention this is a great bag to carry in your day pack while roaming London. If you want to buy a big picnic lunch to take to a park or you want to have a big shopping bag to carry your goods while shopping, this is a great option to have. So you can see it has many uses. To check out Rick's Hideaway Tote bag, click on the picture below. I hope you have enjoyed all of my useful tips from my London Vacation Travel Tips book. But this is only the tip of the Tower...pun intended. From now on I will provide useful insight on sites,sounds, and tastes of London. Cheerio!
Ah! My favorite subject when it comes to London. For info on all of the places below, click on their adjacent pictures. I don't think I need to explain further, so here you go! Enjoy... Shopping The one thing that most people look forward to is coming home with all sorts of goodies. Although you won’t be able to buy the Crown Jewels at the Tower but you can always buy some other good souvenirs at the gift shop and do some other shopping. Of course at every tourist destination you go to, certainly go into the gift shop and have a look around. One benefit if you were to opt for the London Pass that I spoke of earlier, it offers 10% off purchases at a lot of gift shops. If you have a look in the guidebook that comes with it, it lists all of the places where it gives you a discount at gift shops. Some of the major sites included are the Tower of London, Windsor Castle, and Westminster Abbey. Once you get aside from the tourist gift shops you can get into some serious shopping. Of course without a doubt one of the biggest names to shop in London is Harrods. It is the world’s largest department store. It is in the west end of the city in South Kensington. Spread over seven floors you can find almost anything you could imagine. But also as you can imagine it can be a bit on the expensive side. Another popular destination is the part of London known as Piccadilly. It is home to such names as Fortnum and Masons, Waterstones Bookstore, Lillywhites, and Cool Britannia. Around the Piccadilly neighborhood there are also big shopping districts such as Regent and Jermyn streets. That is where things can be way on the expensive sides. You can also opt for the less expensive and quite popular street markets and stores. Probably the best known in London are Covent Garden and Borough Market, Portobello Road, and Brick Lane. Covent Garden is just a few blocks away from Trafalgar Square. It is home to four markets in one location. They are called the Jubilee, Apple, East Colonnade, and Real Foods Markets. The Apple Market is found just within the main market building. The Jubilee market is on the right side of the building. Its goods change every day. Mondays are for antiques. From Tuesday to Friday the market has stalls selling household goods, clothing, food and gifts, and on Saturdays and Sundays it's devoted to arts and crafts, with more than 200 artisans selling everything from candles to jewelry, paintings to clocks and calligraphy. Borough Market is the most popular markets food wise. It is found in east London on the Southbank of the Thames River. It is just feet away from the London Bridge Tube Station. It is the premier place for local food artisans. It is a perfect place to grab a picnic lunch to enjoy in one of the many parks. If you prefer a street market for antiques or crafts, you should check out Portobello Road. It is arguably the most exciting street market in London. It offers anything you can imagine. It is spread over several blocks in the Notting Hill district just north of Kensington in between Hyde and Holland Parks. On the opposite end of London there is Brick Lane Market. Just north of the Tower of London, it is in the midst of the Bangladesh community. It offers handmade clothes and crafts amidst dozens of street food vendors. For more info go to the website below. At the end of the day, don’t blow all of your spending limit in one place. Also, don’t just go there to shop. (Even though London gives you plenty of reasons to do so). Take some time out of each of your days to get off the beaten path of sightseeing and explore all of the shopping destinations London has to offer in the particular part of the city you are visiting. Tie some places into your itinerary. If you are near Trafalgar square, stop off at Covent Garden or Piccadilly. If you are near the Tower of London, stop over to Borough Market or Brick Lane. Once you have all the souvenirs you can handle, you then have the matter of packing them up to take home. I will discuss that in the next section. I hope this helps you. In the next and final chapter of my book, I will explain how to pack up all those goodies you bought whilst in London. Cheers! When getting ready to leave for the airport you want to make sure you take a few things from your suitcase to carry-on in your day pack or personal bag. The same can be said for when you actually get to London and start your sightseeing. You want to take a few things with you. But you don't want to weigh down your bag. This part of my book should shed some light on the subject. Enjoy... Packing your Day Pack (Personal Bag) This is one of the most important things to do when you are getting ready to leave for the airport or the hotel room. If you don’t bring what you might need you will be in trouble. Also, if your weigh your bag down with un-necessary items you will also be in trouble. When you are going to the airport, I would advise that you put all your necessary travel documents in your day pack. This will save you from having to stop and open you luggage for you tickets. As I suggested earlier, place all your travel and Trip documents in one folder and keep it in your pack. Next, to keep yourself busy on the long flight to England, pack something to keep you busy, like a book (Rick Steves’ London Guidebook?), music, travel journal, etc. Next, I would highly suggest a spare set of clothes. Just in case that you are forced to check your bag. You are then covered on the slight chance your luggage is lost or stolen. Most important of all…DON’T FORGET YOUR PASSPORT! Although I would suggest to keep it in your money belt, but if you don’t feel like wearing it on the plane, just make sure you keep your passport in your day pack. But when you are actually in London, don’t keep your passport in your day bag, keep it in your money belt at all times along with your credit cards, etc. When you get to London, for your days of sight seeing you won’t have to pack it so heavy with items as you would on the plane. Just take a few items: • Travel Document Folder (Tickets, Passes, etc.) • Map of London • Guidebook (Rick Steves’ London preferably!) • Umbrella (Check forecast beforehand, that way you may not need it.) • Water Bottle • Camera • Light Jacket These simple things can be your salvation if you do your packing the right way. Bottom line travel light. After all you will be carrying this pack all day for as long as you are in London. Be smart check the weather and you may just save yourself a pound or two by not having to carry a jacket or umbrella. But it is Britain, where the weather can change five times in a day. When it comes to your camera, it is up to you whether you keep it in your bag or pocket. Plus the added advantage of packing light is you save all that room in your pack for souvenirs or a picnic lunch. Two more tips for your day pack, I would suggest locking it. Just in case you get in a crowd and you are prey for a pickpocket. They could try and open your bag. A lock will keep it safer but may be more of a hassle for you. Whatever you fancy doing is up to you. Also, don’t leave it unattended. Keep it on your person at all times. If you sit it down in a café, I would suggest putting the chair leg through one of the straps to avoid quick bag snatchers. With these simple tips, you can pack your bag smart and refrain from having your shoulder hurt for the rest of your trip. The best bag I can suggest purchasing would be Rick Steves' Civita Day Pack. This is Rick's Personal bag that he uses in all of his shows. It is very lightweight. It is made of a soft material and basically rolls up into nothing. It is only $24.99 from Rick's Website and comes in a variety of colors. It is pictured below and at the top. Click on the picture below to check it out. Cheers!
If you don;t do this important step, you may be in trouble once you get to the airport or your destination. Travel documents are just as essential as money for a trip. Read this carefully and prepare accordingly. Organizing Travel Documents As the time grow near for your exciting trip, there are a few things to check and to gather together to be prepared. The first thing you should do is make copies of all of the following items (I would suggest upwards of 5 copies each): • Itineraries • Passports and Licenses • Travel and Flight Documents • Hotel Arrangements and Confirmations • Packing Checklist After you make copies of each of these items, there are certain things you should do with them. First, leave a copy with a family member or friend who is close to you. That way they know where you will be, and how they can contact you if there is an emergency. Next, you will want to keep a copy of each with you on the trip. I would suggest maybe get a small accordion folder and separate the documents into groups. Along with these documents in the folder, keep your tickets, London Pass or sightseeing materials, copies of your driver’s license and passport. This folder should remain with you throughout the trip. Keep it in your day pack to carry around with you whilst in London. That way if you need a reference to where you should be, you will have it with you. Also. if you get into a situation where you need an ID, you will have many references. Also, by keeping it in your day pack, you will also be safe should you have to check your bag at the airport and you need your documents. Also, keep the rest of your copies in your actual carry-on luggage. After you make copies of each of these items, there are certain things you should do with them. First, leave a copy with a family member or friend who is close to you. That way they know where you will be, and how they can contact you if there is an emergency. Next, you will want to keep a copy of each with you on the trip. I would suggest maybe get a small accordion folder and separate the documents into groups. Along with these documents in the folder, keep your tickets, London Pass or sightseeing materials, copies of your driver’s license and passport. This folder should remain with you throughout the trip. Keep it in your day pack to carry around with you whilst in London. That way if you need a reference to where you should be, you will have it with you. Also. if you get into a situation where you need an ID, you will have many references. Also, by keeping it in your day pack, you will also be safe should you have to check your bag at the airport and you need your documents. Also, keep the rest of your copies in your actual carry-on luggage. They also make such a thing as a travel documents wallet. It has spaces for credit cards, licenses and IDs. It has storage for larger travel documents and a passport. Try looking on Amazon.com or some other site or store that sells purses, wallets, or travel gear. This may seem to some as needless waste of paper and time. But it could mean the difference between a great and smooth trip, or a bag and rocky transition trip. There of course many other options, but these are the few that make the most sense to me. For Rick Steves' tips, check out his website below.
When it comes to sightseeing, how you get to your sight is the biggest decision. Other than the hotel, this is the biggest decision to make when planning out your sightseeing adventures. I hope this part of my book helps when you are planning your trip. Transportation London is known for the big red double-decker buses. But, it is not as some people believe, the only way to get around London. London has probably the best known subway system in Europe. It is called the “Tube”, although you won't see signs for the Tube, you will see the word "Underground. It is probably the fastest way to get around London. You just have to make sure you get on the right train on the right line. Another way to navigate around London is the public bus system. With either a paper ticket or bus pass, you can hop on and hop off when you want. Believe it or not one of the cheapest ways to get around is in a taxi. The big black taxis are highly regulated by the government and the fares are reasonable. The drivers of the taxis are highly trained in the knowledge of London. You can strike up a heavy conversation with a cab driver. Tell them about your tour schedule and just maybe they can give you some helpful tour secrets on London. Of course, the cheapest way to navigate London is…walking. If you plan your itinerary smartly as explained earlier, you can easily walk from one destination to another. Biking is also very popular. There are several bike rental spots around London. Do your research and find one with good rates. There is also one way to get around that no one thinks about. You can take a ride on a river boat. There are several piers along the Thames. You could take a river tour from Westminster pier all the way down to Greenwich and back, or hop off as you wish. The one thing you do not want to do is to rent a car for London. You will pay very high prices and then you will have the absolute nightmare of finding somewhere to park. Most places do not have tourist parking spaces or garages. Only rent a car if you are leaving London for a side trip to Bath or Cornwall or some other part of the country. London is just entirely too congested to have need for a car. Now let’s talk about transportation payments. One of the most commonly used methods of payment for London transportation is called an “Oyster Card”. It is a blue card that can be used for the Tube, buses, Railways, and most other methods of transport. The only thing it can’t be used for is taxis. It is a prepaid card that you use instead of a ticket. You can load it up online or at a tube station. When your credit runs out, just top it up. For info on the Oyster Card check out the website by clicking on the link at the bottom. If you don’t want to get an Oyster card you can still go for the classic old paper ticket. You can pick them up at a ticket booth in a Tube station or other ticket office for other forms of transport. Earlier I talked about the London Pass. One benefit of this is you can opt for the London Pass with Travelcard. It gives you full access the Tube, buses, rail, River Boats, and other methods of transport (excluding taxis) throughout London in the time window you select. It is a bit more expensive to get the London Pass with Travelcard, but it is well worth it when you see how much you save on transport fees. I hope this is good information. If you want more info on London Transport, the Oyster Card, or Rick Steves tips, click the links below! Cheers!
This part of my book deals with the hardest part about a trip to London...Money! You of course need a heck of a lot of it to go. To help you raise the money, this part of my travel tips will explain all about British Money! Enjoy... Money The currency of the United Kingdom is called the Pound Sterling (£). £1 is divided into 100 pence (p). The coin/paper money thing is interesting. Unlike a $1 paper note they have a £1 coin. The coins that Britain mints are £1, £2, 50p, 20p, 10p, 5p, and 1 penny. They also print large denomination paper notes. The notes they print are £5, £10, £20, and £50. £1 is roughly worth $1.65-$1.70. The exchange rate changes sometimes daily. For up to date rates look online. Personally I prefer "fx-rate.net". It provides the current exchange rate and it has a converter for you to use to determine how much you will spend on something. To check out this site, click the link at the bottom. Traveler’s checks are (to many) a thing of the past. ATMs are widely used in London and across Europe. You will however probably have to make sure you have a “Chip and Pin” card. It is a card that reads a chip rather than the magnetic strip, you then have to type in your personal identification number. Most European ATMs are for using those kind of cards. Our American magnetic strips may not be used in a lot of London ATMs, but they can be used for purchasing items in stores. Many trip advisers would dis agree with me, but I would suggest changing some money on the US side that way you have enough for transport into the city from the airport once in England. I would suggest maybe getting at least £50 for transport into London and maybe a quick bite to eat at the airport or something. Then, the next morning before setting out, go to an ATM and get a days’ worth of spending money. Just use cash. It is simpler than cards and most places will appreciate it more if you use cash. There is one thing you should know. The Bank of England and the Bank of Scotland both print their own banknotes. In England, Scottish notes are not accepted as stated on the Bank of England’s website. The same is probably said for English notes in Scotland. However, some merchants in England or Scotland have been said to accept the conflicting notes. Just check where you are. If you fly from London to Edinburgh or the other way around and you have stray notes from that country, check to see if local merchants accept them and or just change them for that country’s notes. I hope this information helps you to understand the British money system. To check on the Pound/Dollar exchange rates (which change daily),as well as Rick Steves' Money Tips, click on the respective links below. Cheers! There is one rule of extreme importance that both Rick Steves and Airlines try their hardest to drill into the minds of travelers...the 3-1-1 Rule. I normally would have put this in my packing posts, but it is so important, that I think it needs a post for itself. It is essential that travelers learn this if they want to get through security quickly without need for extra screening, especially if they are Carrying-On their luggage. Basically it is the technique of packing your various liquids, aerosols, creams, gels,etc. All of these must be in 3.4 oz (100ml) or less sized containers. You must put them into a 1 quart size zip lock type baggie. Only One bag per person. That is the basic rule:
3 - 3.4oz or less containers 1 - 1 Quart Size Baggie 1 - 1 Bag per person What you need to do is to store this bag in the outer pocket of your carry-on bag. When you get to the security checkpoint, put take out the baggie, and put it into the screening tub along with your shoes, and all of your metal objects such as belts, money, jewelry,etc. This is the key to getting through security fast. If you don't follow regulations you may require additional security screening, which will take more time and may cause you to miss your flight. For more info on the 3-1-1 rule, check out the TSA (Transportation Security Administration) website by clicking on the picture below. As always, also check out Rick Steves' thoughts. Cheers! |
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