Traveling Tips in United Kingdom

Ideal season to visit UK
The climate in the UK is mild but always unpredictable. The weather forecast does not help you much as it will say that there will be some rain, a bit of sunny spell and a few places cloudy. Sometimes you experience 3 seasons in a day. Always take some warm and wet weather clothing with you. For visitors, the summer is the best season - longer daylight, generally fine weather and not too hot for traveling (23-25C).

Health & Hygiene
The National Health Service (NHS) provides free health care for UK residents, and visitors from an EC/Commonwealth country, or a country which has reciprocal arrangements. If you are not covered by the NHS, it is important that you have adequate health insurance before entering the UK. In an emergency, you may dial 999 and ask for an ambulance.

STD / PCO in UK
To make an international call, dial 00 then full country/area codes and phone number. In the UK, calls cost more during 8am-6pm weekdays. All 0800 numbers are free, and 0890 numbers charge 49 pence per minute daytime. When calling from hotel, check the rates before making a call.

Car Travel
If you are not used to driving on the left hand side of the road, driving a car in the UK can be intimidating. Most large cities in the UK have extensive public transport, and in city centers, parking is usually difficult and expensive, particularly in London. However, if you are traveling to countryside or remote areas, hiring car is essential.

Speed limits are 30 mph in urban areas, 60 mph on roads away from built-up areas and 70 mph on motorways. In the UK traffic drives on the left-hand side of the road. Full/cir/information can be found in The Highway Code, available in most bookshops and newsagents.

On most roads, parking is restricted between 8am-6:30pm weekdays and 8am-1:30pm Saturdays. Do consult the parking restriction signs. If you are not careful, you may find a yellow fine notice on your car, or your car wheel-clamped, or even worse that your car towed away (it costs fortune to get the car released.