PRACTICALITIES

Currency

British pound (GBP)

Official languages

English; regional languages: Irish Gaelic, Scottish Gaelic, Welsh, Cornish, Ulster Scots, Scots

Time

GMT

Calling code

+44

Area codes

London: 171 (centre), 181 (suburbs), Manchester: 161, Birmingham: 121, Leeds: 113, Liverpool: 151, Sheffield: 114

Internet TLD

.uk

Shopping

Generally shops are open Monday–Saturday from 9am to 5:30pm. Some shops are open on Sundays.

National holidays

New Year’s Day	January 1
Easter	movable feast
Early May Bank Holiday	the first Monday in May
Spring Bank Holiday	the last Monday in May
Orangemen’s Day (in Northern Ireland)	mid-July
Summer Bank Holiday	the last Monday in August
St Andrew’s Day (in Scotland)	November 30
Christmas	December 25 & 26

National dish

Fish&chips – deep-fried fish with chips
Cockles – fresh cockles with vinegar and pepper
English breakfast – traditional breakfast which consists of toasts, sausages, bacon, scrambled eggs, baked beans and tomatoes
Cornish pasty – a baked pastry filled with beef, potatoes and onion
Shepherd’s pie (Cottage pie) – a baked dish made from minced meat and mashed potatoes
Roast beef – a cut of roasted beef
Yorkshire pudding – a dish made from batter
Steak and kidney pie – a pie with a filling of beef, lamb or pig’s kidneys
Sherry trifle – a traditional, very sweet dessert

Electricity

United Kingdom’s electricity runs on 230V or 240V/50Hz. Plugs need to have 3 pins (type G). Converters can be bought at the airports, shops dedicated to travellers and electronic stores (₤3–5).

Passport/Visa

Citizens of EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland, Australia, Canada and USA do not need visa for entry into United Kingdom. Only a valid passport is required. EU nationals must have only a valid national identity card.

Useful numbers

Emergency: 999 or 112

United kingdom