We make fun of their funny accents, their bad food, and the fact that they still revere a queen. But without English, we never would have had James Bond, The Beatles, or Gwyneth Paltrow movies. England is the perfect place for you to travel to if you’re thinking about taking your first trip out of the U.S. It’s geographically close, they speak English, and there’s tons of stuff to do. Here is the guide to planning a trip to England.
GET PAPERWORK
If you have a passport, great; you just saved yourself $65. If not, then go down to your local copy center and get two passport-sized copies of your mug. Bring the pictures and some proof of citizenship to a post office. Fill out an application, and in a month you’ll have your passport. It is way better to plan ahead so you don’t have to pay more for shipping. If you’re an American or Canadian citizen planning to stay in England for less than six months, you do not need to get a visa. Other than that and you plan to stay more than six months, you better get one. They don’t cost much, depending on how long you’re staying, it’ll probably cost you $50-$100.
PLAN YOUR TRIP
Here’s an interesting tip: The weather in England is always continually awful. It rains almost every day (although most of it is drizzle), so there’s no sense avoiding the rain season. Before committing to a travel date, you should check the forecast to see if there are any impending storms. The best time to go is in early to mid-October or mid- to late-March. This is because:
1. Flights are the cheapest.
2. During the weather, the days grow very short; sunlight is sometimes limited to less than eight hours per day.
3. The summer brings in record-breaking numbers of tourists.
A flight to England is not as much of a financial strain as you might think. If you book a flight far enough to advance, you should be able to snag a roundtrip flight for about $400 from the east coast. Be sure to check the travel sections in major newspapers for any special deals or featured advertisements that might just want to send you an extra-cheap ticket. Organizations like STA Travel and Council Travel also offer relatively inexpensive bookings for students, moochers, and other young people.
SETTLE YOURSELF IN ENGLAND
Best place to stay in is hostels because it’s just too expensive to stay anywhere else. They vary in shape, forms, and sizes, but generally provide affordable housing with minimal amenities. Some hostels provide meals while others offer lounges packed with overstuffed chairs and pool tables. Get to a hostel you’ll be staying at as early in the day as you can because they fill up quickly, and this’ll give you a place to put our stuff.
To get around all of England, the most common methods are by bus (coach) or rail:
Buses: First of all, remember that in England, buses are called “coaches.” National Express runs most of the show and helps out your wallet with student discount cards and tourist passes.
Rail: England has a special train system called Britrail. The bad news is that it’s expensive at least $200. The good news is that with a Britrail ticket, you can take the train wherever you want around England an unlimited number of times if you have an 8 day pass. But it’s best you stick to buses unless you have money to spend.
The Tube: This system operates on 12 interlocking lines that travel throughout zones based on distance from central London Most of the tourist-y stuff is in Zone 1, but it is recommended that you venture further out for more museums, parks, neighborhoods, and historical sites. Passes for a full day, week, or month are a must if you’re going to take the Tube for even a few stops, as these options can save you a bunch of cash. The Tube closes a few minutes shy of 1 a.m., after which you will need to take a taxicab, a night bus from centrally located Trafalgar Square, or a long walk.
FIND THE BEST THINGS TO DO
There are a number of cities that are very well maintained in tourist activities and will leave you leaving with ‘site experience.
London: Has the National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery, where you will find treasures by the great artists like Botticelli, daVinci, and Seurat; and both of these are free admissions. Don’t forget to stop by the Buckingham Palace, where kings and queens have lived since Her Majesty Victoria left Kensington Palace. It contains 600 posh rooms, and the public has been allowed to walk in wonder through the state rooms from August through October.
The Portobello Market is a mile of vintage clothing, antique furniture and jewelry, music, art galleries, and trendy restaurants. You can go during the week, but the best time to go is Saturday. The Theatre district is not Broadway, but it may be even better. Big name venues line the West End streets. Tower of London has the chapels and towers which are flowing with history, as customed tour guides offer takes of the royal families and courts, their lives, their fortunes, and executions.
FUTURE VISITS
England is an excellent place to visit especially if you’re a college student or a you graduate. Whether or not you’ve traveled there before, the best way you can squeeze the most excitement out of your trip to England is by researching. Have fun and be safe!
