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United Kingdom

Duration: All Weekend 4-7 days 8-14 days 15+ days Kids: All 👨‍👩‍👧 Kid-friendly
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Great Britain: from London to Edinburgh
United Kingdom 12 days

Great Britain: from London to Edinburgh

London to Edinburgh: Stonehenge, Bath, the Cotswolds and York

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Planning a trip to United Kingdom? Here you'll find our day-by-day itinerary (London, Cotswolds, Bath and Stonehenge, York and Yorkshire, Edinburgh and Scotland, Lake District), plus all the practical info to organise your journey: currency, visa, e-SIM, health, plugs and useful numbers.

When to go to United Kingdom

Temperate, humid and windy: rain can arrive at any moment and Scottish winters are harsh. Summers rarely top 30°C. March to June are the driest months; the secret is layers with a waterproof shell, always.

Practical info for travelling in United Kingdom

Updated: June 2026

Currency

Pound sterling (GBP). The UK is nearly cashless: you pay for everything by contactless card or phone, even buses and church donations. Cash is rarely needed.

Language

English (with accents that will test your ear, from Scots to Yorkshire). Welsh and Gaelic are co-official in Wales and Scotland, but mostly on road signs.

Documents / Visa / ETA

A valid PASSPORT is required — EU ID cards are no longer accepted. No visa for tourism up to 6 months, BUT since 2 April 2025 an ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation) is mandatory for visa-exempt nationalities: apply online or via the official UK ETA app before travelling; it is valid 2 years. Other nationalities should check their visa requirements.

Health / Vaccines

No vaccines required. EU citizens can use the EHIC for necessary, non-deferrable NHS care; without it you pay. All travellers are advised to carry private travel insurance for the length of the trip.

e-SIM / Connectivity

Note for EU visitors: post-Brexit, the UK is NOT covered by free EU roaming — check your plan before travelling or buy a local eSIM (plenty of data for a few euros). For everyone else the same applies: local eSIMs are cheap. Free Wi-Fi almost everywhere.

Electricity

230V, 50Hz, type G sockets (the three flat British pins): an adapter is ALWAYS needed, European and US plugs do not fit. Many hotels have USB sockets.

Time zone

GMT: UTC+0 (UTC+1 in summer).

Payments

Contactless everywhere, often card-only (some venues refuse cash altogether). In London you pay the Tube and buses directly with a contactless card: tap in and out, with an automatic daily cap. Always decline the terminal's currency conversion offer (DCC) and pay in pounds.

Good to know

  • Trains: book early — British trains have ferocious dynamic pricing: the same journey can cost £20 or £150. Buy Advance tickets as soon as sales open (8-12 weeks ahead) on National Rail or Trainline. Railcards (e.g. Two Together) cut a third off the price.
  • If you drive: on the left — Drive on the left, overtake on the right; EU licences and insurance are valid. Roundabouts run clockwise and have right of way. Avoid driving in London: the Congestion Charge applies weekdays 7-18 and weekends 12-18, plus the ULEZ. In the Cotswolds and the countryside, however, a car is essential: rent a small one, the hedge-lined lanes really are narrow.
  • Free museums — The great national museums are FREE: British Museum, National Gallery, Tate, Natural History, V&A, York's National Railway Museum, Scotland's national museums. The big paid attractions (Tower of London, Edinburgh Castle, Stonehenge) are pricey instead: book online ahead, often discounted.
  • Pub etiquette — In a pub you order and pay AT THE BAR (no table service, except for food in gastropubs), you don't tip for pints, and 'last orders' really does ring around 11 pm. The Sunday roast is a ritual not to miss.
  • Tipping — In restaurants check the bill: a 12.5% service charge is often already included. If not, 10% is kind but not compulsory. Taxis: round up. Pubs and cafés: nothing.
  • Queues and manners — The queue is sacred: never jump it, never bunch up. On Tube escalators stand on the RIGHT (the left is for walking). 'Sorry', 'please' and 'thank you' are used in industrial quantities: it's not formality, it's the country's operating system.
  • Safety — A safe country; in London's tourist areas watch for pickpockets and bicycle phone-snatching (keep your phone away from the kerb). The terrorism alert level remains 'substantial': follow the authorities' guidance.

Useful numbers

  • 999 — Emergencies: police, ambulance, fire brigade, roadside rescue
  • 101 — Police, non-urgent matters
  • 111 — NHS: urgent but non-emergency health needs
  • +44 20 38863781 — Italian Embassy in London — travellers of other nationalities should contact their own embassy

💡 Three things to do BEFORE you leave: apply for the ETA online, buy Advance train tickets and check your roaming plan. Done those, all that's left is learning to look RIGHT before crossing — the writing on the road says so too.