UK Tourist Information

Tourist Information

The UK attracts large numbers of visitors each year from all over the world, there is plenty to see and do here. There are a wide range of visitors that come to the UK ranging from younger travellers to older ones, those on a budget to those with more affluent budgets, new travellers to seasoned ones, etc. The UK has always been a popular destination with tourists from around the world, historical links and trade have helped establish the UK as a tourist favourite. Our UK tourist information guide contains useful tips, suggestions and advice for visitors to the UK and aims to help visitors gain useful knowledge on the UK, the culture, customs and other useful travel related information.


Tourist Information for the UK

UK Overview
UK Languages
UK Culture & Etiquettes
UK Weather & Visiting
UK Bank Holidays
UK Money
UK Opening Hours
UK Tipping
UK Time
UK Emergency Numbers
UK Electricity
Foreign Embassies in the UK


UK Overview

The UK refers to the United Kingdom made up of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. There is common confusion to the term Great Britain, many assume it has the same meaning as the UK, there is in fact a distinction. Great Britain refers to the union of England, Scotland & Wales.

The capital cities are as follows:

The Capital of England is London
The Capital of Scotland is Edinburgh
The Capital of Wales is Cardiff
The Capital of Northern Ireland is Belfast

The population is approx 63.2 million giving the UK one of the largest populations in the European Union.


UK Languages

English is spoken all over the UK, there are other languages spoken too, these include, Welsh in Wales, Scots and Scottish Gaelic in Scotland and Irish and Ulster Scots in Northern Ireland.

With large numbers of people around the world having good working knowledge of English, visitors with working knowledge of English should hopefully find no problems when visiting the UK. Visitors should be aware of UK English having some variations in spellings and meanings to English used in the other parts of the world i.e. USA & Australia.


UK Culture & Etiquettes

The UK is renowned for social etiquette and polite mannerisms. People in the UK are viewed by some as being more reserved in their behaviour and speech. It is of course not wise to make generalisations over people in any country but visitors are likely to find observing the generally polite behaviour and social etiquette will be appreciated. People in the UK are famous for their sense of humour and sharp wit, as well as being more reserved in public. Queuing has been described by some commentators as being perfected by the British, visitors are likely to find orderly queues whether they are waiting for a bus, train, going on attractions or buying something. Those that attempt to 'push in' are frowned on.


UK Weather & Visiting

The weather in the UK is a favourite topic of conversation, the UK has weather that is famously unpredictable, you can witness four seasons in a day. The plus side is the weather is rarely extreme with heat or cold, meaning visitors can usually take their pick when deciding when to visit the UK. Visitors should note that the peak tourist season is in the summer months and especially during the school summer holidays usually around late June to early September.

Visitors may find hotels and attractions around the UK are booked up early at that time. Those visiting in spring after the Easter holidays in May and early June should find it relatively mild and enjoy more competitive prices for hotels, attractions etc. Late summer and early autumn in September & October is also a time worth considering, the weather again is on average mild and some good deals are available at this non peak time.

Given the unpredictability of the weather it is wise for visitors to come prepared for some heat, some rain and some cold!


UK Bank Holidays

On bank & public holidays there are variable opening times for many tourist attractions, shops and restaurants and other businesses. You may find the opening hours are shorter or they are closed on bank & public holidays. For visitors planning their journeys, you can check when the UK bank holidays see: UK Bank Holidays for further details.


UK Money

The currency is Pounds Sterling (£), the UK does not currently use the Euro as the nominated currency. There are a few outlets that accept Euros as currency but visitors will find currently there are relatively few of these so it is advisable to Convert Currency in to British Pounds.

There are 100 Pence (p) in every Pound (£), the main bank notes are of the following denominations £5, £10, £20 & £50. Coins are usually the following denominations 1p, 5p, 10, 20p, 50p, £1 & £2.

International credit cards i.e. Visa & MasterCard are widely accepted in many places.


UK Opening Hours

The usual business hours tend to be from 9.00am to 5.30pm from Monday to Saturday. There are variations on these hours depending on the location of the business, type of business and practices in the industry.

For business, offices tend to operate from Monday to Friday 8.30/9.00am to 5.00/6.00pm. On Saturdays some offices may be open half day from 9.00am to 12.00/1.00pm

Many shops are now open on Sundays from either 11.00am to 5pm or 10.00am to 4pm.

Supermarkets and other larger retail outlets tend to have longer opening hours, many are open 7 days a week and may have closing times of 9 or 10pm. There are a few that are open 24 hours.

Pubs open at around 11.00am/12 Midday and close at 11pm, there are some with late licenses that can close after 11pm.

Night Clubs and bars open at around 10pm and close at 2.00/2.30pm, they too may have a late licence to open beyond those hours.


UK Tipping

There may be service charges added to various bills such as in restaurants and hotels, if that is the case visitors do not need to give anything on top. If there is no service charge and you are relatively happy with the service you received then it is customary to tip approx 10%.


UK Time

The time in the UK is based around Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), the basis upon which the world’s time is currently set. The UK follows GMT except when there is daylight saving from late March until late October each year when the time in the UK is GMT +1.

Current UK Time




UK Emergency Numbers

The emergency services can be contacted by dialling 999 on a public call box or private phone. Calling 999 puts you in touch with either the police, fire brigade or ambulance services.


UK Electricity

The electricity supply uses 240V 50Hz, the UK uses a three pin plug thus visitors from countries that use two pins or 110/120V will need an adaptor to use their appliances here.


Foreign Embassies in the UK

For visitors to the UK, should you need to contact the embassy or high commission of your home country whilst visiting the UK you can find the location and contact details here at: Embassies in the UK


We hope our UK tourist information guide proves a valuable resource and contains useful information and tips for visitors to the UK and helps increase their understanding of the UK. The UK has much to offer all types of visitors to its shores, visitors will see a dynamic country with lots to offer tourists with plenty of culture, history, character and modern attractions too.





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