United Kingdom and back

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Introduction

Britain offers immense variety, plus urban grit, natural beauty and cutsie village life in spades. You can immerse yourself in history at the Tower of London, or marvel at modern architecture in Manchester. You can eat fi sh and chips from a paper tray in Whitby, or relish the delights of Celtic fusion cuisine in Cardiff. You can walk on a wild mountain near Loch Ness or enjoy Edinburgh’s energetic nightlife. Travel chameleons love it. And however familiar things may seem, in Britain there’s always something unexpected.

Destination Facts

Full name: United Kingdom
Population: 60 million
Area: 241,590 sq km
Capital city: London
Languages: English, Welsh, Scottish, Gaelic

For more information, check out Lonely Planet’s range of books on the United Kingdom.

London

London has a buzz unlike any other European city. With a multitude of cuisines on your plate and a raft of celebrity chefs dishing up, the restau rant scene is five star. For night owls there’s excellent comedy, theatre, superclubs, DJ bars and more. Shopaholics can get their fix here with inter nationally respected home-grown designers, affordable catwalk copies, tantalising food halls and Aladdin’s cave markets. The museums are first-rate, with fascinating galleries you could lose yourself in and world-class exhibitions. Having won the 2012 Olympics bid, London is sailing high on a wave of determination, optimism and glee.

Edinburgh

Edinburgh is unique among Scotland’s cities. Tourism, its proximity to England, and its multicultural population set it apart. There’s up-to-the-nanosecond dance clubs in 15thcentury buildings and firebreathers outside Georgian mansions: this is a place that knows how to blend ancient and modern. Edinburgh’s summer streets are enlivened by the buzz and high jinks surrounding the world’s biggest arts festival. The flipside is grim council housing estates, dubious weather and tartan kitsch; but don’t let that stop you. Edinburgh is a mixed bag but it struts an identity that extends much further than Trainspotters and the occasional display of kilts and bagpipes. In traditional Scottish fashion, it will leave you feeling whisky-warm inside.

Safety & Security

Travellers should check the travel advice for the UK at smartraveller before heading overseas. Unfortunately the UK has experienced terrorist attacks. Take care where there are lots of other tourists, or on public transport. Be vigilant and watch the media for information about security threats.

Petty crime like pickpocketing and street theft at tourist spots and also on public transportation is increasing. Watch your belongings and be aware of your environment. Be careful when using unlicensed taxis or ‘mini-cabs’ because travellers have reported sexual assaults.

Check out the travel advice for the UK at smartraveller for further information.

Money

Currency The UK’s currency is pounds and pence. Pound notes come in denominations of £5, £10, £20 and £50. Coins (pence) come in denominations of 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p and 50p.

Changing money Travellers cheques are widely accepted in English banks and you might as well buy them in pounds to avoid changing currencies twice. Change bureaus in London frequently levy outrageous commissions and fees, so make sure you establish any deductions in advance. The bureaus at the international airports are exceptions to the rule, charging less than most banks and cashing pound sterling travellers cheques for free.

Going offshore...know the medicine law. It’s illegal to take PBS medicine (subsidised by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme) out of Australia, unless it’s for your own use or the use of someone travelling from Australia with you. Penalties are steep; fines of up to $5000 and/or two years imprisonment.

If you do take PBS medicine overseas, follow these simple steps:

  • contact the embassy of the country you’re visiting to ensure the medicine is legal there
  • carry a letter from your doctor with the medicine, stating what the medicine is, how much you’ll be taking, and that it’s for your personal use
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  • leave the medicine in its original packaging, so it’s clearly labelled with your name and dosage.

For more information about taking PBS medicine overseas, call the Travelling with PBS medicine enquiry line on 1800 500 147, or log onto Medicare Australia

Bargains & Basics

Buying local in the UK isn’t cheap, but it does usually mean high quality. The UK is crammed to bursting with grand department stores, niche boutiques and eclectic markets stocking produce from all over the world, which means that with a little patience you can always find a bargain. London is Europe’s most densely populated (and arguably most cosmopolitan) city, so if you can’t find it in London, it probably doesn’t exist.

Best Buys

Pump up the volume British pop exploded onto the scene when the Beatles conquered the world in the 60s. But that wasn’t the end of it; Britain has remained a centre for pop music ever since, churning out everything from the sublime to the ridiculous. Second-generation migrants from the subcontinent and the West Indies have helped enrich the mix, bringing elements like reggae and Hindustani beats to an already hip and happening music scene. In short, if it’s happening in Britain, it’ll be happening in a bar or club somewhere near you soon. Get ahead of the pack and trawl Britain’s expansive network of music shops, which stock everything from hard-to-find limited edition cult and vintage vinyl to dance tracks fresh and hot from the mixing desk.

Where’s me jumper? It’s not Siberia but, as anyone can attest, it gets a bit nippy in the UK. That’s why, even though it’s completely unsexy, the UK is a great spot to pick up woollies of all varieties: from hand-knitted socks and hard-core thermal long-johns to traditional jerseys, ‘cardis’, stripey Dr Who scarves, shawls, granny rugs and Pringle knitwear − the must-have item for every twin-set queen.

British kitsch You can’t go home without purchasing a red double-decker toy bus, a bagpipe, a kilt, a stuffed toy corgi, replica Palace Guard figure (complete with red uniform and bearskin hat), shamrock-shaped tea-spoon, Argyle sweater, green wellies or Buckingham Palace snow dome. It’s just not done.

Absolutely fabulous British fashion spans the full spectrum. At the la-di-da end you’ll find establishment tweeds, classic Burberry trenchcoats, Liberty prints, Saville Row suits, plus hip haute-couture from Paul Smith, Stella McCartney and Vivienne Westwood. But there are clothes for every budget: sensible basics from Marks and Spencer, everyday wear from French Connection UK, cutting-edge street wear from emerging fashionistas, and fabulous vintage from secondhand dealers and markets all over the UK.

Carrying funds in or out of Australia? In 2006, the Australian Government introduced stronger laws to protect Australians from money laundering and the financing of terrorism. Under this new law, you have to report travellers cheques, personal cheques, money orders, postal orders, promissory notes and other bearer negotiable instruments of any amount if a Customs or police officer asks you to.

You still have to report AUD$10,000 cash (or the equivalent amount in foreign currency) using a form available in the Customs area of airports or seaports. Check out Austrac website for more information.

Worst Buys

When shopping, it’s important to know what you can and can’t bring back to Australia. Common items from the UK not allowed into Australia include:

  • Apples
  • Bananas – fresh, dried, in muesli, or in baby food and banana chips, dried fruit packs and muesli
  • Citrus – oranges (fresh) as well as mandarins (fresh)
  • Tea containing citrus or apple peel
  • Potpourri
  • Shamrock leaves and seeds for sowing.

Some of these items are allowed in if accompanied by an import permit and/or treated by Quarantine (which will cost you money). Talk to Quarantine prior to departure about obtaining an import permit.

For more information about what you can’t bring back into Australia visit AQIS travel.

WARNING! Endangered plants and animals. Buying products made from endangered species (for example orchid, turtle, parrot, bear, snake and coral) could contribute to the extinction of the species in the wild. However, some species can be imported with the right permits – for more information see website

Note: if you import wildlife products without the right permits, your products may be seized by Customs and you could face stiff penalties.

Top Shops

Don’t get so overwhelmed by all the great buys that you spend your money on stuff that won’t be allowed back into Australia. Badgers and bunnies are a definite no-no, and anything made from animal products and plant material must be declared to Quarantine (and may need treatment) when you get home.

London

BM Soho
25 D’Arblay St W1
ph. 7437 0478

Your best bet for dance music, and if they haven’t got what you’re after, they’ll know who has.

Brixton Market
Reliance & Granville Arcades,
Market Row, Electric La & Electric Ave SW9

Reggae plays in the background, incense wafts on the air and eyes are greeted by the vibrant colours of African prints and Rastafarian hats in this urban British slice of Africa-meets-Latin-America via the Caribbean.

Harrods
87-135 Brompton Rd SW1
ph. 7730 1234

This store is so famous it made its owner, Mohammed Al-Fayed, a global celebrity. It’s a theme park for fans of the British establishment, where tourists move slowly through the souvenirs. Don’t miss the over-the-top opulence of the Egyptian Hall.

The Travel Bookshop
13 Blenheim Crescent W11
ph. 7229 5260

Hugh Grant’s shop in the movie Notting Hill was closely modelled on this one. Alongside the latest guidebooks, you’ll find travel literature plus out-of-print and antiquarian gems.

Top Shop Oxford Circus
216 Oxford St W1
ph. 7629 1234

Billed as the ‘world’s largest fashion store’, Top Shop is a must for any budding fashionista. So hip it shows at London Fashion Week and the Parisians have been crying out for their own branch (they’ve now got one). Where London leads…

Camden Market
Camden High St NW

One of London’s most popular tourist attractions although it stopped being cutting edge a long time ago. It’s positively mobbed at the weekend, so go early.

Edinburgh

Jenners
48 Princes St, New Town
ph. 225 2442

Founded in 1838, Jenners is the grande dame of Edinburgh shopping, and the oldest independently-owned department store in the world. Its five labyrinthine floors stock a wide range of quality goods − both classic and contemporary − accompanied by a food hall, hairdresser, gift-wrapping service and four cafés. The perfect place to buy travel-ready haggis.

Kilberry Sporrans
38 Lochrin Bldgs, Gilmore Pl, Edinburgh South
ph. 221 9925

If the neighbours thought your learning the recorder was irritating... This shop also stocks piping accessories, snare drums, CDs and learning materials.

Royal Mile Whiskies
379 High St
ph. 225 3383

This shop has a great selection of whisky, although prices may be cheaper at an off-licence.

21st Century Kilts
555 Castlehill
ph. 557 0256

This funky outlet updates the kilt for the new millennium, with previous shoppers including Robbie Williams and KT Tunstall.

Fopp
55 Cockburn St
ph. 220 0133

A cheap record and bookshop that’s an Edinburgh success story, and now expanding into Glasgow.

Prior to travel, you should consult your doctor for advice on how to reduce your risk of illness while travelling, including required and recommended vaccinations and whether booster doses of childhood vaccinations are necessary. Monitoring your health whilst away and when you return is important for your own wellbeing. There is a chance that during your travels you could have been exposed to infectious diseases such as influenza, gastroenteritis or malaria. It is very important that you consult with your doctor if you feel unwell, even after you return to Australia, and consider your recent destinations as a possible source for your illness.

Shop Smart

Before you spend your shopping money, it’s a good idea to know what you can and can’t bring back into Australia. That way, you keep your travel treasures and save money on any necessary quarantine treatments (or fines).

All food, plant material and animal products from overseas, including many common souvenirs, must be declared for quarantine inspection (and may need treatment) when you get home.

For more information about what needs to be declared to Quarantine visit AQIS travel.

Common items from the UK that you must declare (and that might need treat-ment and/or an import permit) include:

  • Wooden items
  • Bark – including on souvenirs, ornaments, Christmas decorations and in potpourri
  • Hampers that include food items and plant material
  • Honey and honeycomb
  • Dried flowers, flower arrangements and ornaments
  • Seeds – for sowing and on ornaments
  • All fishing rods and nets, waders, kayaks, paddles, life jackets or any other recreational freshwater equipment – clean or unclean – must also be presented for quarantine inspection.

In many cases, declared goods are returned to you after inspection.

However, any item that presents a dis-ease risk or is found to contain insects or larvae will be withheld by Quarantine. You’ll be given a range of options for the item depending on the quarantine risk. These options include: treatment (for example fumigation) to make the item safe; holding the item until an import permit is presented; re-exporting the item; and destroying the item. Most of these options will cost you money..

Before you return

  • Make sure you eat or throw away all fruit and vegetables before you land in Australia – they’re not allowed in
  • Leave ALL aircraft food on board, including nuts and snacks
  • Wash shoes that have been worn in rural areas including farms, markets and zoos, or near animals such as monkeys, cattle and chickens
  • Make sure you clean ALL soil from your hiking boots, sports shoes, golf clubs, camping gear, backpacks and mountain bikes – you still have to declare these to Quarantine
  • Pack items for inspection together, and keep them at the top of your bag so they can be reached easily.

Important Tips

Before travelling overseas register your travel and contact details online at smartraveller, or in person in Ho Chi Minh City on the 5th Floor, The Landmark Building, 5B Ton Duc Thang, District 1, ph. +84 (8) 829 6035; or in Hanoi at 8 Dao Tan St, Ba Dinh District, ph +84 (4)831 7755, once you arrive so we can contact you in an emergency.

Check the latest travel advice for your destination at smartraveller before you go. Subscribe to receive free email notification each time the advice is updated.

Take out travel insurance to cover hospital treatment, medical evacuation and any activities, like adventure sports, in which you plan to participate.

Obey the law of the country you’re visiting. Don’t expect to be treated differently to the locals just because you’re Australian, even if local laws appear harsh or unfair by Australian standards.

Make copies of your passport details, insurance policy, travellers’ cheques, visas and credit card numbers. Carry one copy in a separate place to the originals and leave a copy with someone at home. Ensure your passport has a minimum six months’ validity.

For more travel tips and advice, check out smartraveller

Important Information

With increased quarantine activity at Australia’s airports, you’d be mad not to declare all items made from food, plant and animal material. The detector dog’s sense of smell (100 times greater than ours), won’t miss a beat – and neither will the X-ray machines or Quarantine officers.

Don’t risk an on-the-spot fine or prosecution, or worse, threaten our flora, fauna and important agricultural industries with exotic pests and diseases.

Some people don’t realise that a lot of things you can get overseas are illegal in Australia and will be seized by Customs if you bring them back. These include blowpipes; BB guns; flick knives; crossbows; nunchakus; knuckledusters; electric flyswats; and cigarette lighters designed to look like weapons; coral; orchids; and reptile skin or ivory goods.

Don’t forget to check Customs for A Guide for travellers – know before you go or call the Customs Information and Support Centre on 1300 363 263 for advice about your customs clearance and items that must be declared.

Shopping on holidays? If you are 18 or over you are entitled to bring A$900 worth of goods back into Australia. This includes goods purchased overseas, in Australia duty/tax free before you left, or goods for which a refund of tax has been approved through the Tourist Refund Scheme (TRS). You can also bring back 2.25 litres of alcohol and 250 cigarettes or 250 grams of tobacco products. Please note: Customs must verify your TRS purchases at least 30 minutes prior to departure. For details contact Customs on 1300 363 263 or check Customs

Remember when overseas, you are subject to local laws. Local laws and legal processes can be very different from those in Australia. A violation of local laws may result in a jail sentence, served in a local prison. Consular assistance cannot override local law, even where local laws may appear harsh or unjust by Australian standards. Penalties for drug offences can be severe and include the death penalty.

Last reviewed:
01 Nov 2011
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