The country of rains, pipes and fox hunting, the UK now and again attracts worldwide attention .Then Lord of the Dance with the tour will come, then Catherine Zeta-Jones and Sean Connery will flash in another Hollywood fairy tale, and more recently the British "PR" worked thoroughly Prince William - the royal wedding in London alone attracted millions of tourists .And let the British visa is still difficult to get, and the trip to the foggy Albion promises to pour out into a tidy sum, the tourist flow to the country does not dry out - we all want to stand at the threshold of the English monarchy, get into the rules of pubic etiquette, pick up a wolf in the cold Russian autumn and to declare "T o b b op t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t. "Directly in the homeland of Shakespeare .

Great Britain is one of the directions having its own stable "clientele": travelers who come to the country again and again. In the United Kingdom, they are waiting for medieval castles and Gothic cathedrals, the tranquil beauty and tranquility of rural landscapes, the recklessness and the frenzy of evening London, the granite of science in the best language schools, shopping in expensive prestigious boutiques and digging in junk at flea markets. In a word, diversity.

Excursion tours for May holidays from Pac Group

Arrivals on the 25.04, 01.05 and 02.05
"London without excursions" from 62 175 rubles. for 8 days
"London Budget (2 excursions)" from 64 175 rubles. for 8 days
"London Standard (4 excursions)" from 65 830 rubles. for 8 days
"London - Edinburgh (5 excursions)", arrival 24.04 from 78 125 rubles. for 8 days

(495) 984-35-27 • www.pac.ru

Registration of visas to the UK

Assistance in obtaining English visas: tourism, guests, study, business, visa brides / wives
Work with regions, remote maintenance.
Registration of visas after refusal.

(499) 703-02-20, (937) 131-72-06 (hot line)• ukvisacenter.ru

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The capital city is London (London). For a complete list of the cities in the country, visit the city page and the resorts of the UK.

Regions of Great Britain

England. The homeland of the oldest monarchy in Europe with a great many "thematic" attractions, the land of hundreds of castles and inviolable traditions. It is here that the capital of the country is located - London, as well as hundreds of picturesque cities and natural monuments.

• Manchester, Beatles Liverpool, Birmingham, Bristol, Naval Brighton, Derby, Leicester, the city of Robin Hood Nottingham, Lincoln, York, therapeutic Bath, University Cambridge and Oxford, the mysterious Stonehenge and the city of Shakespeare Stratford-upon-Avon.

Scotland - it's high mountains and blue lakes, the elusive "Nessie" and the sounds of bagpipes, strong whiskey and checkered skirts.

• The capital is Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Glasgow, the birthplace of the Loch Ness Monster Inverness, the picturesque islands of Orkney and Shetland.

Wales. The land of magnificent landscapes and majestic medieval castles. For each square kilometer, they account for more than anywhere else in the world.

• The capital is Cardiff.

Northern Ireland offers a leisurely, measured rest surrounded by ancient villages and idyllic landscapes.

• It is worth to visit the capital's Belfast and the cozy Londonderry.

How to get to the UK

Aeroflot and British Airways fly to London from Moscow and St. Petersburg, while BMI and Transaero are from Moscow only. To get to London it is possible and with change in Europe - Prague, Frankfurt, Budapest, Copenhagen and so on. Tariffs for such flights can often be lower than the cost of a direct flight. International flights take London's Heathrow and Gatwick airports (the latter is somewhat further from the capital). The transfer from Gatwick to central London will take about half an hour, by taxi it will cost about 50-60 GBP, on the train "Gatwick Express" - at 16 GBP.

There are no direct regular flights from Russia to Edinburgh. You can get there with a transfer somewhere in Europe: via Amsterdam, London, Frankfurt with the help of the airlines KLM, British Airways, BMI or Lufthansa.

Road from the CIS countries

From Kiev to Heathrow fly British Airways and BMI, in Gatwick - "International Airlines of Ukraine", in Luton - Ukrainian same Wizz Air. A flight from Minsk to Gatwick is carried out by Belavia, Transaero flies from Almaty to Heathrow with a docking in Moscow, and a direct flight is also carried out by BMI and Air Astana.

Visa to the UK

Citizens of the Russian Federation and the CIS need a visa to the UK to visit the country.

Customs

Import and export of national and foreign currency up to 10 000 EUR is allowed without a declaration. The amounts exceeding this limit must be declared. Duty-free allowed to import up to 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars or 250 g of tobacco, alcoholic beverages stronger than 22 ° - up to a liter, strength up to 22 ° - up to 2 liters, perfumes - up to 50 ml, toilet water - up to 250 ml, souvenirs and gifts - for up to 145 GBP. In the UK, licensed drugs are allowed to be imported.

It is prohibited to import into the country materials of obscene content, meat and products from it, all kinds of live birds and bird eggs, radio transmitters and plants .It is prohibited to transport antiquities and antiques without the permission of the relevant organizations, as well as rare species of animals .It is also forbidden to import unlicensed medical products (they may well be taken for drugs), firearms, knives, knucklebills, telescopic batons and other cold steel .It is prohibited to import fake goods that violate the rights of owners of registered trademarks (for example, watches or CDs with "pirate" programs) .

To enter the country with a pet, you will have to undergo a long quarantine.

Types of London

Types of Wales

Deck of Mercy Ferry, Liverpool

Useful phone numbers

Embassy of Great Britain in Moscow: Smolenskaya nab. 10; phone: (495) 956-72-00, website

The UK Visa Application Center in Moscow: Bolshoy Savvinsky per., 12, p. 18; information service: (809) 333-82-38 (cost of a minute - 72 RUR); Web site.

The Russian Embassy in London: 6/7, Kensington Palace Gardens, London, W8 4QX, tel .: (207) 229-64-12, 229-72-81; Web site

The Consulate-General of the Russian Federation in Edinburgh: 58 Melville St., Edinburgh, EH3 7HF, tel .: (131) 225-70-98

Police, fire department, ambulance: 999 (free of charge)

London Reference: 142.

Banks and exchange offices

You can change the currency in banks that work from Monday to Friday from 9:30 to 15:30 (large banks are open until 17:30), as well as at currency exchange offices that often work around the clock. It is worthwhile in advance to assess the profitability of the exchange of money at a bank or point, comparing the rate and commission fee.

• Where is it better to buy pounds: in Russia or in the UK

Transport in the UK

In the United Kingdom, railway communication is very developed .Practically for any part of the country it is possible to conveniently travel by trains: the choice of routes, wagons and tickets is huge .For example, Intercity-125 connects London, western, middle and north-eastern parts of England, south and west Wales and Scotland .And Intercity-225 for a record short time will take passengers from London to Yorkshire or to the east and north-east coast of Scotland .High-speed trains Eurostar (Eurostar) will take a passenger from Brussels or Paris directly to the Waterloo station in London in just 3 hours .Tickets for most long-distance trains can be booked in advance .Night trains with sleeping cars provide tourists with an excellent opportunity to win extra day for rest and excursions .

In addition to trains, the major cities of the United Kingdom are connected by a network of domestic airlines.

Rent a Car

Compared to other European countries, renting a car in England will cost a fair amount: a weekly rental of a compact car will cost at least 250 GBP (the minimum rate is 30 GBP per day rental). A suitable option may be renting a "house on wheels" - it will be more expensive than renting a car, but it will save you money on housing.

Movement in the UK is left-sided. Parking in the center of London is prohibited, and in other areas it costs from 20 pence to 1 GBP for 15 minutes. In addition, finding a free parking space is usually not easy.

The car can be rented by drivers not younger than 23 years old with a driving experience from a year.

Car Hire in the UK with Best Price Guarantee

The climate of Great Britain is

The climate in England is mild, mild and humid. The weather is mainly formed by the warm ocean current of the Gulf Stream. The coldest month is January (+3 .. + 7 ° C), the warmest month is July (+11 .. + 25 ° C). The London area, the southeast and Westland are the warmest parts of the country.

In Scotland, the climate is similar, but snow lies on the mountain slopes from November to May, and it is unlikely to escape rain in the summer. In Wales, it is warmer in areas far away from the windswept coast of the Atlantic. See also the current weather forecast for cities in the UK for 10 days.

Hotels in the UK

Hotels in the UK come from 1 * to 4 * "luxury". Not all hotels include breakfast in the room rate. In addition, there is often a 10-15% surcharge for "services". In the "little stars" of English institutions, the numbers are small, and the service is very modest.

Increasingly popular in the country are rural hotels: they have a special charm, while they are cheaper than hotels in the city. In addition, the UK has a widespread system of B & B (Bed and Breakfast): mostly private dwelling houses with rooms intended for delivery. Most of them in the tourist areas and on the outskirts of cities. Guesthouses by size, price and amenities - something in between the hotel and the B & B, breakfasts are usually included in the price.

The voltage in the mains is 240 V, it is necessary to take care of the adapter for electrical appliances in advance.

Kitchen

I must say that the British cuisine is absolutely undeservedly exposed to attacks such as mockingly repeated phrase "Oatmeal, sir! ". Local dishes are varied and tasty, you just need to know where and when to try them.

Above the national cuisine of Great Britain they like to make fun of in Europe, and, especially, in the United States (apparently the immigrants who have been beaten by the hands are still trying to recoup for the long-term rule of the British Crown). And most often in the sight of culinary wits are two things: oatmeal and pie with eels. Say, the first is a smeared mass of indefinite color and taste on the plate, and slippery live fishes almost look out of the pie.

Meanwhile, this oatmeal is cooked in English with yolks, milk, cinnamon, nuts and zest - so that it is not hard to guess how it tastes very pronounced. As for the notorious cake, there is even a separate island on the Thames called Eel Pie, where gourmets from all over the world swim with an enviable constancy, in order to taste it in different versions, served both in a warm and chilled form.

The British "snack" is exactly two. The first is fish and chips, a well-fried low-fat fish fillet (usually cod or haddock), accompanied by heavy chips that resemble native fried potatoes rather than transparent curved circles from the pack. To "fish-chips" often add mashed potatoes and lightly seasoned with vinegar. The second "snack in English" is pastie, a cutlet made of minced pork, onions, potatoes and spices, covered with a thin layer of dough and thoroughly baked.

As for more thorough meals, we recommend you try the following: the famous Yorkshire and no less famous "black" puddings, lancashire hotpot - meat stew with vegetables, pot stew, cornish pasty - beef with vegetables, baked in dough, pie with pork, potato bread , scrambled eggs and bacon and all kinds of sausages. From drinks it is worth paying attention to ale, pear and apple cider, as well as numerous local gins and whiskey.

Entertainment, sightseeing and sightseeing in the UK

What is abundant in Britain is the ancient monuments, interesting museums, picturesque lakes and ancient villages. The most popular attractions: the oldest in the country, the fortress Lincoln, the medieval city of York and the most mysterious construction of the country Stonehenge.

Fans of flora and fauna should visit Lancashire with the largest national park in England and Lake District with magnificent lakes.

The best places to meet English traditions are Oxford and Cambridge, the birthplace of Shakespeare Stratford-upon-Avon and the city of Durham .Wander through the charming English villages in Cotswolds, and at the same time marvel at the giant limestone rock .Fans of history will be fascinated by Northumberland, where just a huge number of castles and battlefields .Fans of ecotourism will be delighted with the islands of Scilly, warmed in the arms of the Gulf Stream .But those whose heart flutters at the sounds of bagpipes and at the sight of checkered kilt, certainly worth a tour of the Scottish castles and look into the area of ​​Vail of Nit - the edge of the waterfalls and the homeland of Nessi .In the tour of Ireland, you should go to get acquainted with its capital Belfast (and see the real jig), and then admire the "Giant Road", rock formation from thousands of basalt columns .Fans of thrill should like the cable car Carrick-Red, connecting two rocks directly above the raging sea abyss .Fans of fine arts are invited to the Great Opera and the Ulster Museum (both in Belfast) .

In Wales - Cardiff and St. David, the National Natural Museum "Snowdonia", Conwy Castle and Harlech Castle. In addition, there are three "areas of exceptional natural beauty". In Velshul, the oldest on the islands bazaar weekly boils - it is known since the 13th century. And of course, certainly worth a look at at least some of the majestic castles of Wales.

Shetland Islands can be safely recommended to nature lovers: there is a marine park, and in addition there are amazing Shetland ponies, growing with a sheepdog. Also on the islands is a whole heap of ancient monuments in honorable age from 3 to 5 thousand years.

Do not think, please, that we forgot about London with its historical buildings, museums, galleries and much more than that. It's just worth talking about. Photos of Great Britain (1248)