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Local information
The Welsh countryside, the Scottish high and low lands, the big
industrial cities, Liverpool, the Beatles, the red brick Victorian
houses of London, the football clubs and even the sea (but not
for swimming- it is better to take walks on the beach or hike
the cliffs) give just a taste of British history and culture.
In the English daily life, it is almost obligatory to stop at
a nearby pub around five o’clock. Pubs are places where everybody
can socialize, relax, get out of the bad weather and have a satisfying
pint of beer. Although pubs close early, the night is not over.
One can go to a club and enjoy all types of music, many originally
from England: drum and bass, London house, trip hop or punk (for
the more nostalgic ones).
Climate and seasons:
The climate is typically ocean European, meaning it rains a lot,
resulting in lots of greenery. The summer months are from July
to September and are very pleasant, and the winter months are
from November to March but are not as harsh as in the continental
countries of Europe. During the winter the barometer in England
rarely goes below zero, while Scotland is often covered with snow.
Distance:
The United Kingdom is not a big country and is easily accessible
from all sides. Traveling around the country can be a very
pleasant experience (that is if you are accustomed to driving
on the left side) and easily feasible. If you want to travel
out of the UK, the continent is not far at all: Paris is
only three hours by Eurostar through the Chunnel.
Currency:
Pound sterling (£)
£1=1.64 € = 1.5 US$
There is a Scottish pound but no need to worry if you are given
this, it has the same rate and value of a British pound, but with
a different appearance on the paper money.
Telephone:
The country code for the UK is 44. In addition each county has
its own city code starting with a 0; for example Leeds is 0113,
Edinburgh is 0131 etc...
If you call the UK from abroad you would dial +44 + city
code(without the 0) + number.
If you were within the UK and making a local call you would
include the 0 of the city code 0113 xxx xxxx.
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