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ESSENTIALS
Travel Insurance is an essential component of every successful holiday. Special Group Tours highly recommends the purchase of a travel insurance policy to protect yourself and your belongings. We will gladly assist you in choosing the policy to best suit your needs. Please visit Travel Safe for secure online booking or we are happy to book your policy for you.
The web has become a fantastic source of inexpensive flights from USA to UK and Europe. Please see the link to Travelocity on our sidebar or visit your favorite online air search engine.
Special Group Tours is more than happy to assist you with booking airfare; we will do our very best to get the best price advantage for your international flights. Please let us know if you would like assistance or advice. We are here to help!
Our Gate 1 Travel independent City packages include airfare and a minimum two-night hotel stay. These packages are easily linked together with our mini-tours for a fabulous all-inclusive vacation. Please discuss your options with us.
American citizens must have a valid passport to visit the UK and Europe. Citizens of other countries may also require an entry visa. Please check with your appropriate embassy for the most up to date information.
Americans can check information online for PASSPORTS and additional information about traveling abroad.
Many of the countries visited on your Gate 1 Travel and/or Big Five vacation require entry visas for American citizens. It is your personal responsibility to obtain the correct entry visas prior to travel (we will of course assist you as much as possible.) See VISA INFO for further information and please visit: http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/brochures/brochures_1229.html for the most up to date visa entry requirements for US citizens.
MORE INFO AND FUN FACTS
What/How to Pack: Well, the first thing to note is that old travel adage "you'll only need half of what you do eventually pack"! So, a good tip is to unpack everything when you've first packed and then re-pack about half (you'll then have room to put all those gifts you'll be buying!). In any case, please restrict your luggage to one suitcase, and one piece of hand luggage per person. Hand luggage is defined as a purse, day pack or camera bag - whatever you will have with you on the mini-coach during your touring day.
A light raincoat or anorak may be useful, as would a folding umbrella. UK weather can be unpredictable. Should we be going to the theatre, or similar evening entertainment, you'll not need your black tie or pearls! A good pair of walking shoes and plenty of film also come highly recommended.
The most useful tip, in SGT’s opinion, is to make photocopies of your passport, credit/debit cards (front and back) and traveler cheque serial numbers. Leave one copy at home with a loved one and keep another copy with you, stored in a location other than your documents. That will make things much easier to replace if anything is lost or stolen. Leaving non-essential cards (library cards, supermarket discount cards etc) at home helps ‘lighten the load’ too.
More useful information about what and how to pack can be found: PACKING TIPS.
If you plan on using any small electronics (shaver, hairdryer etc,) you will need an electrical converter and also plug adaptors. The electricity in the UK and Europe is 220-240v which is different from the 110-120v used in America. We recommend Magellan Travel Supplies (see the sidebar link.) You usually can purchase basic converter kits from your local discount stores such as Target, Radio Shack, Walmart and Kmart.
Magellan Travel Store is a great source for all of your traveling accessories...
Weather and Time Zone Information is available from the BBC, CNN and the World Travel Clock. Weather in the UK can be quite varied and unpredictable so it is best to bring a light rain jacket and/or small umbrella with you just in case! More info on clothing suggestions will be in your pre-departure information.
Money Matters can sometimes be a bit frustrating but is easy once you get the hang of it. Credit/debit cards and ATM machines will get you the best exchange rate available. Check with your bank/credit providers before departure to ensure that they can be used abroad. Many American banks do charge a transaction fee for use outside of their bank. NOTE: ATM machines are widely available in the major cities and towns but may not be so prevalent in some towns/villages you will be visiting on tour. Please keep this in mind and, should you be running low on cash, notify your guide in ample time so they can plan accordingly.
It is also a good idea to notify your bank/credit provider that you will be traveling abroad if you plan on some holiday shopping. Sometimes, out of the norm use will trigger fraud protection and will freeze your card.
Currency exchange booths are widely available but usually charge a hefty commission fee. Please remember that American dollars can only be changed for the local currency - they are not accepted as cash in UK and Europe!
Many of our guests are most comfortable traveling with travelers cheques. It is best to have cheques in the local currency (British Pounds Sterling and/or Euro) as you can then exchange them in most locations as cash. US Dollars cheques can only be changed inside a bank so you are subject to bank opening hours and also will be subject to the fluctuating exchange rate and most likely charged a commission fee for the service. American Express and Visa travelers cheques are the most common and widely accepted. Please contact your local bank for their travelers cheque and foreign currency programs.
Tips (excluding those to your driver/guide) are included in your tour package but you are welcomed to supplement for porterage, housekeeping and meal service if you wish to do so. Typically, it is not customary to tip in pubs or restaurants, except for large groups, or unless the menu indicates that such is expected (prevalent in touristy areas.) It is appropriate to tip taxi drivers at least 10%.
Driver/Guide gratuity is at your discretion. How much to tip your guide? Well, that is up to you based upon what you think he/she deserves. Tips are usually approximately 5 USD per person per day; some people give more if they can afford it, some less if that is all they can manage. It is totally to the guide’s performance and your discretion & budget.
It is appropriate to offer your guide a tip in the local currency (Pounds Sterling or Euro.)
Phone cards are also sometimes a source of frustration for Americans traveling abroad. If you have a contracted phone card program, you must contact them for your international dial up number prior to departing the States. Your usual 1-800 number will not work for calls initiated outside of the USA. You will need the appropriate local dial up number to make a call TO the US.
International AT&T cards and similar purchased in the US are often for phoning internationally FROM the US and not TO the US. They usually do not work from abroad. It may be best to purchase a phone card from a local news agent upon arrival for phoning you loved ones back home in the States.
Mobile Phone Rentals are available from several companies for short vacation breaks.
If you want to use your own American mobile, please make sure that you have a tri-band model phone. Dual-band mobile phones will only work in North America. Please check your mobile phone service provider for your dialing rates and fee structure for phone use abroad.
DVDs are available for purchase in many attractions and at shops across the UK and Europe. Please note that DVDs are regional; America is region 1 and UK/Europe is region 2. Special region-free DVD players and some computer DVD programs ignore regionality but, if you have a standard DVD player, Region 2 discs will NOT play on a region 1 machine. Programs exist to re-format your DVD player to become region-free but please be aware of the possible difficulties if planning to buy DVDs during your holiday.
Internet Cafes are widely available in the cities and large towns but not so prevalent in the smaller towns and villages. A select few of our hotels have internet connections available but you would need a local access number to get online. Internet cafes are the best way to access the internet while traveling. Your guide will be able to assist you with where to check your email. A fun web-site will give you an idea of where internet cafes are available: www.cybercafes.com.
Yet more fun facts...We speak the same language, don’t we??
A recent HSBC bank ad campaign at London Heathrow Airport featured their ‘knowledge of local customs’ with photos/symbols that mean different things in different parts of the world. One that especially caught the eye was labeled ‘football’ followed by three photos...America’s NFL, Aussie rules and a British Premier League ‘soccer’ ball. Here is the simple English word ‘football’ which means something different in three English speaking countries. Interesting!
Even within the States, we have such conundrums - a New Yorker might ask for a ‘soda in a bag’ while a Mid Westerner in the same store may request their ‘pop in a sack.’
So is true for Americans traveling in the UK. Here we have a few examples to ease the way through your ‘cultural relations’ (for fun, of course, to make you smile!) –
When ordering food, make sure you receive what you think you’re ordering. Chips are french fries so if you want potato chips, not fries, you need to order crisps. Lemonade is Sprite/Seven Up and not at all like your local Country Time variety. When in doubt, brand names are the same - every country in the world knows Coca Cola, right!
If you wish to order two of something and you are used to speaking with your hands then please hold up two fingers with your thumb forward (like a peace sign) and not knuckles first. Two fingers with knuckles first is a rude gesture.
When traveling, you may choose to keep your dosh (money) in your bum bag (fanny pack - the word fanny is a big no-no!) If you have a hire car then the luggage goes in the boot and have a quick look under the bonnet if having car trouble before ringing road assistance (calling them will give you a sore throat!) Remember, pedestrians, look both ways before crossing the road, traffic patterns are a bit different too.
Finally, at your hotel, please don’t get upset if the clerk offers to knock you up at 7AM - it just means you’ve ordered a wake up call!
This section is meant to ensure that you pack the most important item of all, your sense of humour!
Have a great holiday!!!
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