Safety: some areas of England can present the visitor with hazards or dangers to personal safety or the security of cash and valuables and due diligence is required at all times. Inner city/suburban areas often suffer from high levels of petty crime so it’s wise to be wary of where you stray especially alone and at night. Big cities, the capital especially, harbour all manner of miscreants and tourists standing out from the crowd can often make for easy pickings. You can minimise your chances of being targeted by keeping cash and valuables in hard to reach places and avoiding flashing particularly expensive personal effects such as jewellery, in busy public places or equally in locations off the beaten track. Be wary of travelling alone late at night on public transportation, especially if you are female. If you’re from a European country with a predominantly cool climate then you probably won’t find the winter season especially challenging and might like to plan a Christmas or early New Year trip. Temperatures at this time can hover below the 5°C mark and frequently sink below zero so those who are not well acclimatised to the cold would be wise to steer clear. Money: England is one of the few countries in the EU that has not adopted the Euro as its currency. The official currency in England is often referred to as sterling and is comprised of pounds and pence of which the former is made up of 100 of the latter. Notes come in denominations of 5, 10, 20 and 50 pounds while coins come in 1, 2, 5, 10 and 50 pence as well as 1 and 2 pounds. Emergency: 999
Ambulance: 999
Police: 999
Tourist police emergency hotline: non available Recommended hospital: dialling 999 can get you an ambulance to an NHS hospital (government) in an emergency while BUPA (the country’s largest private healthcare provider) can be contacted on 0800 600 500. English business etiquette demands punctuality for all meetings and rendezvous while formal business dress is essential if you are going to make a good impression on your English associates. Typical business hours:
- Government departments: 09:00 to 17:00, Monday to Friday.
- Retail: 09:00 to 17:30, Monday to Saturday; 10:00 to 16:00, Sunday. Thursday evening is often late closing while some malls, centres and precincts are open till 21:00, Monday to Saturday.
- Banking: 09:30 to 15:30, Monday to Friday; some remain open till 17:30 and open Saturday mornings also.
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