The Cotswolds - The very best of rural England

June - August average high is 21 C Average low 12 C
"The climate of Britain is notoriously variable and changeable from day to day. Weather is generally cool to mild with frequent cloud and rain, but occasional settled spells of weather occur in all seasons. Visitors to Britain are often surprised by the long summer days, which are a consequence of the northerly latitude. Conversely, winter days are short. The frequent changes of weather affect all parts of the country in very much the same way; there are no great differences from one part of the country to another. Visitors to Britain will rarely experience severe or unpleasant weather for long unless they venture on the hills. They should be prepared for rapid changes of weather at all seasons, however, and recognize that there is good reason for weather being a major talking point in Britain". Taken from the BBC weather centre website.

Visas: No visa is required for U.S. passport holders for a stay of up to 3 months in England.

Vaccinations: No inoculations are required for travelers to England.

Time Zone: England is the home of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), however we also have British Summer Time (BST) when the whole country is one hour ahead of GMT from late March to late October. To give you some idea, New York is 5 hours behind GMT while Sydney is 20 hours ahead.

Telephone: To call home from England dial the international access code (00) followed by the U.S. country code (1) and the phone number.

Electricity: 230-240 volts is used in Britain with three square prongs on the plugs for the outlets. Unless your device is 100-240 volts, then a travel adapter is not sufficient, you can buy a transformer from many stores.

Money: Pounds sterling (£) and pence are still the accepted form of curreny, although larger hotels, department stores and restaurants in London will accept Euros. Credit and debit cards are the most efficient and convenient way to get money. There are ATMs throughout England, and most places accept major credit cards. Before you leave, talk to your bank and make sure that you have the correct PIN and inform them that you will be traveling to England, so your account is not frozen after 1 transaction. Travellers checks and cash can be changed at banks and exchange offices. Department stores such as Marks and Spencer often give good rates of exchange without charging a handling fee.

Value Added Tax (VAT): Value Added Tax (VAT) is charged at 17.5% Non-European Union (EU) and EU residents who leave the EU within three months after purchasing the item may request a reimbursement of VAT. This applies to minimum purchases of £50.00

Post/Mail: Hotel desks usually help regarding what you should pay to send a postcard. Stamps can be bought from most newsagents, supermarkets and post offices, but to send other items and packages by mail, you will most likely have to visit a post office. Most are open normal business hours Monday through Friday and some on Saturdays.

Tipping: Tipping rules are not written in stone, although there are some general rules you can follow. Quality restaurants, unless stated you are expected to tip 10%, unless you were not happy with the service. The same rule applies for smarter cafes and tea shops. Taxis usually get the same in London or if it's a longer journey. If foe example you pay for your food and drinks at the bar, counter for example in a pub, you do not tip. Bargaining is pretty rare unless you are at a market.