The United Kingdom is really three separate countries for us. London for the tourist, the university towns for the student, the Harley Street clinics for the patient. The visa is an expensive and long process and London is one of the most expensive capitals in Europe, so planning earns you more money here than anywhere else. A train ticket bought two months ahead comes to half the price, most of the big museums are free, and you get on the Underground with your bank card rather than a separate ticket. In this article I have gathered the cities and the transport. The food, the weather, the budget and the rules are in it too.
The United Kingdom in brief
| Capital | London; Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland with their own capitals |
| Language | English |
| Currency | Pound sterling; contactless cards everywhere |
| Visa | Standard visitor visa, 6 months, online + VFS Baku |
| Best time | May–September; the Christmas lights in December |
| Flights | Baku–London direct, AZAL and British Airways, 6 hours |
| Daily budget | 150–200 pounds at a mid-range level |
British cities: London and beyond
London takes at least four days of a first trip and still is not enough. Westminster and Big Ben are the first stop. The Tower and Tower Bridge are downriver. Take a look at Buckingham Palace too. Then walk along the bank of the Thames. The British Museum, the National Gallery and Tate Modern are free, and everyone going to London should know that, because in another capital those three museums would cost a hundred euros. The Camden and Notting Hill markets are for the weekend.
If you want a day out of the city, there is plenty of choice. Windsor castle is an hour away and Oxford and Cambridge are the same distance. Bath, with its Roman baths and Georgian architecture, takes an hour and a half. Stonehenge takes half a day. Edinburgh is a four-and-a-half-hour train journey from London and a completely different world. The castle and the Royal Mile are the centre of the city. From the hill of Arthur’s Seat the whole city is visible. And in August the largest theatre festival in the world is held there. People go to Manchester and Liverpool for the football and to the Scottish Highlands and the Isle of Skye for the scenery, while the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland requires a separate flight.
Transport: the Underground, the trains and driving on the left
The London Underground is the oldest and most extensive system in the world, and the most convenient thing about it is that you do not need to buy a ticket. You touch your contactless bank card to the gate, the daily cap is applied automatically, and for the central zones it is around 8–9 pounds. The red buses work with the same card, are cheaper and let you see the city through the window. From the airport into town it is 40 minutes from Heathrow on the Elizabeth line and 45–60 minutes from Gatwick and Stansted by train and bus.
Intercity train tickets are dynamically priced, and this is where the most money is lost in Britain. London to Edinburgh is 30–50 pounds two months ahead and 150 pounds at the station on the day. Buy the «Advance» tickets in good time; on the last day the price triples. Comparing trains and buses in one search is the simplest way. A car is not needed in London, there is a daily charge for driving into the centre and parking is a torment. For a Scottish route hire is 40–60 pounds a day, you drive on the left, and for the first half hour you get confused at the roundabouts, then you get used to it.
Food: the pub, fish and chips and the world’s cuisines
The jokes about English food went out of date long ago. London is one of the best restaurant cities in the world and every cuisine is here.
The classics include fish and chips, the Sunday roast, the «full English» breakfast and afternoon tea. Pubs are not only places to drink, people go there to eat as well, and lunch is 12–18 pounds.
Indian food is the country’s second national cuisine, and Brick Lane is its centre. Halal food is on every corner in London, Manchester and Birmingham.
There is one trick for the budget. The supermarket «meal deal», that is a sandwich, a drink and a snack, solves lunch for 4–5 pounds, and Londoners do exactly that themselves. The tip in a restaurant is 10–12 per cent and is often added to the bill, while in a pub you do not tip.
Those going to the United Kingdom to study or for treatment
It is one of the most chosen countries for study from Baku. You can go on a language course of up to six months on a visitor visa, while for university a separate student visa is needed. London’s Harley Street clinics are among the most expensive but best-known addresses in Europe for private diagnostics and surgery; the cost estimate is obtained in advance and stated on the visa application. Bath and Harrogate are spa towns, but people go there not for treatment but to see a historic resort.
Read next: A UK visa: 135 pounds, 3 weeks and a process where the documents speak for you
Weather and season
British weather shows you four seasons in one day: summer 18–24 degrees, winter 3–8, snow rare, rain every month. Keep an umbrella and a waterproof jacket in your bag all year round. May–September is the best time and July-August the most expensive and crowded. In December there are the London Christmas lights and Winter Wonderland, in August the Edinburgh festival and in June Wimbledon. The events calendar and regional information are on the VisitBritain portal.
Budget and tickets
In London a three-star hotel is 130–180 pounds and outside the centre 90–120. In Edinburgh, outside the festival, the price comes down to 100–140. Staying in the Zone 2 districts makes the city considerably cheaper, so choose the hotel by the Underground line.
The big museums are free, the Tower takes 35 pounds and the London Eye 30. Excluding the flight, a week-long trip fits into 1,200–1,600 pounds per person.
There are direct flights from Baku to London. A cheap ticket to London differs considerably between AZAL and British Airways depending on the date, while Christmas and the summer holidays fill up early. Britain tour packages combining London, Edinburgh and the Scottish Highlands settle the trains and the hotels together.
Frequently asked questions about the United Kingdom
Can you cross into Ireland on a UK visa?
Into Northern Ireland yes, it is part of Britain. For the Republic of Ireland a separate Irish visa is needed.
Do you need cash pounds?
All but no. The Underground, the buses, the cafés and the markets work with a contactless card, and 20–30 pounds in cash as a reserve is enough.
How many days does London need?
At least four days. With a day trip to Windsor or Oxford, five or six days is the ideal plan.
In closing
The United Kingdom is an expensive country, but with its free museums, its card-operated transport and train tickets bought early it works out better value than expected for someone who plans properly. The visa process is explained on the United Kingdom page, and to build the London and Scotland route together, fill in the application form.
Note: the prices here are as of the publication date and can change with the season.
