The United Kingdom includes four exciting countries: England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. This travel book has summarized the most important tips and information for your first trip to Europe’s largest island country.
Crowds flock in all directions across the bustling capital of London. Locals and tourists alike are always in the middle of it. Walk around Hyde Park, try to catch a glimpse of the royal family at the gates of Buckingham Palace, crane your neck up to Big Ben and end the day in one of the many pubs. Elsewhere, several kilometers to the north, roaring waves rush in, mixing with the sound of wind and thick fog to create a mysterious, almost unreal backdrop of nature. Hardly anyone is out here, and travelers often have the harsh country to themselves.
These two extremes are just two of the many exciting contrasts to be discovered in Europe’s largest island country. The United Kingdom (English: United Kingdom, for short: United Kingdom) includes four countries, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and has something to offer every type of traveler. City travelers, friends of the British lifestyle and Beatles fans will be just as happy here as nature lovers and sports fans. Only sun worshipers have a hard time, as the UK averages just 1,387 hours of sunshine per year. But the coasts offer plenty of beautiful things to discover even without an exceptional amount of sunshine and sometimes invite you to spend beautiful days at the beach.
characteristics
| region | Northern Europe |
| Capital | London |
| Time change | – time difference of 1 hour; UTC +0 |
| Surface | 242,495 square kilometers |
| population | 68.207 million |
| language | English |
| currency | British pound (GBP) |
| Visas and immigration | Tourists and short-term business travelers generally do not need a visa for stays of less than six months. In many other cases, the visa has been required since 2021. Those entering the country must present a passport; Since October 1, 2021, identity cards are no longer generally recognized as travel documents for EU citizens. |
Top 10 travel destinations in the UK
The UK is an island country of four countries – and as such brings with it several cities worth visiting. London, the capital of the United Kingdom, is of course number one here, but the Scottish and Northern Irish capitals Edinburgh and Belfast also rank highly among visitors to the UK. And not only are the capitals famous, cities such as Manchester, Glasgow, Liverpool or Cornwall bring with them their own charm. Click through our gallery of the top 10 UK travel destinations.
Top 10 UK attractions
London alone has countless attractions that visitors will want to see on a city break in England’s capital, some of which you’ll find on this list. Add to this the many other exciting cities in England and the other three countries of the United Kingdom and the list of interesting sights is endless. For starters, we’ve created this ten-point overview. Click through our gallery of the top 10 things to do in the UK.
Top 10 things to do in the UK
In addition to the various attractions in London and other cities, there are countless exciting activities that you can do in the UK. In Scotland, for example, this is an immersion in the myths and legends of the Highlanders. In Northern Ireland, you can delve into the history of Northern Ireland on a black taxi tour. And in England, with its Beatles locations, venerable university towns of Cambridge and Oxford and many other attractions, there is something for every area of interest anyway. Then there are the many Harry Potter filming locations and inspirations in England and Scotland. Click through our gallery of the top 10 things to do in the UK.
Editor’s Reading Tips
UK map
weather
The climate in the United Kingdom is temperate, with cooler temperatures at times and heavy rainfall. There can be significant fluctuations in temperature and precipitation between seasons. Winters in the UK are cold and wet, with Scotland and northern England being particularly cold. In the spring it often rains, sometimes there is a lot of wind. Summers are mild and sometimes warmer, but precipitation can also be expected between June and August. It gets cooler in the fall. In the United Kingdom, cold polar air from the north, warm tropical air from the south, and moist air from the Atlantic Ocean combine to form areas of rainy low pressure, which is the reason for the heavy rainfall in the United Kingdom. In addition, the location on the edge of the Gulf Stream contributes to this.
UK travel advice
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