½ûÂþÌìÌÃ

Do... expect traffic noise

Do... allow plenty of time for travel

Don't... be surprised at just how many people there are.

Don't...

- expect to eat out regularly (Greater London is expensive)
- hope to find a gallon of milk (6 pints is the largest you'll find)
- plan to fit more than a few meal's worth into the compact refridgerators
- expect your clothes to dry quickly (if you even have a dryer)
- plan on local (Region 2) PSP games working on your U.S. (Region 1) console

Do...

- learn to hop through convoluted pedestrian traffic patterns like a pro
- realize that you'll be responsible for paying "council tax" (i.e., property tax) even as a renter -- considered it a 13th (and rather largish) rent payment each year
- understand that you'll have to file both U.S. and U.K. taxes :-(
- get a U.K. driver's license, as it saves on your auto insurance considerably

I could go on with such lists for a VERY long time :-)

Don't forget to pepper your speech with plenty of please's and thank you's!   It is much more important in the English culture and you will be treated poorly if you don't say them at least a couple times per transaction.

Don't expect the bus to stop unless you flag it down by waving.

Don't expect to get an outdoor table on a sunny day at your local pub unless you get there early!  Also true when you want a Sunday Roast somewhere tasty - go before 3pm.

Don't expect people to walk to the right - there seems to be no order or rule when it comes to weaving your way through the crowd.

Was only there for ten days in May, mostly in the Birmingham area, but wish I'd had the following from the start:

DO:

. . . angle your left-hand mirror down more than usual to see the curb, if you're not used to driving from the right side of the car!

. . . read the road signs by looking for villages along the way to your destination, instead of looking for east, west, north, south designations

. . . eat in pubs - food is good and much cheaper, they make great landmarks for learning your way around, and most of the locals we met in them loved talking about their town

. . . pay attention and focus in traffic; people expect you to use your brain as a driver or a pedestrian

. . . invest in a good, full-size umbrella, the small ones blow out first thing

. . . walk or ride the bus where you need to go as much as possible; you can get good deals with day or extended passes

. . . dress in layers; the weather changes quickly and often

. . . learn to identify nettles


DON'T:

. . . panic about roundabouts - just give way to anything on the right, and if you miss your exit, you can always go around again