For most travelers from the United States, going to Europe is a relatively smooth experience, without the need to apply for visas or pay steep fees for short visits.
07.09.2023 - 21:21 / lonelyplanet.com / London
Even though I was born and raised in London, I’ve been caught out without a brolly (umbrella) in the rain countless times. I’ve felt the scorn of others when not noticing there’s a queue, and I’ve made the costly error of driving into the city. But as a local, I’ve made these mistakes so you don’t have to; I hope my experience and top tips help inspire a smooth and memorable trip to the UK capital.
London’s roads are small, its traffic is chaotic, and there’s hardly anywhere to park. Plus, you’ll be charged for driving your car in to the center of London – the congestion charge is £15 a day, while the separate ULEZ charge starts from £12.50 and only certain energy efficient or electric cars are exempt. The best way to get around is on public transport. Use the Tube, hop on a bus, or rent a Santander bike if in the center of the city; cycle maps, highlighting designated paths for bikes, can be downloaded online.a
One easy way to annoy commuters is to not follow these very easy rules when traveling around on London’s Underground. Get your ticket, debit or credit card ready before you reach the ticket barriers so you don’t create a queue. Stand on the right when using escalators so passengers wanting to walk can pass. Let passengers off the train first (stand to either the right or left of the doors) before you board, and offer your seat to someone who may need it more, such as a pregnant person, an elderly person, someone who is disabled and so on.
London’s weather is changeable – temperatures have been known to rise and fall by 20°C in a matter of days. Showers can happen any time of year so pack a brolly (umbrella) or raincoat in your day bag and wear layers that you can easily take off. In summer, always carry a bottle of water on the Tube (the deep tunnels were built before air-conditioning). And while the climate may be mercurial, don’t let bad weather put you off going about your day – simply switch to more indoor-based activities, as there are hundreds of them to choose from.
Most people cover a lot of ground when exploring London, plus different terrains: grass in the many green spaces, long Tube escalators, slippery pavements and even cobblestones. Museums require leg work, as do bridges, boats and parks. Heels are pretty pointless in London, unless you are getting a door-to-door cab to a venue.
While there are plenty of terrific places to eat that welcome walk-ins (although be prepared to queue for the best joints), many of the best restaurants are booked up weeks in advance, especially new ones or those run by celebrity chefs. More restaurants have adopted booking policies and deposits since the pandemic, so if you’re looking for a unique dining experience, book ahead.
Embed yourself in London
For most travelers from the United States, going to Europe is a relatively smooth experience, without the need to apply for visas or pay steep fees for short visits.
Low-cost Icelandic airline Play is making a fall or winter European getaway more affordable with 30 percent off flights to popular destinations across the continent.
I remember the day back in 2014 when I’d just settled into my new apartment in Santiago and a powerful earthquake rattled the walls. I leaped up from my couch and ran for the door, while all the Chileans in the room just sat still and laughed at me, confident in Chile’s strong building codes and unfazed by the regular tremors.
It will soon be easier to plan your next vacation from start to finish with artificial intelligence. Google’s Bard AI service recently rolled out several new features that will benefit travelers both in booking their trip and along the journey itself. (Bard is a conversational artificial intelligence service, similar to ChatGPT, but the integration into a user’s data helps turn it into a personal concierge.) Google announced that the Bard service can now be integrated with different Google products — such as Gmail, Google Flights, and Google Maps — for seamless integration when communicating with the AI service. For example, you can now create prompts to determine flight duration, preferences, and distance between destinations.
I grew up in Ottawa but my dad was raised in Montréal and still had a lot of friends there, so we’d visit all the time while I was growing up. I can still feel the excitement that tingled in my body every time we went. Montréal was, and is, so thrilling, from the language locals speak (French with a distinct Québécois accent) to the roads (the drivers are super aggressive and you can’t turn right on a red) to the overall fun-loving vibe. So as soon as I could, I moved to Montréal at age 17 to attend Concordia University and I’ve spent much of the last 15 years there.
For Europeans, fall in America looks like the stuff of wanderlust, with fiery trees and pumpkin spice lattes à la Gilmore Girls.
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One day in 2021, Megan Clawson was walking home from a night out when she was inspired to record a video on her phone.
Compulsory PCR tests, face masks, vaccination certificates — at the height of the pandemic, travel meant navigating reams of red tape and checking a long list of requirements before you’d even set foot on a plane. Now the rules have been relaxed, travellers are largely responsible for making their own decisions should they test positive. From the legal requirements to the moral debate, here’s what you need to know.
Compulsory PCR tests, face masks, vaccination certificates — at the height of the pandemic, travel meant navigating reams of red tape and checking a long list of requirements before you’d even set foot on a plane. Now the rules have been relaxed, travellers are largely responsible for making their own decisions should they test positive. From the legal requirements to the moral debate, here’s what you need to know.
Travelers from around 70 countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the European Union and the United Kingdom, can travel to Morocco as tourists without a visa. The maximum stay is 90 days, which starts on the date of your entry stamp, not three calendar months.
France plans to introduce an unlimited rail pass next year months after the country banned many domestic flights.