Practical tips
Best time
May to September brings milder weather and long days (in June, it gets dark late). But always pack an umbrella and layers — the weather changes fast in any season. London is worth it year-round; Scotland shines in summer.
Languages
English is the official language — with many accents (Cockney, Scottish, Welsh). There are large Nigerian, Ghanaian, Caribbean and East-African communities, especially in London (Peckham is known as “Little Lagos”), which makes Pidgin, Twi and other languages common on the streets. Strong accents may need patience.
Etiquette
The queue is sacred — never jump it. Courtesy is constant: “please”, “thank you” and “sorry” are used all the time (even when you’re the one bumped into). In the pub, you pay at the bar and in rounds. A ~10% tip in restaurants if service isn’t included; in pubs and taxis it isn’t expected.
What to see & culture
Places
In London, Big Ben and Parliament, the Tower of London, the British Museum (free entry) and the Camden and Borough markets; Stonehenge and Bath; the universities of Oxford and Cambridge; medieval Edinburgh and the Scottish Highlands; and mountainous Wales.
Culture
Home of Shakespeare, the Beatles and modern football (the Premier League is a global religion). London is one of the world’s most multicultural cities, and its Afrobeats and Afroswing scene — with artists of Nigerian and Ghanaian roots — defines today’s British music. The pub, tea and dry humour are institutions.
Food
Fish and chips, the full English breakfast, the Sunday roast and chicken tikka masala (dubbed a “national dish” of Indian adoption). Diaspora food is central: Nigerian and Ghanaian jollof rice and egusi, waakye and Caribbean curry are part of everyday London.