big_mac

Just to emphasise this. If you haven't booked a room that says it is suitable for 4 people, then you will almost certainly not get 4 people in the room.
(E.g., if the room just says 2 beds then expect two 3-foot beds, not two queen-sized beds).

ft101

They will call it sandwich crisps and drink. Chips are something different in the UK.


The socket will have a switch. The plug will be on your appliance and will need an adapter to fit in the socket.


Call it petrol in the UK. Gas is something different altogether.

TravelingNomads

No worries, that one I was careful about. I will say how strange it is that you guys have so many twin beds and I'm assuming large families are not as common. (We have 4 kids, but 2 couldn't make it bc of college commitments)

Just to clarify, we will not be able to pay at the pump in Dublin, but the stations will have attendants, correct? Thankfully we've opted not to rent a car in Scotland or London. BTW, our car rental there is 6 - 7x the price (manual, small) compared to a much larger, automatic that we rented 2 months ago for a vacation.

Like I said, we are really excited about this trip, but there's definitely been a sticker shock. Next year's vacation is definitely going to be to Greece!

stut

Larger families are pretty common, it's just a space thing. We have a lot less of it in general, and that extends to hotel rooms. Hence self-catering accommodation being a preferred option for many families.

Unattended petrol stations are a rarity - you're unlikely to find one. You'll post-pay (although there may be a moment before the pump kicks in if they're using ANPR). Leave the car at the pump when you pay unless otherwise directed.

The hefty price for the car is probably due to it being automatic - these aren't the norm over here, so can often be much more expensive. You may also want to brace yourself for petrol prices...

Ldnn1

Also worth looking up what a litre means. We don't do gallons over here.

(It's becoming quite amusing seeing how much we can scare OP, eh? )

On the subject of prices, I really don't think UK/EI is that expensive compared to the US - certainly not UK with the current GBP rate. I think your real problem is you've simply tried to do too much on your debut trip. Moving around a lot is always much more expensive - in hindsight it may have been better to pick a couple of places to spend a week or so and settle in. But in any case, hopefully you'll be pleasantly surprised by some things here. Ordinary groceries for example are generally cheaper than in the US. And in London you should try out a Wetherspoons - although hardly haute cuisine they remain amazing value and quite an introduction to British drinking culture for the uninitiated.

lwildernorva

I'd also add that compared with many "convenience" store outlets in the US, the equivalent in the UK/Ireland, Spar and the like, generally offer excellent sandwiches made with pretty good ingredients. I was resistant at first because of my experience at US stores like 7-Eleven, but on several occasions now, I've made a decent picnic lunch out of one of those sandwiches, crisps, a cookie, or some fruit, and a drink at a stop along the roadside. Some US stores, such as Wawa and Sheetz, have become known for decent sandwiches and burgers, but I wouldn't compare the sandwich toppings at those places to what I've seen in many similar stores in the UK/Ireland.

Giggleswick

Speaking as a budget traveler who has spent lots of time in the UK and a little time in Ireland, I have a piece of advice: calm down. I don't know where you're getting your information about exorbitant prices for everything, but really it's not that bad.

Food may cost somewhat more (or less) than in the US, but nothing to have a heart attack about. Restaurant meals don't have tax added on afterwards and tipping, where done, is lower than in the US, so consider that when comparing prices. In most populated areas there are options for decent, affordable food; e.g., bakeries or butchers may sell meat pies or pasties, cafes will have soup and salad, supermarkets and other food shops often have prepared salads and sandwiches, pub food may not be great but it's normally affordable (except in the snootier gastropubs), or you can get good cheese, crackers, and fruit. If you stay in B&Bs, the huge breakfasts will make a big lunch redundant. If you spend all of your time obsessing about how much a packet of crisps or a container of yoghurt costs you're bound to have a bad time

I don't know about your car rental, but though I've found equivalent rentals to be more expensive in the UK, it's been by nothing like a factor of 6 or 7 times. Petrol, however, is quite costly, but the car is likely to be fuel-efficient.

As for all the strange native customs--seriously, you're not going to Papua-New Guinea or Bhutan. This is the UK and Ireland. Some things aren't the same as in the US, but again, nothing to have a heart attack about. People will speak English. If you can't figure out how the power shower works (and I sometimes can't, because they all seem to be different), just ask. I'm not sure that Greece next time will work for you--they use a different alphabet there, you know.

TravelingNomads

First thx for the info about taxes. Second, what's a power shower? 3rd, I'm still down with Greece next year...or Bulgaria, but I still plan to have fun this year. I love Irish music!

NWIFlyer

A power shower is one with an additional pump to increase the water pressure (usually considerably). Given they use almost as much water as a bath, you may well not see one because most water usage is now metered in the UK. The chances are you will have a normal shower with an on/off dial with flow control, and possibly a separate temperature setting if thermostatic (i.e. able to maintain a constant temperature). None of them are anything to be concerned about - if you can operate a US shower, you can operate a UK one.

My suspicion is also that you won't pay much more, if anything, for meals out here compared to the US when taxes and tips are taken into account. In restaurants where you're served by a waiter or waitress, expect to tip 10%. In pubs and cafes where you will order at the bar/a counter, a tip would generally not be expected, and you'll probably be pre-paying anyway unless they extend you a tab.

TravelingNomads

So strange, but thank you. What about on small bills, shouldn't you tip much more than 10%? We won't be billed extra for using more water will we? Do they have daily maid service? Also, do we need to worry about bed bugs? All of the hotels are 4*.

JBord

I've been following this thread, and think it's time to jump in as a fellow American. Looks like you're from Atlanta. Atlanta, compared to other large US cities does tend to be a bit less expensive.

Overall, in Europe, I don't find prices to be more expensive than Chicago, about the same overall. In fact, as others have said, you can actually usually find better quality food for less than at home. The big exceptions are London and Paris, especially in the areas you're likely to eat as a tourist. I've found Dublin, in particular, to have some very good, affordable restaurants and pubs. I'm forgetting the name, but just north of the Liffey there's an indoor food court with some excellent choices for either takeout (take away ) or eat in lunches. Not the same as we think of an American food court. Also, while you probably wouldn't get lunch from a 7-11 at home, the food at convenience stores is generally much better there. Some of the little food counters and windows will be a better alternative to cooking in your room. Find a kebab shop for example.

You're correct that cars will be more expensive. On the flip side, public transportation is cheap, efficient, and fairly extensive...and much nicer than in the US. No reason to ever park a car at your hotel unless you're truly leaving the city each day.

To answer some of your questions, a nice hotel in the UK or Ireland will be just as nice as in the US with the same amenities, adjusted for cultural differences. Rooms and beds often are smaller, although I've had proper queen size beds in Dublin and other cities. As others have noted, you'll probably have an electric kettle with tea and instant coffee, but not a coffee maker, refrigerator, or other appliances. There are plenty of coffee shops though.

Tipping varies by country and there are different opinions on what's proper, similar to how you may tip 20% and your neighbor tips 15%. Google by country to learn what's normal.

You'll have a great time seeing the sights, but I think you'll enjoy your trip even more if you invest a little time now in researching some of the local customs, and live a little like the locals live. Plus it will be good practice for Greece/Bulgaria, where you'll definitely feel out of place if you don't understand the customs!

Edit to add: found the food court...Epicurean Food Hall, and it appears to be closed. Doesn't change the advice, just not so many options under one roof.

Swanhunter

Do NOT tip any more than 12% in a restaurant - and then only if no service charge is levied and nowhere else expects a tip at all. People actually get paid by their employer to do the job so tips don't form part of their core salary but a bonus for doing a good job.

With the current USD-GBP exchange rate you'll find the UK a lot less expensive now we've taken back control of our country.

big_mac

Having looked at your other threads, I can see you are travelling over Christmas / New Year.
That probably explains the car hire cost - £€100/week would normally be enough, but they tend to go for seasonal price-gouging!
(I typically avoid this by hiring from early December through to January, it's usually still cheaper than 1 week at 'Christmas' rates).

If I remember correctly, cross-border one-ways are also ridiculously priced, so avoid those as well.

...
I just did some price checks, December 14th seems to be the cutoff for 'special prices'
e.g., December 23rd - Jan 3rd for £420. December 14th - Jan 3rd for £230 (and, for the same car with Thrifty, December 15th-Jan 3rd at £600).

NWIFlyer

On a small bill, it'll be because you're in a convenience store or coffee shop, and there's no need to tip at all. You'll be used to at least dropping your small change into the tip jar at a 7-11 or Starbucks, but that's not what happens here. As Swanhunter has said, also be aware that some restaurants - although likely not the sort you'll be frequenting by the sounds of it - do levy a service charge of 10%, which is voluntary (because of law, I suspect). Either pay the service charge or tip 10% if the service has been good - do not do both.

No, you won't be billed for extra water. The meters are fitted to each property in the UK, so we pay for what we use. That's down to the home owner (or hotel in your case), not the customer.

Yes, you'll have daily service. No, there is no more chance of bed bugs than in the US. You're honestly not going to endure some third-world experience! Everywhere you're going is in a fully developed country - some richer than others, which will reflect in the condition of roads and pavements (sidewalks) for example - but don't forget the birth of modern civilisation was on this continent .

TravelingNomads

Where are you seeing those prices? After using coupons and whatnot I'm getting upwards of 650 - 700 Euros for a manual, smallest car. From the 24th to the 5th. Every board says to only use Budget or Dooley's. They say that the others will price gouge you.