Hi Craig et al..
It's actually 17.5% for VAT which is the UK equivalent of State Sales Tax so
tipping is customary *in addition to* paying the VAT. 10% is the norm for
tipping.
Also, Japanese restaurants are taking off big time in London with Sushi bars
popping up all over the place. My favourite is a restaurant called Kulu-Kulu
near Piccadilly Circus - fortunately I work in that area <g> You can get a great
lunch for around 12-15 quid. They take cards for amounts over 10 quid.
Also, I wouldn't recommend eating in pubs - pub food is a last resort for me.
Mind you, we have a dish (quite nice and served in pubs) called a "Ploughmans"
which is a green salad with a big wedge of cheddar cheese, sweet-pickle and a
big hunk of bread. You may get other cheeses like stilton or red leicester on
your plate too. In general though, pub food is mass-produced, quick-frozen crap.
I would recommend sticking to Indian, Chinese and Italian food. For a taste of
GOOD British-style food though, go to the Strand Palace Hotel Carvery. They do
an all-you-can-eat meal - Roast meat (lamb, beef, turkey) with all the trimmings
(roast potatoes, steamed vegetables, yorkshire pudding, various sauces, gravy
etc etc). This is about as good as you can get for traditional British cooking.
Their cold-buffet starters are really good too.
Let's just say I've eaten out a lot in London (ahem...)
Mark W.
SPE.
"Craig L. Solomon" <[log in to unmask]> on 11/06/99 01:21:42
Please respond to [log in to unmask]
To: [log in to unmask]
cc: (bcc: Mark Wilkinson/UK/EU/SPE)
Subject: Re: Travelling to Europe -building a checklist
I know you are getting a lot of email, most of it just jokes and
Brittish comments. I used to Live in Hertfordshire Stevenage north of
London off of the A1M... Plus I travel to Germany and England every
few months.. here are a few things to help
If renting a car, National has good cars and rents cellular phones at
a nice rate. Also they are now enforcing the law saying you can NOT
chat on a cel phone and drive. You must pull over.
Practice driving on the "B" roads on a Sunday when it is quiet so you
don't crack up the car. The hardest thing to get used to is looking
to your Left to see the rear view mirror.
There are no speedlimits signs posted on the "A" or "B" roads except
under special case. That would be closer to Heathrow and Gatwick.
Just stay with the flow of traffic and remember the right lane is the
fast one.
Customs in Heathrow is so easy you will think you have missed
something. Also don't try to buy with thinking what the item cost
converted. You will get angry when you realize what have to pay for
things there. Once you realize that a McDonalds extra value meal is
2.99 sterling and not 2.99 american, they you think... Hey, I just got
ripped! $4.50 for a Big Mac... Yuck.
Eat in the Pubs, try the Ale's or Lagers (I like Carling) you will
find it more fun. Remember a lunch drink is called a Shandy. 1/2
Lager and 1/2 7Up. Actually it is quite good.
If you need a hotel, Travelodge and Novotel are a safe and reasonable
bet. If you are not used to the UK stay away from B&B's. You will
think you have gone to motel hell.
Other Things...
Gas = Petrol and it is VERY expensive... so rent a small car.
Distance is still shown as Miles.
ISP = Netcom has a local provider and that is who I use.
Modems = Headache. Set to NOT detect tone.
Power adaptors almost never work. Things still blow up.
If you buy Cuban Cigars, smoke them there.
Visit Harrods, you won't regret it.
Don't go to a mens store to buy Suspenders, they will think you want a
Bra for a man.
Eat Indian Food while there! Wonderful.
Don't expect dinner before 7:00 pm... it won't happen.
Breakfast is the same... cold or a hot English
Hot = Fried Eggs, Baked Beans, Mushrooms, Bangers (sausage) and
something that looks like ham but it is their version of Bacon.
Don't mention the French, they still don't like them.
French Fries are Chips and Potato Chips are Crisps.
Don't Tip! everything includes 18.5% VAT
American Resturants don't serve food that resembles anything we eat in
America.
If you ask for ICE you will get 1 cube, Ask for Extra Ice you will get
2 cubes
Watch out for Cream in the Tea.
Coffee is getting better and more popular in the UK.
Most Cars do NOT have air conditioning
Most Hotels Do NOT have air conditioning unless you are paying $$$
Buffets are called Buffettes (like Jimmy the singer)
Filet's are called (Fill-Ets) (remember thy don't like the french)
Most people in the UK don't like to shake hands more then Once!
If you smoke (I don't) cigarettes are VERY expensive.
There are no Cookies, just biscuts.
There is no pudding in Yorkshire Pudding (bread cup and gravy)
Pudding is desert (Any Kind)
Take the train whenever possible, the London Underground is great.
Visit Piccadilly Circus and take the train.
Safe Trip
Cheers (You will use that a lot)
Craig
Craig L. Solomon
Manager of Consulting & Information Technology
Lund Performance Solutions / Lund Consulting Services
Consulting / Training / Technical Support / Project Management
Phone: 541-926-3800 / Fax: 541-926-7723
Mobile: 503-580-5127 / Pager: 888-694-1819
http://www.lund.com/lcs/ or http://www.lund.com
[log in to unmask] -Work | [log in to unmask] - Home
On Fri, 4 Jun 1999 09:01:25 -0400 , Tony Furnivall <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:
>Hi there globe-trotters!
>
>I'll be travelling to Europe (UK) this summer with my trusty lap-top, and I
>wondered if there is a readily available (or else, let's create one
>together) list of the "right stuff" to take with me (wrt the laptop, that is!)
>
>I'm thinking:
>
>Power: Adapters, plugs, transformers, etc
>Modem: Do they work in Europe?, cables, adapters(?), etc
>Phone: DO US cell phones work in Europe?,
>Pagers: Do any paging services have a global presence, and how do they
compare
> in Europe?
>ISP: What ISPs have a global presence, and how do they compare in Europe?
> Is it worthwhile signing up temporarily with a local, or "free" ISP
> for the duration?
>Other?
>
>My itinerary is (at present) strictly UK, but helpful hints for the mainland
>would also be appreciated.
>
>Thanks in advance,
>
>TOny
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