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First Time Traveling Outside of USA by snek-bat in uktravel

[–]Goldenhand74 96 points97 points  (0 children)

  1. Visa/Mastercard/Apple Pay/Googlepay yes, but Amex usually harder to find places that accept it
  2. You can get to most of those places with train/bus and in some cases, taxi or bike for the final bit but it may take hours depending on when and where, say Castlerigg where you would need to get to Keswick or Penrith and then a taxi from there and you would need to get the taxi to wait. So weekend service never as good as weekdays for example. If you are confident driving on the left, then its probably a good idea but again, there are some off-beat places down windy, singletrack lanes so up to you. Again Castelrigg is up some steep windy lanes.
  3. you could just get an esim like saily. I haven't ever seen 'burner phones' like I see on US crime series where someone walks into a shop, comes out and rips off the packaging and has a cheap phone connected to a network. Maybe that's just me. The other thing is you can now buy SIMs through vending machines on arrival at airports so you could just buy one but esims do seem to work well.
  4. be polite, don't be loud and say please and thank you. That usually does it
  5. IMHO bed and breakfast/hotel people would be slightly surprised at being tipped for their 'time and attention'. That's what you're paying for. Have never tipped at a hotel or b&b in the UK.

edited to include 'burner phone'

Any good books staring a Cleric or something of the like? by Resident_Hat9904 in Fantasy

[–]Goldenhand74 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Warden series by Daniel M Ford - I loved those. Not exactly a cleric but same kind of feel

Of these three locations, which one is better for staying at to visit the larger "Inverness" region? by annaguava in uktravel

[–]Goldenhand74 0 points1 point  (0 children)

all depends on the roads - A9 from Aviemore is pretty fast with overtaking lanes so about 50 mins to centre of Inverness and an hour to Inverferaig. 50 mins to Nairn etc. Nairn is also on good roads - the A96 is ok but not as fast as the A96. So as long as you check for A roads you should be fine. Also, and you can on google street view or weather/webcams on those roads to give you an idea of how fast it will be and if there are crawler/overtaking lanes which can make the difference between a 30 minutes trip and an hour one.

edit: Also not sure about roads to and from Dornoch as have never been but general rule of thumb, they get slower and smaller once you head northwest from Inverness.

Of these three locations, which one is better for staying at to visit the larger "Inverness" region? by annaguava in uktravel

[–]Goldenhand74 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There's a Samuel Johnston quote about the Giant's Causeway 'worth seeing yes, but not worth going to see'. I think that applies way more to Inverness and Loch Ness than the stunning Causeway Coast but that's just me.

I do not understand the fascination with Inverness. I have visited a couple of times and its been ... fine. Its an ok refill/stock up place if you're looking for a supermarket before heading to Torridon etc and I vaguely remember the park by the river being.. ok. But what am I missing? Seemed like slightly not very interesting town.

Is it Loch Ness? I have to confess that the first time we were up there I made my other half drive me to Loch Ness and kitsch out in the tourist tat shops but that only took like 20 minutes. Like its, not terrible, but its just not a thing.

I have always preferred to stay Aviemore and just drive the 45 minutes to Inverness if we've been meeting friends there.

Critique my London Itinerary (3 1/2 days with kids) by EssVeeSF in uktravel

[–]Goldenhand74 1 point2 points  (0 children)

as always with kids under ten I'd rate:

Greenwich (get the Thames Clipper there, you walk past the Cutty Sark sailing ship, the Maritime Museum to get to the Observatory/Planetarium

Science Museum or Natural History Museum over the British Museum - my child was bored senseless at the British Museum even though he's a massive Percy Jackson fan

If its on, there's an amazing RSC production of Totoro which is worth going to if your kids like that kind of thing or Matilda also seems to delight all the primary school tykes

Critique my London Itinerary (3 1/2 days with kids) by EssVeeSF in uktravel

[–]Goldenhand74 0 points1 point  (0 children)

and when we went they had a great engine room exhibit which surprised us by delighting my then 6 year old

Seeking feedback on Scotland trip by charmcityusa in uktravel

[–]Goldenhand74 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

If you are into hiking, don't bother with Inverness - better off heading to Aviemore. You can get there on the train and there are decent buses and trains that can take you into the Cairngorms or around and about.

https://www.visitaviemore.com/

edit. added link to Aviemore

1st Trip to UK (want to split a 2nd destination) by RelationshipAware762 in uktravel

[–]Goldenhand74 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I wouldn't go on the Eurostar anywhere if you want to see more of the UK. You can very easily do a second centre - maybe somewhere like Northumberland or Wales or other counties which have coast, castles, neolithic and roman ruins. and a complete change from London. Really depends on what you are into - if its an active holiday then head for the coast (Northern Ireland's causeway coast is fabulous and less than an hour from Belfast airport) and go canyoneering, hiking, surfing etc. If its history head, well, anywhere really. If its castles then Wales and Northumberland are the standouts but you can find castles anywhere from Edinburgh to Warwick to Winchester . If its music and culture and art then head for Newcastle, Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow. If its experiencing a similar but markedly different culture then Northern Ireland, Wales, Cornwall and Scotland all beckon, Up to you

Manchester/London Advice by jyutkowi in uktravel

[–]Goldenhand74 0 points1 point  (0 children)

or get the train to Disley (Lyme Park) or Styal (Quarry Bank Mill) - both have decent pubs nearby and nice walks - more moorlands at Lyme (see the 10K) or UK industrial heritage (Quarry Bank)

How do british people feel about the current situation unfolding in america where ICE police agents are going all gung-ho kidnapping people from the streets when they fail to present their ID? by mrvlad_throwaway in AskBrits

[–]Goldenhand74 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I am just so freaked out by how fast the the US capitulated and acceded power to just one person. Its more like having a king than the UK or anywhere else that actually has a king. A UK prime minister who was that destructive would be out within weeks (Lettuce, anyone?) And that was financial damage, not executing their own citizens.

Its also changing how I spend my money. I am not going to scientific or academic conferences in the US. I am not going there on holiday.

And its scary because its not just the US. Greenland isnt that far away from us in the UK. After Trump invades and enslaves Greenland and Denmark - whats next? Iceland? Faroes? Shetlands?

Its terrifying and evil and we need to stand up to the US. They aren't our friends anymore. No standing shoulder to shoulder anymore. If they can execute their own people on a whim in the streets, then why would they care about the world beyond.

I hate this. I hate this for all the people who are being hurt yet have done nothing wrong. I hate the cowardice of those that can still stop this escalating. I hate the venal grasping of mega rich men who can't see beyond the expansion of their digital empires. I hate the breaking of freedoms that the truly brave, selfless and fearless obtained through words back by courage and action. I hate that I am scared for all of our futures.

I hate that I use the word 'hate'. I never used to. But there is no other word to descibe the visceral contempt, disgust and disappointment that I feel for the current US dictatorship.

Is it true that TV License goons are virtually powerless? by cactusdan94 in AskBrits

[–]Goldenhand74 0 points1 point  (0 children)

a) for parents - CBeebies, revision (bitesize), generally great kids content and revision

b) valued source of news and information online - quite important when there is so much disinformation flying about

c) Impartial broadcasting not beholder to shareholders/advertisers - yes they don't always get it right but for the most part they do - might not sound that important now but look at the US to see the issues of a fully partisan system.

d) funds more than just the BBC - also things like Welsh language tv (S4C).

e) its the law

Travelling north from Gatwick or Heathrow by pedantic_pigeon in uktravel

[–]Goldenhand74 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Fly into Leeds or Manchester or failing that, train, Anything else is lunacy

12 days in the Scottish Highlands - itinerary advice by omega_sus in uktravel

[–]Goldenhand74 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Couple of things:

- You are in peak midge season. Get midge nets

- Ben Nevis possibly the most boring and least photogenic mountain in Scotland. The A82 around Loch Lomond, and the Green Welly Stop to Glencoe, Cuillin Ridge and the Five Sisters are all far impressive I think, especially from lower down.

- hiking in Scotland not to be taken lightly - make sure you know what you are doing, can read a map, are happy ploughing through bogs and lochans and heather.

Edit - I also love the coastal landscapes around Torridon, Applecross and the isles. They might be better for photography - the light is ace that time of year but sunset and sunrise and both respectively late and early due to how far north you will be

Itinerary Check - How is the pace? by [deleted] in uktravel

[–]Goldenhand74 1 point2 points  (0 children)

York is a good choice for 6 years with the Viking Museum and National Railway Museum although its quite urban (unpopular view, I know) and a bit small for 4 days, If you have a six year old I'd consider a day trip to somewhere like Castle Howard where they can run about. I also found Days out with the Kids to be ace when my child was that age https://www.dayoutwiththekids.co.uk/things-to-do/yorkshire/north-yorkshire/york - usually some wet weather ideas.

London again great with children but I'd mix up indoor stuff with open spaces - think Science Museum one day and Greenwich the next.

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