Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Tube: Russell Sq.). July's annual
Pride London
march and festival (
&
0844/884-2439;
www.pridelondon.org) is the highlight of London's LGBT calendar, while Pride Brighton &
Hove (www.brightonpride.org) and Manchester Pride (www.manchesterpride.com) are
the main events outside London, on different weekends in August. Manchester-based
Gaydio
(www.gaydio.co.uk) was the U.K.'s first radio station dedicated to lesbian, gay,
bisexual, and trans listeners.
If you're planning to visit from the U.S., the
International Gay and Lesbian Travel
Association
(
IGLTA;
&
800/448-8550
or 954/630-1637; www.iglta.org) is the trade
association for the gay and lesbian travel industry, and offers an online directory of gay-
and lesbian-friendly travel businesses. Many agencies offer tours and travel itineraries
specifically for gay and lesbian travelers.
Above and Beyond Tours
(
&
800/397-2681;
www.abovebeyondtours.com) is a gay and lesbian tour operator whose portfolio includes
London.
Now, Voyager
(
&
800/255-6951;
www.nowvoyager.com) is a well-known San
Francisco-based gay-owned and operated travel service.
For more gay and lesbian travel resources, visit
Frommers.com
.
Mail
The British postal system is among the most reliable in the world, so you shouldn't
need to depend on FedEx or some other courier service unless you're in a hurry. An air-
mail letter to anywhere outside Europe costs 67p for up to 10g (
1
⁄
3
oz.) and generally takes
5 to 7 working days to arrive; postcards also require a 67p stamp. Within the E.U., letters
or postcards under 20g (
2
⁄
3
oz.) cost 60p. Within the U.K, first class mail ought to arrive
the following working day; second class mail takes around 3 days to reach its destination.
Medical Requirements
Unless you're arriving from an area known to be suffering
from an epidemic (particularly cholera or yellow fever), inoculations or vaccinations are
not required for entry into the U.K. Also see “Health,” above.
Mobile Phones (Cell Phones)
The three letters that define much of the world's
wireless capabilities are
GSM
(Global System for Mobiles), a seamless satellite network
that makes for easy cross-border cellphone use throughout most of the planet, including
England and Wales. If you own an unlocked GSM phone, simply pack it in your hand lug-
gage and pick up a contract-free
SIM-only tariff
when you arrive in the U.K. The SIM card
will cost very little, but you will need to load it up with credit to start making calls. Tariffs
change constantly according to the market, but in general expect call charges of around
20p per minute, 10p for a text message, and a deal on data that might cap daily usage
charges at about £2. There are phone and SIM card retailers on practically every major
street in most cities, but not everywhere will sell SIM-only deals to non-residents.
Tesco
Mobile
(www.tescomobile.com) sells SIMs for 99p that you can top-up in store with cash
or an overseas credit card. Find a convenient branch at
www.tesco.com/storelocator
.
Three
(www.three.co.uk) sells SIMs for £1.99 that you can fill-up at Three stores, super-
markets, and newsagents across the country. Three SIMs work only in 3G-compatible
phones.
There are other options if you're visiting from overseas but don't own an unlocked
GSM phone. For a short visit,
renting
a phone may be a good idea, and we suggest rent-
ing the handset before you leave home. North Americans can rent from
InTouch USA
(
&
800/872-7626
or 703/222-7161; www.intouchglobal.com) or
BrightRoam
(
&
888/622-3393;
www.brightroam.com). However, handset purchase prices have fallen
to a level where you can probably
buy a basic U.K. pay-as-you-go (PAYG) phone
for less
than 1 week's handset rental. Prices at many cellphone retailers start from under £20 for
an inexpensive model; there are now basic smartphones costing around £50. Expect out-
going call charges of approximately 25p per minute to anywhere in the U.K., 10p for text
messages (SMS); receiving calls on your local number is free.
Carphone Warehouse
(www.carphonewarehouse.com) has retail branches across the country, and stocks a reli-
able range of cheap PAYG phones.
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