# Planning a UK Walkabout **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 29, 2004, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planning-a-uk-walkabout/242619 "2004-04-29T03:27:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2004, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planning-a-uk-walkabout/242619/61 "2004-05-05T12:49:32Z")
Re: Brochures for Customs The reason why I said that is because the customs agent didn’t seem too agreeable to my reason for being there until I pulled out my Globus itenerary. Just so you have something that’s hard copy and semi-official looking so that they can mark off a line on their checklist, you should be fine. I didn’t know you could get a post-crowd personal tour of Stonehenge. That makes a world of difference. Is this going to be after dark? Road traffic shouldn’t be so bad by then. ---
**Author:** ![garius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e19b73/32.png) [@garius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garius)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2004, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planning-a-uk-walkabout/242619/62 "2004-05-05T13:28:58Z")
15th & 16th is fine with me too. > [@](#): > > between me and garius we got most of London covered for places to go boozing I hear that there’s a place in South London that neither of us has been too. Its just a rumour though. > [@](#): > > It was the one about how to survive an Alligator attack. That nobody believed was possible. But it is… My arse. Right, we’re settling this once and for all - You. Me, London Zoo, 4am. Be there. Wear something black. ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2004, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planning-a-uk-walkabout/242619/63 "2004-05-05T13:39:13Z")
> [@Knowed Out](#): > > Re: Brochures for Customs > > The reason why I said that is because the customs agent didn’t seem too agreeable to my reason for being there until I pulled out my Globus itenerary. Just so you have something that’s hard copy and semi-official looking so that they can mark off a line on their checklist, you should be fine. > > I didn’t know you could get a post-crowd personal tour of Stonehenge. That makes a world of difference. Is this going to be after dark? Road traffic shouldn’t be so bad by then. Just to clear up a small matter. In the UK there are two separate agencies you will encounter when you land. There is \*Customs and Excise \* who are only concerned with what goods such as food , tobacco and alcohol you are trying to bring into the country. The other agency is the \*Immigration Department \* who will be concerned about the reason for your visit and whether you have the correct visa etc. In arrivals you will encounter Immigration first followed by Customs. ---
**Author:** ![paulberserker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c4cdca/32.png) [@paulberserker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/paulberserker)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2004, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planning-a-uk-walkabout/242619/64 "2004-05-05T13:55:49Z")
A slight hijack here, but does someone want to back me up on the fact you can hold an Alligators mouth closed with your hands, or an elastic band? garius will not believe me, and it’s true. I’ve seen it. Alligators muscles are designed for snapping closed, not open, so a little pressure means they can’t open their gobs if you do what I said. And that my friends, is how to survive in the likely event of some Alligator trying to ruin your day. Now pub conversation #104, thats the one about whether skulls should wear rainbow afro wigs whilst on display, yo. ---
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2004, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planning-a-uk-walkabout/242619/65 "2004-05-05T15:03:19Z")
> [@paulberserker](#): > > A slight hijack here, but does someone want to back me up on the fact you can hold an Alligators mouth closed with your hands, or an elastic band? garius will not believe me, and it’s true. I’ve seen it. It is true. I’m doing just that right now with my left hand as I type with my right! Mind you, it is only a stuffed toy, although it is two feet long. But the principle’s the same, I’m sure. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2004, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planning-a-uk-walkabout/242619/66 "2004-05-05T15:12:52Z")
> [@paulberserker](#): > > A slight hijack here, but does someone want to back me up on the fact you can hold an Alligators mouth closed with your hands, or an elastic band? garius will not believe me, and it’s true. I’ve seen it. I’ve heard this is true. Googling around, I’ve found out that only the lower jaw of an alligator moves. The top jaw is part of its head (I didn’t know that!). Scroll down [this page](http://www.digifotos.1afm.com/florida6.htm) to see that information. Has some other nice info on alligators. And here’s a [cite](http://reptilis.net/herp-faq.html) supporting you, by golly, although it does say that this is true of all animals (bit disappointing, that). ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2004, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planning-a-uk-walkabout/242619/67 "2004-05-05T15:27:40Z")
> [@Knowed Out](#): > > I didn’t know you could get a post-crowd personal tour of Stonehenge. That makes a world of difference. Is this going to be after dark? Road traffic shouldn’t be so bad by then. Here’s a [link](http://www.stonehengetours.com/html/stonehenge_access_tours.htm) to the actual tour information; all it says is that we get to the site “after it’s closed to the general public”. This company also has a special sunrise & champagne tour that goes before the site is open for regular tourists, but I generally try to avoid being up that early (unless I’ve just stayed up), and I don’t care for champagne. The one I’m on is £65, and they take you to and from with stops on the way to. It’s not entirely personal–there are 15 or 16 people on the tour, plus guides, but that is, as you say, a considerable improvement over busloads of tourists. Speaking of the tour, last night I almost had a disaster. Somehow I signed up for the 27 May tour, NOT the 20 May tour. Luckily for me, they had one seat left on the 20 May tour, and it’s now mine. _wipes sweat from brow_ Now it’s off to run some more errands associated with the trip. Wheee! ---
**Author:** ![paulberserker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c4cdca/32.png) [@paulberserker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/paulberserker)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2004, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planning-a-uk-walkabout/242619/68 "2004-05-05T15:29:58Z")
Ha! I am proved correct! Poor Garius, he’s having his arse kicked over on NADS too. [Linky rink dink](http://p086.ezboard.com/fnadsfrm2.showMessage?topicID=935.topic) 😃 . And for further proof, i’ve seen that Manny Puig dude do it on some Discovery Channel program. ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2004, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planning-a-uk-walkabout/242619/69 "2004-05-06T03:49:18Z")
**garius, paulbeserker** , is this London tour an actual tour of London, or of London’s pubs? Is it an all day thing or an evening crawl? I t’ink I better find out what you two are getting me into! And to any UK Doper–one of the guidebooks I got said that a woman traveling alone should have at least a fake wedding ring on, and if possible, pictures of a “husband” or of a boyfriend if no rings. Is this necessary in the UK? I really think they were referring more to Italy and Greece, but better to find out now rather than later. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2004, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planning-a-uk-walkabout/242619/70 "2004-05-06T09:59:49Z")
That wedding ring nonsense is decades out-of-date for Mediterranean countries, and certainly makes no sense whatsoever in Britain. ---
**Author:** ![Jennyrosity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2bfe46/32.png) [@Jennyrosity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jennyrosity)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2004, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planning-a-uk-walkabout/242619/71 "2004-05-06T10:02:38Z")
Nah, you won’t need that. I can’t imagine you’d need that in Greece or Italy either, except maybe in more rural, isolated areas. ---
**Author:** ![paulberserker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c4cdca/32.png) [@paulberserker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/paulberserker)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2004, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planning-a-uk-walkabout/242619/72 "2004-05-06T10:39:07Z")
> [@Morgyn](#): > > **garius, paulbeserker** , is this London tour an actual tour of London, or of London’s pubs? Is it an all day thing or an evening crawl? I t’ink I better find out what you two are getting me into! Errr, tour of the pubs. We were going on the assumption you’d have already seen some sights. I think it’s high time we did the South Bank pub tour. A walk by the river, with some good boozers on the route, so you can see sights etc around the way. Or if you had a plan of where you thought might be nice, let us know. I can provide map links etc on my plots and schemes. Or anyone else got any better ideas? i’m listening people. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![garius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e19b73/32.png) [@garius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garius)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2004, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planning-a-uk-walkabout/242619/73 "2004-05-06T12:14:48Z")
Both or either - there will be pubs at the end but if you want it i give a decent tour of Central London too (i’ve had to do it loads of times for visiting friends and family). ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2004, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planning-a-uk-walkabout/242619/74 "2004-05-06T13:00:26Z")
> [@Morgyn](#): > > Should I also get an International Driver’s License, even if I don’t plan on driving anywhere? First, there’s no such thing as an International Drivers License. A beast called an International Driving Permit does exist, by U.N. agreement, but you don’t need one to drive in the U.K. - [cite from the U.S. Embassy in the U.K. here](http://www.usembassy.org.uk/cons_web/acs/uk/driving-uk.htm). As you can see from the chart on that page, it’s a mixed bag when it comes to other European countries - some require it, others don’t. If you do choose to buy one, there are only two organizations in the U.S. that are authorized to provide them: the American Automobile Association and the National Automobile Club. Anyone else peddling them is engaging in a scam to take your money. [Snopes’ take on the subject](http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/scams/license.asp). ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2004, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planning-a-uk-walkabout/242619/75 "2004-05-06T14:56:11Z")
> [@Morgyn](#): > > **garius, paulbeserker** , is this London tour an actual tour of London, or of London’s pubs? Is it an all day thing or an evening crawl? I t’ink I better find out what you two are getting me into! Nononononononono…the best part is NOT knowing what you’re getting into! I was only trapped in that boiler room with the giant rats for 15 minutes. They bought me a pint of John Courage afterwards. ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2004, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planning-a-uk-walkabout/242619/76 "2004-05-06T15:11:02Z")
> [@paulberserker](#): > > Ha! I am proved correct! Poor Garius, he’s having his arse kicked over on NADS too. [Linky rink dink](http://p086.ezboard.com/fnadsfrm2.showMessage?topicID=935.topic) > 😃 . > And for further proof, i’ve seen that Manny Puig dude do it on some Discovery Channel program. Hehehehe!!! I think if you tried to bite **garius** after losing both your hands, he’d have to rubberband your head. ---
**Author:** ![paulberserker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c4cdca/32.png) [@paulberserker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/paulberserker)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2004, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planning-a-uk-walkabout/242619/77 "2004-05-06T15:39:17Z")
Heh heh. Probably so, but at least i’d be in the right, as young gary clearly wasn’t/isn’t. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Selvatica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/779978/32.png) [@Selvatica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Selvatica)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2004, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planning-a-uk-walkabout/242619/78 "2004-05-06T16:48:33Z")
> [@Jennyrosity](#): > > I’m in Peverell. Heh, I feel less alone now! > > **Morgyn** , a day in Exeter is plenty, it’s not that big. Don’t know about Tintagel, I’ve never been. _waves in the direction of Peverell_ I’m glad I’m not alone on here! 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2004, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planning-a-uk-walkabout/242619/79 "2004-05-06T21:27:01Z")
My PDA is dying! I want to keep as much of my trip organized on it as possible, and it’s dying! It’s so much handier to keep train schedules and fees and maps and stuff on it than having to lug around lots of pieces of paper and books. I would look so much less touristy. _sniffle_ Speaking of not looking like a tourist, are jeans and sneakers acceptable daily, not going to work, wear? I’m getting mixed reports (yeah, they’re ok; no, wear slacks and walking shoes, jeans & sneakers mark you out as a US tourist and That’s Bad). Oy! ---
**Author:** ![Francesca](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9fc348/32.png) [@Francesca](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francesca)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2004, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planning-a-uk-walkabout/242619/80 "2004-05-06T21:52:11Z")
If **Steve** is amenable, I’d also be pleased to hook up with you while you’re in Oxford. I’m half an hour away on the train, but am also hampered by Having To Go To Work On Weekdays. A Saturday or Sunday would be best, if you can work that into your schedule. It sounds like an ambitious but great plan. I also second the advice of simply going to the local Tourist Information Office wherever you end up - they’re very good at organising reasonably priced accomodation. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planning-a-uk-walkabout/242619.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planning-a-uk-walkabout/242619.md?page=5)