In the picture above – notice how a full size tube of tooth paste takes up almost the entire side of the sink.
It’s a good idea to buy or use small bottles for all of your supplies like toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, hair gel, foundation. Guys, same goes for you. You should be looking for sample sizes of deodorant, shaving supplies, etc. It makes packing easier plus the sinks in Europe and the UK are small. They are usually pedestal sinks with not much room to put your supplies. And if you leave your shampoo in the shower, it’s not a big loss.
I used to use a contact lens case for my face lotion but I had to use something a bit larger so I changed it to a small pill container for this 4 week trip. And here is my makeup case. It’s not much longer than a tube of mascara. Then I have this tiny bottle that I put my foundation in.
And speaking of bathrooms, you cannot plug the hair dryer in to a socket in the bathroom. Many of the bedrooms have mirrors in them, but you’ll have to find a socket next to a mirror which is not always easy. So if you have to dry your hair while looking in the mirror, you might want to pack a hand mirror or buy a UK extension cord when you get there.
And for hairdryers, the best one we had was one that had a switch on it that you moved manually to switch it between 110 and 220 volts (but you had to have a penny handy). It got old and when we tried to use a regular one from here – over there even with a converter – it burned up. So we just ended up buying a mini hair dryer in Glasgow (great shopping there).
Also the UK has different electrical plugs – you will need an adapter. Here is Rick Steves’ write up about it. Here is a good link for UK and Irish electrical plugs (be sure to read the reviews before buying): https://www.tripsavvy.com/power-adaptors-for-uk-travel-1662393
But if you’re only going to the UK, just get a some of these: https://store.ricksteves.com/shop/p/uk-power-adapter. I recommend 3 or 4 since you’re probably going to leave one somewhere. 🙂
If you need a curling iron, it is permissible to bring a butane one as carry-on – read the rules here: https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/whatcanibring/items/butane-curling-irons-cordless I would recommend trying it at home first, read the reviews and be careful using them- I read about someone burning her hair with one of them.
On the Outlander Immersion Tours: The tour bus you will be riding in is a 9 passenger van. I took this picture in Inverness trying to get a picture of the square as my husband was driving by it. This van got in the way. Hugh says it is the same make and model as his but it is the wrong color. So as you can see, it is just a van – there is good leg room in the seats, but there is not a lot of room for luggage – it goes in the back behind the 3rd row of seats. So please be considerate of your fellow passengers and try to pack as light as possible. Also the driver from Inverness Tours is a tour guide and not a porter, so you will be carrying your own luggage.
Shopping at the Blarney Woolen Mills
I went to one store in Ireland that had a card that they swiped then you could deal with it when you got home. That was the easiest ever!
Or I’ve also shopped at the Duty Free shops at the departure airport and just bought a bunch of stuff there ( t-shirts, key rings, fridge magnets, sweets for gifts ) then I only have one receipt to deal with.
Here is a good link about what is VAT:
http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/business/vat/what-is-vat_en
And here is Rick Steves’ page on it (how you get refunds changes frequently and it has been made easier):
Note: as of Jan 2021 UK does NOT refund VAT tax.
One of my recent tour members said it would be good for me to have a post about having cash for toilets and how much to tip.
If you’re coming to the UK on a plane, the airport bathrooms are free. Toilets at some of the train stations and other public restrooms require coins to use the toilet (that’s what they call it over there – it took me a long time to get used to saying “toilet” instead of bathroom). Some require exact coins to be put in a slot. The ones I have seen have all been 10 pence so you would need a 10 pence coin. So before you leave the airport, have some cash and get change in coins if you are going to be out and about.
I believe the taxis in Edinburgh and Glasgow take credit cards. The taxis in Bath were cash only.
Tipping is not a way of life in Ireland and the UK like it is here in the US.
You can give a pound or 2 to taxi cab drivers.
For meals, if you have a server come to your table, you can round up to the nearest pound or leave a pound or 2 extra. 20% is over paying. Their staff is paid a salary and not dependent on tips.
Recently I posted a question on Facebook about tipping to make sure this blog is up to date. Here are a couple of the responses:
“There is no obligation to give tips. For good service in restaurants, etc, 10% is normal. When visiting London, I have noticed that a service charge of 10% or 12.5% is often directly added to restaurant bills – this is still very rare in Scotland. Tipping is generally less generous than in the USA, but it is appreciated.”
“Taxi drivers are rounded up unless they are rude.”
“I do 10% in cafes or restaurants if service is good. Try to keep a few pound coins in my wallet for cafes as you often can’t add a tip via their chip & pin which I usually pay by.”
“Tipping is not obligatory. Tips should be given for good, friendly service at 10%, or 15% for exceptional service. Generally tips are pooled and shared, but pay tips in cash if you want greater certainty that the staff and not the management or owners will benefit.”
For tours, £5-£10 per day per person for the driver/guide is normal. People have tipped Inverness Tours between £20-£100 per person for a 6 day tour. (I think £100 is excessive, but the guides from Inverness Tours are fabulous!)
Townhouse Aberfeldy
+44 1887 829995
townhouseaberfeldy.co.uk
Three Lemons
+44 1887 820057
KB’s Italian Kitchen
+44 1887 822959
kbskitchen.uk
The Fountain Bar and Restaurant
+44 1887 820418
aberfeldypubs.co.uk
Here are some restaurants that you might wish to make reservations at before you get to Inverness and prior to the next evenings meals.
Rocpool
+44 1463 717274
rocpoolrestaurant.com
Bishop’s Table Restaurant at Eden Court Theatre
+44 1463 234234
eden-court.co.uk
The Piano and Whisky Bar Inverness – Glenmoriston Townhouse
+44 1463 223777
glenmoristontownhouse.com
The Waterside
+44 1463 233065
thewatersideinverness.co.uk
Not sure if these need/take reservations:
Nico’s Bistro and Bar
+44 1463 234308
Fig & Thistle (further from the Ballifeary B&B)
+44 1463 712422
The picture above is Oliver St John Gogarty’s Pub in the Temple Bar area – which is #3 below.
In Dublin, the top 10 must-sees are:
1) The Book of Kells at Trinity College
http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20160425-the-book-of-kells-medieval-europes-greatest-treasure
https://www.tcd.ie/visitors/book-of-kells/tickets-information/
2) the Gravity Bar at the Guinness Storehouse
https://www.guinness-storehouse.com/en/gravity-bar
3) Temple Bar – the area where all the craziness takes place. If you’re into bar hopping, you’ll want to go at night otherwise at least go during the day and see the Temple Bar bar itself. There is an app called “EarthCam” that has a webcam in Dublin right outside of Temple Bar.
4) Grafton Street – a pedestrian shopping area
5) The Ha’Penny Bridge along with the statue of Molly Malone – kind of hard to miss
6) The GPO – the General Post Office which was the center of the 1916 Easter Rising and still has bullet holes in the columns around it and a small museum inside.
7) St Stephen’s Green – a very beautiful park in the middle of the city
8) St Patrick’s Cathedral
9) Christ Church Cathedral
10) Dublin Castle
Honorable Mentions
i) National Museum of Ireland. When I was in Dublin, they had the bog bodies on display at the museum:
http://www.museum.ie/Archaeology/Exhibitions/Current-Exhibitions/Kingship-and-Sacrifice
ii) Little Museum of Ireland – https://www.littlemuseum.ie (select “Experience” not the last minute tickets.)
iii) The Irish Whiskey Museum is fun!
iv) Picnic in Phoenix Park – home of Dublin Zoo, a sports field, the Wellington Monument, and both the Presidential and US Ambassador’s Residences.
v) The EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum
The only thing that I would recommend avoiding is “Dublinia”. It’s cheesy.
Here are some restaurants near the B+B Edinburgh.
La Piazza
+44 131 221 1150
lapiazzauk.com
The Voyage Of Buck
+44 131 225 5748
thevoyageofbuckedinburgh.co.uk
The Melville Bar
+44 131 225 1358
themelvillebar.com
A Room in the West End
+44 131 226 1036
aroomin.co.uk
References:
[1] https://www.timeout.com/glasgow/attractions/kelvingrove-park
[2] http://www.timeout.com/glasgow/things-to-do/the-best-free-things-to-do-in-glasgow
Click on the of Overview of Glasgow map to enlarge.
Click on the map of central Glasgow below to enlarge.
Click on the overview map of Edinburgh below to enlarge it.
Click on the map of central Edinburgh below to enlarge it.
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