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Tags: Immigration / Borders / Visas / UK Travel / → All Tags
In Britain, It's a Struggle To Prove You're 'Just Visiting'
The guy probably had it all planned out before they searched his bags. A Mexican national, he declared his intent to visit a few friends in the U.K. before returning back home via Los Angeles. But his suitcase told a different story, and after customs found a note from a friend wishing him a "new life," he was forced to confess that he was planning to stay and work illegally -- and subsequently deported.
He's not alone: After years of relative open-door policies, the three leading British political parties are all calling for greater regulation of who gets into Britain, which could mean trouble for long-haul travelers without visas. And, spurred by a report from the Office of National Statistics which showed that some 214,000 foreign nationals had gained jobs in the U.K. while 278,000 Brits had lost theirs, most of the country is behind them.
The new policies include fingerprinting all visa applicants and tacking fees onto the entry visas for various countries, but it may also mean turning up the heat on legitimate vacationers. Perhaps packing a datebook showing you have something to get back to wouldn't be a bad idea.
Related Stories:
· Hasta la vista, baby [Reuters]
· UK slump poses challenge to support for an open economy [The Australian]
· New visa regulations may harm UK tourism [ASAP.co.uk]
· 2008: UK Stepping Up Its Immigration Game [Jaunted]
[Photo: traftery]
Tags: Naycations / Travel Rationing / Travel Bans / UK Travel / Travel Czars / Adair Turner / → All Tags
UK's Eco-Czar Wants To Ration Air Travel to Two Trips a Year
We're all adults here. We understand that people of good will can have genuine disagreements about politics. And things can get pretty heated, especially when people argue about things like government power and environmentalism.
Take the UK. It's not for everybody. But the Brits seem pretty pleased with the nanny state they've built for themselves. The British Parliament has already slapped regulations on just about everything that makes life worth living.
Indoor smoking is impossible. Crippling alcoholism is monitored. There are even rumors that the state might start discouraging widespread, irresponsible sex. Fair enough. Vastly different countries for different folks, as our great-grandparents used to say.
But this is some bullshit right here:
Tags: Pub Travel / Beer Travel / UK Travel / → All Tags
Beer For A Penny (But You'll Have To Go North)
If we had a choice of going anywhere in the world, we wouldn’t normally have the (supposedly) grim north of England high up on our list. After all, it was only last year that a government think tank called time on the region, suggesting that its residents should move down south to London.
But we’re getting majorly tempted to schedule a weekend break since the News of the World reported this weekend that six chain pubs up there were knocking out pints for just 1 penny (yup, $0.014).
There is a catch, of course – to get your 1p Tetley’s you have to buy a house shot of gin, whisky or vodka first, but they only cost £1.89. And if you’re not up for the spirits, you can pay a straight £1.39 for the beer – which will cost £3 and up in most pubs.
Of course, health campaigners and the police are up in arms, because some drinkers are binging on more in a day than they should in a week. But the rest of us are hoping – given that it’s being run by the Dukedom chain, which owns 32 pubs across the UK – that it catches on down south. Until then, you need to get to the chain’s venues in Barnsley, Redcar, Stockton and Nelson. Although we’d warn you against Nelson. We probably wouldn’t go there even if you bought us those shots.
Related Stories:
· Pub Travel [Jaunted]
· A PUB chain pulling in customers with beer at a PENNY a pint [News of the World]
Tags: Airline Fees / Taxes / UK Travel / → All Tags
UK "Departure Tax" May Help Environment, Definitely Annoys Us
Normally we'd let something as dry as a British budget speech coast under our radar, but this year the pollies said something we didn't like: They're making every flight out of Britain more expensive.
The departure tax that they call "air passenger duty" was already doubled last year, but now it's going up again. Low cost carriers like Ryanair are complaining that the last thing the travel industry needs is even higher charges for cost-sensitive customers.
Rather than applying just two taxes--short and long haul--the British government is now dividing destinations up into four zones depending on distance and applying higher charges for further distances. Australians for one are not happy about being on the D-list, which means an extra £85 ($130) for flights longer than 6,000 miles.
And the worst bit: The UK government is pretending it's all a green tax. Which means when we whine about it, we sound like we don't care about the polar bears. But we do!
Related Stories:
· Green Tax Is the End of Low Cost Flights [UK Times]
· Australia on D-List for New Flight Tax [SMH]
· Britain Travel coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: Abraham C]
Tags: Celeb Travel / UK Travel / Josh Hartnett / Mischa Barton / → All Tags
Is Josh Hartnett Getting More Discreet About His Hookups?
Not everyone gets to go back to the hotel lobby: Less than a month after actor Josh Hartnett was caught having sex on camera at the Soho London, he publicly rebuffed a flirtatious offer while partying at Bungalow 8.
Like his past escapade, this incident was caught on camera, as "OC" starlet Mischa Barton flirted with the West End performer, who was out drinking with buddy Nathan Followill of the band Kings of Leon. Maybe Hartnett never saw "The OC" or maybe he's getting smarter -- but neither of those could be true, right?!
Hopefully the very public scene boosted the Bungalow out of its reported slump: Nightlife maven Amy Sacco was never quite able to replicate the success of her New York club in the London fog, but this "members only" outlet is allegedly abandoned most nights by its prestigious members like Sienna Miller and Ralph Fiennes.
Related Stories:
· Josh Hartnett Caught in the Act at the Soho London [HC]
· Scarlett Johansson and Josh Hartnett Play James Bond [Jaunted]
· Celeb Travel coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: Socialite Life]
Tags: Diving / Snorkeling / UK Travel / → All Tags
Who Would've Thought: Dive and Snorkel in Britain
When we're thinking of a great place for a diving holiday, we're afraid to say that mighty ol' England doesn't exactly spring to mind. But the UK Times has pointed out that there are actually dozens of great spots to go diving and snorkeling around Britain--as long as you've got a thick wetsuit.
Some of the highlights are wrecks from both wars and from careless ships running aground, like the Lucy, a ship that beached itself off Pembrokeshire and now sees divers as well as dolphins and porpoises that play nearby. Off Cornwall, experts recommend a few good snorkeling spots although we're not quite sure that seeing giant jellyfish is the kind of highlight we're after.
Now it might go without saying, but the tipsters do recommend only snorkeling in summer off Britain, and even then, as they carefully point out, "It'll be colder than snorkeling in the Seychelles". No surprises there.
Related Stories:
· Britain's 10 Best Sites for Diving and Snorkelling [UK Times]
· Snorkeling coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: mafic]
Tags: Museums / UK Travel / London Travel / Tourist Traps / → All Tags
Tourist Traps: Believe It Or Not, Ripley's Finally Opened in London
A few months back we we speculated about just how unnecessary the London Ripley's Believe It or Not museum was going to be. Last week it officially opened so now we are all invited to spend a whopping £17.95 (over US$33) to see the latest collection of the weird and wonderful.
The stats say that this Ripley's has just 500 artifacts, which doesn't sound like much, but they do spread over four floors and include such local specialties as a replica of the Tower Bridge made out of matchsticks. Gotta see that (not).
We're also not sure we need to see the two-headed cow (apparently not much of a rarity--the Ripley's company has 80 of 'em) or the graphic of singer Ray Charles created out of 8,000 Post-It notes. Yes, there'll be tourists who visit this new museum, but no, we won't be among them. We have enough weird and wonderful stuff on our desk.
Related Stories:
· Ripley's London [Official Site]
· Welcome to a Weird Old World [This is London]
· Ripley's Believe It or Not Coming to London in August [Jaunted]
[Photo of non-matchstick Tower Bridge: wallyg]
Tags: James Bond / Daniel Craig / Skydiving / Adventure Travel / UK Travel / → All Tags
Be James Bond: Bodyflight Vertigo Opening Soon
Slip the name James Bond into anything touristy and we will be there like a shot. It's embarrassing but true, and the latest Bond-related place of interest is the Bodyflight indoor skydiving facility in Bedford, England.
Two things: First up, some of the scenes from the "Quantum of Solace" Bond movie were filmed here so you, too, can fly in the same wind tunnel that Daniel Craig did.
And second: you can go one step further than Craig, because they're about to open a new ride called Bodyflight Vertigo. It's a 120-foot jump, the tallest in Britain, and you're free-falling for two thirds of the way. This pleasure (or terror) will only cost you £30 (US$57) or you can combine it with a trip through the wind tunnel for some simulated skydiving. The fun kicks off in September, two months before the new Bond movie hits theaters.
Related Stories:
· Bodyflight [Official Site]
· James Bond + Vertigo [eTravel]
· Spy Travel: Bond 22 Filming Wastes Perfectly Good Car [Jaunted]
[Photo: Bodyflight]
Tags: Missed Connections / UK Travel / Bars / Public Transportation / → All Tags
Missed Connections in London: Love in St Pancras Station
In a recent survey, half of London Underground riders admitted to swapping numbers or hooking up with someone they met on the Tube. No wonder the St Pancras Station is promoting itself as a place to go even when you're not going anywhere! With an infusion of hotties, you and your loved one could look like this statue, Paul Day's "The Meeting Place," added to the station in October.
Tags: Architecture / UK Travel / Architecture Travel / Design / → All Tags
Beach House Travel: Studiomama's Modernist Waterfront Chalet
With a cool breeze blowing on your face, sun setting over the ocean and a drink in hand, beach house life is easy.
Nina Tolstrup of Studiomama has created a beautiful pared down beach chalet that embodies the essence of vacation. With the house's simple lines and stripped down aesthetic, you can slow down and solely focus on relaxing and getting away from it all. An hour from her home in London, Tolstrup designed this house as a place for her family to escape the city and spend time with each other surrounded by only sand, surf and the ocean view.
At a 388 square feet, the chalet is small, but stocked with all the essentials for living. The interior is constructed of sawn softwood and contains a kitchen, bathroom, spacious living/dining room, sleeping loft and bunk beds for the kids. The exterior is clad in cedar shingles and a large glass window in the back connects indoor to the outdoors.
The Studiomama beach chalet doesn't have a lot of opulent amenities, but sometimes, getting back to simplicity can be the greatest luxury of all. All we need now is a few dozen more of these to enjoy.
Related Stories:
· (Gallery) Architect Visit: Studio Mama Beach Chalet [Remodelista]
· Modestly Grand Architecture by Studiomama [D+R]
· I Built My Dream Beach Hut [The Guardian]
Tags: Passports / Visas / Immigration / UK Travel / → All Tags
UK Stepping Up Its Immigration Game
It may soon get harder to visit the UK--at least if your a national of one of 11 countries now off the so-called visa-waiver list. The idea, says the UK Border Agency, is to keep tabs on those people who might endanger the country. But among the 11 are Brazil, Malaysia, South Africa and Trinidad and Tobago, places that you might not associate with scary stuff.
The Border Agency says it plans to work with the governments in question to see if they can't stay on the visa-waiver list; a final decision won't be made until early 2009. But should risk reduction not be seen, even more foreign visitors will have to submit fingerprints and get a visa before arriving in the UK. The new rules would mean that Britain requires visas of 80 percent of the world's population.
When the US clamped down of visiting foreigners after 9/11, many countries didn't appreciate it. In probably the most famous show of displeasure, Brazil decided to charge Americans $100 per visa starting in 2004 in retaliation for what its citizens had to pay to visit the states. A pro-tourism group in the UK is worried the same thing might happen to the British as a result of the ever-widening visa net.
Related Stories:
· Higher Walls to Fortress Britain [Economist]
· UK Border Agency Global Visa Review [Official Site]
· Europe Wants Your Fingerprints [Jaunted]
Tags: National Parks / UK Travel / Gardens / → All Tags
British National Parks Travel: Royal Oak Saves You Some Acorns
For the American traveling abroad, being confronted with unfavorable exchange rates can feel like death by a thousand paper cuts. Every ticket purchased is a chance to do still more unsavory math. So any way to save a little of your vacation bankroll without packing PB&Js or panhandling on a foreign subway looks like an attractive option.
If your trip to the UK this summer includes country houses or landscaped gardens, consider joining the Royal Oak Foundation, a National Trust-affiliated nonprofit supporting hundreds of properties in England, Northern Ireland and Wales.
Your $55 membership doesn't cover major tourist traps like the Tower of London or the Eye, but it can get you in free to Roman baths, wacky museums (like the Museum of Childhood) and manors like Cliveden (pictured). If you're just passing through Britain, it might not be worth it, but for extended trips it'll make you feel like an aristocrat visiting "your" private garden.
Related Stories:
· In and Around London [Royal Oak Foundation]
· The UK's Scariest Roller Coaster [Jaunted]
· Natioinal Parks coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: sheldonash]
