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They are usually not required if your stay in the country does not exceed 6 months. This applies to all EU citizens and non-EU member states of the EEA and OCT. However, most Asian citizens will have to apply for a visa and can only stay in the country for a maximum of 6 months. Always double-check visa requirements for your country:
United Kingdom FAQs
Stay Left! Drive, walk, and bike on the left.
This is likely the easiest to forget of these travel tips for the United Kingdom, but also one of the most important, especially if you’re driving. Make sure you stay to the left when driving on the roads. You’ll be in for quite the surprise if you end up on the right. It’s also important to stay to the left while walking along busy streets and train stations. But anyways, be sure to always walk on the left, especially when in congested areas. Here is a short video explaining how to drive on narrow roads in the United Kingdom.
**Top Tip – Hire a vehicle with GPS **
Youtube tutorial: Advice on Driving on the "WRONG" side of the Road in the UK & Ireland
They are usually not required if your stay in the country does not exceed 6 months. This applies to all EU citizens and non-EU member states of the EEA and OCT. However, most Asian citizens will have to apply for a visa and can only stay in the country for a maximum of 6 months.
Always double-check visa requirements for your country:UK Visas and Immigration
During the summer months of June, July and August, England, like many areas of the United Kingdom see an increase in bugs and insects. Most insect bites and stings are not serious and will get better within a few hours or days.
Bugs that bite or sting include wasps, hornets, bees, horseflies, ticks, mosquitoes, gnats, fleas, bedbugs, spiders, and midges.
In long grass in the countryside, be mindful of grass snakes and adders.
Symptoms of an insect bite or sting: Insect bites and stings will usually cause a red, swollen lump to develop on the skin. This may be painful and, in some cases, can be very itchy. The symptoms will normally improve within a few hours or days, although sometimes they can last a little longer. Some people have a mild allergic reaction and a larger area of skin around the bite or sting becomes swollen, red, and painful. This should pass within a week.
Occasionally, a severe allergic reaction can occur, causing symptoms such as breathing difficulties, dizziness, and a swollen face or mouth. This requires immediate medical treatment.
Helpful advice on how to treat a bite or sting can be found here online: Insect bites and stings
Medical treatment and advice can be found: ·
- By visiting a pharmacist in store ·
- Calling 111 in a non-medical emergency ·
- Calling 999 in an emergency
When to get medical advice :
- You're worried about a bite or sting
- Your symptoms do not start to improve within a few days or are getting worse
- You've been stung or bitten in your mouth or throat, or near your eyes
- A large area (around 10cm or more patch of skin) around the bite becomes red and swollen
- You have symptoms of a wound infection, such as pus or increasing pain, swelling or redness. You have symptoms of a more widespread infection, such as a high temperature, swollen glands and other flu-like symptoms.
- When to get emergency medical help: Dial 999 for an ambulance immediately if you or someone else has symptoms of a severe reaction, such as:
- Wheezing or difficulty breathing
- A swollen face, mouth or throat
- Feeling sick or being sick
- A fast heart rate
- Dizziness or feeling faint
- Difficulty swallowing
- Loss of consciousness
Emergency treatment in hospital is needed in these cases.
There are some simple precautions you can take to reduce your risk of being bitten or stung by insects.
It's particularly important to follow this advice if you've had a bad reaction to an insect bite or sting in the past or you're travelling to an area where there's a risk of picking up a serious illness.
Basic precautions to prevent insect bites and stings: The following measures can help you avoid insect bites and stings:
- Remain calm and move away slowly if you encounter wasps, hornets or bees -do not wave your arms around or swat at them
- Cover exposed skin – if you're outside at a time of day when insects are particularly active, such as sunrise or sunset, cover your skin by wearing long sleeves and trousers
- Wear shoes when outdoors
- Apply insect repellent to exposed skin – repellents that contain 50% DEET (diethyltoluamide) are most effective
The risk of becoming seriously ill from an insect bite or sting in the UK is small, but in some parts of the world insects can carry serious diseases such as malaria and you need to be extra careful. Always seek advice from your medical practitioner before traveling if you have any concerns.
Biting midges are small insects that abound in Scotland between May and September. July and August are generally considered to be the time when midges in Scotland are at their worst, in the average year.
The times to avoid can also depend on the weather conditions in a given year. A warm, damp spring can often see midge numbers rocket. Midges are also worse throughout the spring, summer and early autumn when the weather is humid and still. If summer is warm and wet, midges can still be bad later in the summer and into the early autumn, as subsequent generations arise.
You are far less likely to encounter severe midge problems if visiting Scotland when the weather is cloudless and dry. Higher winds (midges cannot fly in winds over 7mph) can also help to keep midges at bay.
They are at their most active in the early morning, just before dawn, and in the evening, as light levels begin to fall.
The Scottish Midge Forecast is created using data collected from biting midge traps and mini-weather stations across the country. The data collected is extended nationally using weather forecast data to give a big-picture view of midge levels throughout the season.The Scottish Midge Forecast
You should wear long sleeves and tuck your trousers into your socks, of course, in order to protect your arms and legs. You may also wear gloves to protect your hands. For the face and neck, some visitors to such areas choose to invest in a midge net, which is a mesh hood worn over the head.
In addition to covering up, many entering areas where there are midges often also choose to use some form of repellent. There are a number of different repellents that have varying degrees of efficacy when it comes to getting rid of midges and making sure that they do not bite.
If you have a train ticket or looking to check the time of a train, you can visit the trainline and check to see if there are any disruptions to mainline trains.
Just click on the link here: Status and Disruptions