Tipping
Very rare, unless you want to tip your top hat
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Welcome to The United Kingdom!
Royalty lives in the United Kingdom. Literally and Figuratively. This country brings the beauty of the middle ages to a modern skyline – just be careful not to get The Shard in your (London) Eye… From drinking in English pubs to traversing the castles of Scotland, your trip to the UK will enchant you.
ATM access
5/5 stars – There’s no anarchy in the UK, but there are a lot of ATMs. Most banks feature the stocky machines and you can also find them in shops and subway stations.
Phone and Internet access
Wi-Fi is abundant, especially in the city centres
Daily cost
The sights are rich, but things are quite cheap (outside of London).
Coffee: NZ$4.75 (regular cappuccino)
Water: NZ$1.15 (330mL bottle)
Beer: NZ$7.60 (pint in a pub)
Food: NZ$9.10 (fish ‘n’ chips)
Taxi: NZ$135.30 (Heathrow to London)
Big Mac: NZ$5.70 (the Colonial cuisine)
Daily budget
Budget: Around NZ$90/day (2x cheap meals, some crisps from the supermarket, train ticket )
Moderate: Around NZ$165/day (2x cheap meals, supermarket snacks, train ticket and entry to the London Eye)
Luxury: Around NZ$220/day (2x restaurant meals, supermarket snacks and a Harry Potter studio tour)
Safety rating
4/5 stars - The UK is quite a safe place for you and your travel money. Just be wary of small roads with fast cars and the cunning Artful Dodger.
Travel Money Trivia
Notable notes
£100 million notes exist. Perfect to buy that furniture on Antiques Roadshow.
Prime polymer
Paper notes are gradually swapping to polymer plastic. Forgeries ahead
Forgeries ahead
Counterfeit notes produced in WWII attempted to cripple the British economy.
Castle currency
The pound currency is so old that it was used by knights.
Seen the Queen?
The Bank of England has printed notes featuring Queen Elizabeth II for 60 years.
Let's talk money
The British Sterling was introduced over a thousand years ago to represent a pound (weight) of silver. From ye olde leather money sacks to the crisp wallets of 65 million people, the currency now consists of pounds and pence. The coins include: 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p, 50p, £1 and £2. And the notes include £5, £10 and £20.
- The 50p coin is a pentagon. But why…?
- ‘Spend-a-penny’ means ‘need to pee’
- Scoring a train pass early will save you heaps
- Careful, as some restaurants include a service fee
- Pennies melt at 1,085°C (it’s just illegal to try)
- Don’t use too many coins at once
- A Travel Money Oz Currency Pass can swipe you onto London tubes
Must do
London Eye
Take a peek at London’s peaking horizon. You’ll get to see the Palace of Westminster, Big Ben and more.
The Giant’s Causeway
Marvel at the engineering genius of Fionn the giant, who built the causeway. (Well, that’s the legend).
Reading and Leeds Festivals
Choose between the county town or city stage and jam to the best rockers in the world.
Mountain biking
Take two wheels to the stunning wilderness of Wales and follow the famous mountain bike trails.
Castle hopping
From finely decorated castles in England to rustic ruins in Scotland, these castles are a gateway to grand history.
Get the best deal on your foreign exchange today & take off with more spending money. Order online 24/7 or visit one of our stores nationwide.
Travel Money NZ has sought to ensure that the information is true and correct at the time of publication. Prices, details and services are subject to change without notice, and Travel Money NZ accepts no responsibility or liability for any such changes, including any loss resulting from any action taken or reliance made by you on any information provided. Daily Cost: All prices are approximations. Your costs may differ depending on where you go, where you shop, and their individual factors. Daily Budget: Costs are estimated per person and do not include accommodation.