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Recently, I got the opportunity to travel to England to perform. It was my first time traveling outside of the United States. The shows went great, and I learned a lot. This month, I thought I would share a bit of the experience and a few tips to help anyone that might be heading across the pond.
1. Passport: If you don’t have one, apply for it. The process normally takes 6-8 weeks for approval, but can take up to 12 weeks or more. Don’t put it off. Just go do it. You can get information at http://www.usps.com/passport/ There are many options for getting a passport photo, but the approval process is very specific about the photo. I say don’t risk it and spend the extra $6 to have the photo done at the U.S. Post Office where you file the passport application. It’s quick and painless and the photo will pass the first time. Smile pretty! You may also need a work permit. Make sure you apply for this in time as well.
2. Instruments: I was able to borrow a guitar and amplifier from a friend, but if you need to take a guitar, I recommend using a hard shell case, detuning about a step to take the tension off the neck, and although you can try to carry on the guitar, at least Gate Check it which is loading it as you board the plane. I don’t like to counter check my guitar. As for amplifiers, if you have the budget to ship it ahead of time, that’s one thing. Otherwise, just arrange for backline to be provided.
3. Electricity: It’s different. Check your small electronic devices (cell phones, iPod’s, etc.) to see if they have both 110v and 220v listed. If they do, then you can buy a simple plug adapter set ($15-$35). But if you’re using larger devices (laptops, guitar effects pedals) that do not take both, you will need to by a power converter. Check with your computer manufacturer if you have questions.
4. Airport: Give yourself plenty of time. Usually, flying out of the US, I arrive 2 hours before, but at Heathro in London, you should allow for more time. We had a 6:30am flight out of Heathro to come home and the day before the clerk at the ticket counter told us 2 hours. We barely made it. The airport was so full that we waited in line to check in for almost 1 ½ hours alone. Then it took another 30-40 minutes waiting in line for security. Besides, it’s 3 in the morning, what else do you have to do?
When you go through Customs, be polite and have your paperwork ready. You’ll be asked to fill out a small form on the plane as you land. Hand that and your passport to the Customs Agent. They’ll ask you how long you’ll be in the country and stamp your passport. The last thing you want is to get held up in customs so don’t give them any reason to hold you up.
5. Jet Lag: Sleep! If you can sleep on the plane, do it. It’s an 8 hour flight from Chicago to London. I don’t condone any specific method, but I take Melatonin which you can get in your vitamin section at the grocery story or pharmacy. England is 6 hours ahead of Nashville. Doesn’t seem like a lot, but when you realize that you land in London at 8 am and your body still thinks it’s 2 am, you’re going to be tired. Sleep when you can sleep to get on the local time. The second to last thing you want is to get sick because you’re worn down. And like your momma always says, wash your hands.
6. Food: I love trying new foods. The food in England is good, but it’s just a little different. If all else fails, you can hit McDonald’s, although the idea that all Americans love McDonald’s is funny, too. If you’re up for it, you should try a bacon or sausage roll. These are pastries you can have for breakfast with “brown sauce” which is like A1 Sauce. If you’re going to England, you have to eat real fish ‘n chips “in the paper” with sea salt and malt vinegar (Don’t ask for mayo for your chips…that’s more of a European thing, not an English thing). And “Yorkshire” (Yorkshire Pudding) is basically a bread bowl that you pour gravy over. Steak and Ale Pie is pretty darn good – think pot pie with steak instead of chicken. No one offered us black pudding (blood pudding) thank goodness. One interesting thing was being offered baked beans for breakfast.
7. Currency: England uses the British Pound and not the Euro. The current exchange rate is around $2 US dollars = 1£ British Pound. BUT if you plan on exchanging cash, be aware of the commissions! You will find places at the airport that say “no fees”, but that doesn’t mean they don’t charge a commission.
I exchanged $300 in Chicago so I would have cash when we landed, and I got 130£. That’s NOT 2:1 by any means…I basically lost 20 pounds (40 dollars) in the exchange. I recommend using a credit card or debit card where you can. Not all stores take them in the smaller towns, but you can find an ATM (called a “hole in the wall”) and withdraw cash without additional commission. Just make sure you call your bank and take any steps ahead of time in case they need to authorize your debit card for foreign exchange/purchases. One guy in our band spent 10 days in England without any money because his debit card would not work. One really cool thing is tax is already figured in the price of everything. Unlike in the US, if you see 3.75, and you have 3.76 in your pocket, you can buy it.
8. Phone: Buy a reloadable phone card before you leave the airport. I didn’t, and there was nowhere to buy one, period. If you’re taking a laptop and have internet, you can use a service like Skype as well to make low cost calls. Because I hadn’t purchased a phone card, I stopped at a “Welcome Break” (a rest area) and used a pay phone (yes, they really do still have them in England). I just wanted to let my wife know we had landed. I called “collect” and spoke to her and my kids for 5 minutes only. When I got home from the trip and the phone bill came, that call cost me over $30. For local calls, I borrowed a UK cell phone from a friend so at least I could call in England, but couldn’t use my US cell phone at all the whole trip.
9. Transportation: You cannot just walk into Enterprise and rent a car. They drive on the wrong side of the road, or we do, depending if you ask them. So I’m assuming you have a driver, a friend to haul you around, or you’ve made arrangements to get insurance and an English driver’s license. What I recommend is taking a shuttle or train from the airport. Regarding the train – you have to book things in advance. The closer you wait to the day of travel, the more expensive it is. For example, we stayed in Norwich on the east coast. We booked a train to take us to London at the end of the tour. We got the tickets for 12£ each. When we thought about changing our plans and looked at the same tickets just 2 days prior to when we would travel, the cost was 48£ each. The same applies for some hotels, the cost is higher if you book it last minute. But once you’re in London, use the Underground (subway). You can buy a full day unlimited pass for 7£. The Underground is actually easy to navigate. Each line is marked and maps are everywhere showing where the connections are. Just remember to “Mind the Gap” (inside joke, you’ll understand once you get there).
10. Audience: We didn’t play in London on this tour. We were playing country music in the “countryside”: Norwich, Suffolk, Lancashire. The venues varied from theatres to civic centers to an all-out US style honky tonk, but the one thing about all of them was the fans were great. They love country music. The audiences were incredible and very attentive. Even when they were dancing at the honky tonk, they weren’t talking while we were playing and we didn’t have to fight for their attention.
Above all else, have fun and leave time to be a tourist. We stayed a couple extra days so we could sight see around London, and it was great! Seeing buildings that are 1000 years old, made of stone, and as intricate as some of them are, is just amazing. We toured Westminster Abbey, watched the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace, took the picture of each other with Big Ben in the background….the stuff you just have to do.
Save up some cash before hand and just enjoy yourself!
See you soon around the ‘Row or on the Road!
Eddie
