Recently I’ve just completed a trip outside of United States. I am not a world traveler and I learned a few hard lessons that I would like to share with you. Here are the top ten suggestions I’d like offer to make your overseas travel a more smooth experience than mine was. I have written them from my perspective which is that of an American traveling to other countries. It is also worthy of note that I travel and thus write from the “coach” perspective as I have never traveled “first class” and so can not comment on that experience.

If you request a kosher meal you will probably be served before the other passengers. This may get you some grudging looks from the other passengers but at least it will give you time to actually eat something before the flight attendant comes back to take your tray. In addition some airlines offer a children’s menu.

This is good to know just in case your son or daughter isn’t a great fan of steam leeks. It is a lesson I wish I had in advance and it particularly sinks in when the child in the next seat over is munching on chicken tenders rather than the aforementioned creamed leeks on your child’s tray (sorry girls).

If you are not used to driving on the left hand side of the road, driving a car in the UK can be intimidating. Most large cities in the UK have extensive public transport., and in city centers, parking is usually difficult and expensive, particularly in London. However, if you are travelling to countryside or remote areas, hiring car is essential. Speed limits are 30 mph in urban areas, 60 mph on roads away from built-up areas and 70 mph on motorways. In the UK traffic drives on the left-hand side of the road. Full/cir/information can be found in The Highway Code, available in most bookshops and newsagents.

The two largest Coach companies National Express and Caledonian Express cover most places in the country. Most couches are very confortable, equipped with washrooms, videos and you can have a hot tea or coffee. Britexpress Card and Tourist Trail Pass are available to oversea visitors. The Britexpress card costs £12 and gives 30% discount for any journeys with 30 days. The Tourist Trail Pass allows unlimited travel for 5-30 days in the UK. Victoria Coach Station (164 Buckingham Palace Road, SW1) is the main coach terminus in London for services to and from all parts of the UK and the Contiential Europe.

Within the UK, railway travel is an excellent way to explore the country. Special rail passes are available to visitors for unlimited rail travel within the UK (or within the Europe) for specific periods, and they offer excellent value for money. Rail passes must be purchased before you arrive in the Uk and can be obtained from travel agents and British Rail overseas offices.

Finding a telephone box used to be an easy task - just look for those eye-catching red call telephone boxes. Sadly, the tradional telephone boxes are disappearing (a very collectable item). The biggest two telephone companies are BT and Mercury. The minimum charge at phone boxes is 10 pence (50 pence for credit card call). Phonecards are also available in most newsagents and corner shops.

When Henry VIII set up King's mail in 1516, it was exclusively for his own use for mail in and out of London. By 1635, the Royal Mail started also to provide postal services for the public. Stamps can be bought at post offices and most newsagents. Postages are 26p to EU countries and 43p to the rest of the world. Post offices open 9am-5:30pm Mon-Fri and 9am-12:30pm Sat. Check Royal Mail web site for full details of the postal services.