Read on for some helpful travel tips about American relocation, or travel to, the U.K.!

So maybe it’s just me, but I have found the below topics a little challenging as an American in my relocation to the U.K.! Travel and/or relocation to the U.K. can be made easier if you know a few things beforehand!

As an American living in the U.K. (Enlgand) every time I’m asked for my date of birth, or any date for that matter, whether it’s in casual conversation, or maybe at a bank, the doctors office , etc. I have to stop and think before I speak or write!

Let’s say someone asks you your date of birth, an American would naturally say something like September 8th, 1989 (nope, not my date of birth!). If you say it that way here in the U.K., watch the baffled looks on the faces of the Brits. They would say it as “8th of September 1989” or “the 8th of the 9th month”.

Maybe you’re writing your date of birth on a document. As an American, you’d write “09/08/1989” (dd/mm/yyyy). But…here in the U.K. you would need to write it as 08/09/1989 (mm/dd/yyyy)! Not a big deal? How about you buy some packaged cheese or meat from the grocery store, and a few days later you’re cleaning out the fridge and check all of the expiration dates (expiry). You look at a package and think, “Hey, that’s cool! This package of lunch meat is good until November 4!”, (11/4), but in reality it will have passed its date on April 11th!

On a more serious note, let’s say you’re filling out some important paperwork, maybe for your new U.K. license, or on a medical form, and you fill in your date of birth as 10/03/1989 (October 3, 1989 in the American world, mm/dd/yyyy), but in the U.K. world your date of birth has now become March 10th (dd/mm/yyyy)! Pay special attention when you’re using your date of birth as an answer to a security or identification validation! Make sure you use the correct format on both sides of the pond, the American format and U.K. format is only subtly different, but getting the date incorrect on important forms or travel documents could have serious consequences in your relocation or travel endeavor.

Another example below concerns the American vs. U.K. calendars. Have a look at the possible impacts on your relocation or travel plans.

Take a look at a your American calendar. Yank weeks on a calendar start on Sunday and run through the week until Saturday ~

Now, have a look at a U.K. calendar! The week here starts on Monday and runs through the week until Sunday!

Again, not a big deal you say? I’ve made many online reservations here in the U.K., for a meeting, a dinner out, or even a vacation (holiday), and booked the wrong date from the dropdown menu! Or, I take a quick glance at my calendar for upcoming events and then have to take a quick double glance!

One last point for discussion in this post….

What time is it the party? When are we meeting? What time is my appointment? What time does my flight leave? Well, in your relocation or travel to the U.K. as an American (or from any where else in the world!, you’ll need to pay special attention to the way of telling time across the pond!

Yes, the “24 hour clock” method of telling time is quite prevalent here in the U.K. Americans generally refer to the 24 hour clock method as “military time”, because mostly it is only the military who tell time using the 24 hour clock method. In the states, we use the 12 hour clock, with A.M. and P.M. as the differentiator.

But, in the U.K. 8:00 PM becomes 20:00 in Brit speak, 2:00 PM becomes 14:00, 11:00 PM becomes 23:00! When speaking the time, here in the U.K. you would say I went to bed at 23 hundred last night! Or if you check your flight times, your flight will be leaving at 21:00 (twenty one hundred hours), 9:00 PM in Yank speak.

A little hint, if you are not accustom to the 24 hour clock:

A new day starts at midnight Yank time. That would be 00:00 using the 24 hour clock, Every hour after “00:00” is simply counting. So, 1:00 AM is still 01:00, 2:00 AM is still 02:00. The change comes when you hit 12:00 noon. Then 1:00 PM becomes 13:00, 2:00 PM becomes 14:00, and so on. I’ve become pretty good at the conversion. Of course it is just simple math, but getting used to it took a little time!!!

Sound fairly easy?? Try keeping track of the time in the U.K., using the 24 hour clock, then convert it to the American 12 hour clock. Now, calculate the time difference across the pond so you can tell your niece what time to pick you up at the airport!!! Your travel could start off on a disastrous note if you don’t get it right!

As I’ve said in my prior travel posts, nothing is “un-doable” or “un-learnable” as an American with relocation or travel to the U.K.! Just keep your sense of humor, have a few laughs, create your own travel tips, and travel on!

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