Viking British Isles Cruise - Tips for others going on this cruise

[Heidi13]

2 hours ago, Auntmamie11 said:

Docking in Tilbury, what is your recommendation of things to do in the morning of our full day there.  We are taking the included tour into London but not until the afternoon, as it was the only time left to choose.  Should we skip the tour and just spend the day on our own in the city?

 

Being an industrial/port area there is nothing close to the port. Going into London for just the morning to be back for an afternoon tour is also not worth the time. You will need a taxi to the train station, then it is 40 - 50 mins to Fenchurch Street Station by Tower Hill. Note - Fenchurch St Stn has no underground station, so the walk to Tower Hill underground is about another 10 mins. 

 

If you want to do London on your own, I suggest you cancel the tour and spend the day, returning prior to all aboard. Otherwise, you may want to consider catching the adjacent small ferry over to Gravesend for the morning, which is across the river.

[sugarside]

Only public toilets in the UK that you enter via a turnstile need payment.

This is usually 50P and any denomination of coins up to that value can be used.

Toilets at tourist sites like museums,large stores,supermarkets and pubs are free.

Tip guides in Pounds.NB Scotland has different notes to the rest of the UK,Bank of Scotland rather than Bank of England.

[Squawkman]

6 hours ago, sugarside said:

Only public toilets in the UK that you enter via a turnstile need payment.

This is usually 50P and any denomination of coins up to that value can be used.

Toilets at tourist sites like museums,large stores,supermarkets and pubs are free.

Tip guides in Pounds.NB Scotland has different notes to the rest of the UK,Bank of Scotland rather than Bank of England.

Thanks for the info.

[Island2Dweller]

Using Oyster in London.  Entirely possible, it still works, it was considered revolutionary when it was introduced.  But it is now considered "old tech" and most fares are paid by contactless bank card or phone pay.  Re the comments about turning the card in at the end of your stay, you no longer get the £7 cost of oyster refunded, so it will cost you more than using card or phone.

Do NOT buy the visitor oyster in advance which costs you a lot more in non-refundable fees and has less functionality.  (But you'll see lots of slightly misleading adverts for visitor oyster, all geared around the seller making good margin out of you)  If you really want an oyster, buy on arrival, really easy.

[Island2Dweller]

I can't think of anywhere in the UK where you pay to use toilets, and even if you did they would take a card.  The UK (and especially London) has moved very rapidly away from cash, some venues in London now do not accept cash at all.

[MELSMOM47]

Is Apple Pay widely used in Britain?

[KBs mum]

14 minutes ago, MELSMOM47 said:

Is Apple Pay widely used in Britain?

Fairly, but don't rely on it

[KBs mum]

13 hours ago, sugarside said:

Only public toilets in the UK that you enter via a turnstile need payment.

This is usually 50P and any denomination of coins up to that value can be used.

Toilets at tourist sites like museums,large stores,supermarkets and pubs are free.

Tip guides in Pounds.NB Scotland has different notes to the rest of the UK,Bank of Scotland rather than Bank of England.

Bank of England notes are accepted in Scotland, Scottish and Northern Irish notes are not always accepted in England (legal tender and legal currency being different things) 

[uktog]

9 hours ago, KBs mum said:

Bank of England notes are accepted in Scotland, Scottish and Northern Irish notes are not always accepted in England (legal tender and legal currency being different things) 

Scottish notes are perfectly acceptable in England don’t confuse travellers with pedantic points. It does not help 

[sugarside]

My husband here in the UK uses Apple pay for everything when out and about.

Never been any issues, but maybe wise to check beforehand at any establishment and have alternative means of payment available.

[KBs mum]

3 hours ago, uktog said:

Scottish notes are perfectly acceptable in England don’t confuse travellers with pedantic points. It does not help 

Not everywhere accepts them, although most places do. Businesses can refuse them as payment. The pedantic point was the explanation of why

[uktog]

16 minutes ago, KBs mum said:

Not everywhere accepts them, although most places do. Businesses can refuse them as payment. The pedantic point was the explanation of why

I have travelled very very regularly between Scotland and all parts of England and Wales for over 60 years (ignoring the years I didn’t handle money) and only once in probably 10000 transactions did a small corner shopkeeper (who also did not speak good English) decline to take a Scottish note. 

So let’s not worry people travelling to the UK about technical minutiae of what might happen in the extremely unlikely event they get an uneducated sales person.
 

Bottom line notes either Bank of England, Northern Ireland or Scottish Bank issue are able to be used throughout the UK.  (Ok I will be pedantic to prove the technically is an absolute irrelevance- Scottish issued notes are not legal tender in Scotland but they’ve managed no problem for over 200 years)

Apple Pay is highly likely to be used in the vast majority of places. It’s as prevalent in the UK as the US where there are also still places you can’t use it

Edited March 5, 2023 by uktog

[KBs mum]

Perhaps I've just been unlucky to have encountered quite a few shops in various places that refused Scottish and Northern Irish notes. 

As long as the visitor is aware of the possibility, in the same way as being aware that they may encounter somewhere that doesn't accept cards, then they won't be blindsided if it happens

[CurlerRob]

3 hours ago, KBs mum said:

As long as the visitor is aware of the possibility, in the same way as being aware that they may encounter somewhere that doesn't accept cards, then they won't be blindsided if it happens

 

Yes, good input for we foreigners. We have not been frequent visitors, but stumbled on the issue ahead of time. We found it easy to use up our Scottish notes in Scotland 🍻🍷.

 

The other one that caught us out in LHR one time was the seemingly continuous "revitalization" of BoE notes from paper to plastic. We had an older £10 refused there.

 

I see that the older versions of the £20 and £50 denominations are shortly to suffer the same fate! 🍺🥌

[MELSMOM47]

Several years ago my debit card was compromised. NBD my bank took care of me but since then I only want to use an ATM inside a bank and sometimes one time had difficulty. (I think it was a Sunday) I need to be sure to plan ahead. 

[KBs mum]

31 minutes ago, CurlerRob said:

 

Yes, good input for we foreigners. We have not been frequent visitors, but stumbled on the issue ahead of time. We found it easy to use up our Scottish notes in Scotland 🍻🍷.

 

The other one that caught us out in LHR one time was the seemingly continuous "revitalization" of BoE notes from paper to plastic. We had an older £10 refused there.

 

I see that the older versions of the £20 and £50 denominations are shortly to suffer the same fate! 🍺🥌

Only polymer notes are 'valid' now. Any bank of England note can be exchanged for the latest issue at the Bank of England at Threadneedle Street, or by post. There is a lengthy spell when both versions are in circulation and the old ones gradually removed from circulation as they are spent and paid in to banks. Bank notes from any UK issuer change every few years (not sure of the exact timings) 

 

Polymer notes are the ones with the clear windows. The change from Queen Elizabeth to King Charles makes no difference to this procedure, there will be the same design of note or coin in circulation but with a different monarch on. Before decimalisation there were around 5 differnt monarchs on some denominations of coins

 

[Twitchly]

We used credit cards and Apple Pay for everything last fall. The only time we used physical currency was when tipping tour guides. 

[Jim Avery]

I also learned the hard way several years ago.  Having English family and traveling regularly to the UK I would always bring home some Sterling so I would have some to start the next trip.  Don't remember the exact year when it happened but I showed up with about 300 pounds that no one would take.  What really was a shock was that no bank would take USD and convert.  The money change biz had been turned over to the Post Office or private exchange shops, like in Marks & Sparks.  Sad when your country's currency is considered evil.  We aren't all drug kingpins.🥸

[KBs mum]

1 hour ago, Jim Avery said:

I also learned the hard way several years ago.  Having English family and traveling regularly to the UK I would always bring home some Sterling so I would have some to start the next trip.  Don't remember the exact year when it happened but I showed up with about 300 pounds that no one would take.  What really was a shock was that no bank would take USD and convert.  The money change biz had been turned over to the Post Office or private exchange shops, like in Marks & Sparks.  Sad when your country's currency is considered evil.  We aren't all drug kingpins.🥸

UK banks stopped converting currency many years ago, a currency conversion account with an international bank is now needed. If another currency is needed in advance a bureau de change in a high street or supermarket is the usual way of getting it, or converting unused cash back when returning. Usually costs less than bank exchange rates + account fees

[MELSMOM47]

How is the transportation from the port into Dublin?

[TERRIER1]

On 3/5/2023 at 4:23 PM, KBs mum said:

UK banks stopped converting currency many years ago, a currency conversion account with an international bank is now needed. If another currency is needed in advance a bureau de change in a high street or supermarket is the usual way of getting it, or converting unused cash back when returning. Usually costs less than bank exchange rates + account fees

I am somewhat confused. I will be going to Scotland in 2024. I normally get foreign currency at my bank in the U.S. before I leave to have some on hand. Do I ask my bank for Sterling? Or should I wait and get local currency at the airport in Edinburgh? Will the ATM provide Sterling or Scottish notes? Sorry if I sound befuddled.

[Nippy Sweetie]

It really doesn't matter. It's all UK currency 

[DGHOC]

I think the waters have been muddied! They are used and accepted in the UK, please don't worry at all.

[KBs mum]

2 hours ago, TERRIER1 said:

I am somewhat confused. I will be going to Scotland in 2024. I normally get foreign currency at my bank in the U.S. before I leave to have some on hand. Do I ask my bank for Sterling? Or should I wait and get local currency at the airport in Edinburgh? Will the ATM provide Sterling or Scottish notes? Sorry if I sound befuddled.

Sterling is the UK currency. Scottish notes are issued in British pound (sterling) amounts. An ATM in Scotland will probably issue Scottish notes but sometimes you get a mix. 

Ask for sterling if getting currency from your bank in the US

[Heidi13]

5 hours ago, TERRIER1 said:

I am somewhat confused. I will be going to Scotland in 2024. I normally get foreign currency at my bank in the U.S. before I leave to have some on hand. Do I ask my bank for Sterling? Or should I wait and get local currency at the airport in Edinburgh? Will the ATM provide Sterling or Scottish notes? Sorry if I sound befuddled.

 

I have brought Scottish notes back to Canada inadvertently a couple of times and our banks will not accept them. I'll suggest the US banks are similar, probably only accepting Bank of England notes. Therefore, if you request "Pounds and/or Sterling", your US bank will most likely provide you with Bank of England notes.

 

As others noted, no need to worry, as Bank of England notes and any of the multiple bank issued notes in Scotland can be used anywhere that accepts cash.