Mistakes American Tourist Make in England 

You don't have to tip at all, especially in pubs and never when ordering drinks.

Americans, please use your "inside voice". Halve your volume, or even lower. Thank you and have fun! 🙂

As an American, I'll add something else, whether traveling in the UK or France, Japan, Fiji, Australia, Canada, etc, etc.: *Politeness* . Saying "please," "thank you," "you''re welcome," and "may I have...?" will *always* set you apart in a positive way from those who say "yeah," "mm-hmm," and "gimme." Our lax (I think too lax) norms of politeness at home tend to not fly abroad, so keep that in mind.

Jump a queue at a Bar, and often the barperson will completely ignore you until there is no queue.

I like that you mentioned the National Trust, its honestly a fantastic way to experience what most tourists probably think of when they think of the UK.

1:07 You can live in a stately manner if you live in a stately manor, but you cannot visit a stately manner, only a stately manor. However, you can visit a stately manor in a stately manner if you are posh enough.

Tipping? When I lived in London I never tipped nor felt any obligation to.

Respect the guards in London they are soldiers and deserve respect

Sorry, but you're wrong about tipping. I've lived in the UK my whole life(nearly 50) and you are absolute not expected to tip anywhere other than entering national museums. Places that attract tourists often put out tip jars but its not really the same thing.

How lovely to see you in my home city of Chester. But regarding tipping, we only tip if we think we’ve had above average service. Tips aren’t expected

DRINKS: UK Beer = USA Ale UK Lager = USA Beer UK Cider = USA Strong Cider (alcoholic!) UK tap water = USA Bottled water (Still) We don't have an equivalent to USA tap water as we can drink from the tap without fear of death.

What most Americans think of as a beer is what we call "lager". And it is served cold!

Your video just popped up on my recommended and as an Englishman (Norwich!) your tips and tricks seem absolutely spot on. Great video mate - you’re super knowledgeable about the UK and I love your passion for our country! Cheers!

one thing us Canadians inherited from the British, queue culture, we definitely respect the line here too.

Another tip when visiting the UK, make sure you see some local theatre, there's a whole plethora of shows for a very reasonable price all across the UK, particularly in the cities. A great way of supporting the arts and you don't have to spend a fortune as you would in the West End!

Liverpool, York and Chester? Brilliant choices!

Politeness is the passport to having a relaxed and enjoyable time in the UK. Imagine the politeness factor in somewhere like South Carolina, then turn the dial up a few notches. If you are polite then even the police will go out of their way to help, if you are brusque or entitled then the response will be full-on bureaucracy.

As a Brit, I will share two mistakes I have personally seen Americans make when visiting here. 1. In our cinemas, you stay quiet & watch the movie. You do not shout, cheer, boo & throw popcorn at the screen. You WILL be removed from the premises, both for the people who want to watch the movie in peace & for your own safety. In fact a good rule... don't be so loud in general. 2. Ok so this one I have unfortunately encountered on multiple occasions. When not getting your own way, do not, under any circumstances ever, proclaim in a loud voice... "ERM... I AM AMERICAN", in a defiant tone as though it grants you some kind of special recognition or treatment. that statement will NOT be received the way you want it to be & your best case scenario is that the people you say it to will laugh at you for it. Most of us have absolutely nothing against you for being American but stating it like it's somehow going to change our laws or entitle you to special privileges will definitely not have the effect some of you seem to think it will.

As a Londoner I totally agree that London does not represent the rest of England at all. Enjoy your trip.

Nope, you absolutely dont tip in England. It's entirely optional. US is the only place where it's "expected" because of your insanely low restaurant salary.

Scouser here, great video but tipping really isn't a thing. You won't be thought any less of if you don't

A huge one I would say as a dual citizen of the US & UK, is Americans; remember to say please and thank you literally every time you ask for or receive something. No exceptions. This is not all Americans by any means, but I’ve noticed particularly that American travellers from large cities such as New York and LA omit these words from their vocabulary almost entirely. In NYC it’s absolutely fine to just walk into a bar and say “I’ll have a beer” and that’s it and no one bats an eye lid. You wouldn’t necessarily get a reaction if you said that in the UK, but automatically everyone within earshot will have noticed that and have you marked down in their estimations. “I’ll take a pint of (insert beer of choice here) please.” And then “thanks” or “cheers” when that Amber goodness is handed over. Very easy, minimum effort, trick to not get people looking down their noses at you.

Tippings optional and not all places ask for a tip on the receipt

Our countryside is our best asset. Visit the ancient towns. And yes, London is essentially a different country to England.

I don't know why you had to sign up with 4 or 5 different train companies. Tickets for all operators can usually be purchased from 1 site.

Another tip if you're travelling to the UK: lots of historic towns are not big at all - often you can get a good flavour of a town in literally a day or two. Particularly in the North there are LOADS of great towns and cities to visit: Durham, York, and Lancaster are great examples - they're small but full of culture and history, easily digestible in a day or two as a traveller. You could spend two weeks touring the North of England/Scotland and see some amazing sights and never stay in the same place for more than two days.

Respect the country and it's traditions. Respect the King's Guards and horses.

A big bit of advice I'd give to you as an American, which is advice that British people need too; don't neglect regional foods. Everyone knows about the big ones (and there's nothing wrong with them) but most regions will have unique local cuisine too. It's also good to remember that a lot of British food culture is based on getting the highest quality ingredients possible and cooking them simply, which means sometimes the best option is to buy some ingredients yourself and make a simple stew or roast. Unfortunately a lot of regional food is difficult to find these days as most people here now live on pasta and chicken nuggets instead of British food, but you can still find it at specialty shops, especially local farm shops that are normally a way out of town.

The 3 lions song 'it's coming home' is a song of hope, not of arrogance FYI.

Mancunian (Manchester native) here, what a lovely guy! I love your enthusiasm towards England. Non-London parts of the country are definitely underrated. Happy travels mate, thanks for this fantastic video. Subscribed.

You don’t have to tip at any restaurants here. I remember when I was 17 working at a pub, I served a family from the US and the dad looked so confused after I told him you don’t have to tip me for doing my job 😂 They won’t get offended if you don’t tip either as they’re paid a salary. But by all means if you feel the service you received warrants a tip then you can leave one if you want too. 🇺🇸🇬🇧

I'm 17 seconds into this video and I would like to show my appreciation for you using the English flag and not the Union Jack when talking about England. Small detail, but this makes me happy.

A rain poncho 😂 nothing says 'American Tourist' in the UK more !

You mentioned the National Trust, but don't miss out on Historic Houses or English/Scottish/Welsh Heritage memberships as well. Historic houses include many of the privately owned houses and in general tend to be less manicured and sterile than the National trust ones. English Heritage tends to have mostly ruins, but if you like Castles can be worth having.

Hello! I’ve lived in London my whole life and have been to so many parts of England - this is so accurate! Great representation of our beautiful country ❤️🤍💙

I cant imagine drinkng beer ice cold honestly.

Ales in pubs are typically kept in cellars, which are considerably cooler than room temperature. They’re just not chilled like a lager. No need to tip that much either. Just round it up to the nearest fiver, and that’s only when you’ve had a sit down meal. Definitely use your manners, or you may find yourself waiting!

As a born and bred guy from and living the UK I find your videos on these isles to be so authentic and true. You're definitely an honorary local. This makes me trust all your other videos on all the other wonderful places you've been.

if you are on the escalator on the tube (underground) please stand on the right hand side. (especially if youre just going to stand there like a lemon 🍋).

I go to the UK all the time. I love London. I found a good place to stay on the strand near Covent Garden that was very reasonable. Going back again in July. Yorkshire is wonderful too. I loved walking all around Sutton Bank and taking a train to Whitby .

Also just to add, check open days. Even we Brits can get caught out! Some places like a stately home may be closed (especially Mondays). Hairdressers usually close on Monday too. Some smaller towns have what we call “Half Day closing”, usually a Wednesday. So you’ll find quite a few shops are only open for the morning, close at noon or 1pm. Not as common as when I was growing up, but it still happens in some places.

You can buy train tickets from any of the companies, not just the one you are travelling on. So probably very little need to sign up for four different websites.

Many American tourists visiting London want to see Westminster Abbey but ask for directions to Westminster Cathedral (which does exist but is some distance from the Abbey). The Cathedral is well worth a tour but gaining a basic knowledge of what one wishes to achieve during the visit does not go amiss. Guidebooks are worth actually reading. 🙂

Also 'please' and 'thank you' with all serving staff goes a long way.

Many of our villages have great hidden attractions and history. I grew up in Edwinstowe, a village next to Sherwood Forest most famous for the legend of Robin Hood. They also have medieval festival weeks where they have reenactments of old battles and how they would have lived. I would add a mistake I’ve noticed is being too loud. We’re generally reserved and will typically talk loud enough to have our own conversations. Having loud conversations which take over the room will be considered rude. Great video!

Brit here, you can spend weeks exploring the North, we have loads of castles and beaches that are so underrated. I spent 4 days in London 8 years ago and not wanted to go back, maybe on your first trip to England, but you can have a wonderful trip avoiding London entirely! Agreed with the queueing comment, we get very annoyed but we won't ever say to your face we will just tut and glare 😂 if you're getting rhe train around I recommend splitting the ticket, it will be cheaper most of the time. Great tip about national trust membership, English heritage is good as well, see where you are going and pick. Also it's raining the most I've ever seen this week, lots of puddles! Bring waterproof shoes😅 enjoy your trips! I used to live in York and I love seeing you there, very good city to visit!

I'm from England and love your programmes but would just like to add that you do not need to tip in the U.K, its a nice gesture and always grateful but no restaurant or pub expects it and you will not be looked down on for not tipping. Would like to add that if you do tip ensure you give it with cash to whoever served you or pop it in a tip jar, this ensures that the frontline workers get it. DO NOT TIP USING YOUR CARD, noticed some new places have started offering this option when paying this way. The frontline workers will unlikely recieve these so called 'tips'. And theres no % limit, £1 in a tip jar is fine, or just tell them to "keep the change", for example if your pint cost £3.50 and you pay using £5 they will keep the £1.50 as a tip.

If you do decide to drive in England, you should know that rush hour begins at 1430 and finishes at 1800

To explain the time with "half seven" (or any number). It's short for "half an hour past seven" (or any number). We also say "quarter past" and "quarter to" which is also short for "quarter of an hour past" or "quarter of an hour until". I hope I explained this in an understandable way

Queuing is huge in England. If you push in people will not be happy. You also don't need to tip in most places.

Yep. As an Englishman who loves the rain, it doesn't rain ENOUGH for me!

Ale is beer! Beer tends to be bitter, stout etc. What you refer to as beer would be called lager over here. Real or cask ale is naturally brewed beer that is pulled from a hand pump by vacuum and not forced through with CO2. Also, particularly for Americans, cider over here is what you call hard cider, and perry is the equivalent of cider (made with apples) but made from peach. Apple juice is probably the closest to what you call ordinary cider. Beer is also not served at room temperature (total myth) as the barrels are stored in a proper cellar, which chills the beer. BTW it's not "manner" house but "manor" house (usually refers to an estate house owned by the nobility, but comes from a latin word for "remain").

Be overprepared for rain & cold wind, even in summer. Be prepared for places NOT to accept American express. Be prepared to NOT get an Automatic car with rentals. Be prepared for NOT having elevators in some hotels. Be prepared to walk A LOT, as parking is generally a pain. Be prepared for slow but professional service. And, do NOT tip it's not needed and you won't be judged at all 😅 , and oh, if you are at a pub with new friends, make sure you get a "round" of drinks for them. They will get the next. You don't even have to ask. Finally, be prepared for pubs to close at 11pm, with last food orders at 10.30 max.

Thank you for the channel!

I run a tour company in York, and our American visitors are without doubt the friendliest, fun and interested people we take round, always happy to chat and fascinated in all the history.

8:55 not a Londoner but a Brit and I can confirm! I live about an hour and a half from London and I’ve never driven through neither have either of my parents, I always use the trains to get to and from and around London (and the amazing black taxis if I have luggage) which are excellent but if you want to get around outside of London you can do it by public transport but for a lot of places it is way easier by car.

Another mistake to add on is do not assume that everyone likes football because as an English man who is sports mad I hate football.

Thank you for highlighting our national parks and National Trust properties. They truely are the best parts of the UK.

Very informative and well presented video.Thank you

My mum sold the mounted horns to the owners of the inn in Chester that you stayed at, must have been over 10 years ago now, back when she sold antiques. They threw in a nights stay with the deal. she still swears to this day that she saw a ghost that night. Crazy to see the horns again here!

I agree with everything apart from the tipping i was and raised in england and we only tip if the service and food was exceptional but in general we rarely tip and people that work in hospitality will not expect to receive a tip.

Tipping is not expected in the UK. It is becoming more of a thing, but it's not like the US/Canada where not tipping will cause offence. Many (perhaps even most) people do not tip at all.

Been watching your channel for a while now, and seeing you visit my birthtown was really humbling as i've not been there for years. I'm currently preparing for my first ever trip abroad to Erie, PA next week! I'm so excited and will be rewatching your videos on the plane in preparation! Keep up the amazing work!

That was super informative !!! Well done :)

I was recently on a train travelling between Edinburgh and London Kings Cross and asked the customer host with the food trolley if I could have a white coffee (in the uk that's what we call a coffee with milk in) and these 4 americans looked over at me shocked that I would dare ask for a white coffee thinking it was some derogatory term. The customer host had to explain to them what a white coffee was in the UK......

Half seven stands for half an hour past 7, this explains it better I think. Thx

You are absolutely spot on mate. Great advice. I love how enthusiastic you are about our country. Cheers mate.

Great videos mate, and from my hometown of Chester, hope you enjoyed your stay.

Nice video, thanks! Glad you enjoy getting out and about, past the normal London-centric approach. The “half seven” thing has also caused much confusion in my experience too! I think to explain that “half seven” is an abbreviation oh “half PAST seven” helps (ie half of one hour after seven o’clock, 30 mins). It’s always great as an English person to have these weird little discombobulating semantic quirks of the UK pointed out, as we are so accustomed we can’t spot them. Totally get that it’s a strange old linguistic island 😂 I’m sure a few other noticed it too, but it is “Manor House” not “Manner”.

I'd add another one with regards to pub culture, as I think you get four kinds of pubs here and you don't want to accidentally go into one kind when you intended to go into another: 1) the chill place with a lot of local history - it's the pride of the town or local area, and is there primarily as a social spot and not necessarily as anywhere to get 'pub food'/roast dinners etc 2) the place that does 'pub food'/roast dinners - the majority of whom are gastro-pubs, the place is super done up, the chairs are uncomfortable, a roast dinner will set you back at least £20 plus tips and a pint at least £7 plus tips 3) the place with the cheapest drinks! however it's the sort of place that you can't actually see into from the street, the place would otherwise look boarded up or abandoned, Union Jacks fly high, the loos have "worst toilet in Scotland" vibes, and if it's your first time walking in you will literally have the needle scratch moment as everyone looks at you with high suspicion 4) Wetherspoons

I kept getting recommended this randomly so decided to watch & wanted to say great video! Hope you had a lovely time visiting England, seem like a nice bloke! :)

Beer is a general term for lager or ale. What you're referencing is lager, ale is different. Weirdly, in the north of England ale is seen as a woman's drink as men drink bitter. In the south, Real Ale is a thing with all of the local men.

Solid list, I'd add just a couple of things: 1) Driving: Americans will probably want to request an automatic car when hiring, as we tend to be manual ("stick") by default. 2) Food: pies are a criminally-underrated traditional food, especially in the north

Don’t say ‘soccer’…..

On the ordering food. Just check before sitting down. There are plenty of pubs that will take your order directly from your table. Some do table service some don't. Just check beforehand.

As an Englishman I can say that this is all pretty accurate and good advice. I personally do tip in restaurants, but nowhere else. I tend to tip about 10% for good service. If service is poor then don’t, and if the server doesn’t give you the option then don’t force it! Nobody will chase you down the street for not tipping like happened to a relative of mine in the US! Here are a few other tips. When driving, there is no turn on red anywhere. Most petrol pumps do not require pre-authorisation, and do not ask for a postal code if they have pay-at-pump. This always catches me out when travelling in the US as it asks for a Zip code that I don’t have! When using the London Underground you can use Apple Pay or Google pay at the entry and exit barriers. Simply hold your phone on the contactless pad. If you visit Chester like this gentleman, then the zoo is worth a visit as it is one of the best in the world. The only one I’ve been to as good was in San Diego.

Good to see you in Liverpool Wolter. Love you mate

One thing you need to know as an American tourist is that the word "Math" means "snake" in British English. When you say that word, we must by law remind you of what one sounds like.

Your videos are always good and informative.

As a Brit, most of this advice is right. Everyone in England hates traveling to and around London, it's nothing like anywhere else in the UK, definitely see places out of London if you can!

The football shirt tip is a good one, some pubs won't allow you in wearing one.

Look out for garden centres , they very many have restaurants and cafes and the food is often good quality and well priced. Garden centres in the UK are different to the US, they are very often like department stores and sell high end products and organic produce.

Okay...I'm british (Scottish living in England) I need to correct you on a few items. 1. Trains - get a railcard, but there's no reason to use 4/5 different companies. Go onto a site called "trainline", enter your place of origin and your destination and pay, and it will download your ticket onto your phone digitally, for anywhere and on any train! It accepts railcards - which give you 30 per cent off all trips you make over the period of a year. 2. Nobody is going to tackle you to the ground because you don't pay a tip. It is polite to do so in posh restaurants, but nobody here outside of the speciality hotel/ restaurant is even going to expect a tip. It's so rare, people outside those speciality industries may pass out with shock if you tip them. Don't stop though. It is lovely to receive one. 3. Please stop calling Edinburgh ... Edinburg! It is pronounced 'Edin-burra' by the Scots and its like nails on a chalkboard when you pronounce it like as in 'ice-berg'!! Same with aluminium - we pronounce it all-oo-min-ium! (But you probably cringe at us with that one! 😂) 3. It is possible to have all weather's in one day. We are an island after all, with differing thermals in different places. But if you come in May - July, bring factor 30 suncream. We do get days - sometimes for weeks at a time - where you can look a boiled lobster like the rest of us and our parks and beaches will be jam packed. Wear layers and bring a light waterproof jacket. Promising that you won't need to build an ark, not every day anyway! Football shirts is a fact on football match days...you could end up on a hit list on match day 😂. The rest of the time, nobody cares! Have fun and ceude mille failte - enjoy Assuming you can speak Scottish, get ready for a whole new literature lesson. Most off, enjoy and have the best time ever x

Born and raised in London of American parents until 15 and i have to say this is the spot on video I will save for first timers. Really good job!

“In England you do tip” … uh, no you don’t! …. Maybe if you go to a restaurant you can leave a small tip but for absolutely nothing else. Tipping is not a thing here at all, in fact if you start dishing out tips as you do in America people will think you’re a bit strange.

I visited London for the first time last year and enjoyed it. The public transit is very convenient. I took the tube around London and was shocked at how much ground I was able to cover.

Great Video as always! I am from the South East of England and I highly recommend our seaside towns of Eastbourne, Brighton, Hastings, and Bexhill-on-Sea. So much History here, you have Pevensey Castle and the 1066 Trail, Beachy Head and the South Downs National Park, The Harbour and beaches. Its just stunning😊

Top tip, if youre using trains around the north check for strikes over the weekend ❤ also, check bus prices for evening journeys, In some cities the buses are cheaper as they are trying to compete with the trains, some places offer a night bus for a pound

May I suggest Cornwall, the Cotswolds and the Peak District for those tourists who want to see more of our beautiful English countryside. Let's not forget the beautiful coast in the North East of England - just gorgeous

The rainfall total is less than both New York and Sydney. Old American movies have a lot to answer for. The weather on our big island is just very changeable (Also, I don't use cash at all in the UK).

1. At some pubs, when you order a pint, you'll be getting a gallon! 2. Book your bus and rail tickets 2 weeks in advance. The closer you book, the more expensive it'll be. 3. DEFINITELY check out some PERI PERI Chicken spots! The food is delicious! I recommend Nando's. 4. Go to Poundland to buy essential stuff on the cheap. It's their version of our Dollar Store.

I had a lovely day out in Lincoln yesterday with my Dad - we had a tour of the cathedral, and then walked around the old city, which is beautiful. And so many places to eat, too! You absolutely know what you're talking about when it comes to the UK, I wish every American (heck, every tourist!) watched your videos before coming here. There is so much to do and see, in a country that's smaller than several individual states of the US!

i got back from my solo trip to london and edinburgh last month and had an absolute great time! lol i asked so many people so many questions and they were always so helpful and kind. i carried around some little tiny glass duckies in my pocket (when i remembered) and whenever someone was extra helpful or kind, i gave them a ducky and every person loved it! and it really brought out their smiles and friendliness. i'll be doing this every time i travel from now on! from police to information booth people to the random residents walking on the streets or doing laundry, no one was safe from being asked a question! 🤣😂 i did pretty well navigating on my own and took a train from euston to watford junction for harry potter and the lumo out of king's cross for edinburgh. haha i was even able to help a few tourists! that just tickled me to no end! can't wait to go back! my comfort with maneuvering the cities came from mark's videos as well as all the other videos i've watched and the facebook group london travel tips.

Very good information here, reckon it's worth watching for anyone visiting the UK

Great video! Wouldn't change anything you mentioned!

1) No one ever expects a tip in England… 2) It’s Manor House not Manner Home… 3) It doesn’t rain everyday but it’s grey and horrible most days! 4) Driving is fine as we’re mostly rule abiders but because of that we are impatient and expect correct and speedy decision-making (generally speaking). 5) One of the worst things about England is that the day finishes really early… shops close, restaurants stop serving food and it becomes just drinking in the night. It’s sad that we’re not known for anything modern, just ‘look at that pretty old thing/place’…

You were wrong about the tipping. Some places have tips added to the bill but most of them it is discretionary andconly tip if you had good service. As for the car hire, then just make sure you hire an automatic if you are from the USA then its one less thing to think about.

Another great video!!

Love your positivity and can tell you’ve really experienced the culture . Watched your video when I visited cusco. Cheers from Liverpool

Mistake one: going to london