Travel Tips

Helpful Tips and Gadgets

We have put together a few tips for travel to Scotland. We have also included a few of our favorite travel gadgets (so you don’t have to sift through a million amazon reviews)!

Top Travel Tips

1. Edinburgh, Dublin, and London are 5 hours ahead of EST (they follow DST so the time difference will remain consistent after the time change). Use this website when you need a quick reference https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/uk/edinburgh. Most flights from the United States to Europe will depart in the early to late evening (depending on your departure location). This means you will sleep on the plane (hopefully). When you arrive in Europe, we suggest not sleeping/napping right away. If you need a nap, just take a quick one in the afternoon. Pushing through the sleepiness will help you adjust to the new timezone! Also, you may not be able to check into your room upon arrival, but the Hilton Edinburgh Carlton has a luggage closet. Feel free to leave things there until your regular check-in time.

2. The weather in Scotland during July typically ranges between 51℉ (lows) and 64℉ (highs). The European heat wave increased temperatures to around 75℉ (highs) last year - still not too bad! Overall, the climate is pretty temperate. Even when the sun is out, there is not a huge difference in temperature between day and night. Oh, and the humidity averages 80% during the summer. (So much better than what we are used to in July - yay for good hair days!) Use this site to see weather forecasts https://www.accuweather.com/en/gb/edinburgh/eh1%203/weather-forecast/327336.

3. It does tend to rain a lot in Scotland but it is usually short lived. Edinburgh is on the east coast so experiences a little less rain than some cities in Scotland. I would bring a rain coat or travel umbrella just in case! Also, in the summer months, the sun rises before 4am and the sun sets after 9pm. Don’t worry though, all the hotels will have blackout curtains!

4. Edinburgh is a very walkable city. Most of the main attractions are within a one mile radius of the Old Town epicenter. However, Edinburgh is filled with hills, stairs, various street levels, and cobblestones. Plan your shoe choices accordingly and jump on a stair stepper before you come!

5. Tipping is not expected in most casual restaurants. Check your bill at nicer establishments because they will often automatically include a 10% gratuity. This is customary and there is no need to tip an additional amount (unless you feel the service was superb). It is also customary to tip luggage porters and related service workers at your hotel. If you plan to take a guided tour, tipping is expected! Make sure to have a little cash on hand for these occasions.

6. You can exchange money before you get to Scotland (your local bank, airport, etc.) or wait and exchange at Edinburgh Airport or Waverley Station when you arrive. Almost everywhere accepts credit card/debit card and ATMs are easily accessible. You won’t really need a ton of cash. (For example, on our recent 3-day trip to Edinburgh we exchanged $200 at the airport and struggled to use it all.) Scotland is part of the United Kingdom so they use the GBP. As of late, 1 GBP = 1.30 USD. This will fluctuate so make sure to check back before you travel. Here is a good resource…….

   https://www.exchangerates.org.uk/Pounds-to-Dollars-currency-conversion-page.html

7. When leaving the UK, security is very strict with carry-on liquids. In the US we tend to get away with more than a quart size bag as long as the individual items are 3oz or less. UK airports are much less lenient! All carry-on liquids must be in one clear, quart sized bag (provided at security) - and the bag must zip!!! If your items don’t fit, you will have to throw them out. (I learned this the hard way!) If you are worried about this, go ahead and pack liquids in your checked bag. Oh, and don’t forget, your TSA pre-check doesn’t work when flying out of a foreign country, so give yourself a little extra time to get through security! Make sure to put your laptop in a separate bin and remember to take your shoes off. (Again, we are used to TSA Pre-check and learned this one the hard way. We had to go back through the security line when we were already late. Not our finest travel moment!)

8. Also, if traveling on shorter flights or using budget airlines within Europe, be aware that the allowable carry-on baggage size can be much smaller than normal. If your carry on is too large for that flight, some airlines allow you to valet your luggage at the gate. Unfortunately, some airlines do not allow you to check your bags once you have gone through security. We suggest asking the airline agent about baggage limitations before you go through security!

9. Scotland uses UK plugs so you will need an adapter for all your electronics. Scotland also uses a 220v electrical system and we use a 110v electrical system. This means you will need to use electronic devices that are dual voltage (220v/110v) or purchase a converter. Most laptops and phones are fine with just an adapter; however, even with a converter, most high powered tools will not work (hair dryers, straighteners, curling irons/wands, steamers, etc.). You are safer with tools that do not have a digital display and tools that do not have an automatic turn off feature; but, even with a converter, they may still short circuit! Before packing, double check any tools by reading the voltage limit listed in small print. If you don’t already have dual voltage tools, I have linked a few purchase suggestions below. Oh, and don’t forget that the hotel will have a hair dryer and iron.

10. The hotel and many other businesses will have free wifi. The City of Edinburgh also offers free wifi in open areas (within the historic district). Check out this website for further instructions. http://www.edinburghfreewifi.com/ . Also, check with your cell phone carrier about overseas coverage. Most companies now offer reasonable international packages! Our service (Verizon) costs $10 per day - this is well worth it in our opinion!

Travel Apps

There are many travel apps out there that are designed to make life a little easier while abroad! Check out the article below for 30 of the best travel apps.

Favorite Travel Recommendations