We've all made mistakes when planning that first trip (errors in judgement, planned poorly, over-planned, been hit with something unexpected, or just not known about something.) Since others may learn from our rookie mistakes, what were some of the mistakes you made when planning your first trip to the UK?

A few of the things I learned the hard way...

Don't over-plan your itinerary, be flexible and realize you aren't going to be able to cram everything in.

Plan logistically so you're not spending all your time "getting there."

The London Tube is great, but don't be afraid to ride the buses. You'll see so much more of London and save wear and tear on your feet.

ATM's are everywhere in the UK, including the airports - no need to change your money at home before the trip.

Always purchase London travelcards either from the TFL website or at a tube station in London. Everyone else charges more.

If you purchase a Great British Heritage Pass in the UK, make sure you have your passport with you to prove you are not a UK resident.

Don't be afraid to ask locals for directions - it can save you a lot of walking in the wrong direction.

If driving, a good road atlas is essential. And you <i>will</i> get lost and turned about at times so don't get too stressed about it.

When approaching roundabouts, know which road number you want, as well as, the next nearest city name you are headed toward. Except for major A roads, you will rarely see directional signs (like north, east, south or west - one look at a UK road map will explain this!)

Carry a change purse to keep all the coinage in.

The soup is served <i>really</i> hot! The hot tap water is also <i>really</i> hot.

Use extreme caution crossing the street. Look both ways <i>twice</i> and over your shoulder at corners.

Don't underestimate jet-lag. Keep plans for the day of arrival light.

I'm sure I'll think of more...

Kay,
Why not lump France, Germany, Italy, and the UK into one post instead of 4 separate posts? Or, just Europe in general? Having a slow day? This seems silly.

Didn't think someone planning their first trip to the UK would get that much out of things to plan/avoid in France, Italy or Germany and vice versa.

You going to start a thread on Moldovia?

Budman, Moldovia (or Moldavia) is a country with Kishinev it's capital. It's located south of Ukraine, former Soviet Union republic.

Now fill your glass up with something different and ask for Molvania

No, I'll let you do that if you want. I just did the top 4.

That you ordered your food at the bar in the pubs and then someone brings it to your table....that first pub trip was a long one...like &quot;oh how rude, no one is paying any attention to us!!!&quot; LOL Ya live and learn.

And that Brits &quot;queue&quot; when at a bus stop.

Servers look at you funny in a restaurant when you say &quot;I'm stuffed!&quot;

Shags and bangs are NOT hair styles.

When you look at a map, especially if you are from California, realize that it does NOT take three days to get from London to York.

When you alight from the train in a small town make sure to read the schedule to see when the last train leaves for London.

Not realizing how many Brits smoke like chimneys in pubs, enough to shock even my Italian colleagues.
Or that during a cold snap, it's virtually impossible to be really warm at a pub unless you're dressed in several layers. You will quickly learn to find a table as far from the door as possible, especiall later in the evening, when the binge drinkers forget to close the door properly after they enter/leave.
To always carry a few tissues with me when going to the pub loos, as providing toilet paper seems to be a luxury option.

&gt;When you alight from the train in a small town make sure to read the schedule to see when the last train leaves for London.&lt;

And then expect about a 50% hit rate that the last train will be cancelled.

<i>&quot;When you look at a map, especially if you are from California, realize that it does NOT take three days to get from London to York.&quot;</i>

And of course the inverse is also true. You look at the map and see that it's only 20 miles from point A to point B - but it takes you an hour to get there.

And your first ride in the front seat of the top of a double decker bus is always a bit frightening. We call them the terror seats.

An hour? Is that ALL?!? New development in Century City and in Playa Vista (home of Hughes Aircraft)has made traffic just a wee bit more excremental.

It was very difficult for a while to accept the idea of not leaving a tip on the bar in a pub. Twice they came after me because I had left my change.

The first time we went to London we took the underground all the time as we had passes. Sometimes it was only for one stop. It wasn't until our second trip there than I realized how close some of those stops were to each other and that we did more walking to make the trains that if we had just walked above ground. I still remember that we once took the tube from Green Park to Picadilly.

looking for a trashcan in the tube to put my soda can

Buying the &quot;cheap seat&quot; tickets at the Candlelight Concerts at St. Martin-in-the-Fields. Music was lovely, but we stared at a large pillar the entire concert.

Taking the Tower Bridge tour &amp; not even realizing I ended on the other side of the river. Walked a good 20 min in the dark looking for a tube stop that never materialized before I realized my mistake.