England

Located on the island of Great Britain, England is surrounded by different countries and islands: it is bordered by Wales to its west and Scotland to its north, located east of Ireland, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man (separated by the Irish Sea), north of the Channel Islands and France (separated by the English Channel) and west of mainland Europe (separated by the North Sea).

Despite not being a very large country (with an area of only 130,279 km²), England is a country with a lot to visit and you would certainly be underestimating it if you think you can see all of it in just a few months.

England’s mainland is located on the largest island in all of Europe – Great Britain – but it is also a country with many other smaller islands, some of the most popular being the Isle of Wight (located south of Hampshire county), Isles of Scilly (west of Cornwall) and Lundy (in the Bristol Channel, just off the coast of Devon).

As for how many islands you can find in England, I’ve tried researching it and didn’t come to any conclusion: mostly because some are only seen at low tide and others even inhabitable, but one could say that there are thousands if we count all of them, and possibly hundreds if we only consider the ones seen at any tide level.

As for how many hundreds? I wish I had the answer for that, but I honestly don’t.

England is a predominantly Christian country with a population of 56 million (2021 census) – about 84% of the United Kingdom’s population – and almost 9 million belonging to London alone. The country itself has always been quite multicultural: not only was it highly influenced by the Romans, Anglo-Saxons, Vikings and even French in the past, but especially due to the 18th-century Industrial Revolution and later the establishment of the Commonwealth in 1931, many people from different nations flocked to England for work. Over the years, as London continued to be one of the world’s major global cities, aligned with high demand and relatively low immigration barriers (especially for EU citizens before Brexit), people moved to England in the hopes of getting a better education, higher paying jobs, more career opportunities and a better life quality in general. This explains why it isn’t uncommon to find an English person whose parents or grandparents are originally from a different country.

This, in turn, leads to great diversity when it comes to religion and ethnicity: despite being a predominantly Christian country (46.3%), a great portion of the population (36.7%) does not identify themselves as belonging to any particular religion and you will find people devoted to Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, Judaism and more.

As for what sort of people you can find here? This is where it gets a little tricky. Many consider British people to be cold and unfriendly, but I would phrase it more as reserved and polite – they won’t be direct, and will certainly keep their distance from others, especially strangers. Generally speaking, British people like to establish boundaries from the very beginning and take them very seriously – hence why it might be hard for those from “warmer countries”, that are used to talk to anybody, to understand how to engage in conversations without feeling like they have done something wrong.

That being said, people in England are not all the same – as you travel north, you will find them to be a lot more direct, friendly and even loud.

Despite being mostly flat, England also has beautiful mountains, especially towards the north of the country. Generally speaking, the south is predominantly composed of plains and low hills, with warmer weather and the north is colder, with a more mountainous terrain (with some exceptions of course). It is not uncommon to have snow in the north.

The weather in the UK is a common subject when talking about this region and it’s often labeled as “miserable” – generally gloomy, cool and unpredictable. It is influenced by the ocean and known as a temperate maritime climate, where temperatures are mild throughout the year and seasons are less extreme, especially compared to other countries in mainland Europe (with extremely cold winters and/or very hot and dry Summers – although we have been seeing some changes in the most recent years due to climate change).

Contrary to popular belief, it doesn’t actually rain a lot in England – but it does rain very often. Grey sky and drizzling are a lot more common than very dark clouds and heavy rain. In other words, rainfall is frequent but not extreme.

The currency used in England is the Pound Sterling (£GBP).

Located southeast of the country, London is both the capital and largest city of England. As one of the world’s major global cities, London is a busy centre, where many British (and immigrants) move to in order to find a higher paying job, get a better education and seek career opportunities. This, in turn, leads to high rental rates and a higher cost of living.

The city plays an important political, economical, social and cultural role in the country, and it’s known for being a big metropolis with a great transportation system, incredible connectivity to other parts of the world and a long, influential history – England (and the UK itself) depend largely on it.

Driving and parking can be a nightmare, so you’re better off relying on public transportation as much as possible (or rent/get a bike, which I totally recommend).

Some of the most iconic areas in the city are Westminster – where you can find the famous Big Ben, Westminster Abby and Houses of Parliament – Tower Bridge and the Buckingham Palace. That being said, London is such a big centre that you could easily spend months exploring it. I highly recommend spending some time in different areas of the city as all of them have a unique vibe.

Despite some horrific news you might have heard regarding safety concerns in London, England is a quite safe country. I travel solo all the time and the only occasion I truly felt scared for my life was when cycling at night through the pitch black forest-like cycle trails in Cornwall, and it wasn’t because I was afraid of a person in specific, but more of a random ghost that could suddenly show up in front of me. I know…

That being said, it is important to know that, especially in big cities like London, street crime and petty theft are not unheard of. Pickpocketing as well as phone and bag snatching are quite common and tourists are almost always the victims. It is important that you keep your belongings safe, avoid walking in any suspicious neighborhood and be aware of your surroundings at all times.

Driving in England can be scary for many since you drive on the left and it does take a bit of time to get used to it. I personally cannot speak as I have never driven in the country – mostly because I know people who drive or I just take public transportation / cycle everywhere.

Since I have my own bicycle, and public transportation is generally great, I have been able to go anywhere I want: if there’s a place I can’t reach completely by public transportation, I often take my bike on a train and cycle from the closest station.

While in London, avoid driving at all costs, but if your plan is to do a road trip and visit the more hidden locations in the country, then renting a car will be necessary.