United Kingdom Economy and Communication
ECONOMY
Business etiquette
Knowledge of English is absolutely essential. In business circles, a pin-striped suit or a dark suit or an elegant costume is usually still traditionally worn. Appointments and business cards are common.
Opening hours
Business hours: Generally Mon-Fri 9 am-5pm / 6pm. Flexitime is also common. Business hours in London can be longer.
Economy
German-British Chamber of Industry & Commerce
Mecklenburg House, 16 Buckingham Gate, London SW1E 6LB UK
Tel: (020) 79 76 41 00.
Internet: grossbritannien.ahk.de/
British-Swiss Chamber of Commerce
Bellerivestrasse 209, CH-8008 Zurich.
Tel: (044) 422 31 31
Internet: www.bscc.co.uk
British Chambers of Commerce (Federation of Chambers of Commerce of Great Britain)
65, Petty France, London SW1H 9EU UK
Tel: (020) 76 54 58 00.
Internet: www.britishchambers.org.uk
Business contacts
German-British Chamber of Industry & Commerce
Mecklenburg House, 16 Buckingham Gate, London SW1E 6LB UK
Tel: (020) 79 76 41 00.
Internet: grossbritannien.ahk.de/
British-Swiss Chamber of Commerce
Bellerivestrasse 209, CH-8008 Zurich.
Tel: (044) 422 31 31
Internet: www.bscc.co.uk
British Chambers of Commerce (Federation of Chambers of Commerce of Great Britain)
65, Petty France, London SW1H 9EU UK
Tel: (020) 76 54 58 00.
Internet: www.britishchambers.org.uk
COMMUNICATION
Phone
The country code is 0044. Payphones are labeled Telephone. For the cells labeled with a cardphone, you need a British Telecom phone card available in newspaper and tobacco shops, and in some phone booths you can also make calls with a credit card. For particularly cheap calls abroad, there are special prepaid phone cards (available in newsagents) that can be used from any push-button phone. There are a number of network operators, the main ones being British Telecom and Cable & Wireless Communications.
Cellphone
GSM 900/1800 networks. The mobile phone companies include O2 (Internet: www.o2.co.uk), Orange (Internet: www.orange.co.uk), Vodafone (Internet: www.vodafone.co.uk) and EE & ME (Internet: ee .co.uk). International roaming contracts exist. Possibly. it is worth buying a British SIM card.
International roaming can be used within the EU at the Euro tariff. Customers of all European mobile network operators automatically make all calls in and from other EU countries at the Euro rate. However, the Euro tariff does not apply to other mobile communications services such as SMS, MMS and data transmission.
Internet
Main providers include Orange (Internet: www.orange.co.uk), AOL (Internet: www.aol.co.uk), BT Internet (Internet: www.productsandservices.bt.com/products/infinity-broadband/) and Vodafone (Internet: www.vodafone.co.uk). In London and other major cities in Great Britain, you can access the Internet via Wi-Fi for free in cafes, restaurants, shopping centers and other public buildings. The City of London is 95% covered by a free Wi-Fi network. Internet cafes can be found in and around most cities. There are more and more multimedia phone booths from which you can send e-mails and SMS. Mobile surfing on the Internet is made possible by the Goodspeed Wi-Fi hotspots, which are subject to a charge (goodspeed.io/de/index.html).
Post Office
Postage stamps are available at post offices, from vending machines, and everywhere in newsagents. The letter boxes are red, domestic mail (first class) is delivered in 1st class on the next day, letters in 2nd class on the day after next; In rural areas the delivery time can be slightly delayed. Letters to other European countries take about 2-5 days. Post office opening times: Mon-Fri 9 am-5.30pm, Sat 9 am-12.30pm, although many post offices are open longer.
Radio
Since the use of shortwave frequencies changes several times over the course of a year, it is advisable to contact Deutsche Welle customer service directly (Tel: (+49) (0228) 429 32 08. Internet: www.dw-world.de) to request.
MONEY
Currency
1 pound = 100 pence. Currency abbreviation: £, GBP (ISO code). Banknotes come in denominations of £ 50, £ 20, £ 10 and £ 5. According to historyaah, in Scotland there are an additional £ 1 banknotes that are accepted nationwide. Coins come in denominations of £ 2 and £ 1, as well as 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 pence. Further details on specific currencies can be found in the entries for each part of the country.
Credit cards
MasterCard, American Express and Visa are widely accepted. Travelers with other credit cards should inquire whether the corresponding card is accepted before paying. Details also from the issuer of the credit card in question. Retailers are allowed to charge more for goods and services that are paid for with credit cards.
ATMs
ec / Maestro card / Sparcard
With an ec / Maestro card and pin number, cash in the local currency can be withdrawn from ATMs. In many European countries it is also possible to pay with the ec / Maestro card in shops. Cards with the Cirrus or Maestro symbol are accepted in Europe and worldwide. Further information from banks and credit institutes. The same applies to the German Sparcard, the successor to the postal savings book as a means of procuring currency in other European countries. With the Sparcard with the plus logo and pin number, cash can be withdrawn from European ATMs that have a Visa symbol.
Attention: Travelers who pay with their bank card abroad and want to withdraw money should find out about the possibilities of using their card from their bank before starting their journey.
Bank opening times
Mon-Fri 9 am-4.30pm / 5pm. Some branches are also open all day or longer on Saturdays and for a limited time on Sundays.
Foreign exchange regulations
For travelers inside and outside the EU, there are no restrictions on the import or export of national and foreign currencies, but there is an obligation to declare cash from the equivalent of € 10,000 (including travelers checks, other currencies or checks made out to third parties).
Currency Exchange
All banks, exchange offices, larger travel agencies, exchange offices in large department stores and numerous hotels change foreign currencies. Exchange offices are often open late, but charge e.g. T. high exchange fees.
