LOL at the digestives!! "Biscuits" are cookies in the UK, and the closest kin to digestives are maybe graham crackers (andthen again, maybe not). Buy a pack of HobNobs -- with chocolate! Some other terms: potato chips are "crisps" and "puddings" means all desserts, not just the soft stuff. There isn't a proper counterpart to hot, fluffy Southern biscuits. Don't let anyone tell you that scones are! : )

Re the flight: the principal difference will be the change in time zones and flying at night. Everyone has a theory on jetlag from staying awake the full next day in the UK to synch your body clock, to melatonin, to just giving up and flopping on the bed for a couple hours snooze.

Do get up and move around the cabin while flying, and drink water.

I've done plenty of transatlantic and transpacific flights.

My advice:

- Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Even if there isn't a flight attendant running a beverage service, you can always walk to the galley and get some water.
- Speaking of walking, WALK. Walk to the lavatory, walk to the galley, walk around the cabin. If you sit still, you risk DVT - blood clots in your legs. The last time I flew transpacific, this fact was actually part of the safety lecture.
- Be sure your passport doesn't expire in the next 6 months. Some countries will not accept a passport with an imminent expiration date. (Of course, you can't exactly renew your passport with the current government shutdown, but that's a whole other animal.)
- If you have the time while in London, treat yourself to tea at the Ritz. They have a strict dress code (no sneakers, no jeans, jacket and tie required for men) but it's worth the experience.

I happen to be in Europe now and here are a few more tips:

-In addition to the sleeping mask, get those squishy earplugs. It's just enough to muffle out chatter to allow you to sleep.
-I concur on buying the premium seats, particularly an aisle. If you can afford it, get the exit row too.
-Whatever you do, the day you land DO NOT SLEEP. Go to your room, shower and get outside for fresh air. Wait until evening to go to bed so that you are on Euro time.
-Order your money from your bank. I know this sounds funny but money exchanges are expensive and Euro ATMs charge Ridiculous fees. ($5 fee + 3% adjustment to the amount withdraw)
-If you have one, use a travel credit card that doesn't charge a conversion fee. I think the one I used last year was also a 3% fee.

I have already been here for 2 weeks and turned off my phone when I left the US. I have been using Skype for all of my calls (even my 80-year old mother is now on Skype), and I do everything by WiFi. I'm in Madrid and there is free WiFi everywhere. Paris was not so generous.

I haven't been to England in about 20 years but jump at the chance to get to Europe when I can. I'm flying home on Thursday and will probably be back in May.

p.s. Economy Plus is a United term. Econo Plus are all seats from the exit row and forward and give you about 5-6" more leg room and 3" in seat width. Not that I'm that tall, but the extra space is a big deal on an overnight flight.

I once booked AC and trying to choose a seat was a PITA. United allows you to select your seat anytime once the ticket is booked. You can see what seats are open on their webpage and using SeatGuru.com is a big help to determine which seats are good are not. Be careful of the row in front of the exit row -- seats don't recline. Also, if there are two exit rows, the first one doesn't recline either.

Tips
 

My bank does not charge any ATM fees or foreign exchange fees, so cash out was our best option. Obviously, YMMV.
Carry anti bacterial wipes on your flight. Everyone keeps telling you to hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Airplane bathrooms are very, very nasty after eight hours. I try to avoid the toilets after 3 hours in flight.
Please have have wipes or liquid hand sanitizer available to keep you healthy for you trip.

I usually take a pashmina with me when I fly. Doubles as blanket, pillow, wrap....whatever I need.

I was wondering what to do about money, whether to take cash and exchange it or withdraw from an ATM. If I do one big withdrawal, I guess it it would be less expensive due to only paying one transaction fee?? I'm not sure how to order money from my bank. It's actually a credit union, so it may not do that.

I doubt a Credit Union will be able to do get you the foreign currency but call and ask. I am with Chase and it is a better deal than getting it at the airport or a currency exchange. However, ask your CU what the ATM foreign transaction fees are and compare with what your friend tells you the fees are at exchanges. It might be cheaper for you to carry the cash and change it vs. getting a large sum out of the ATM.

I always hold onto my cash and use my Visa whenever possible so that I don't get blow through it so quickly. With Taxis, I always ask if they accept a credit card before getting in. I'm really surprised how much cash I have left after 2 weeks.

One additional BIG tip: call each of your credit card and ATM companies and tell them to put an alert on your account that you will be out of the country between what days. It would really stink for your card to be refused if they think someone from Nigeria got ahold or your card and was going on a London spending spree.

Have a great time. I am currently living in London and work just north of Oxford.

Understanding which credit card to use is important. We are lucky because DH's company gave us premier standing with his company (bank) so we only have to pay straight conversion with no transaction fees or makeup. I believe American Express and Capital One may be the same way on some of their cards.

Carry a pen with you if you plan to use a credit card any. Most everyone is used to the chip and pin for credit cards and don't always have a pen to sign.

Register with the Embassy in the country you are visiting. If there is an emergency, it's good for them to know where the Americans are. Even if you think it can't happen in that country, you never know. https://step.state.gov/step/

Just wait and get money when you get there. The exchange rates are current and you won't end up with a lot of extra money you don't need if you just take out little bits at a time.

I agree about the disposable phone. We did that on our last Paris trip. If you do somehow run up minutes on your own phone, if you have AT&T, they will send you a message and let you retroactively let you buy a fairly cheap package to cover the cost (happened to me in Paris with texting.) I wouldn't recommend using your own phone to make calls...texting is expensive enough, but is fairly inexpensive if you make a mistake.

Just enjoy the trip and don't obsess about all the details. It's not really that difficult to travel internationally. I never get up midflight. I sleep the whole way after the meal. Customs is quicker than you thinks. Then, you are in a whole new country! I leave for Berlin on Saturday for my birthday so I'm super excited. I haven't been to London because it just hasn't worked out. Have a great time!

Slight change in plans. Due to my friend's work schedule, I will now be renting a car at the airport and driving to meet him in Colchester, about 84 miles away. Oh joy! Driving on the wrong side of the road! I told him I didn't think this was a great idea....he says "You'll be fine."

I'll also need it to drive to the different schools I will be studying. But that will be mostly rural driving. No biggie. But driving in the city....well. Let's just hope I get out of London alive!!! :eek:

If you want to get practice driving on the wrong side of the road, go to New York. I know someone who got so sh!tfaced one night that he got in his car and drove down the wrong side of a DIVIDED HIGHWAY for several miles. Fortunately, he was stopped and arrested for DUI before he got anyone injured or killed.

London is one of the three places I've been where I absolutely flat out refuse to drive. The other two are Manhattan (surface streets) and Bangkok.

Just remember to LOOK RIGHT. And if you're going 10 km/hour slower than everyone else, they can suck it. And speaking of kph, 62 mph is 100 km/hour. Don't let yourself get freaked out about the speed. Oh, and one more note, right of way goes to the person further in a roundabout, so if there is someone on your right (the passing side) THEY get to go first. If in doubt, just stay in the outer lane of the roundabout.

Wait, so.. do the rotaries go in the other direction (clockwise, as opposed to counter-clockwise)? I'd guess they'd have to...

You won't have to go through London to get to Colchester, since that takes way longer than going on the Motorway (M25) around London. Driving on the left isn't as scary as it sounds, just use the parking lot to get used to it. Sitting on the "wrong" side of the car helps as well, you'll get used to it in a heartbeat.