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England is one of the four "home nations" that make up the United Kingdom. It is NOT the "same thing" as Britain or the UK. It is the largest of them, both in terms of surface area and population (about 50 million inhabitants out of about 60 million). On the island of Great Britain, Scotland sits to the north of England and Wales is to the west. Northern Ireland (also part of the UK) and the Republic of Ireland lie across the Irish Sea to west of England (and Wales). France and the Channel Islands are across the English Channel to the south, and to the east is The North Sea.
It is important not to confuse "England" with the the larger "Britain" or "United Kingdom"; see United Kingdom for clarification on this. England is the only part of the UK without an element of home rule, and is directly governed by the UK government sitting in Westminster (in London); that is something the English are beginning to mutter about amongst themselves, but it is best not to talk politics with the natives until you know the country very well - preferably after having lived there for some years.
Do NOT refer to Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland as "England". Its a common mistake, but will still irritate most English people, and is likely to offend those from the other countries of the UK other than England. Only refer to England itself as "England".
HOW TO REACH
By train - Eurostar links mainland Europe to England. Trains run from Paris, France and Brussels, Belgium (via Lille and Calais) crossing into England via the Channel Tunnel and often stopping at Ashford) before continuing to St. Pancras Station in London. Occasional services run from other destinations in France.
From Wales and Scotland regular services cross the borders into England.
BritRail Passes are also available to non-UK citizens which allow the traveller unlimited rail travel in England on one ticket
By boat - With so much coastline and so many ports, England has extensive shipping links with many countries worldwide. Major ports are Dover, Folkestone, Harwich, Hull, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Southampton, Liverpool, Ipswich and Newcastle. See Ferry routes to British Mainland.
By Car - A number of roads cross England's borders with its British neighbours. These roads range from the simple country lanes to motorways. There are obviously no border controls with Scotland or Wales; indeed, on smaller roads the border may not be noticed at all.
There are no tolls to cross into England; however, motorists need to be aware that crossing from England into Wales via the M4 and M48 Severn Bridges will need to pay a toll. Also, there is a M6 toll road to bypass the congestion of Birmingham (England's second largest city) on the main M6 motorway.
STAY SAFE
In any emergency call 999 or 112 (from a land-line if you can) and ask for Ambulance, Fire, Police or Coast Guard when connected.
Crime levels are low in England, however you should always use general common sense to ensure you keep out of trouble. In most of the major cities, you will find outlying suburban and inner city areas where poverty, crime and gang violence are common, these areas are often very dangerous and should be avoided. Again, common sense is the best way to stay safe. Having said that, it is unlikely a visitor would go to such places anyway, its also fairly easy to know if you accidentally stumble into a rough area, it will be rundown, heavily vandalised ect.
Crime rates are generally very low in rural areas, although some small poorer towns can be surprisingly rough. Take care when driving on country lanes, they are very narrow and sometimes in poor condition.
It is worth taking extra care on public transport, particularly at night, as pickpockets and drunks can be a problem. Also, it should be noted that in some cities, there have been incidents of street gangs carrying out robberies on buses and trains at night, but the visitor should not be alarmed as this is not a common occurrence.
Some town and city centres should be approached with caution during the later evening on Fridays and Saturdays in particular, as high levels of drunkenness can be rife. Many English drunks can all to often become aggressive, and outbreaks of unprovoked violence have happened, but again, common sense can help avoid problems with drunken people. At night it is also recommended that you use licensed taxis or licensed mini cabs. Taxis are available at taxi ranks or by phone, while mini cabs are by phone booking only - asking at the bar will usually provide you with numbers. Unofficial/unlicensed mini cabs which cruise the street looking for fares have a reputation as dangerous for lone females, the most common incident is the passenger is driven to a secluded area, and then raped. DO NOT USE THEM.
RESPECT
The English are in general a very polite people, and like most other places it is considered bad manners not to say "please" or "thank you". Unlike in many other European countries and in North America, a "thank you" will not always be greeted with a "you're welcome", but such is now increasingly common. A nod or a smile are also often the response. It is commonly said that the English are stuck up and serious, but this is not true by any means. The English are completely different to how they are portrayed in American sitcoms and TV shows: you will find that most of them are very laid-back and easy-going, have very good senses of humour and they like to bring a bit of laughter to even the most serious situations.
Sometimes strangers and friends address each other by "mate", the same as they do in Australia. Thus it is common to hear "Cheers mate" or "Thanks mate" "you alright, mate?", etc.
The English are said to be reserved, and this is often thought to mean that they are reluctant to communicate with strangers. This is a misconception. You will find that most people are happy to talk to strangers; it probably won't be a deep conversation, but mostly small talk about where you come from, if you're enjoying your visit, etc.
It is customary to acknowledge other walkers when hiking (the English usually say "walking", rather than hiking, as it sounds less boastful and energetic) in the countryside. This can be a simple nod and smile, a "hello" or "Hi", or even a joking comment such as "only 10 miles to the pub".
It is said that the English invented queueing, and they become very annoyed if anyone jumps the line, although this is probably the same for most countries. Don't be surprised if you get shoved to the back of the line. (The same "patient queueing" applies to waiting in traffic jams as well: don't use the horn excessively as most people in England seemed to have grasped that it doesn't make the traffic go any faster and it is seen as impatient and rude.)
It is considered rude to brush past and/or nudge people in the streets. It is polite to apologise and smile; generally a simple "Sorry" is enough. The English tend to have an unspoken agreement in the streets where if two people are walking head-on, they will both shift slightly into opposite directions. This ensures that one person doesn't have to jump clear out of the way while the other continues without deviation. This can lead to the amusing scenario where both people move in the same direction, notice the other person moving in the same direction, and both alter their direction again.
When you find yourself in a restaurant or being invited to someone's home for a meal, just general table manners you get anywhere else apply. These include not eating with fingers or off of other's plates, not talking with your mouth full, etc. Unless you have been invited to a very posh upper-class meal don't worry about old-fashioned rules of etiquette: generally nobody in England ever uses them.
For tourists, it's important that you don't make stereotypical jokes about the English. Don't make comments like, "Why aren't you wearing a tweed suit and bowler hat?", "Why don't you have a posh accent?", or "What time do you have tea and crumpets?" etc. Remember these clichés don't accurately reflect the English people or their culture, and never have done, and they are likely to cause either offence or bemusement. Also it should be noted that the term "limey" is sometimes considered offensive, especially if used by an American. Having said that, many English people may not know what the term "limey" means.
