The best way to get information on visiting the UK is by contacting the British Tourist Authority – your official travel guide. They have an excellent website, VisitBritain, which is packed with useful information on how to get the most from a holiday in the UK, and where you can search for accommodation, destinations to visit, events and attractions.

After you arrive in the UK you can get further information on places to see, things to do and places to stay from one of 800 Tourist Information Centres around the UK, or from the Britain Visitor Centre in London.

The best way to get information on visiting the UK is by contacting the British Tourist Authority – your official travel guide. They have an excellent website, VisitBritain, which is packed with useful information on how to get the most from a holiday in the UK, and where you can search for accommodation, destinations to visit, events and attractions.

After you arrive in the UK you can get further information on places to see, things to do and places to stay from one of 800 Tourist Information Centres around the UK, or from the Britain Visitor Centre in London.

The British Tourist Authority has lots of useful travel information, including advice on prices and discounts, on its VisitBritain website, including bus and coach travel, travel by train and Underground, air travel within the UK and transportation from major airports.

Of course, you can buy bus, rail and underground tickets after you arrive in the UK. But if you would like to plan ahead, and possibly take advantage from bargains for advance or online bookings, read on.

If you want to find out about coach tickets, have a look at the GoByCoach.com website (operated by the National Express coach company) and the Scottish Citylink site. Both sites have details of discount bookings. Tickets for National Express can be booked online, and Scottish Citylink tickets can be purchased from their telephone ticket line: +44 (0)8705 50 50 50.

For train travel, try the BritRail website. With BritRail Passes, overseas visitors can get unlimited travel over the whole of the UK rail network without restriction. Visitors can choose from a range of ticket types to suit their travel needs. You may also want to have a look at TheTrainLine and Qjump for online rail ticket purchases.

Tickets for the London Bus service and London Underground can be purchased from a ticket agent overseas in advance of your visit to the UK or on arrival: see the London Buses and thetube.com sites for more information.

The UK has a temperate maritime climate. The winter months from December to February are the coldest, with average temperatures around 5 degrees C/41 degrees F. The temperature rises through the spring months of March to May and is highest throughout the summer months of June to August, averaging around 17 degrees C/63 degrees F. During Autumn, from September to November, temperatures fall gradually. The average annual rainfall is 947mm per year.

For more detailed information, and for the latest weather forecasts for UK cities and regions, visit the Met Office website at www.metoffice.com.