At the Customs House

While still on board the plane the passenger is given an arrival card to fill in, fills in (in block letters) his name in full, country of residence, permanent address, purpose and length of visit, and address in the country he is visiting.

After the passenger has disembarked, officials will check his passport and visa (to see if they are in order).

In some countries they will check the passenger's certificate of vaccination.

When these formalities have been completed the passenger goes to the Customs for an examination of his luggage.

Every country has its own customs regulations, which stipulate what articles are liable (subject) to duty and what are duty-free. Sometimes an article which falls under customs restrictions and is liable to duty is allowed as duty-free if a traveler does not exceed a certain quota. These are listed in a duty-free quota list.

Customs restrictions also include a prohibited articles-list. This is a list of items which may not be brought into a country or taken out of it.

Here is a partial list of prohibited articles (items): fire-arms, in some countries - meat products, fresh fruit and vegetables.

If a traveler has any item which comes under customs restrictions, he is asked to declare it. That is, he is asked to name the item, stating its value and other particulars. The declaration is made orally or in writing on a special form. In this case a traveler fills in the form. The practice seems to vary in different countries. Upon payment of duty a traveler is given a receipt. As a rule personal effects are duty-free.

It sometimes happens that a passenger's luggage is carefully gone through in order to prevent smuggling.

The formalities at the customs house usually take some time. Only after going through the customs a traveler is free to go to a hotel or any other place.

Types of hotel

Hotels in Britain are graded with stars from one-star to five-star (five-star hotels are the best and most expensive). You can also stay in a Bed & Breakfast (B&B) (also called Guest Houses) where you pay for a bedroom, possibly an ensuite (= room with private bathroom) and breakfast.

Types of hotel accommodation:

• a single room: for one person with a single bed;

• a double room: for two people with one large double bed;

• a twin room: for two people with two single beds;

• full board: includes breakfast, lunch and dinner;

• half board: includes breakfast and dinner;

• B&B: just the room and breakfast.

Ответьте на вопросы:

1. How many stars do British hotels have? What are the best hotels?

2. What does B&B stand for?

3. Name the types of hotel accommodation.

Places to Stay

You can get information about places to stay and accommodation from the BTA (British Travel Agency). Many guidebooks have advice on this too. It's wise to book accommodation in London before you come, especially at busy times like the summer.

If you arrive in London without anywhere to stay, you can use the Accom­modation Service at the TICs at Heathrow and Victoria. Selfridges and Harrods can also provide such information and addresses to try. The most popular places are motels, hotels, hostels and bed and breakfast (В & B).

Hotels are much the same in all countries. They are the places to go if you are looking for comfort and extra services, though of course they're the most expensive kind of accommodation. They often have more facilities for food than other places to stay, offering main meal and also snacks and room service.

Motets (also called motor hotels and motor inns) are hotels especially for drivers. Often they're near motorways or main roads, and there's always lots of parking space. Some have rooms lilre hotel entrance, a bathroom and a place to cook or make tea or coffee (self-catenng}. Guesthouses are usually smaller and cheaper than hotels and are often pleasant and friendly. Apart from the bedrooms, there will be a dining room for meals and a living room that guests can use.

A popular place to stay is "В & B" — a private house or farm which takes a few guests. They are actually like guesthouses, but they're smaller and may only be open for the part of the year. В & В are cheap and friendly and may give you the opportunity to meet some British people at home.

Inns are pubs with accommodation and meals, though these may be more like pub food than restaurant meals. Many inns are interesting old buildings which have been used for centuries by travellers, and they're often cheaper than hotels.

Ответьте на вопросы:

1. What places can we stay at when in Britain?

2. Are there any similar places to stay in your country?

3. Which accommodation would you choose for yourself if you happened to be in Britain?

4. Why have you chosen this particular place to stay? Give your reasons.