Program Foundations

Program Details

Travel Planning

THE TRIP OVER TO BIRMINGHAM

The following narrative gives you some idea of what to expect on the trip to England and an explanation of how to proceed through customs when you arrive.

On the day of departure, a representative of our programme will meet you at the airport in Minneapolis to give you your tickets, go over any last minute changes, and see you to the security gate. Be at the airport AT LEAST TWO HOURS IN ADVANCE OF YOUR SCHEDULED DEPARTURE TIME. You will receive more information about this in a later mailing.

You must have the following with you: all luggage, passport, and second form of ID with picture on it. At the airport you will be given a round trip airline ticket and a letter from us indicating that you are part of the programme. Keep these items in a safe, accessible place on your person or carry-on as you will need to show your passport at the gate and you will need your passport and informational letter for British Customs officials upon arrival. In England the Programme Director will be collecting return tickets for safe-keeping.

Note about passports: you MUST carry it with you at all times when traveling between countries. DO NOT put it in your checked baggage. It is advisable to have three to four photocopies of the information page of your passport with you. Put one in your luggage, another in your carry-on, and one in your wallet or purse. Take five to ten copies of your passport photo with you as they will be useful for ID cards, travel passes, etc. You need not carry your passport with you when doing everyday things in England. Keep it in a SAFE place.

We suggest that you dress comfortably, but somewhat conservatively on the way over. Anything militaristic, political, or anarchist will assure you of being stopped, interrogated, searched, and possibly detained. Decent blue jeans or slacks and a shirt, blouse and/or sweater will make life much easier for you.

Airplane travel fatigue and jetlag are real. A typical flight might have you leaving Minneapolis at 2 PM, followed by a three-hour layover in Chicago, and an overnight flight to Birmingham. This might put you into Birmingham at 8 AM Birmingham time, which would be 2 AM Minneapolis time. You will probably be TIRED! Some suggestions to minimize the fatigue and jet lag are:

1. Go to bed early and get early the last three or four nights before leaving the U.S. to start the adjustment to the new time.

2. Resist the temptation to "party" on the way over. Stick to drinking fruit juice and water as carbonated beverages and alcohol tend to dehydrate you.

3. Pass on the movie and sleep instead.

ARRIVAL
After deplaning you will first go through immigration control. Follow the signs for non-EU citizens. You will need your passport, the informational letter, and a landing card that you will get from the airline on the flight over. You must have filled out the landing card before going through immigration control, so make sure you do it on the plane. They will ask you how long you're staying in Britain and some personal questions. The best advice for you in going through immigration control is to be honest and polite. They can make life miserable for you if you wise off; they also have the authority to refuse you entry into their country.

NOTE: INTERNATIONAL LAW PROHIBITS US FROM MEETING YOU UNTIL YOU HAVE GONE THROUGH CUSTOMS, SO THE PROGRAMME DIRECTOR WILL BE WAITING FOR YOU RIGHT OUTSIDE THE CUSTOMS AREA.

After immigration control, go directly to the baggage claims area and find your luggage as it comes in from the plane. There are FREE baggage carts in the area. Use them for your convenience. After claiming your luggage, go through customs. There will be signs leading to two exits: a red one for those who have something to declare beyond the legal duty-free limits, and a green one for all others. Assuming that you are smart (that is, you have no live plants and haven't brought the family cat with you, etc.) GO THROUGH THE GREEN LINE.

Customs is a little unpredictable, but you just keep walking through unless someone tells you to stop. If that happens, don't panic! They stop hundreds of people every day on spot checks. It is likely that at least one of you will be selected for a check. Just be polite and do what they ask. They will probably ask you to open some or all of your bags. Then they will allow you to proceed on through the customs hall. The Programme Director will be waiting for you just outside the doors.

One final word of caution: customs takes very seriously any attempt to bring illegal drugs or substances into their country. They will prosecute you in every instance. Don't try it!

WELCOME TO ENGLAND!