Pack for a Holiday and We'll Tell You Exactly How British You Are

By: Zoe Samuel
Estimated Completion Time
6 min
Pack for a Holiday and We'll Tell You Exactly How British You Are
Image: Liam Norris / Cultura / Getty Images

About This Quiz

There's a saying that comes from India: Only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun. Britons have gone everywhere in the world, from the Amazon to Hawaii, and from the North Pole to the South Pole! Britons' travel practices are a peculiar mixture of habits born of the unique climate of the British Isles, and the preparedness for travel that comes with a cultural inheritance that includes going everywhere.

Of course, this scenario conjures images of Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay summiting Mount Everest, or Ernest Shackleton sailing to Antarctica. What is much more likely is a family of five flying to Orlando, Florida for a vacation at a theme resort, or a hen night in Ibiza. Still, the old travel habits are in the cultural DNA and they will emerge in anyone with enough exposure to British culture. Even the choice of destination, given the right circumstances, says something about one's Britishness, after all, despite the amount of rain in the UK, the country boasts more convertibles per capita than any country in the world!

From pith-helmet-wearing adventurers to expats who go fully native, the British travel style stands out from all others. Do you wonder how British you are? Take this quiz, tell us about your travel habits, and we'll tell you how British you are!

What do you pack first?
Sunscreen
Jackets
Shoes
Bathing suit

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What sort of hat would you bring for a night out on the town?
A top hat
A fascinator
A fedora
A porkpie hat

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Will you bring any of your favorite local snacks, just so you don't get homesick?
I always travel with a box of PG Tips.
I will, of course, bring some good English chocolates.
I have a penchant for English sucking candies.
I need to bring something with peanut butter, for my cravings.

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Will you bring a special phone?
No, but I will get a local SIM card.
Yes, just a burner with a local SIM card
Yes. I'll bring my old smartphone, since I don't want to damage or lose my good one.
No, I'll just bring my phone with my usual SIM card.

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How many adapters do you have?
I bring 2 universal adapters.
I bring 2 adapters that only work in the place I'm visiting.
1 universal adapter
None. I'll just buy one when I get there, if I need it.

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What sort of library are you bringing?
The History of The English Speaking Peoples by Winston Churchill
A collection of poetry by Lord Byron
The complete works of P. G. Wodehouse
Winner Takes All by Katie Price

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Will you need a guidebook?
A phrasebook perhaps, but I plan on hiring a guide.
2, I should think: a detailed one to read on the flight, and another to carry in my pocket.
No, I've done plenty of research on my destination before leaving.
No, I prefer to improvise my trip, eschewing formal plans or local knowledge.

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What type of luggage will you bring?
Steamer trunks, naturally
Expensive, Italian, handmade, leather, designer suitcases
Indestructible aluminum suitcases
Whatever is cheapest

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What must you pack in your carry-on bag?
Reading materials
Hobby items to busy myself
Hand sanitizer
A full makeup kit

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Other than your phone, do you bring any electronic devices to stay connected?
Perhaps an e-reader...
I may bring a netbook.
I would definitely bring a tablet.
I would bring my laptop, so I can work from the beach!

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What do you bring to take photographs?
A high-end point and shoot requiring little work to use well
A compact DSLR with one good lens
A special case for my phone that allows the use of high-end lenses
Just my phone and a disposable camera!

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Do you bring anything in which to write, like a notebook or loose paper?
Of course. I have a travel-secretary full of such things.
Just a folder with loose paper and envelopes for letter writing, thank you
A notebook, of course!
What do I look like? An elementary school student?

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What writing instrument do you bring with you?
A piston-filling fountain pen and a bottle of ink, of course
A ceramic roller-ball pen
A set of artist's pencils
I'll pack whatever I can swipe from the post office.

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Did you include a phrasebook?
No. I am fluent in the local language.
Yes, but I don't think it will get much use since my guide speaks all the local dialects.
Yes, but I've memorized most of it already.
What's a phrasebook?

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What sort of timepiece do you bring on your trip, for wearing every day?
A mid-priced diving watch, so I won't cry if it breaks or gets lost
A high-end pilot's watch, so it will work even in the mountains
An inexpensive digital watch, so I can really bash it around without worry
A high-end smartwatch so the locals will worship me as their new deity

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What sort of tools do you bring for navigation purposes?
A topographic map and compass, of course!
A road map and a compass app
Low profile city map, with photographs of landmarks
Just my phone, thanks

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How many surplus pairs of socks do you pack for your trip?
4. One mustn't be unprepared!
3. Not all socks are the same style, after all!
2. Even a short trip could be ruined by wet feet.
None! If I get my feet wet, I'll just wear sandals.

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Assuming your trip isn't explicitly for an event that calls for formal clothing, what is the smartest style of clothing that you pack?
One must at least be able to approximate black tie.
Cocktail party dress seems the appropriate choice.
I would pack a couple smart items, like shoes, which will make any outfit seem like it fits in.
Nothing!

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What manner of footwear would you bring for visits to a swimming pool, or similar body of water?
Well-designed sandals with a heel strap, so they don't come off if one runs
Fashionable, if not very useful thongs
Cheap but comfortable thongs
Crocs or nothing!

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What type of hat would you bring for spending extended periods outside in the sun?
A pith helmet
A straw fedora
A Panama hat
A trucker cap

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What style of shoe would you wear for when you need to do a lot of walking, but want to look fashionable?
Flats. I have nothing to prove.
Low wedges, so they look formal, but aren't purgatorial
Snedges, so they look fashionable, and are comfortable.
High heels, so everyone knows that when I want to look good, I mean business!

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How much work do you bring with you?
None!
I might bring some reading.
I would bring one small task I could work on between destinations.
All of it! It'll pay for the vacation!

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What sort of medicine would you pack in your luggage?
Things for insect bites. Anthisan, etc.
Allergy pills. You never know what you'll be breathing in.
Painkillers. Some places don't sell the good ones over the counter.
None! For what am I paying for trip insurance?!

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What tokens might you bring to give as gifts to your hosts?
Books
Art
Food
Nothing

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The sun is in every country! What SPF sunscreen would you pack?
45. More than that is just silly.
30. I won't be spending all my time in the sun, after all.
15. It's already in my moisturizer.
1,000! I will be totally protected, forever!

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How do you plan to fend off insects?
Netting and long clothes
Sprays for my clothes and my skin
Thoroughly spraying my skin
An electronic insect repellent that uses sound

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What tools for clothing care would you pack in your luggage?
An iron
Wrinkle release spray
A steamer
Hangers

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What game item would you pack for your trip, to keep busy during downtime?
A magnetic chess set
A deck of bridge-sized playing cards
A game of chance, like dice
A Game Boy

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What not strictly necessary toiletry can't you be without?
Facial wipes
Exfoliator
Mouthwash
Shaving cream

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What do you pack in case of precipitation?
A hat
An anorak
A brolly
A full poncho and rain hat

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You Got: