Be a pro at London’s mannerisms and fit right in with the crowd. ELLE editors from ELLE UK give their best lifestyle advice with tips from:

• Lorraine Candy – Editor in Chief of ELLE UK

• Anne-Marie Curtis – Fashion Director of ELLE UK

• Marissa Bourke – Creative Director of ELLE UK – and the ELLE UK Art Team

• Susan Ward Davies – Travel Editor of ELLE UK

• Emma Strenner – Beauty Director of ELLE UK

• Suzanne Scott – Beauty Writer of ELLE UK

• Georgia Collins – Deputy Beauty Editor of ELLE UK 

MORE LONDON: Lifestyle addresses

GENERAL TIPS & TRENDS

Typical words, phrases or attitudes when entering a restaurant/shop

BT: “Hello”. There is no new way of saying these things in London.

A-MC: “Hello”

MB: “Hi”, this is the standard greeting.

SWD: “Hello”: this is the typical friendly greeting

Typical words, phrases or attitudes when leaving a restaurant/shop

BT: “Bye”

A-MC: “Thank you, bye bye”

MB: “Bye”, this is the most used formula.

SWD: “Bye, see you later”: it is the typical friendly goodbye

MILAN travel guide: Eat, drink and go out 

Typical words, phrases or attitudes when saying Hello to someone you know

BT: “Hi”

A-MC: “Hey!”

MB: “Hey”, this is the most used formula.

SWD: “Hi, it’s so good to see you”: it is the typical familiar greeting.

Typical words, phrases or attitudes when greeting someone

BT: “Give a hug. We’re getting friendlier in London by the minute, only a sincere hug will do!”

A-MC: “2 kisses”.

MB: “A kiss on the cheek. It is polite and friendly.”

SWD: “One kiss on the cheek and say ‘Hi, how are you?": It is the standard friendly greeting.

PARIS travel guide: Lifestyle tips & trends

Trendy words/expressions

BT: “Totes”, which means “totally”.

A-MC: “Everyone is putting "super" in front of adjectives ie: super-amazing, super-cool. Or they use the word “Amaze”.

MB: “The abbreviations like lol etc… It is really casual.”

SWD: “Totes, amaze”: Taken from the popular TV show "The Only Way is Essex"

The biggest don’ts

BT: “Limp handshakes. Handshakes should be firm and purposeful – there’s nothing worse than a limp handshake.”

A-MC: “Don’t be rude.”

MB: “A kiss on the lips. It is inappropriate.”

MORE LONDON: Eat, drink and go out

Click through to the next page for our travel tips and trends for London…

TRAVELLING TIPS & TRENDS

How to pack and what luggage to use

BT: “Go for an overnight suitcase. It will normally fit in the over-head luggage compartment meaning no queuing at baggage claim at the other end.”

A-MC: “Carry-on Louis Vuitton.”

MB: “A hand luggage because it is minimal.”

SWD: “Go for a Tumi Tegralite. A cool retro trunk look, very light, a lot of room and easy to wheel around.”

Learn how to TRAVEL WITH EASE with out airport guide

The best travel outfit

BT: “A pair of skinny jeans, a T-shirt, a jacket, Converse sneakers and the largest carry-on bag you can get away with. Comfort without sacrificing style.”

A-MC: “A cashmere scarf, a pair of sunglasses.”

MB: “A cashmere blanket and a hoody for comfort.”

SWD: “A pair of cargo pants, a Twenty8Twelve T-shirt with a khaki fine cotton shirt.”

The must-have items on the plane

BT: “An iPod and a Kindle. If the in-flight movies are rubbish your iPod and kindle are the only things to get you through the flight.”

A-MC: “A book, some water and a face cream.”

MB: “A pair of cashmere socks for comfort.”

SWD: “A Kindle, a Macbook, a Bliss moisturizer, an Evian spray, a pashmina.”

SLIDESHOW: 10 FRESH FRAGRANCES for spring

Beauty tips to look fresh upon arrival

BT: “In-flight mini facial and facial spritz. We make the most of the time in the sky with a mini facial. We massage Clarins Blue Orchid oil into skin and apply a mask like Sisley Black Orchid that doesn’t need washing off. Then top it off with a hydrating gel/crème like Carita Lagoon Cream and keep our skin hydrated by misting it regularly with the likes of Caudalie Beauty Elixir.”

A-MC: “Wear a pair of sunglasses.”

MB: “Drink water on the plane. It will keep you looking and feeling fresh.”

SWD: “Cleanse and moisturize throughout the flight. Drink lots of water.”

How to beat jetlag

BT: “Work through it. We try not to give in to sleep preferring to power through – otherwise it takes days to adjust.”

A-MC: “Take a swim and have a massage.”

MB: “Stay up! You’ll feel worse if you keep snoozing!”

SWD: “Stay up really late the night before flying. Don’t keep regular hours. If you don’t sleep at the same time every night, you barely notice jetlag.”

What to drink & eat on the plane

BT: “Drink lots and lots of water and be careful of what you eat. Flying can leave us (and our skin) massively dehydrated and it messes with digestion so drink a lot of water and be careful to avoid stodgy foods.”

A-MC: “Drinking some green tea will stop you bloating.”

MB: “Take your own food. It is a good way to stay healthy.”

SWD: “If you’re lucky enough to get upgraded, drink lots of champagne. You won’t care about the turbulence at 50,000 feet.”

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