The most baffling things about the UK according to tourists

Epic public drunkenness, rural friendliness and Tube signs are among visitors' observations

Tourists love a good pub

(Oli Scarff/Getty Images)

The Queen, an obsession with tea and orderly queues are among the many things traditionally associated with Britain.

But how do non-Britons react when they come to visit the UK?

First-time visitors to Britain from other countries across the world have written about their experiences and the odd things they encountered, on question-and-answer online forum Quora.

John Fernandez, who was “born and raised in New York”, mentioned British drinking culture was completely different to what he experienced in the US.

“I would see epic public drunkenness on a scale completely unheard of in New York City except for maybe St Patrick's Day, except it was like 9PM on a Friday night," he wrote.

Suchi Govindarajan, who is Indian but was raised in Australia, was surprised about the friendliness she encountered in the countryside compared to the city.

“I was surprised by the difference between the curt manner of some people in London (especially staff at stations and airports) and the warm hospitality of the people in smaller country towns," she wrote.

Sudhanva Rajashekara, who hails from India, was surprised by “some of those tube names” and posted this London Underground sign.

Geraldine DeRuiter visited the UK from America, and was impressed by the “delightful” tradition of tea.

“The English are very serious about their tea, and it's all fantastic," she said.

"You can get it with cake. I can't imagine anything more delightful. We Americans should really consider adopting this practice. '4pm! Time for a cake and a cuppa!'”