If you’re traveling from the US to the UK for the first time, the arrivals process at Heathrow and Gatwick Airports are very easy and well-marked. After flying for up to twelve hours, and usually overnight, it may be helpful to know exactly what to expect when you arrive.

The plane you’ve traveled on usually empties quite quickly, as most people are anxious to get going on their journey (or to return home). There will be some walking involved, as many long-haul flights pull into gates far away from the terminals. If this will present a problem, be sure to arrange for a wheelchair in advance.

The first stop will be passport control. There are two separate lines - one for European Union (EU) and British nationals and another for everyone else. Make sure you queue up in the second line. The wait can be quite long, especially if several flights arrive simultaneously from the States. Security is extremely important, so as sleep-deprived and antsy as you may be, please be patient.

At the passport booth, an immigration officer will ask for your passports and documentation cards necessary for your visit, which you’ll have already received and completed on the plane. (The cards will ask for the name and address of where you’re staying, so be sure to keep that with you.) Your passport cannot expire during your visit – so it’s critical you update your passport before your flight if this is the case.

The next step is to pick up your luggage. The carousels are marked, and your bags are usually already waiting for you because of the wait at immigration. Carts are available free of charge.

Finally, you need to clear customs. Nearly everyone entering the UK for vacation will use the “green channel” (clearly marked) because there will be nothing to declare. If for some reason you are carrying goods for sale or anything over the allowance, check in at the “red point.”

You’re nearly done! There is last-minute duty-free shopping, in case you need it. Make your way to the arrivals hall, where transportation (taxis, rental cars, buses) and meeting places are clearly marked.