The National Museums Liverpool are celebrating the Christmas season with all kinds of free events for the whole family.

The Lady Lever Art Gallery, home of British fine and decorative arts from the 18th and 19th century, plans a late night opening with shopping, free food and drink, music and sparkling decorations this Wednesday and a Victorian Christmas celebration on Sunday.

Throughout the month, the World Museum Liverpool stages a multi-media interactive performance of Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol featuring the museum's resident actor and offering an audience member the chance to play Tiny Tim. And The Walker Art Gallery comes over all Victorian this Saturday.

There are fascinating, themed Christmas Crafts workshops at The Merseyside Maritime Museum and The National Conservation Centre, where conservators look after Liverpool Museums' diverse collections. And, don't miss the Christmas Carol evenings at Sudley House amid a wonderful collection of Victorian and Pre-Raphaelite paintings that are original to the house.

• Find details of all the free Christmas events at Liverpool's National Museums
• Learn more about visiting Liverpool
• Find cheapest flights to Liverpool John Lennon Airport
• Compare prices on Liverpool hotels

_{©Christopher Furlong/Getty Images}

If you are heading for the UK for the holidays and plan on bringing gifts for friends and family, the good news is that, as of today, Britain's Duty Free Allowances for goods from outside the EU have more than doubled.

In line with the rest of the EU, the UK has raised the allowances of goods individuals can bring into country to reflect the needs of modern travelers and the real prices of goods today. This is the first change in Duty Free Allowances in 15 years.

Here's what's new:

• The allowance for still table wine has risen from 2 liters to 4 liters
• A new allowance of 16 liters (28 imperial pints) of beer has been introduced
• Limits on perfumes and colognes have been removed
• Limits on tobacco products and spirits or fortified wines remain the same but can now be made up of a mix and match selection of products.
• In the biggest change of all the Duty Free Allowance for all other goods, including small electrical goods, gifts and souvenirs has more than doubled, from £145 to £300, and will rise again, to £340, on January 1.

  Get the full story on what you can - and cannot - bring into the UK, along with the latest Duty Free Allowances

If you're pinching pennies - and who isn't these days - flying away during the winter holiday period could save you quite a bit of money. A quick review of airfares reveals that if you pick your days right, you could save as much as $400 on non-stop, round trip flights from North America to UK destinations. Can you fly on Christmas Eve or New Year's Eve? You could save even more.

And, if you've always made independent travel arrangements, consider changing to a travel package. Some of the best air, car and hotel deals for UK travel are available through packages and, once you cross the Atlantic, you don't have to stay with a regimented tour if you don't want to.

Last minute deals change quickly at this time of year so the best way to find a cheap flight, flight and hotel package or total vacation deal is by searching and deciding fast. Try these:

• Search Kayak for great Travel Deals
• Search Travelocity for an All-Inclusive Vacation Package

Did you know there are 18 High Roads in London, about 50 High Streets? There are four Manor Places and 29 Manor Roads. Without Postal Codes, you'd have no way of distinguishing one from the other or finding your way between hundreds of duplicated street names in London and countless other cities and towns around Britain. So when you are noting down the key information you need for your trip to the UK, don't forget to make a note of all those letters and numbers at the ends of addresses.

Postal Codes are about more than just the Post - Find out why.

_{Map fragment photo by Ferne Arfin}