A visa is “an endorsement on a passport indicating that the holder is allowed to enter, leave, or stay for a specified period of time in a country”.
If you are a citizen of the United States, a visa is not required to travel in England or France for this program.
You will pass through UK Immigration and customs upon landing in London. Do not be offended if the immigration officer who processes your paperwork is less than friendly, they have a very important job! Calmly pass through the line (queue) and answer their questions. Now is a good time to have a copy of your return flight itinerary on you in case they ask for verification that you do intend to leave their country (because you will not have a visa to stay/study/work).
When you travel to Paris you will do so via the Eurostar train – it’s a quick and smooth 2.5-hour trip under the British channel. Even though you will be traveling by train, you are still crossing borders and thus will be required to pass through British and French immigration at St. Pancras International terminal. You will not be “checking” any luggage as you would do on an airplane so pepper spray, mace or any other items that could be considered weapons will not be allowed through security, even in what you would consider your “checked luggage”. With that said, larger liquid/gel toiletries are indeed allowed and you do not have to adhere to the 3:1:1 rule as you do for a flight!
If you are not a citizen of the United States, you may be required to obtain a visa prior to travel. CISabroad is not a visa processing centre. It is your responsibility to understand the immigration laws surrounding your country’s requirements for visiting Europe. Your program manager can provide documents you may need to support your visa application.