When greeting a British person it is wise to keep your distance. Don't be over-familiar, don't assume intimacies you are not prepared to pay for. Some nationalities greet one another by kissing twice or even three times and embracing noisily. Avoid this in Britain: it may be mistaken for amorous advances or for attempted robbery.

The way to greet a Briton for the first time is to offer them your hand - the ends of three fingers is quite sufficient. There should be no more than three shakes up and down. Don't hang on or start squeezing the person's upper arm and patting them on the back - this is not British. The good thing here is that you need never shake hands with that person again or indeed touch any part of them until the time comes for them to leave (providing that they are leaving forever). In that case you may shake the hand again, this time adding a few extra ups and downs to express the deep bond of friendship you have formed.

Kissing is not normally permitted except in the case of elderly ladies. These will incline their heads slightly to signal that such a greeting is expected; you should respond by leaning towards their left side and kissing the air an inch or so above the cheek. Do not actually TOUCH the cheek with your lips.