Before Arriving in London

1. Before Arriving in London
2. How to get to London - Getting to London by plane, train, bus or car
3. Public Transport in London - Getting around London
4. Cost of Living in London
5. Save Money in London - Tips for Living in London on a Student Budget
6. London neighborhoods - The most important districts of London
7. London Nightlife - A guide to nightclubs and going out in London
8. Where to eat in London - British Cuisine and British Gastronomy Restaurants
9. Top London Attractions - The best things to do in London (1st part)
10. Top London Attractions - The best things to do in London (2nd part)
11. Top London Attractions - The best things to do in London (3rd part)
12. Top London Attractions - The best things to do in London (4th part)
13. Day Trips from London - Places to visit and excursions around London
14. Festivals in London - Festivities and celebrations calendar
15. London in 3 days - What to see in London in 3 days

Documents

Obviously, you’ll have to have your passport with you to arrive in the country... however, it would also be a good idea to bring some other form of ID such as your driving license or another form of official ID which has your age, date of birth and your picture on it. It’s also a good idea to have at least 6 photocopies of your passport.

As well as photocopies of your passport, it’s always a good idea to bring some passport certified photos with you in case you want to apply for a card that requires a face picture.

You should definitely bring your EHIC or European Health Insurance Card just in case you do need any sort of medical treatment whilst you’re in London.

Documents that prove you’re able to support your stay would also be a good idea such as bank statements or proof of funding whether that be for an Erasmus programme or another programme.

Make sure to also bring your learning or working agreement with you as well as any university documents!

For a thorough list of the documents you may need for renting a flat, please check here.

Money

As most of you probably know, the currency used in Britain (and therefore London) is the pound (GBP). It’s a fairly strong currency, however thanks to recent political decisions like ‘Brexit’, the Pound isn’t as strong as it used to be, especially compared to the Euro! So I suppose that’s a good thing for anyone coming from a Eurozone country…

€1 will get you about 84p and $1USD will get you about 77p. In all honesty, there are not really many useful things that you could get for that amount of money in London, however, round that amount up to £1 and you could get a hamburger from McDonald’s, or something small from a supermarket like a chocolate bar or bag of crisps or even a bottle of water!

It would definitely be better to change your money into pounds at anywhere other than an airport! Of course, you can use ATMs in the city (you will probably be charged if you don’t have an English bank card though) or if you don’t get the chance to exchange your money in your home country, you’ll easily be able to find a “bureau de change” by searching in Google.

Clothing

As a Londoner, it’s probably harder than I realise to know what to pack when coming to London. The weather can be a bit hit and miss but there’s always a way around these things, plus if you don’t have a particular item of clothing, then it gives you the perfect excuse to go and check out the shopping scene in London!

It goes without saying that if you’re going to be in London during autumn or winter (actually, in spring and summer as well to a certain extent) then it would be silly not to bring any sort of warm clothing. Winter and autumn can be especially cold so jackets, hats, scarves and gloves will be a necessity! Spring is generally quite wet with some warm and cold patches, so jackets, jeans, thick t-shirts and jumpers would be a good idea. As for summer, it can get really hot but it can equally be fairly chilly so light cardigans or jumpers and jeans as well as shorts, t-shirts and trainers would be the perfect combination!

As we all know, London and Britain in general, are known for being rainy, so wellies, waterproof jackets and umbrellas are a must!

Fines

London isn’t necessarily a strict city but like any major city, there are rules set in place to provide a high quality of life for its citizens. These fines can be quite pricey, but if you don’t commit any of the listed offences, then you should be okay!

• Dropping cigarette ends on the floor - up to £80 (use the bins provided in the streets!)

• Littering of any kind - up to £80

• Excessive noise - up to £500

• Fare evasion on public transport - up to £1000

Language

As a native English speaker, I can’t really tell if English is hard to learn or not, but one thing for sure is that it’s a very widely-spoken and well-known language which may make you think, “then why have you got a language section in your city guide?” Well, to answer that question, a lot of friends that I have who aren’t native English speakers tend to speak ‘American English’, probably as they have picked up words from American TV shows, so I have put together a list of some words which you are likely to use with their ‘British English’ equivalent.

Don’t panic if you can’t remember all of these, people in England will understand you if you use the ‘American English’ version!

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