Moving from the US to the UK FAQ

[san...@epunix.sussex.ac.uk]

Archive-name: US-to-UK-moving-faq
Posting-Frequency: monthly (no guarantees)
Last-Modified: July 12, 1994

US TO UK MOVING FAQ

Written and maintained by Greg Sandell

* san...@epunix.ep.susx.ac.uk
* or san...@cnmat.cnmat.berkeley.edu
* Access to this doc by WWW: http://ep56c.ep.susx.ac.uk/uk_faq.html
* Last updated July 12, 1994



Description: This is a list of Frequently Asked Questions by people
planning to move from America to the UK. Possibly also useful to
anyone travelling to the UK, or moving to Europe in general.

All users: please read the information in "Details about this
document" under the section "Administrivia." WWW readers: if the links
don't seem to work, use the scrollbar (the whole FAQ is contained in
this single document).

QUESTIONS

* Administrivia
+ Details about this document
+ How was this FAQ written?
+ Acknowledgments
* Can I run US-made electrical devices (appliances, stereos,
computers) in the UK?
+ What are the differences?
+ How can I convert?
+ What are the differences in power plugs/jacks in US and UK?
+ What features should I look for a transformer?
+ Where can I get a transformer, and for how much?
+ Will phone items (modem, answering machine) work?
* How should I transport my belongings to the UK?
+ Intro
+ Freight Forwarding
+ UPS
+ Air Freight
+ Extra baggage on passanger flight
+ Moving Vans (Mayflower, Bekins, etc.)
+ The other end: storing your belongings in the US
* How much of my stuff should I take?
* Will I have to pay import duties, VAT, etc. on items I bring into
theUK?
* What sorts of documents should I bring with me?
* How does the standard of life in the UK compare to the US?
+ Some statistics comparing UK and US
+ Main body
* How is health care in the UK?
+ Statistics comparing the UK and US
+ Will I get health care for free?
+ How concerned are Brits about health and fitness?
+ Dentistry
* How expensive is it to live in the UK?
* How can I get a bank account?
* What kind of housing will I find?
* How do I get utilities (gas, water, phone, etc)?
+ Getting hooked up
+ Telephones
+ Long distance carriers
* How should I manage my financial affairs back in the US?
* How much will I be taxed (in US and UK)?
+ These rules change every year!
+ UK taxes
+ US tax
* Will I be able to stand food in the UK?
+ Is store-bought food decent?
+ What's this about British food being bad?
+ Where can I find restaurants with good food, then?
+ When can I eat?
* Do I want to get around by train, bus, or car?
+ Trains and busses
+ Do I want to drive in the UK?
+ Do I want to be a pedestrian in the UK?
* Is internet easily accessable?
* What kind of Visa/Permit do I need?
* Do I want to go?
+ What makes living in the UK so great?
+ What's it like being a foreigner in the UK?
* What should I read before moving to the UK?
+ Fiction
+ Non Fiction
* Basic facts comparing the US and UK

Administrivia

DETAILS ABOUT THIS DOCUMENT

Medium: this document is available as an ascii text file, or as a
World Wide Web document (WWW), that is, written in Hypertext Markup
Language (HTML). It is a much nicer read under WWW; learn who to use
WWW and Mosaic soon if you haven't already!

Raw ascii versions of it should appear on rec.travel,
soc.culture.british, uk.misc, and news.answers from time to time (when
I get around to it).

Notes for WWW users: the URL is
http://ep56c.ep.susx.ac.uk/uk_faq.html. Note that the document you are
looking at contains the whole FAQ, and the links (with one or two
exceptions) point to other places within this document. If for some
reason your WWW provider isn't handling the links correctly (lynx in
particular seems to have problems), just use the scrollbar!

Notes for readers viewing this in raw ascii text: the recurring phrase
"Back to list of questions" refers to a WWW-specific feature, and you
should ignore it.

Permissions: Feel free to duplicate and circulate all or parts of this
document provided you do so on a non-profit basis, indicate my name as
author, and do not alter it in any way.

Back to list of questions...

HOW WAS THIS FAQ WRITTEN?

Before I moved to the UK to take a job, I posed several dozen
questions to the readers of the USENET group soc.culture.british about
such things as electrical products, how to move a household, and
general questions about what to expect in the UK. I found there were
more than just a few people who'd gone through the same thing, and
later, that there were many others asking the same questions. I
resolved to eventually write a FAQ so I wouldn't keep having to
writing the same advice over and over again.

FAQs are customarily compendiums of wisdom by many people on the
subject in question. The first verson of this FAQ was written almost
purely from my own first-hand experience, since there wasn't that much
accumulated wisdom on this sporadically discussed topic on the net.
Since I first posted it, however, several people (credited below) have
mailed suggestions and corrections to me, so it grows.

I live (or lived, depending on when you read this) in Brighton, a
mid-sized UK city. Cities with a population size close to Brighton are
Bristol, Cardiff, Coventry, Derby, Leicester, Newcastle-upon-Tyne,
Nottingham, Plymouth, and Southampton. Although the information here
might not apply to some of the smaller or more remote towns, I suspect
it will apply to much of the UK. I have to confess to not knowing much
about the experience of living in London; London is probably so
different from any UK city in terms of costs and necessary survival
skills that it might require a FAQ twice this size. I wish I had the
time to research this topic to make it more widely applicable, but
here it is, and I hope it is useful to someone.

Also keep in mind the information here reflects a particular point of
time (specifically, April '93 when I moved to Brighton, until the
present, June '94). I have no doubt that that many of the facts and
certainly the prices will all sound very quaint in about five years'
time. I put all costs in US dollars for the purpose of simplicity. The
exhange rate I use is $1.50 to the UK pound, which is what it has
hovered around (plus or minus 2 cents) during the time I've been here.


For further information, try asking anyone else who has spent
considerable time living in both the US and UK. Beware of
out-of-date advice; someone who hasn't lived in the UK for five years
or more may remember a different place than it is now.

Back to list of questions...

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thanks to the following people who have given comments, suggestions
and corrections:
* Al Crawford (aw...@dcs.ed.ac.uk)
* Brian McKinney (bmck...@viking.dvc.edu)
* Sylvain Louboutin (slou...@dsg.cs.tcd.ie)
* Julian Bradfield (j...@cds.ed.ac.uk)
* James Shippey (shi...@gwis.circ.gwu.edu)
* Mark Brader (m...@sp.com)
* Charles Bryant (c...@chch.demon.co.uk)
* Roger Pollard (rog...@sr.hp.com)
* Andrew Henry (A.H....@bath.ac.uk)



Back to list of questions...

Can I run US-made electrical devices (appliances, stereos, computers) in the
UK?

Bing! You've just asked the very most Frequently Asked Question
regarding a move to the UK. The UK, of course, has a completely
different electrical standard than the US (in terms of current,
frequency and physical plugs). There is a lot of information to
consider here, at different levels of technicality.

In my view, your best start is to find a store that deals primarily in
selling foreign electronics good, and get a friendly salesman to
explain the ins and outs of power conversion. Such shops (found only
in large cities, I'm afraid) will be listed under "Export shops" in
the yellow pages; you might also try "Freight Forwarding" and ask
where such shops may be found in that area.

Back to list of questions...

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES?



There are four matters relating to using US appliances in the UK
* the voltage ( US = 120V, UK = 240V )
* the number of watts the product draws (different for each product)
* the frequency ( US = 60 Hz, UK = 50 Hz )
* the plug on the power cord



Back to list of questions...

HOW CAN I CONVERT?

To have a US item run under UK current you need to buy a transformer,
a product that you plug into the wall and has a US-style jack at the
other end. The transformer will "step down" in voltage from 240 to
120v. From there you may want to plug in a US-style power strip and
provide current for several products.

Next you need to consider how many watts your transformer is providing
(all transformers should clearly indicate this). The more wattage
required by the electrical item(s), the bigger (and more expensive)
the transformer will need to be. Add up all the watts that every one
of the components will draw that will be turned on at the same time,
then throw in 20-25 extra watts for good measure, and that's about the
size you need. So if you have three stereo components drawing 30 watts
each, get a transformer than delivers about 120 watts. Don't try to
draw more than what the transformer provides: you will be risking the
health of you and your electronic components!

Now, on to the subject of the frequency of the product. Transformers,
as I understand them, do not provide frequency converson; you are
stuck with UK 50 Hz. However, this is only a concern regarding
electrical items with motors. Under UK frequency, the motors in these
products will run more slowly, that is 5/6 the correct speed. The
upshot of this is that you probably do not want to bring audio
products such as US-made LP record turntables or cassette decks, since
they will probably play at the wrong speed (yes, wrong enough that it
will sound terrible: about 3.2 musical semitones too flat). CD
players, despite having a motor, will run correctly, due to the way
they are manufactured. Even if you are dealing with a product where
the speed of the motor is not critical (for instance, power drills,
hair dryers, etc.), there's no guarantee that it will work. If a
product contains its own internal transformer, you have to check that
the minimum frequency it may be run at is 50 Hz; if it is rated for no
lower than 60 Hz, it may overheat and may not be safe to operate. To
be totally safe you probably should have an electrician examine the
internal transformer. On the positive side, however, it might be
pointed out that such products are somewhat rare. Many products with
motors in them ought to be left at home anyway...see the section on
what items you should bring to the UK for why.

Here's some specific information about computers. Many computer
manufacturers these days are making products that run on both
standards of current. For each component that you plug in, check the
information near the power cord: if it says something like "AC
100-240, 50/60 Hz", you are golden (this applies to any electrical
product, not just computers). You won't need a transformer at all,
just a plug converter. Good news for Apple Macintosh users: everything
after the Mac Plus was made in this fashion (although check the back
to make absolutely sure). If it turns out you have several such
products, you could get a mere plug converter, plug in a US power
strip to it, and then plug all your components in (although you do
not want a power strip with a surge protector, since it will freak
over receiving 240v). But only do this if everyone in your household
is smart enough not to plug just any US product into that power strip!


If your computer is not one of those that handle this conversion
internally, remember: your disk drive contains a motor, and it has to
be supplied with 60 Hz frequency. Thus your old PC may not function
abroad, and there is no converter that can help you. Check with a
computer repair shop to be sure, or read the technical manuals.

Back to list of questions...

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES IN POWER PLUGS/JACKS IN US AND UK?

There is only one type of plug in common use in the UK, a three prong
plug, larger than the US three-prong equivalent. A schematic below
(which requires a non-proportional font to be viewed correctly)
illustrates the differences between the blades of the two plugs:

US: UK:

o |

| | - -

There is an older, two prong plug which apparently is still in use in
older dwellings that haven't been updated, but I have never seen
them, even in quite old fashioned cottages. So if a salesman selling
you UK/US adapters tells you need to need to be equally prepared for
both kinds of plugs, he's wrong.

The UK plug also differs from the US one in that a fuse is contained
inside. When you buy a UK electrical product the power cord will have
no plug on it; you have to buy this separately and attach it yourself
(there are instructions, but for those who are mechanically hopeless,
ask a native for help). While we're on that subject, you'll also
discover that all UK electrical outlets have switches on them, like
the switch on a power strip. And, like all other switches in the UK
(such as those used for room lights) the effect of the position of the
switch is opposite that of the US: down means on, up means off!

Back to list of questions...

WHAT FEATURES SHOULD I LOOK FOR A TRANSFORMER?

Go for good quality here. I am suspicious of the kind of products that
are made for the vacation traveler, sold at department stores and
places like Radio Shack. They sell itty-bitty transformers that claim
to be able to convert power for things like hair dryers, but it
doesn't make sense: hair driers consume vast numbers of watts. Some
friends have in fact confirmed to me that they couldn't get their hair
dryer to work, despite the claim on the product.

Go instead to an export shop, if you can find one. Look at the back of
every one of your electrical items you plan to bring to the UK, write
down its power consumption in watts, and take this list to the vendor,
and see what he/she reccomends.

Many commercial transformers I have seen only provide a two-prong US
jack, i.e., no ground, so you'll have to look harder to find one with
a ground, i.e., three prongs. People with some expertise have told me
that it can be very risky to bypass the ground plug (with one of those
three-to-two-prong adapters) when using products that require a
ground.

Back to list of questions...

WHERE CAN I GET A TRANSFORMER, AND FOR HOW MUCH?

First of all, you might consider whether it might not be better to
wait until getting to the UK to buy transformers. There's not much of
a market in the US for converters, since there is only one electrical
standard in the US and Canada. There are many different electrical
standards in Europe, and hence, a market for transformers there, and
thus probably better availability and wider selection. Also, keep in
mind that they are very heavy (and you'll have to ship it rather than
take it on the plane with you). On the other hand, they may be cheaper
in the US (see prices below).

There is a electronic parts catalogue sales company called RS
Components which deals in transformers. Also, I'm told that a hardware
chain store in Britain called Ryness sells transformers.

A U.S. place that sells transformers and other goodies for short-term
abroad residents is Magellons Essentials for the Traveler (Santa
Barbara, CA), 1-800-962-4943 (they have an extensive catalog). Thanks
to Jim Beauchamp for this information.

A 60 watt converter might be about $25 to $30. The Magellons catalogue
lists a 1000 watt at $118.50 and a 1500 watt at $169.50. The RS
Components catalogue listed a 500 watt converter for $105. I have a
1000 watt converter, and it's about 4x4x4 inches in size, and about 35
lbs in weight.

Back to list of questions...

WILL PHONE ITEMS (MODEM, ANSWERING MACHINE) WORK?

Yes, provided you supply the correct adapter for the different
standard of phone plug and the correct power, both modems and
answering machines will work on the British phone system. However, I
should point out that it is technically illegal to do so. The only
products which may legally be hooked up to the phone lines are those
with a special BT green sticker of approval. But if you do want to do
this, you may want to take these items on the plane with you, since
you'll find them useful right away.

Back to list of questions...

How should I transport my belongings to the UK?

INTRO

Bing again! This is the second most frequently asked question. People
living abroad for a while tend to want to bring a larger amount of
possessions with them than can be brought along as luggage on the
plane. Here's a guide to the various methods for doing so. One bit of
advice: before selecting any one company, call around and compare
prices. You'll be surprised how much they vary!

Back to list of questions...

FREIGHT FORWARDING

I start with the method I used, which I decided to be the best value
for the money of all the available methods. I engaged a "Freight
Forwarding" service, which performed the services of enclosing my
items with a crate, insuring it, shipping it by sea, and arranging for
an equivalent UK firm to receive the crate (thus there are two
companies with which you make a financial transaction). These kinds of
firms are probably available only in port cities, unfortunately (on a
coast, or one of the Great Lakes, or maybe even the Mississippi
River).

One advantage is that almost anything can be shipped by this method:
sofas, refrigerators, even automobiles are handled by these companies.
In the warehouse of the company I used I saw a Mercedes being prepared
for delivery, and a crate of household belongings the size of a medium
sized bedroom!

The crate I shipped contained 3 boxes of books, 3 boxes of household
items, a large box of clothing, a button accordian, and two mountain
bikes in their boxes. The crate measured 38 CF (cubic feet). The
overall cost of this shipment, from start to finish, came to about
$896, which we found a tolerable price to pay. Here's how the costs
broke down, more or less:
* Charges on the US end:
+ $3.75 per CF basic cost
+ $1.90 per CF to build the crate
+ $75 handling charge
+ $7.50 communications charge
+ Insurance costs 3% of the total estimated value of the
belongings (which we calculated to be $8284).
* Charges on the UK end (in US dollars):
+ $1.50 per CF
+ Customs charge ($81)
+ Delivery from London to Brighton ($105)

The UK company would accept only money order or cash as form of
payment. Regarding crating the items: another option is to have them
put your stuff on a pallet and shrink-wrap the whole thing; they call
this "palletizing". Presumably that means they don't try to stack
stuff on your shipment (but how can you be sure?). The cost for this
was a flat rate of $20. We felt much safer using the crate method. The
Freight Forwarding company will require a fairly detailed packing list
of the items in your shipment, with an estimated value for each. Your
shipment will be submitted to inspection by customs authorities at
the UK end. This could range from them merely examining your packing
list, possibly taking a quick peek under to lid to see if it looks
believable, to a full examinaton of every item in your crate. The
receiving freight company acts on your behalf at the customs ceremony,
but you can attend if you want to take the trip into London (or
wherever). See another section of this FAQ for details about customs
and paying import duty.

Our stuff (coming from California) had to go through the Panama Canal
to get to England. It was estimated to take one month to deliver; in
reality it came to just about two! No doubt it will be quicker if your
shipment is leaving from any of the other coasts, or via the St.
Lawrence Seaway, but keep in mind that sometimes your crate sits
around in a warehouse for a while (weeks, maybe) before they find
which vessel it will go on. There was virtually no damage to any of
our belongings, and the customs ceremony was completely unremarkable.

The cost of shipping that Mercedes, by the way...I asked...was around
$900, which struck me as tolerable. That was probably not including
crating and insurance, though.

Back to list of questions...

UPS

Sounded very expensive, but definitely quick. They were very
discouraging about shipping anything which might be assessed an import
duty. The number for UPS International shipping is 800-325-0365.

Back to list of questions...

AIR FREIGHT

Standard airlines such as United have a separate freight shipping
service, and you can even make sure it goes on the same plane as
you're traveling on. It's expensive, but not as much as I'd thought.
You wouldn't want to ship a whole household, but smaller fragile
items, or things you have to have immediately might be handled this
way. Charges are obscure: they use a formula that takes into account
both weight and size. One agent mentioned $2.83 per pound as a sort of
ballpark figure.

Back to list of questions...

EXTRA BAGGAGE ON PASSANGER FLIGHT

$76 for each extra checked piece not exceeding 62" (height, depth,
width added together) and 70lbs. If larger than 62": $152.00. If
heavier than 70 lbs: $228.00. Bicycles have a special arrangement
where they are treated as a standard extra item ($76) even if over
62". If your bike is over 70lbs, I recommend getting your money back
from the guy who sold it to you.

Note that if you are sending computer or other fragile equipment this
way, the airline does NOT insure it in any way against damage. If you
decide to ship a computer this way anyway, to be safe, use the
original box with the original packing materials. If you don't have
these, there are packing companies that make made-to-order
injected-form packing for any item (we did this on a Mac monitor and
CPU at the cost of $70).

Back to list of questions...

MOVING VANS (MAYFLOWER, BEKINS, ETC.)

The costs quoted to me by these companies sounded very high. I was
told that a 250-lb box of stuff could run $700-$1250 depending on size
and dimensions. It appears that the companies engage a freight
forwarding company to do their work for them, the very thing you can
do on your own (see earlier). The advantage is of course that they
will handle the delivery door-to-door from US to UK. If your new
employer in the UK is picking up moving costs (they call it "removals"
in the UK), this might be the easiest way to do things.

Back to list of questions...

THE OTHER END: STORING YOUR BELONGINGS IN THE US

It has cost us about $600 a year to keep our US household in a storage
locker. This, actually, is a bargain compared to other storage locker
services we could have tried. Make sure to shop around for the best
deal; you may find widely varying rates!

Back to list of questions...

How much of my stuff should I take?

Assuming you are only making a temporary move to the UK, there will no
doubt come the time when you agonize over what things you should leave
behind and what you should take. Obviously this is a personal matter,
but here is some advice based on my experience.

If you particularly like to cook, take your favorite cookware with
you. You'll hit yourself for having to pay all over again (at higher
prices) for the favorite cast iron saucepan that you use for making
spaghetti sauce, say. Don't bother taking silverware and plates, since
rented accomodations are frequently furnished with such in the UK (see
elsewhere). A good idea is to make photocopies of your favorite
recipes rather than bringing several enormous cookbooks with you (and
for that matter, bring US measuring spoons and measuring cups with
you, since they'll be impossible to find in the UK). Do not bother
taking your kitchen appliances such as food processors and blenders,
because the high speed motors they use draw huge amounts of current,
and the cost of the transformer you will need will easily be a few
times more than the cost of buying the product anew in the UK! The
same is true for hair dryers. Leave your at home and splurge $20 on a
British-made one after you come to the UK.

Use common sense about your clothes. There's nothing profoundly
different about the way they dress in the UK (except perhaps for
women's shoes, which have 2-3" platforms these days), so bring
whatever it is you need and like to wear. Clothes are more expensive
here, and good-quality clothing is more widely available in the US, so
if you can afford it, go on a shopping spree before you leave.

Books are a very personal matter, but also one involving common sense.
If you're an academic or technical person, you should of course bring
the books that you need to have for your work, since replacing them
will cost far more than shipping them. As for novels and other books
for passing the time, I'd suggest leaving them all home, since there
will be plenty of things you will want to buy in the UK. But as for
music, I'd say bring all your most beloved CDs and cassettes, since
they are relatively small and overpriced in the UK.

If you're going to be running any of your US electrical products in
the UK, take plenty of electrical adapters, power strips, extension
cords, and equivalent items for telephones as warranted; they will all
come in handy.

If you are moving to the UK permanently, you may wonder whether to
bring large items such as furniture and cars, or sell them before you
leave. This is not an area in which I have any personal experience. I
do know that cars are extremely expensive here, so it might be more
realistic to move a nice car than to sell it in the US and buy anew.
On the other hand, depending on the job you are taking, a company car
may be provided for you. If your furniture is high quality stuff, it
too may actually be economical to have it shipped rather than replace
it at high cost here.

Back to list of questions...

Will I have to pay import duties, VAT, etc. on items I bring into theUK?

First of all, the following is non-official information based on
heresay and unverified personal experience. For official information,
try the US Dept. of Commerce (202-482-3748).

Anything you bring into the UK, whether with you on the plane, or
shipped separately is fair game for the customs officials to inspect,
and possibly liable for import duty. Newly purchased goods (defined as
items less than 6 months old) are the only things that you need to
worry about: customs can charge you an import duty of 17.5% on these
items. A sales slip or purchase invoice is considered the proof of the
age of the item, so have these on hand if you think you might get
asked about anything. There is probably little to worry about if you
are bringing in household-type items (what they call "personal
effects") and you can prove that you're coming over to live and work
in the UK for an extended period of time. However, if you are bringing
in a bunch of new looking products in their original boxes (like a
personal computer system), I'd say your chances of being asked some
questions are good.

As you enter customs (after getting your stuff off of the baggage
carousel), you'll see two lanes to exit from, one for where you have
nothing to declare, and one where you have to declare. I've heard that
the rules say that items you intend to reexport (return to the US) are
exempt from duty (which is why regular tourists don't get charged for
cameras and such). So newly purchased items pertaining to your job
(say, a new Mac Powerbook) can probably be considered exempt. I
suspect that customs mainly concern themselves with snagging people
who bring in non-duty-free alcohol and cigarettes, drug smugglers, and
people transporting merchandise for resale (like ten Mac Powerbooks,
say). There is also a limitation on the amount of cash assets you can
bring in the country. Anything over $10,000 can be assessed for duty.

Our passage through customs and immigration was completely
unremarkable, despite having six large pieces of luggage. However, we
did see two parties being submitted to extensive baggage searches
(down to examining individual scraps of paper). Sad to say, I have
read that people with darker skin get stopped more frequently in UK
customs.

Back to list of questions...

What sorts of documents should I bring with me?

The following are suggestions of documents it might be good to bring
just in case you need them:
* Birth certificate (in case you need to apply for a new passport)
* Marriage certificate (esp. if you and your spouse have different
last names)
* Last set of dental X-rays (although see the Health section on
dentists)
* Results of last medical exam
* Photocopies of your university diplomas (might be needed when
applying for jobs)
* Some bank statements showing a solid banking history and a nice
fat balance
* A letter from your bank manager testifying to your sterling
history at their bank
* A similar letter from your previous landlord
* A utility bill proving the address of your residence in the US
* Your US Driver's license (and make sure it's not due to expire
while you're abroad)
* If you're working on a degree back in the US and want to do
research in a British library, get a letter from your adviser or
department chair, and this will assist you in getting a library
card



Back to list of questions...

How does the standard of life in the UK compare to the US?

SOME STATISTICS COMPARING UK AND US
* per capita GDP
+ UK: $15,900 (1991)
+ US: $22,470 (1991)
* Unemployment rate
+ UK: 8.1% (1991)
+ US: 6.6% (1991)
* Kilowatt hours produced per capita
+ UK: 5000 (check this)
+ US: 12,080 (US, 1990)

"The US has the most powerful, diverse, and technologically advanced
economy in the world, with the highest per capita GDP of all major
industrial nations. . . . The UK is one of the world's great trading
powers and financial centers, and its economy ranks among the four
largest in Europe."

(Source: the 1992 CIA Guide)

MAIN BODY

Perhaps the statistics above say it all: Americans make more money,
and consume more resources in spending it, but in the world scheme of
things, the ranking of the British come very close. Personally, I find
the UK an entirely satisfactory place to live, although I do miss some
aspects of the US: there is much quicker access to new technologies
and products, services are more diverse and competetive, and
manufactured goods are made better, and sold cheaper. Any Brit will
tell you that one of the advantages of traveling to the US is picking
up CDs and clothes at cheaper prices. But fear not, you will
definitely not find the UK to be a primitive place, lacking comforts
and material goods that you consider essential.

Examples of UK disadvantages in the area of comforts, convenience, or
material wealth relative to the US are: small refrigerators, low-tech
home laundry machines, only four television stations, home showers
with pathetic water pressure, stores closed on Sunday, and expensive
gasoline. In defense of the Brits, however, it's a matter of how you
look at it: many of these things could be chalked up to the
"comparative wastefulness of Americans" with equal fairness.

One important fact to point out is that this situation is constantly
evolving. Britain has become much better even over the last five
years, and is still changing rapidly (thus, be careful about trusting
any descriptions from someone who last lived in the UK over five years
ago). In terms of access to technology and high-quality manufactured
goods, the UK is rapidly becoming indistinguishable from the US.

Back to list of questions...

How is health care in the UK?

STATISTICS COMPARING THE UK AND US
* Infant mortality (deaths per 1000 live births):
+ UK: 8
+ US: 10
* Life expectancy:
+ UK: 73 (M), 79 (F)
+ US: 72 (M), 79 (F)
* Fertility rate (children born per woman):
+ US and UK: 1.8

(Source: 1992 CIA guide)

WILL I GET HEALTH CARE FOR FREE?

If you are like me, drawing a salary in which you are docked monthly
for NHS ($186 a month), the answer is certainly yes. If you are the
spouse of someone paying for NHS, I believe you are entitled as well.
Otherwise, I do not know whether you are entitled or not. The first
experience of leaving the office without having to settle a bill is an
interesting one for an American. Prescriptions involve only a nominal
fee ($6.75 currently), and this price is the same no matter what the
drug is.

I have been fortunate to not need many visits to the doctor, but I
find the NHS system in many ways to be not much different than
membership in an HMO (such as Kaiser or Michael Reese) in the US. You
may have to wait a week or two to see a specific doctor, but if you're
willing to see any one of the available doctors, you can be seen
within a day or two. My preferred doctor is very sharp and
professional, but quality can be uneven; once I saw a retired doctor
who had been called in as a sub, and he seemed incompetent to me (he
told me I had "irritable bowel syndrome," which I think is a British
catch-all diagnosis for anything involving a stomach ache, before I
described the symptoms). So you might have to be a little aggressive
to get the proper attention you deserve, and this is no different than
the survival skill you need to get by in the US, in my view.

If you anticipate requiring more frequent medical care, or you are
just plain nervous about it, the NHS could be real grief for you. I
know a couple with a child who needed his tonsils removed (with
complications that were making his breathing difficult), and they were
put on a waiting list that was over a year long. The conservatives who
are power in the present government seem to only want to make it even
worse in this regard. Some people choose to join private health
organizations but these are very costly.

Back to list of questions...

HOW CONCERNED ARE BRITS ABOUT HEALTH AND FITNESS?

On the whole, Brits are much less concerned about maximizing their
personal health and fitness than Americans are. In fact (get ready for
this one), they view America as a nation of "health nuts," all
consumed by the pursuit of the "clean life" and a fixation on having
the perfect skin, body, legs, and so on. Not long ago an article in a
London paper on the Irish actor Stephen Rea remarked that, when Rea
ordered mineral water (rather than beer) during the interview, it was
telling proof that he'd "gone Hollywood." The book
"Brit-Think/Amerithink" has some funny material on this cultural
difference (details elsewhere).

Here are a few random observations on health in the UK. Although the
movement for banning smoking in public places is gaining ground, it
remains a more a minority sentiment in this country. Pubs are
tremendously smoky, although thankfully, smoking is not allowed in
movie theatres. Probably because Britain makes the best ales in the
world, people drink a lot (3 or 4 pints an evening is not considered
particularly excessive here), and they seem to start very young. The
institution of The Pub is an omnipresent, essential public facility;
for example, Universities won't have just one pub, but 3 or 4 spread
over the campus. You will not see any oriental restaurants proudly
displaying a "No MSG" sign, and waiters may consider the request
unusual. There are many workout clubs, but you will not find many men
in aerobics classes; the British sense of macho identity seems to
regard that as a domain for women. Magazines on childbirth, instead of
glorifying more natural methods of childbirth, contain testimonials
from women who were so glad they were drugged up for delivery: "It was
wonderful, I didn't feel a thing."

And then there's the incredible amounts of grease and deep frying in
their foods. In particular, there is the "English Breakfast" you will
find served at every restaurant and Bed & Breakfast: greasy fried egg
(although on alternate days, tolerable scrambled eggs), greasy
sausage, greasy bacon, bread that has been toasted and THEN fried in
grease, hash browns fried in grease, plus the piece de resistance, the
small half-tomato fried in grease. You have been warned.

Back to list of questions...

DENTISTRY

I haven't actually ever visited a dentist in the UK; I've arranged
things so that I see a dentist while I'm in the US. I suspect that the
US is one of the best places in the world for dental care, and you may
have a preference for it being done in the manner to which you're
accustomed. I have heard from several US dentists, including one who
actually practiced in the UK for a while, that UK dentists have a
"different mindset;" specifically, they aren't as much into
preventative care as they are in the US. I once asked a British
friend if he could recommend a good dentist because I'd not seen one
for some time, and he asked me, "what's the matter, do you have a bad
tooth?" I'd be a little nervous that dentist might also make the same
assumptions. Moreover, I'm told that dentists are paid quite poorly by
the NHS, which smacks to me of cutting corners and out of date
equipment.

Back to list of questions...

How expensive is it to live in the UK?

Now and then someone will tell you that it's so expensive in the UK
(or all over Europe), they can't imagine how anyone survives; it is a
gross exaggeration. Americans whose experience in the UK consist of
staying in hotels and eating in central London are notorious for
spreading such stories. But just how expensive is it?

This is a hard question to answer with any precision. What do you
really want to know? Is it "will the salary I will be making as an X
(engineer, lecturer, student) allow me to live as comfortably as what
I would make as an X in the US"? Is it "based on the exchange rate, is
a bottle of milk the same cost as it is in the US"? Unfortunately
answering both questions is confounded by the fact that different
things are expensive/cheap here, the exchange rate is an artificial
means of comparing costs, what kind of lifestyle you're used to, and
what kind of income you'll be living on in the UK. (I'm assuming this
FAQ is being read by everyone ranging from penniless students to
businessmen being relocated by their Fortune 500 companies.)

Sometimes you'll hear it said that "whatever it costs in dollars in
the US, the cost in the UK will be the same number of pounds", which
means 50% more expensive. This is true for certain items, like CDs and
technical books. But not other things: for example, the basic cost of
Apple Macintosh products now are equivalent to what Americans pay.
Unfortunately, all imported items such as Macs, are subjected to the
same obscenely high (17.5%) tax that is applied to domestic items,
known as VAT (Value-Added Tax). Ouch! This does indeed make the UK an
expensive place if you want those good old American products.

Perhaps the only meaningful observations to be made are in terms of
specific instances. Gasoline is sky-high (remember the US is the only
country that does not add a separate tax to its gasoline), about $3.50
per US gallon. Dinner at a yuppie-style restaurant, with beer and a
dessert, runs about $20, while take-out Fish & Chips with a soda is
only about $4. Renting a Ford Escort from Hertz for a week costs $252
(insurance included). A 2-3 mile trip in a cab is about $5.50. A
medium-sized novel is $7.50. CDs are overpriced, from $21-27 each. A
round-trip plane ticket (they call it "return fare") to Brussels in
July is $153. A movie costs $6. Some items at the store: potatoes are
$.51/lb; peas $1.20/lb; green bell peppers $1.40/lb; apples and
bananas $.60/lb; $1 for 6 eggs. A Sony 25" TV is advertised for $750
(renting a TV/VCR combo is $18/month, but don't forget that you must
purchase a license to watch TV for $75/year). A new, British-made
(Rover) economy car costs $9000 (financing is 18.41% APR). A cheap
futon/couch costs $277.

That salaries in the US are higher than in the UK is considered so
patently true that when preparing for an interview for a lectureship
at a British university, I was advised to be ready to answer the
question "Why would you want to work here when you could earn a much
larger salary working in the US?" A starting lecturer's salary
(lecturer means "professor" in American English) can be as low as $20k
a year (note that the cost of a new car is about half this!). Note
that it doesn't matter which field you are in: a lecturer in finance
makes what a lecturer philosophy does. After promotion, you might get
as high as $37.5k/year.

To follow the fluctuation of the value of the US dollar against the UK
pound, see any major newspaper's financial section, or check the
frequent VNS (Vogon News Service) posting on soc.culture.british.

Back to list of questions...

How can I get a bank account?

Since you will need a bank account to pay your bills, most companies
that require a monthly payment wish to be paid by auto-debit, and your
employer all but requires you to be paid by auto-deposit, a
checking/savings account is an absolute necessity here. In fact, your
dependence on banking conveniences will be virtually indistinguishable
from the US: you will want to
* Take advantage of ATM machines (automatic bank tellers), which
fortunately are available all over the UK and in continental
Europe as well
* Pay merchants by check on occasion
* Pay for groceries, restaurant bills with your check card.

When you get an account you want to insist on getting a "check
gaurantee card." First of all, no merchant will cash your check
without it (although it will be accepted as payment for bills over the
mail).

And now the problem of getting a bank account. Good luck; this may be
the biggest hassle you have to go through in the UK. Unfortunately, no
matter how sterling your credit history in the US is, no matter how
amazing your assets and investments in the US are, they meaning
NOTHING abroad. Since you have zero credit history, they may be
unwilling to give you an account with a check approval card, rendering
you quite helpless. Without a bank account, you will be unable to
arrange for utilities hookup at your apartment, and the bank insists
on seeing a utilities bill as proof of residence, so you are in a
Catch-22 situation. I'll never forget when I pointed that out to a
bank clerk and he responded by lighting up and saying, "well yes, it
is a bit like that, isn't it?"

Probably the best way to get an account is to ask your employer
(someone in the salaries office, say) to call the bank to vouch for
you. They in fact may be motivated to do this because they are eager
to find a way to auto deposit your paycheck. Some other things that
might help are:
* Get a fellow employee from your new job who has a bank account at
the bank you want to write a letter on your behalf
* Get someone from your bank at home to write you a letter telling
how long you've been an excellent customer there, etc.
* Open the account with a HUGE initial deposit so that they will
roll out the red carpet for you (however, there are limitations on
the amount of money you can bring into the country with you...see
an earlier part of this FAQ)
* Show them some bank statements from your US account demonstrating
a nice, fat monthly balance.

There are ordinary banks, such as Barclay's and NatWest, and bank-like
companies called "Building Societies" which are like "Savings and
Loans" in the US. You probably want to use an ordinary bank.

Back to list of questions...

What kind of housing will I find?

There's as much variety in housing in the UK as in the US, so there is
no simple way of advising you on what kind of place you'll be living
in. Keep in mind that apartments in general can be old here (living in
a 200 year old apartment is no big deal), so they are likely to look
more like Brownstones in NYC rather than pre-fab apartments in
California.

The primary way apartments are advertised are via Estate Agents (why
call them "Real Estate Agents" when there are no imaginary ones?). Go
to their offices and ask to see a listing. They will drive you around
to any of the properties that interest you. Advertisements for
apartments often give the price on a per-week basis, although you
actually pay monthly. A stove is often called a "hob" or "cooker" in
the advertisements. By the way, many British stoves, even modest ones,
have a open broiler on the top, which is a real treat: they grill
steak and fish much more effectively than the down-below broilers of
US stoves.

Furnished apartments are quite common in the UK. They will include
living room (called the "lounge") furniture, a fridge and stove, a
kitchen table, and kitchen cookware and utencils, but usually no beds.
You can bargain a bit with the landlord on the items that are included
in the furnishings (after all, you are paying more than for a
non-furnished apartment). Note that the kitchen cookware includes only
enough items to cook basic meals. You'll have to outfit them with more
to make your favorite recipes like fancy omlettes, stir-fried oriental
dishes, etc.

In the part of the country I'm in, central heating is no longer
considered a luxury. An apartment with independent space heaters in
every room rather than radiators fed from a central heating source
should probably be considered fairly "low rent." The lounge often has,
even in a centrally-heated dwelling, a small heater (usually gas)
located where a fireplace used to be. These are a cherished, cozy
item, although some are unfortunately festooned with tacky decorations
or pseudo log-fire regalia. The lounge often has a door on it (to keep
the heat in); strangely enough, these are sometimes made of an opaque
glass rather than wood, like something you'd see in a hair salon.

Dish washers are not a frequently included item in an apartment, but
clothes washers (but not the dryer) are; it's not too demanding to
include that as one of your requirements. UK clothes washing machines
tend to be low-capacity, low-speed, and low-tech. Many use a primitive
mechanical programming system, rather than microprocessors, so the
contraption clicks away like a Charles Babbage computer. They do not
draw hot water from the household hot water supply; rather, they take
cold water and heat it electrically inside the unit. The slow rate of
heating the water means that each load can take over an hour to
complete (but I'm told the ones in France take even longer). By the
way, clothes washers in a UK home are located under the kitchen
counter, just like a dish washer.

UK home showers also merit some comment; compared to US showers, they
run at a pathetic trickle. Take a nice long shower before you leave
for the UK, it's the last decent one you'll have for a long time.
Water pressure within the usual British household is obtained entirely
by gravity. Unfortunately, the hot-water storage tank is frequently at
a location just below the shower head, so an "electric shower" (one
that pumps and scalds the water as quickly as it can, which is not
very) is found in most homes. I find rinsing my hair to take so long
under our shower that I wash my hair while taking a bath, dousing my
head with a pail of water. The quality of electric showers varies: one
that costs £300 might be able to deliver a fair amount of water
pressure, but in an average quality apartment the shower will probably
be cheap.

The day you move in to your new dwelling, MAKE SURE to have whomever
is providing the apartment show you how to turn on the central heating
and water heater. The workings, appearance (a square box mounted on
the side of the wall), and location (sometimes the kitchen) are
completely different than in the US. Also it includes a device with
several switches for controlling fuel efficiency. We spent our first
weekend in our apartment unable to take a hot bath because we didn't
know where the water heater was!

Back to list of questions...

How do I get utilities (gas, water, phone, etc)?

GETTING HOOKED UP

The experience of getting water, gas and electricity bills for your
dwelling is very much like in the USA. It is not nearly as difficult
as getting a bank account (see elsewhere), but you are stuck in a
nasty catch-22 because utility companies will not give you access
until you have a bank account. After that is taken care of, they may
require an initial deposit, since you will not have a previous history
with a British utility company.

If you are on friendly terms with the previous tenant, it may be to
your advantage to take over their old phone number, as it can save a
lot of time, money and hassle in hookup.

Utility bills are billed quarterly (every 3 months). Beware of your
long distance calls to the US...you could be quietly running up a huge
bill and not know it until your third month here!

Back to list of questions...

TELEPHONES



Note that every phone call, even local ones, costs money in the UK,
and it is billed by the minute. If you use a modem with your phone
(see elsewhere for information on bringing your phone-related products
from home), note that it's costing you money to be logged in! However,
a discount rate begins at 6 pm and continues until 8 am the next
morning, so your nighttime login sessions won't be so bad.

Like in the US, phone numbers consist of an area code (used only when
dialing from outside the area) and a local number. Numbers are not
standardized in length in the UK: the area code may have 3-4 numbers,
the local number 6-7 numbers. Within the country, area codes always
begin with a zero; calling from another country to the UK, however,
you omit the zero.

For information, you dial 192, and for operator, 100. Intuitive, huh?
Emergency is 999.

Phones: the BT (British Telecom) system understands both 'touch tone'
and 'pulse' dialing all over the UK, as far as I understand. The
physical phone in your home may one or the other, but even if it's
pulse, it will respond to tones dialing from your modem or pocket
dialer, if you have one. Pay phones: the standard BT pay phones are
pulse dialers, but BT's competitor Mercury are touch tone dialers.

UK Phone companies have just begun to offer fancy phone services such
as call waiting, or message leaving and answering services.

University phones: at my university, off-campus dialing for many
phones is disabled after 'business hours'. Very frustrating!

Some British pay phones (about half) do not take coins at all;
instead, they take a "money card" that you buy at shops with 5 pounds
of calls encoded on them.

Back to list of questions...

LONG DISTANCE CARRIERS

I still US Sprint as my long distance carrier, and my wife still uses
MCI as hers...there are European access numbers for reaching their
operators. (By the way, France and Germany are about to buy a 40%
interest in US Sprint.) However, strangely enough, we recently
discovered direct dialing from home is cheaper than our long distance
carriers; but when you're at a public phone you may need your carrier.
Warning: neither Sprint or MCI can place calls to Canada from the UK
(I haven't the slightest idea why).

Back to list of questions...

How should I manage my financial affairs back in the US?

Chances are you will have at least some bills you have to keep paying,
so you will want to keep your US Bank account(s) open, and be able to
write checks on those funds to pay your bills. Also, you probably have
some monthly statements that you will need to monitor regularly. We
changed our official mailing address to our UK home for all such bills
and statements and have had little difficulty receiving them (although
it does seem to pose their computers a bit of a challenge).

If you have to move cash from the US to the UK, or if you will be
living in the UK off of funds in a US bank account, using an AMEX
(American Express) card is a good way to go. You tell them to set up
your account in such a way that when you use your card at an AMEX cash
station (which can be found in every large town in Europe), the
checking account at your US bank gets debited. Or you can even use
your bank's ATM card to do so. ATMs are everywhere, and if your card
is on either the "Cirrus" or "Plus" networks (look at the back of the
card), it will work. From either card, the conversion is done at that
day's exchange rate, and no more (unlike the money changing service
such as Thomas Cook, who charge a fee for the transaction). You can
also cash an ordinary American check at any AMEX office. I think AMEX
limits the amount of transactions to a total of $1000/month, but it
may depend on your account.

Given the difficulty with obtaining bank accounts (described
elsewhere), it should behoove you to apply for US credit cards before
you leave the US, since you will have no credit history in the UK and
may be flatly denied a credit card. Also take the trouble to go get
PINs (personal passwords) encoded on your cards. An AMEX card doesn't
have one unless you get it put on.

Back to list of questions...

How much will I be taxed (in US and UK)?

THESE RULES CHANGE EVERY YEAR!

Take this information only as a guideline for what may be possible.
This is an area which you absolutely must enquire about on your own,
because the laws can change profoundly from year to year.

UK TAXES

If you are employed in the UK and drawing a salary, and you are going
to be in the UK for two years or less, you may be exempted from paying
income tax. Request a "Claim for exemption from United Kingdom Income
Tax" form from H.M. Inspector of Taxes, and submit it to your salaries
department, and taxes will not be deducted from your salary. Once you
stay even one minute into the third year in the UK, however, Her
Majesty will expect you to pay all two years of those back taxes to
her.

If for some reason you do wish to pay income tax, the monthly
deductions come to about 20% of your salary (or at least that's the
rate I was being taxed at).

National Health Insurance (NHS) is a different affair. No-one is
exempt from this, I believe. $186 per month is taken from each monthly
paycheck I get.

Back to list of questions...

US TAX

Here is how you figure your taxes at the end of a fiscal year. If you
spent at least 330 days of that fiscal year outside of the US and the
total amount of income you earned that year (combined from all sources
of income, regardless of country) was less than $70,000, that income
is termed "foreign earned income," and you will owe no taxes on it.

Back to list of questions...

Will I be able to stand food in the UK?

IS STORE-BOUGHT FOOD DECENT?

Absolutely ! Your local supermarket will carry very high quality goods
and fresh produce in large quantities, so you should be able to eat
and cook at home pretty much in whatever way you like. Many American
products you are accustomed to are sold here, and the European brands
are often equivalent in quality. The produce is as fresh as the
produce that most Americans eat (with the exception of, say, the
agriculturally more fortunate Californians). At my house we have no
problem cooking the way we like: Pad Thai, Baba Genugh, salsa, and
guacamole (to name some particularly non-British selections).
Vegetarians and Vegans will find many of the items they want at
supermarkets, and (in Brighton, at least) there are natural foods
stores. If someone tells you that British markets have miserable food
selections, their experience may be several years out of date (perhaps
before Britain joined the E.C.). I'd have to say that the US has a bit
of an edge on the quality of meat, however; beef products taste a
little more "grey" here, and fish seldom seems as flavorful. One
exception is bacon, which is much better in the UK (Brits are utterly
appalled at the fatty, streaky stuff that is sold in the US under the
name "bacon").

British supermarkets (Sainsbury's, Waitrose) are about the same size
of the average American supermarket. The American chain Safeway is
also found in the UK.

Back to list of questions...

WHAT'S THIS ABOUT BRITISH FOOD BEING BAD?

British Cuisine can be quite good. I can't speak for how it's cooked
in other homes, but friends of ours have had us over and served up
delightful meals. The fare you get in most British restaurants,
however, is pretty low quality, and that's where the reputation
comes from. More than once I've left a restaurant because what they
put in front of me I simply did not consider to be edible. You'll just
have to find out where the good restaurants are (see elsewhere) by
trial and error or by word of mouth.

As I've pointed out elsewhere, the bad food is certainly not
attributable to poor quality foodstuffs; the bad reputation is due
entirely to the way in which it's prepared. I break this down into
four causes:
* Brits can be notorious penny-pinchers, and would rather cut costs
and cook quickly than take the trouble to make good cuisine
* An odd sense of what ingredients go together (you find pineapple,
tuna and sweetcorn in the oddest places)
* A dislike of strongly seasoned food; very little garlic or spices
used, so things taste bland (even a restaurant claiming to be
Schezuan will serve barely-spiced food)
* Many British recipes involve astonishing amounts of frying in
grease (see the description of the English Breakfast in the
section on health).



Back to list of questions...

WHERE CAN I FIND RESTAURANTS WITH GOOD FOOD, THEN?

Italian restaurants are superb, and nobody knows why, just count your
blessings. Everywhere you go there seem to be Italian restaurants with
great food, and staffed with waiters who shout Italian to each other
and run their eyes over the women customers. Ask around for the best
Fish & Chips shop. There are good French restaurants here and there,
and they're often not as costly as you'd think. Indian food can be
fabulous, although since there are so many Indian restaurants and
takeout shops, the quality can be very uneven.

Back to list of questions...

WHEN CAN I EAT?

This isn't exactly a frequently asked question yet, but it will become
one after you've moved to the UK. You will discover that America is an
extremely "catered society": we can get whatever meal we want,
whenever we want it. UK restaurants aren't open quite as many hours of
the day, and in fact exactly what pattern of hours they follow will
seem obscure at first. In the UK, I find few restaurants are ever open
before about 10:30 a.m., so plan to have food at home for breakfast.
Europeans tend to have later dinners; showing up at an empty
restaurant at 5pm asking if they are serving dinner is a comically
American trait (wait until about 730 or 8pm). Yet you will find lots
of places open after 11pm; what gives? Simple: the bars close at 11,
and hungry customers flood the street. On Sunday, just about every
place will be closed. Guess what the exceptions to this rule are? The
American chains, like Pizza Hut, MacDonalds, Burger King, and KFC. You
may in fact find that you go to these fast food chains more frequently
in the UK than you ever did in the US, both for the Sunday hours, and
because believe it or not, they come the closest to providing
American-style hamburgers and pizza. People will always be advising
you to try "pub food" (you can get good lasagne at them, I've found),
but this is mainly a lunchtime affair; if you come in after 2pm and
allow the menu on the wall to get your hopes up, be prepared to get a
strange look when you ask if they are serving food.

Back to list of questions...

Do I want to get around by train, bus, or car?

TRAINS AND BUSSES

Despite the recent initiation of a privitization scheme, travel by
rail (either for long-haul trips or for commuting) is still one of the
most appealing and best-run aspects of the UK. Unless you live in a
remote area, chances are that you will be able to catch some train
between home and work if you choose to, and if close enough to a
shopping area, do without a car altogether (I do). If you commute to
London you can get there amazingly fast from most parts of the
country. However, note that long trips can be quite costly. One-way
from Plymouth to London was $52 each for some friends of mine recently
(and it would be much more if they were traveling at rush hour);
note that renting a car, although less convenient in some ways, is a
much better bargain ($42/day). However, I get to work every day (about
5 miles away) for $1.40 round-trip. Busses are lumbering and slow.
Yes, the double deckers look charming from the outside, but they are
really bumpy inside, making reading difficult. For longer distances,
busses (coaches) are cheaper than going by rail, but of course rail is
always nicer than bus. Many trains make it very easy for bicyclists to
bring their bikes on board, by providing a special car with a cage for
the purpose; a conductor will even open the door for you and help you
in and out.

DO I WANT TO DRIVE IN THE UK?

Driving on the left is a trick, but by no means a major challenge to
the experienced US driver. Before you get behind the wheel, however,
have someone explain the rules of a UK "traffic circle" or
"roundabout" since they involve specific rules of who-goes-first which
will not be intuitive to you (it's nothing like the traffic circles
that exist in some parts of the US). Better yet, take a drive with
someone and have them explain what they are doing in a traffic circle.
The book "Coping with England" (details elsewhere) shows how it's
done. Also the UK "Highway Code" is available for a small price at
most bookstores. Reading it is advised, since there are many signs and
road markings which are unknown to the US driver.

A US license will allow you to drive on the road, I think; I've heard
of something called an "International License" but I don't know what
that is. Since many (but not all) car rental companies will rent you
their car with only a US license, presumably it is okay to drive with
one. No doubt if you stay in the UK for an extensive period of time
you are obliged to get a UK drivers license eventually, but I don't
have any information on that, or how difficult it is to get a UK
drivers license.

Note that many companies (not universities, unfortunately) provide
"company cars" for employees, which you can use exactly as if it were
you own car. It's one of the compensations for salaries being
generally lower in the UK than in the US, and cars being so obscenely
expensive.

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DO I WANT TO BE A PEDESTRIAN IN THE UK?

I'm kidding; this is not really a Frequently Asked Question. But I'm
not kidding when I say that being a pedestrian in the UK is noticably
different than in the US. And I'm not talking about being careful
about drivers being on the left (although you should); I'm talking
about the attitude drivers here have toward pedestrians.

Unlike the US, where white lines are painted to indicate a crosswalk
at practically every intersection, there are few such zones of safety
in the UK; there are just rare "zebra crossings" (like on the Abbey
Road album cover) with flashing lights that oblige the driver to stop.
When there's no zebra crossing at an intersection, drivers do not
think you belong in the road (and will barrel down on you, expecting
you to leap out of the way). The fact that they don't think you belong
there even when your were there first, before the car arrived on
the scene (say, if they came from around a blind corner), lends an air
of uncivility to the experience of being a pedestrian.

I thought I'd compare highway codes of our two countries to see if
they were the source of this societal difference, and sure enough, in
the US the burden is on the driver to watch out for pedestrians, while
in the UK the burden is on the pedestrian to watch out for cars.
Here's what the most recent UK highway code tells the pedestrian on
the subject of crossing the road: "If there is any traffic near, let
it go past. When there is no traffic near, it is safe to cross.
Remember, even if traffic is a long way off, it may be approaching
very quickly." Here's what the 1992 California Driver Handbook says to
the driver about pedestrians: "Pedestrians have the right-of-way at
intersections, whether or not crosswalks are marked by painted white
lines. . . . Always stop for pedestrians crossing at corners. Stop for
anybody crossing the street. Do not pass a car from behind that has
stopped at a crosswalk. A pedestrian you can't see may be crossing."

You might almost say that you don't need to worry all that much about
which direction traffic is coming from, because you'll have to run
like hell to avoid getting hit anyway.

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Is internet easily accessable?

At universities, a system know as JANET (the one that brought you
backwards email addresses, such as edu.berkeley.garnet) used to be
primary network carrier, but now most universities have moved to
becoming full-fledged members of the internet. Most machines have IP
addresses and can be telnetted and ftp'd to and from. However,
vestiges of JANET remain, and network communications can sometimes be
a bit baroque as a result.

USENET newsfeeds are available at many universities, but not all the
groups available in the US are available here. Most or all of the
entire "alt." hierarchy, for example, is not available at many sites.

There are internet providers in London which can be reached by dialup
for a monthly charge. The prices I've heard sound very reasonable, but
if you don't live in London, your phone bills will be huge. The
company that seems to be the most popular is Demon Internet Services,
phone 081-349 0063, email inte...@demon.co.uk. You can probably find
the names other companies by making a query on soc.culture.british or
uk.misc.

The university I work at has dialup modems (although not very many),
so I am able to work from home when it's necessary.

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What kind of Visa/Permit do I need?

If you are going to the UK for some kind of legitimate employment
lasting for six months or more, your UK employer should have gotten
(or is currently getting for you) a Work Permit or Work Visa. If not,
any time you spend over the six months you're allowed as a traveller
will be technically illegal, and you'll be thrown out as soon as
Immigrations catches you. I know nothing about how student permits
work, I'm afraid.

My wife accompanied me to the UK, and she was automatically (well,
after a visit to a British Consulate in the US) granted a work permit
as well. I fact, her work permit is less restrictive than mine: my
permit is good only for the job for which I was hired, whereas hers
gives her unrestricted freedom in the entire E.C. Not bad, being a
spouse!

My work permit allows me to leave and re-enter the UK as many times as
I wish. If your job renews you for a period extending beyond the
originally requested duration of the job, they will need to reapply to
the Home Office. This can take a long time, during which they take
your passport from you (and your spouse...your spouse's passport, that
is). But if something pressing requires you to travel out of the
country, they will let you have it back temporarily.

The laws change constantly...call the British Consulate to find what
the current rules are on these things.

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Do I want to go?

No doubt at some point you'll be forced to decide whether you really
want to take this position, degree program, or whatever. Although this
is a very personal issue, I can provide a tiny bit of food for
thought.

If you are going to be part of a university department, what is its
research ranking? All British universities are ranked on a 5-point
scale for research excellence, and the standards are very high. A
department with a five rating is pure gold, competetive with any
department at any university in the world, and able to draw in huge
amounts of research money.

You have a chance to live in another country for a while? Wow, what an
opportunity! You want to pass up this possibly once-in-a-lifetime
chance? I'm sure glad I didn't, is all I can say.

What part of the UK will you be in? Every country is going to have
parts of it that are wonderful, others that are sheer hell.
Unfortunately, I've only seen a fraction of the country, but I can
testify that Brighton, Bath, and Edinburgh fall into the wonderful
category. My confidence would not be especially high for South Wales
or Liverpool, although I've never actually been there (perhaps
industrial, economically hard hit, dirty?). Most of Cornwall and Devon
is very lovely, and I'd enjoy living there (not many big universities
out that way, though). The "northern industrial cities" like
Birmingham, Sheffield and Manchester are known to be rather colorless
and depressing in the winter (see David Lodge's books, described
elsewhere), but the universities there are top-notch (although they do
place a strong emphasis on "practical" research useful for local
industries). You'll just have to ask other Brits what places are like,
and if it sounds doubtful, make a visit if you can.

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WHAT MAKES LIVING IN THE UK SO GREAT?
* Pubs: an essential part of the social infrastructure, unlike
anything in the US. Pubs are hardly at all like US "bars", being
much cozier, friendly (usually) and not sleazy (usually).
* Fabulous beers and ales. You'll be spoiled for life.
* Fabulous natural and historical sites all over the UK, all
reachable within a day. Dozens of trips worth taking (see a
guidebook). My personal favorite is the western highlands of
Scotland.
* The opportunity to view your own country in a completely different
light. Come to learn US history better and understand what makes
it unique. Gives you a grasp on the American national identity.
* Getting to experience a foreign culture without the inconvenience
of a language barrier.
* Cheap and easy travel to the continent. A ferry to France from
where I am costs less than a round trip ticket to London! Package
weekend deals to Paris including flight and hotel for less than
$200 during the off-season.
* A fabulous rail system that goes seemingly everywhere
* People much more agreeable and less conflict-prone than in the US.



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WHAT'S IT LIKE BEING A FOREIGNER IN THE UK?

If you're worried about sticking out like a sore thumb as an American,
don't. Britain is full of people from all over Europe, speaking
different languages, so being a native English speaker makes you only
a semi-foreigner. I have experienced virtually nothing but good will
from people here, and rarely see any traces of an anti-American
sentiment. Your accent will even give you a number of advantages:
* Your friends recognize you immediately when you call on the phone
* People will be interested in asking you what you think about the
UK and why you came
* Because Brits tend to size each other up by the way they speak,
you will be completely classless to them; that is, they'll show
you a little respect by default instead of judging you quickly.



Brits tend to view the following as stereotypically American traits
(and it's up to you decide if they are admirable or not):
* Bragging, lacking modesty: proudly proclaiming one's
accomplishments at work or school, or the fabulous vacation
they've had
* Blundering into a situation without studying it first, making
unwarranted snap judgments, being a "gunslinger"
* Talking with with your guard completely down, blurting out
personal things to near-strangers (Debra Winger's character in
"Shadowlands" was a non-stop classic example of this)
* Talking loudly in public places to your friends so that everyone
around can hear your private remarks (US students riding the tube,
if you have to tell a story containing the sentence "I was so
drunk last night", say it more quietly, okay?).



Will you acquire an accent? If you acquire a full-blown British accent
I'd say you were either working at it, or you are extremely
impressionable. You probably will acquire, at most, the faintest trace
of an accent.

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What should I read before moving to the UK?

The following is a list of suggested readings to get a feel for the
UK, the language, and what to expect. Read the non-fiction before you
go, and the fiction shortly after you arrive.

FICTION
* "Changing Places" by David Lodge (Penguin Press): story about an
American and a British professor who swap positions at their
respective universities for a year. Extremely insightful and funny
view of the cultural differences between our countries. Highly
recommended! "Small World" is a followup novel by the same author.
If you're going to Birmingham, these two novels, and his "Nice
Work" are a must-read.
* The "Rumpole of the Bailey" stories (many different volumes) by
John Mortimer. Deserves a place alongside Sherlock Holmes for
great criminal fiction, although in this case from the view of a
cynical trial lawyer rather than a detective.
* "The British Museum is Falling Down" by David Lodge (Penguin
Press). Novel from the early 60's about a PhD student trying to
get work done on his dissertation at the British Library.
* "Lucky Jim" by Kingsly Amis. Novel from the 50's about a recent
college graduate stuggling to get by in his first year as a
college lecturer.



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NON FICTION
* Paul Theroux, "The Kingdom by the Sea" (Penguin Press, 1983). A
"travel biography"...author decides to see the UK by visiting
every city along its permimeter, staying on foot as much as
possible. Excessively cynical at times, but some good insights,
and you'll learn about lesser-known places worth seeing.
* "Coping With England" by Jean Hannah. A mostly factual quide of
what to expect in England, not at all cynical as its title might
suggest. Starting to get a bit out of date.
* "Brit-Think/Amerithink, a Transatlantic Survival Guide," by Jane
Walmsley. Written by an American author. Pokes fun at the mindset
of Americans and Brits with equal sarcasm. Very funny at times,
although some of her ideas about Americans are odd (we don't all
get plastic surgery, Jane), and she feels obliged to tell us what
it's like being a TV producer in the UK (three guesses as to her
occupation).
* "An American Looks at Britain," by Robert Critchfield (1991).
Recommended by someone on the net (I haven't seen it myself).
* "British English, A to Zed" by Norman Schur. A dictionary of
British words that are mostly unknown to Americans. Needs an
update, but still pretty good.



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Basic facts comparing the US and UK

* Total area:
+ UK: 244,820 km2 (slightly smaller than Oregon)
+ US: 9,372,610 km2 (38 times larger)
* Population:
+ UK: 57,797,514 (1992)
+ US: 254,521,000 (1992; 4 times larger)
* Type of government:
+ UK: constitutional monarchy
+ US: federal republic
* Constitution:
+ UK: unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and
practice
+ US: 17 September 1787, effective 4 June 1789
* Legal system:
+ UK: common law tradition with early Roman and modern
continental influences; no judicial review of Acts of
Parliament
+ US: based on English common law; judicial review of
legislative acts
* Percentage of non-white ethnic groups
+ UK: 2.8 (year unknown)
+ US: 13.9 (1989)
* Full name of the country
+ United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
+ United States of America
* Major Regions
+ UK: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales
+ US: no official regions



(Source: the 1992 CIA Guide)

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san...@epunix.ep.susx.ac.uk

---
Gregory J. Sandell (san...@epunix.sussex.ac.uk)
Experimental Psychology, University of Sussex
Brighton BN1 9QG England +44-273-678058 (FAX:+44-273-678611)
http://ep56c.ep.susx.ac.uk/Greg.Sandell.html