Kats Gone Global

Author: Kat

  • Do You Ask for the Check in London? What’s Actually on the Bill

    Do You Ask for the Check in London? What’s Actually on the Bill

    Money Guide · London

    It’s already on there

    Written by Kat in London, United Kingdom

    I paid at the counter before the drink was even in my hand, which is how it goes in a pub. Another night I asked for the bill at a table with waiters and it came over. Somewhere else I scanned a QR code stuck on the table and paid on my phone when I felt like leaving.

    So, do you ask for the check in London? It depends where you are. Three routes, all of which I’ve done. At a table with waiters I ask. It doesn’t tend to turn up before I do. “Can I get the bill” does it. At a counter I pay before I get anything, which is how pubs work and how the coffee places I go to work. And since covid, some restaurants have stuck a little QR code on the table so you can pay off your phone and go when you want.

    Every receipt on this page is a London one from August 2026. London is where I live, so London is what’s in my bag.

    The other half of this, once you’ve got the bill in front of you, is that the tip is probably already printed on it. That part starts halfway down.

    Getting the bill
    Ask at the table, pay at the counter first, or scan the QR code. Depends on the place
    The card machine
    It comes to your table or you go up to it. Your card stays in your hand
    Splitting
    Sorted out at the machine or on the QR code. Not everywhere, common where I’ve been
    Time slots
    Restaurants give you one now, groups especially. Mine this weekend is 90 minutes
    Service charge
    15% on one of my August bills. 12.5% on the other. Some places I go to add nothing
    Tipping on top
    When a service charge is on there, I don’t
    Pubs
    I order at the counter. Some have a tip jar, some machines ask
    Where these numbers come from
    London. Every receipt here is a London one from August 2026
    Works for
    Anyone who’s just landed, or anyone who’s been quietly paying twice

    How you actually pay

    A table with waiters. I catch someone’s eye and ask. Nothing’s turned up before I’ve asked, which isn’t anyone being off with you.

    The counter. In a pub I pay at the bar before I’ve got the drink in my hand. Same at the coffee places I go to, so there’s no bill at the end of the night.

    A QR code on the table. You pay on your phone and go when you want.

    If someone takes your order at the table, it’s the first one.

    How to ask for the bill

    “Can I get the bill” is what I say. “Can I have the check” gets understood perfectly well, they’ll just clock in about half a second that you’re not from here.

    Or wave someone over and do the classic cheque-signing scribble in the air. They’ll bring it over.

    The card machine and splitting the bill

    My card has never left my hand in a London restaurant. Either the machine comes to the table or they’ll ask you to come up to it. There’s no version where somebody disappears with your card.

    The machine arriving is also when you sort out who’s paying what. Each person can pay for their own, or different amounts, or percentages, whatever you’ve agreed at the table. Splitting isn’t something every place can do. It is very common in the ones I’ve been to, so ask rather than doing sums on a napkin.

    The QR codes split it per person too.

    The bit that annoys me about the QR ones is the sneaky little processing charge that comes with them. You don’t get that paying on the terminal. It still gets me every time.

    Some places give you a time

    One thing before you settle in for the night. Restaurants give you a time slot now. It isn’t one place being strict, it’s how booking has gone, so you can’t just sit there all evening the way you might have once. I booked a table for two for this weekend and they told me I’ve got it for 90 minutes. With a group they’ll set the time around the booking, so it’s worth knowing before you plan a long one. If it’s quiet they may well let you sit on longer, although that’s going to depend on their bookings and how the night is running.

    Card or cash

    Card has worked for everything I’ve paid for here, tip included. In the UK it has been unlawful since 13 January 2018 for a shop to charge you extra for paying with a particular debit or credit card, so you won’t get the 1.5% or whatever it is that gets added to the machine in Australia. The cost of taking the card sits with the business. My own guess is that’s why you’ll still find places that would much rather you paid cash.

    Checked at gov.uk on 2 September 2026.

    Cash has one advantage left. It definitely reaches the person you hand it to. Card tips have to be passed on under the 2024 rules, so that gap has narrowed. If you want one particular person to have it, cash in their hand has no steps in between.

    Some smaller places are card only. Some are cash only. You can’t tell from outside and I’ve walked into both. A bakery I go to has a chalkboard up saying no Amex, which is its own little London tax if that’s the only card in your pocket.

    What’s actually on the bill

    Now the other half, which is the bit that catches people out.

    I had two espresso martinis at Brasserie Zédel, 20 Sherwood Street, on a Friday afternoon in August 2026. Two at £15 each, so £30. Then:

    A Discretionary Service Charge of 15% has been added to the bill.

    £4.50 on top. £34.50 for two drinks.

    Restaurant bill showing two espresso martinis at £30 with a 15 per cent discretionary service charge added

    The same night at Kumori, Denman Street, a proper dinner. £97 of food and cocktails, then an optional service charge at 12.5%, £12.13, taking it to £109.13.

    Restaurant bill of £97 with an optional 12.5 per cent service charge added, totalling £109.13

    Two restaurants, one day, five minutes apart on foot. One of them charged half as much again as the other for adding a percentage to a piece of paper. I didn’t know which I was getting until the bill landed either time. And the 15% was on two drinks rather than a meal, which I did not see coming.

    Yes, you can ask them to take it off

    Look at the wording on your own bill. Mine says “discretionary”. The other one says “optional”. The restaurant has told you, in print, on the paper in front of you, that this one is your call. That isn’t me being cheeky. That’s their word for it.

    My rule is short. I never tip on top when a service charge has been added. If the service was poor I ask for it to come off. The way you do it is boring: “could you take the service charge off, please.” No speech. No explanation. It comes off.

    My own reasoning for not doing it for sport: the person who looked after you all night is not the person who set the policy, so I keep it for when something actually went wrong.

    So do you tip on top?

    No. I don’t.

    If there’s a service charge on the bill then that is the tip. Add another 10% to it and you’ve paid something like 25% for a dinner you’d already settled.

    Where there’s no service charge on my bill I might round up or leave 10% if it was good. That’s my own habit rather than a rule. I’ve not surveyed anyone about theirs.

    Counters and pubs

    There’s nothing worse than being asked for a tip when you’re not getting table service. That’s my strongest opinion on any of this.

    In August I bought a coffee and something to eat at a coffee shop on Bishopsgate. £8.20. When they turned the card machine round it offered me 10%, 15% or 20%, with No Tip sitting in the smallest box on the screen.

    A card machine screen asking for a tip on an £8.20 sale, offering 10, 15 and 20 per cent
    A bakery counter till showing a £21.50 order beside a chalkboard reading no Amex sorry

    Twenty per cent. On a coffee I collected myself from a counter.

    I’ve never said yes to that prompt at a coffee shop. The one exception is my favourite coffee people.

    Coffee in a London cafe, should you tip?

    The same month I paid £21.50 at the counter at Lockdown Bakehouse and the till didn’t ask me for anything at all, because it wasn’t set up to. Two counters, one fortnight, one asking for a fifth on top and one not asking anything. The prompt is a setting. Press No Tip and think nothing of it.

    Pubs work the same way for me. I order at the counter, I pay, I carry the drinks over. Some pubs have a tip jar you can put something into. Some of the machines come up with a tip option too. I don’t, unless the service has been genuinely exceptional. Then I’d rather put it on the next drink and buy them one. A pub with a restaurant side doing table service will show a service charge on that bill.

    A card machine sitting on a bar next to two glasses of wine
    A cocktail shaker and bottles on a dimly lit bar, with a bartender in the background.

    Where that money actually goes

    If you’re going to leave 12.5% on a bill, it’s fair to want to know where it lands.

    Since 1 October 2024 the Employment (Allocation of Tips) Act has been in force. It covers every sector. A discretionary service charge counts as a tip under it, which is the bit that matters at the bottom of a restaurant bill. So:

    • It has to be passed on to staff without deductions except in very limited scenarios such as tax.
    • The business has to have a written tipping policy where tips come in more than occasionally.
    • Staff can ask to see the tipping records, once every three months, going back three years.

    That’s the thing I look at when I’m deciding whether to leave the 12.5% sitting where it is.

    Checked at gov.uk on 1 September 2026.

    Worth It / Not Worth It

    Worth it

    Asking them to bring the machine over. Worth It. You pay sitting down, you sort out who owes what right there, your card stays with you the whole time.

    Worth it

    Paying by QR code at the end of a long dinner. Worth It, with one gripe. You go when you want. You also pay a processing charge you wouldn’t pay on the terminal.

    Worth it

    Leaving the 12.5% on when the service was good. Worth It. It’s the tip, it’s a fair one and the law says it reaches the staff. Just don’t then go and add more on top of it.

    Not worth it

    Tipping on top of a service charge. Not Worth It. You’ve tipped. Read the bottom of the bill before you reach for your card, because the line is easy to skim past.

    Not worth it

    Whatever the card machine suggests at a counter. Not Worth It. I tipped my hairdresser 8.2% on a £193 appointment. That machine wanted 20% for passing me a cup.

    If you’ve just moved here

    Two habits to get into. The first is working out how the place takes your money before you sit there waiting: waiters means ask, a counter means pay first, a QR code means it’s on your phone. The second is reading the bottom of the bill before you reach for anything.

    I’m not going to tell you how the people serving you are doing, because I don’t know. There’s a legal minimum wage here, which is a different sentence from anybody being comfortable. What I can tell you is what the paper does: in the sit-down places I go to, the tipping has been handled at the bottom of the page before I get to it.

    The reflex worth unlearning is adding something at the end without looking. I paid that 15% at Zédel without reading it. I only worked out what I’d handed over when I pulled the receipt out of my bag that night.

    The Pivot

    Worth It: working out how the place takes your money before you’re sat there waiting for a bill that isn’t coming.

    Not Worth It: paying the service charge and then tipping on top of it anyway.

    And if it’s a salon rather than a restaurant, the rules are completely different and I’ve got the receipts for that one too: Do You Tip at Nail Salons in the UK?

    FAQ

    Do you have to ask for the check in London?

    It depends where you are. At a table with waiters I ask, because it doesn’t tend to come over before I do. “Can I get the bill” works, so does the cheque-signing scribble in the air. In a pub I’ve paid at the counter before I got the drink. Some restaurants have a QR code on the table instead.

    Do they take your card away in London restaurants?

    Not in my experience. My card has never left my hand. Either the machine comes to the table or they ask you to come up to it when they’re too busy to bring it over.

    Can you split the bill in London restaurants?

    Not every place can do it. It’s been very common in the ones I’ve been to. You sort it out when the machine arrives: each person pays their own, or different amounts, or percentages. The QR codes split it per person too, with a processing charge on top.

    Is service charge included in London restaurants?

    It was on both of my August bills: 15% at Brasserie Zédel, 12.5% at Kumori. It sat as its own line at the bottom. Some places I go to don’t add one at all.

    Can you refuse to pay the service charge in London?

    Yes. One of my bills called it discretionary. The other called it optional. I ask for it to come off when the service was poor: “could you take the service charge off, please.” It comes off.

    Do you tip on top of the service charge?

    I don’t. When a service charge has been added, that is the tip as far as I’m concerned.

    Do you tip in pubs in London?

    I order at the counter and I don’t tip. Some pubs have a tip jar. Some of the machines ask. If someone’s been exceptional I’d rather buy them a drink than add a percentage. A pub doing table service will put a service charge on the bill.

    Do I have to tip on the card machine at a café?

    No. There’s been a No Tip option on every machine that’s been turned round to me. I’ve never said yes at a coffee shop, apart from my favourite coffee people.

    How much do you tip in London if there’s no service charge?

    I round up, or leave 10% if it was good. That’s my habit rather than a rule.

  • Can I Move to The UK Without a Job? How I Did

    Can I Move to The UK Without a Job? How I Did

    One of the most frequently asked questions before moving to the UK is, can I move to the UK without a job?

    Yes, you can move to the UK without a job if you have enough money to support yourself and if you are born to British parents or qualify for one of the following visa’s:

    • Tier 5 Youth Mobility (this is country and age-restricted)
    • UK Ancestry
    • Right to Abode
    • Spousal Visa (this includes if you have an EEA partner as well, will change for EEA after Brexit)
    • Student Visa (limited working hours)
    • Investor/ Set-up or run your own business
    • Exceptional Talent
    • And a few others…

    To check if you qualify for any of the visa’s above there is a check UK Visa questionnaire you can use here.

    Breakdown of Common UK Visa’s

    Tier 5 Youth Mobility Visa

    If you are from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Japan, Monaco, Hong Kong, Taiwan or the Republic of Korea and between the ages of 18 and 30 the Tier 5 Youth Mobility visa could be the one for you.

    It’s a perfect visa for those who want to move aboard, plus the UK is a great base for travel. Although this visa cannot be extended and means after the 2-year term has ended you will have to leave the UK, obtain sponsorship or another visa.

    What you will need for a Tier 5 Youth Mobility Visa:

    • Your passport
    • £1,890 in the bank
    • Visa fee plus the healthcare surcharge

    Some professions will require you to be certified in the UK or have restrictions on certain jobs so do some research beforehand. For example, my friend couldn’t work as a pharmacist on her New Zealand qualification so she’s had to work as pharmacist’s assistant.

    UK Ancestry Visa

    If you have a grandparent born in the UK and are a Commonwealth citizen you may be eligible for a UK Ancestry Visa. Not only does this visa cover you moving to the UK but this visa can be extended to your family members or dependants (including unmarried and same-sex partners).

    After spending 5 years in the UK, you can switch from the UK Ancestry to Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) which is permanent residency and then naturalise after being on IRL for a year.

    What you will need for a UK Ancestry Visa:

    • Your Passport
    • Birth certificate
    • Parent birth certificate
    • Grandparent birth certificate
    • Potentially your grandparents’ and parents’ marriage certificates
    • Savings in your bank account – no official guidelines
    • Visa fee plus the healthcare surcharge.

    Read more about applying for your UK Ancestry Visa here…

    Right to Abode

    If you have a British parent then you might be eligible to apply for a ‘right of abode’. Essentially as the child of a British citizen, you have the right to permanent residency. This is a right you inherited at birth.

    What you will need for Right to Abode:

    • One of your parents was born in the UK and a citizen of the United Kingdom and colonies when you were born or adopted
    • You were a Commonwealth citizen on 31 December 1982
    • You didn’t stop being a Commonwealth citizen (even temporarily) at any point after 31 December 1982.
    • Evidence of employment in the UK (if applicable)
    • Financial evidence – bank statements, term deposit statements etc.
    • Letter of invitation from a British citizen living in the UK (not mandatory, but preferential)
    • Proof of relationship documents – your birth certificate, your mother’s birth certificate (grandparents are not required)
    • Evidence of accommodation upon arrival (this can be a hotel booking or your referee in their letter of invitation can state that you are staying with them, even if this is not a long-term arrangement).

    Read more about applying for your Right to Abode here…

    Spousal Visa

    Are you or your partner a British citizen, EEA National or settled in the UK (they have ‘indefinite leave to remain’ or proof of permanent residence) and you’ve been living together for more than two years or are married? Then you could be elidable for a spousal visa.

    What you will need for a Spousal Visa:

    • A civil partnership or marriage that’s recognised in the UK; or
    • Prove that you have been living together in a relationship for at least 2 years
    • A plan that you will marry or enter into a civil partnership in the UK within 6 months of arriving
    • Be capable of speaking English to a good level
    • Proof that you can financially support yourself
    • Visa fee plus the healthcare surcharge.

    Can a US Citizen Live in the UK?

    US Passport money and flag

    It’s not as easy for an American to move to the UK like it is for Australian, Canadian or Kiwi. The most common type of visas for US citizen is a student, work or family visas.

    Tier 2 Sponsorship visa is your best bet unless you have met the love of your life that’s a UK Citizen or someone that can have a spouse on their visa like the UK Ancestry. Sponsorship does defeat the purpose of moving without a job but it is a great option if you can find a placement.

    Another option is if you have a UK heritage where your mum, dad or yourself were born in the UK you can get a passport.

    If you have a Canadian (or another Commonwealth country) passport you could also look into your eligibility to get a youth mobility visa.

    The Tier 4 Student visa is also an option but there will be restrictions for the adult and child visa types. The adult visa will allow you to work up to 20 hours as long as it doesn’t interfere with your studies.

    Lastly the Tier 1 visa’s can be an option if you have enough money to get an investor, get an entrepreneur or bring your own business to the UK.

    Use the link in the above section to see what you qualify for or consult with an immigration lawyer for the best options for you.

    How to Move to the UK Without a Job

    Many people have made the move like myself and it’s totally doable to move to the UK without a job. So how were myself and other successful? And if so, how did we go around finding employment once they got there?

    From here on out I am going to assume you’ve figured out that you have the ability to work in the UK and you are now ready to start with the next steps. This guide will walk you through the two to three fundamental steps of moving to the UK:

    • Do you have enough funds ready for the move?
    • Applying for your visa (if required)
    • How to successfully job search (with hints and tips)

    Do You Have Enough Funds Ready for the Move?

    How much money should you bring to the UK

    In my article how much money should I save to move to the UK I recommend bringing over £5,000 as a single person. The budget based on getting cheap accommodation like living in a hostel or moving into a shared house and without the visa cost included.

    You should consider an amount that will cover three months’ worth of accommodation, travel, food, six weeks’ worth of bond money, being without a job and some money for fun activities per person.

    You should also factor initial travel costs which can be another £50 to £1000 per person.

    If you are lucky enough to have friends and family to stay within the UK they will be a life saver. Saving you a ton of money on accommodation!

    You can also save money on travel cost by locating yourself near to a high street which will give you access to shops, parks and other facilities you may need. Being savvy with your money in general and knowing where to spend it will help the pocket too!

    Planning to move to a new place without any funds is always risky. It’ll put you in positions like:

    • accepting a job you may not want to do
    • not being able to support yourself if there are issues with the market
    • many other issues that crop up when finding a job
    • or 2020 hits the world and we have no idea whether they will have a job.

    Of course, this is fine if you are happy to accept the risk of not having enough savings.

    Speaking from experience, I didn’t have enough money saved when I moved here and it ended up with a ton of credit card debt.

    By making this mistake it meant having to go to my family and asking for my first months’ rent and bond.

    Moving overseas was totally worth it but if I had put it off by three to fourth months to have enough money would have been better for my financial stability. I ended up spending four years paying off my debt each month.

    How to Apply For A UK Working Visa (If Required)

    The biggest part of getting a UK work permit is the preparations, mainly, the time to save (unless you’ve got that all sorted). All working permits will have pre-requisites and the two common ones are:

    • English language requirement.
    • Financial maintenance for yourself and any family members.
    • Valid Passport – No matter where you’re from, you’ll need a valid passport in order to enter the UK.

    As a minimum, you will need to meet the financial requirements for your visa even if you don’t plan on moving with the recommendation mentioned above.

    Additionally, the visa cost can be quite expensive in itself with the IHS surcharge.

    I moved over on a UK Ancestry visa which is a 5-year working visa. It’s one of the more expensive visas as you have to pay for the IHS fee for every year of your visa a UK Ancestry Visa (i.e. 5 times £400 plus visa fee) which will set you back around £2,000 in fees alone.

    Not all visas are clear in the financial requirements so to be safe I always recommend using the Youth Mobility requirement which is £1,890 per person if there is no definition.

    Process for Applying for UK Visa’s

    Six to three months before you intend to arrive in the UK you can apply for a UK visa depending on your visa type. Applications go through the British Embassy or High Commission closest to you and tend to be quicker when dealt with in Commonwealth countries. Processing time, in general, is around 3 weeks but it is visa dependent.

    You can check the likely processing time for different nationalities on the UK government website.

    Applications are started online, some visas are required to have your fingerprints and other biometric data recorded. This means that you will need to visit your nearest visa application centre (in your home country) to have your biometric data processed.

    If you’re already in the UK (and need to switch your visa type or extend it for example) then you can apply at a UK based application centre. It’s highly unlikely you will be eligible to apply within the UK.

    The general application process will be as followed:

    • fill in the application form and answer in English
    • pay the health surcharge
    • pay for the visa fee online (in most cases)
    • print out your form
    • book and attend an appointment at a visa application centre
    • have your biometrics taken (fingerprints and photo) for a biometric residence permit

    What Happens If I Don’t Qualify for One Those Visas?

    If you can’t meet any of the above then you will need to look into sponsorship which will require a job before you can move to the UK.

    The visa structure means that your employer needs to be licensed before you can be considered for sponsorship.

    Depending on the Tier 2 visa types you could also be evaluated against the points system and appear on the shortage occupation list. Make sure you double-check that the employer has a license or is willing to apply for one and for a better chance that your job is on the shortage list.

    Alternatively, tier 1 visas could be an option if you have the exceptional talent, business or investor.

    How to Successfully Job Search (Hints And Tips)

    Finding a job in the UK can either be really easy or hard depending on your profession. London is very competitive and generally always has been.

    It’s never affected my ability to get a job, with motivation and determination you will get there.

    However, some industries are having a rough time with Brexit like the property industry and there have been redundancies with the downturn of the market.

    My day job is as an IT project manager and on average each job it has taken me one month to land a job. I was willing to accept any job when I arrived so my first job in the UK was actually as an Information Manager not as a Project Manager.

    After 9 months of deciding I wanted to stay in the UK I took a lower-level role as Project Coordinator. After another 9 months I moved on to be a Project Manager again and since then all my jobs have been as a Project Manager for the last 4 years.

    The main ways I applied for these jobs was through jobs boards, connecting with recruiters and individual companies.

    Here are 10 tips to get you started:

    1. In this day and age social media plays a big part in our lives. Check that your Facebook and social media presence is boss proof. Google yourself. Might be a bit awkward if they find a compromising photo of you.
    2. Update your resume, LinkedIn, any portfolios and general documents that go with job hunting. Then ensure on LinkedIn that you have ticked that you are open to new opportunities and are following influencers in your industry. LinkedIn is a popular tool in the UK to find jobs, I get a message at least every week from recruiters asking whether I want to apply for xyz job.
    3. Have a UK number – no one wanted to speak to my mum whilst she had an Australian number.
    4. In the UK the majority of jobs go through recruiters and they typically specialise in fields. Target recruiters that may suit your career by looking at who is advertising the job suitable for you.
    5. Register with the largest employment websites like Monster, Indeed, Total Jobs, and Job Site.
    6. Upload your resume to these job sites like Monster and Indeed. One of my bosses always recommended doing this on a Sunday so you are in the first batch that week recruiters are sifting through.
    7. When you find a job to apply to tailor your application to suit. You should be demonstrating your experience and utilising examples of how you meet the job description.
    8. In your cover letter and resume you could go beyond the role itself and look at the objectives of the organisation at large then help solve for those in your application.
    9. Be ready to write your resume to address different application requirements.
    10. Allow extra time for travel in case of some unforeseen event especially if you are new to the area. It is almost impossible to recover from being late to an interview.

    More Living in the UK Articles

  • Do You Need Air Conditioning in London? What to Know.

    Do You Need Air Conditioning in London? What to Know.

    Many of us have become accustomed to having air conditioning when travelling so it can be concerning when you start reading that most of London does not have air-conditioning available.

    Let’s get to the important question, do you need air-conditioning in London? No, you don’t, unless London is experiencing a heatwave. The temperature during summer is an enjoyable mid 20’s (70°F) during the day and mid 10’s (55°F) in the evening. Most British housing will not have air-conditioning and will opt for heating instead.

    Along with British houses don’t expect air-conditioning when you walk into cafes, pubs and restaurants. It’s always a surprise when a place does have air conditioning with the exception of shops and workplaces.

    If you do need air-conditioning then you will need to research your hotels well. It will be harder to find Airbnbs for the above reasons and hostels that are equipped with this facility.

    London Temperatures During Summer

    London is generally in (the) mid-20s (70°F) as you can see in the table below but low 30s (86°F) isn’t unheard of. When London does get hot it can get stuffy and a bit humid).

    Month
    Average Temperature
    June
    21°C / 13°C or 70°F/ 55°F
    July
    23°C / 15°C or 73°F / 59°F
    August
    23°C / 15°C or 73°F / 59°F

    In 2018 London and the UK had a massive heatwave with temperatures over 30°C / 86°F that lasted for quite a few weeks. An unusual event for the UK – where the grassed died in parks, Londoners melted from the heat, shops sold out of fans and trains struggled to run.

    As an Australian I don’t find these heatwaves too bad, I actually quite enjoy them! It’s a nice break from the normal drizzly days. If you are from a cold country or used to air-conditioning then this weather could be a challenge for you.

    How To Survive A Heatwave In London

    Found yourself in a London heatwave? I’ve got some practical tips as well as fun activities to make the most of summer!

    Let’s Start with the Practical Tips!

    Fans Are Your Saviour

    Get a little fan to take around with you, like those ones you get in Asia or a little electronic one.

    Ask your hotel for a fan if they don’t have air conditioning. In my experience hotels will have these available.

    Carry Water

    During a heatwave you will have constant messages from the London Underground reminding you to carry water. The messages can get pretty annoying but when you are stuck at a red signal dying from the heat you will be thankful. Some of those lines can get pretty hot!

    Lately, I have noticed a rise in water fountains available at National Rail stations which is great for refilling your bottles. At main attractions, there is (are) generally water fountains too!

    Avoid Public Transport at Rush Hour

    Catching the tube in London

    The tube can be almost unbearable in the summertime. The central line has been recorded to have a temperature of 40°C (104°F) with no air-conditioning or ways to cool the train down it can be unbearable. Then when you mix the heat with rush hour you get lots of hot sweaty people! Imagine the fun of summer rush hour is. It’s a major complaint amongst Londoners. P.s. Air conditioning varies on the public transport you are taking so sometimes you luck out but most times there will be none. It will change on some lines when they finally roll-out the new trains.

    Look for other alternatives like buses or travelling in non-peak times. Sometimes I will head out for a drink until the peak hour has died down a little.

    Invest in a Mist Spray

    The adult version of running in the sprinklers! Facial mist spray! It is great for when you are overheating and need something to cool you down.

    Fun Activities to Stay Cool in London Summer!

    Go Swimming

    London has lidos located around the city which are ideal for cooling down during the heat. It’s a popular way to cool down so during peak times you’ll have to queue to get your cold-water fix.

    Here are a few lidos in London:

    • Hampstead Heath Swimming Ponds – Hampstead Heath
    • Oasis Sports Centre – Covent Garden
    • Tooting Bec Lido – Streatham Park
    • London Fields Lido – Hackney
    • Serpentine Lido – Knightsbridge
    • Brockwell Lido – Herne Hill

    Have a Picnic

    Londoners love having a picnic and head to the park when it’s warm. At any chance during summer I will grab my dinner, picnic blanket and head to the park to catch the sun, light and fresh air. Some recommendations:

    Hyde Park

    Most popular with tourists, it’s a London attraction in itself and close to other London Landmarks so great if you are a tourist and only have a short time to explore.

    Primrose Hill

    Amazing view of the city while you enjoy a drink or some cheese, yes please! The hill is perfectly located to give you views of the London skyline.

    Richmond Park

    The best thing about Richmond park is the deer! Instead of people watch you can deer watch while enjoying your lovely picnic.

    Crystal Palace

    Crystal Palace was once a holiday destination for Londoners and was home to the famous Crystal Palace until it burnt down. You’ll discover the foundations of the Crystal Palace, the first illustrated statue version of dinosaurs, a maze, a local farm plus the kids can interact with the animals and lots of park space for a picnic.

    Enjoy a Drink at a Rooftop Bar

    All the advice says to avoid alcohol when it’s too hot! Boo, frozen cocktails on a rooftop is a magical way to cool down in my opinion.

    A few recommendations:

    • Bussy and Franks – Slightly outside of the tourist area (still in zone 2) these two rooftop bars give amazing views of London
    • Queen of Hoxton – Located in Shoreditch, this bar is transformed twice-yearly into some cool themes.
    • Skylight London – A new addition to the rooftop bars in London. In summer it’s an urban lawn club with Croquet, Pétanque and Street Food.
    • Bar Elba – Has a happy hour every day until 6 pm and then from Sunday to Thursday from 9 pm to 11 pm.

    Enjoy a Cold Beer in a Beer Garden

    Green space can be hard to come by in some areas of London so the next place we flock to is pubs with beer gardens or riverside pubs. Sitting in a lovely garden enjoying a cold beer to cool down is the best way to enjoy the summer.

    Pub with beer gardens:

    • Canonbury – Canonbury
    • Alwyne Castle – Canonbury
    • The Albion – Barnsbury
    • Earl of Essex – Islington
    • The Edinboro Castle – Camden
    • Magic Garden – Battersea
    • The Ship – Wandsworth
    • The Half Moon – Herne Hill
    • The Duke of Edinburgh – Brixton
    • The Faltering Fullback – Finsbury Park
    • The Sun – Camberwell
    • The Rose Pub and Kitchen – New Cross
    • The Windsor Castle – Kensington

    Riverside pubs:

    • Crate Brewery – Hackney Wick
    • Cutty Sark Tavern – Greenwich
    • The Lighterman, King’s Cross – King’s Cross
    • Lockside Lounge – Camden
    • Mason & Company – Hackney Wick
    • The Narrowboat – Hoxton

    Find the Best Ice-cream

    Ice-cream at Milk Train

    London is a foodie’s destination and there is nothing better than enjoying a nice cold ice-cream when the weather is sweltering.

    • Milk Train Cafe – Covent Garden: Most famous for its cones wrapped in fairy floss and delicious matcha ice-cream
    • Udderlicious – Barnsbury: I first discovered this place when I was living in Islington and went back almost every hot day it was acceptable to eat ice-cream! The ice-cream flavour is amazing!
    • Yorica – Soho: A vegan’s dream place! or anyone on a plant-based diet. It’s the first dairy, egg, nut and gluten-free ice-creamery.

    Do you have any recommendations to survive the heat or any accommodation you found that has air-conditioning? Let me know in the comments below!

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  • Should You Keep Your Passport with You in London?

    Should You Keep Your Passport with You in London?

    Passports are one of the most important items when travelling and there can be so many different rules regarding them. The internet is filled with debates on whether you should or shouldn’t carry your passport.

    Should you keep your passport with you in London? The times you should keep your passport with you are; at the airport, international train station, checking in to a hotel or hostel, changing money, hiring a car, picking up event tickets, buying alcohol or proving you’re old enough to get into a pub or club.

    Your licence can suffice as proof but some companies can be sceptical whether it’s real or a fake licence if you are providing an international version. There have been times when I’ve tried to buy alcohol on my Australian licences and have been rejected.

    There is a counter-argument that you don’t need to bring any ID with you when you are in the UK but I disagree, especially if you are driving or younger-looking and plan on buying alcohol or are heading to a pub, bar or club. Of course, if you aren’t driving or no longer get asked to prove your age then it’s purely your choice if you bring ID.

    I don’t carry my passport with me unless it is required, instead, I carry my licence in my wallet. I’m in my late 20’s and I still to this day get asked to prove my age, the easiest way to do this is with my UK licence.

    Before I got my UK licence I was using my Australia licence as proof for my age. However, any time I needed to go to the bank I also had to bring my passport to prove who I was.

    What Is A Valid Form of Identification?

    This really depends on the reason you need the identification for, here are acceptable forms of ID in the UK:

    • A photo driving licence
    • A passport
    • Proof of age card, such as the PASS card from the national Proof of Age Standards Scheme
    • Biometric Residency Permit.
    Kat with her British Passport

    4 Tips to Keeping Your Passport Safe

    Lock it Up

    Lock your passport away in either the safe or locker provided by your accommodation. If a lockable space is not provided secure your bag with a travel lock. You can ask your accommodation to keep your passport safe as well. I personally prefer keeping it in my room or with my belongings but I am aware that some people prefer to carry it with them.

    Have Electronic Copies

    Before you head on your travels make sure you have electronic copies. Save these to your cloud or non-cloud drive and e-mail a copy to yourself and family or friends.

    Things can happen when you are not careful, like my dad. One day he was doing a bit of washing and didn’t check his pockets. He likes to keep his passport in his pocket along with his wallet (no idea why). Next thing he knows he’s pulling out a totally ruined passport from his trouser pocket. Not so helpful when you live in another country as fly in and fly out. Luckily, he had copies of his passport and was given an exception by the airline and immigration to get to the nearest embassy to replace his passport.

    It’s easier to prove your identity when you have copies available when the original isn’t around or if the physical copy is damaged.

    Some people do take photocopies and carry those instead of carrying around the physical version.

    Hide It

    When travelling in public areas ensure your passport is secure. I keep my passport in a zip pocket within a bag that would be hard to grab without me noticing. Whatever method you choose to keep your passport safe make sure it’s hard for people to snatch it without you noticing or the person just wouldn’t be able to find it.

    Protect Your Passport

    Damaging your passport is another pain! I covered my dad’s incident of damaging his passport but there are other things than washing machines that ruin your passport.

    The UK is famous for its drizzle and rain so keep it as safe as possible to prevent water damage and travel with a waterproof cover. Additionally watch out for anything that can cause rips and tears.

    Not sure how I managed to get tears in my passport, I think it was from the plane tickets, immigration cards and then pulling them out caused wear and tear. At one point the Australian Immigration officer was advising me to replace my passport soon before I lost the most important page. The passport managed to withstand quite a number of years more of use with a bit more TLC.

    Have you had any incidents with your passport? Let me know your stories in the comments below.

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  • Are London Hostels Safe? With 11 Safety Tips

    Are London Hostels Safe? With 11 Safety Tips

    Staying in a hostel in London was my first solo hostel experience and it turned out to be really positive. After years of staying in hostels in London and around the world I can say that having concerns about the safety of a hostel is a common feeling, especially if you are new to travelling.

    Are London hostels safe? Yes, they are safe. Don’t worry you are not alone with this doubt, safety it is quite a popular question. You do need to take a couple of steps to ensure that you and your belongings can remain safe. These aren’t anything outside of common sense.

    In this guide, I will share my experience and tips for staying safe.

    Who Stays in London Hostels?

    London hostels tend to attract two types of people, those who are looking for budget-friendly accommodation and those who have just moved to the UK.

    As travellers you will find that most people are looking to meet like-minded people so those who are up for new experiences and enjoying what London has to offer.

    The chances that the people staying in the same room want to steal or attack you is not very high on their list. We all just want to be mates right?

    Here Are 11 Tips for Staying Safe in London Hostels

    1. Research The Hostel Location

    London is a big place and when researching a location to stay can be overwhelming! London is a set of little towns put together to make a city with their own vibes so making the right choice is important. Before choosing a place you should decide what kind of experiences you want to have, do you want to be able to walk to the landmarks easily, do you want to party, are you looking for some peace and quiet? This will all affect where you should stay in London.

    From there you can then look at narrowing down the locations and safety of those areas of London. The London crime map is great for comparing safety in different areas.

    A few recommendations of what areas to stay in London:

    Bermondsey & London Bridge

    Area vibe: It’s the perfect place to stay if you love to discover new street-food, craft beer and gin.

    Safety: I commute into London Bridge and work in the City of London so I am really familiar with the safety in this area. At no point have I ever felt unsafe walking around this area, however, there was an incident in the area which upped the safety. You will find that London Bridge and other parts that have bollards protecting the pedestrian pathways.

    Covent Garden and Soho

    Classic shot of Piccadilly circus with Black Cab.
    Classic shot of Piccadilly circus

    Area Vibe: Right in the middle of the action, always bustling, surrounded by restaurants and bars and in the theatre district.

    Safety: In the heavy populated areas you will see police presence and also in high traffic pedestrian pathways bollards protecting those areas. Being a high tourist area it does attract people stealing phones, wallet, cash and anything that is easy to grab. Just make sure you are aware of what you are doing with your belongings.

    Greenwich

    Area Vibe: It is further out to see the main attractions of London but the attraction is that it is a little quieter, full of open space and greenery. Plenty of restaurants, markets, bars or a great place to have a picnic when the sun is shining.

    Safety: It’s a reasonable place to stay as far as safety, lots of tourists during the day and local around.

    Shoreditch

    Shoreditch Street Art and Graffiti Tour
    Shoreditch Street Art and Graffiti Tour

    Area vibe: There is always something happening in Shoreditch from the curry mile, vintage shopping, street art and cool bars there is something to keep you occupied every day of the week.

    Safety: It’s one of the nightlife areas so you will see more drunk people and an occasional argument but nothing you wouldn’t see in any nightlife area. The area has incidents of theft like bikes riding by and stealing your phone. Make sure you are aware of what you are doing with your phone and belongings.

    2. Read The Reviews of The Hostel

    Hostel Dorm Room in London
    Hostel Dorm Room in London

    Reading reviews of the hostel can help you determine whether it’s worth staying there, for example, value for money, security, location, staff, atmosphere, cleanliness and facilities.

    If the reviews start highlighting that people feel unsafe in the area, their stuff was stolen or they felt harassed then it’s a big red flag! As a rule, I will read a minimum of 10 reviews on each hostel I am considering staying at to get a feel of people thought of the place.

    3. Consider Female-Only Rooms and/or Hostels

    Not everyone is comfortable staying in mixed rooms but thankfully for us ladies there female-only rooms and hostels.

    Benefits of staying in female-only accommodation:

    • The rooms are better equipped for the female traveller with a high-quality mirror, lots of hooks and hairdryers.
    • Dorm rooms can be smaller e.g. you could find yourself in a 6-bed dorm instead of a 12 bed one.
    • It’s easier to get changed in female only dorms, you don’t have to worry about boys looking at you.
    • Guys aren’t allowed so you won’t have those awkward moments if someone picks up.

    Disadvantages:

    • Female dorms cost more than mixed dorms so will have an impact on your budget.
    • Girls can be just as messy!

    4. Know How to Get to Your Hostel When You Arrive

    My first experience of trying to get to my hostel in London was a disaster. After landing in London after a 20+ hour flight from Australia, I was really tired lugging a heavy suitcase and thought a print out of the hostel directions (no map) would be enough to get me to the hostel.

    I had never been to London and had no understanding of the complicated transport connections (I’m for a small city where the train only goes in 4 directions). Totally oblivious that the hostel was in Kingscross which is a major hub for public transport in London with about 20 exits to get out of the tube station.

    After spending about an hour walking around in circles and asking for help I finally found my hostel.

    Make sure you know how to get to your hostel when you arrive! This is super important if you are arriving late at night. With the increase of free WiFi and the ability to download offline maps finding your way is a lot easier! In doubt grab a taxi so you get there safely.

    5. Speak to The Staff if You Have Concerns

    Hostel staff will be very familiar with the area so raise any concerns you have with them. They should be able to tell you what to watch out for, scams and places to skip. It’s common the staff will be living at the hostel or in London so they are a great source for information.

    6. Use The Lockers

    Before you start travelling pick up a good travel lock. Look for locks that cannot be easily damaged, cut or otherwise accessed with some effort and the right tools. Four–digit padlocks are great as you can have over 10,000 combinations and almost impossible for people to figure it out.

    A good hostel will offer lockers to store your belongings in. When you get into your room check that the locker is tack, nothing is damaged and then just lock it on your way out.

    7. Watch Your Belongings You Care About

    As someone that travels with lots of tech items, this is something I am most worried about when travelling. First, have good travel insurance to cover high-value items so if anything does happen you aren’t out of pocket.

    Every time you leave the room put your high-value items in the locker and lock it. Even if you feel safe in your dorm rooms you never know what could happen. Private rooms don’t always have lockers so consider locking your bag and distributing it so it’s harder to find.

    8. Copy Your Passport and e-mail it to Yourself

    Take copies of your passport, any visa or important documents before you travel. E-mail copies to yourself and your family as a safety measure. It’s way easier proving who you are when there are photocopies!

    I also only take out one form of ID so if I take my licence I don’t take my passport, if I take my passport I leave my licence behind.

    9. Know Where Your Nearest Embassy Is

    London has a pretty good police force, after all it’s a big city and they deal with a lot of crap! Knowing where your embassy is will help you if something like your passport gets lost or stolen. Luckily London is a hub for embassies so there is a good chance your embassy will be in London to support you.

    10. Drink Responsibly

    It’s sad that I have to include this in the tips as there is still a culture that it’s ok to take advantage of people when they are intoxicated. Whether it’s sexual assault or stealing your belongings and it can happen across both genders.

    It’s easy to get carried away when making new friends and I am definitely guilty of having too many drinks on more than one occasion when travelling.

    I’ve never been in an incident myself where I have been assaulted but I have definitely been robbed on a night out (both in London and in Australia) so it doesn’t matter what city you are in this can happen anywhere!

    Carry the hostel business card with you so you can give it people (taxi driver, police officer etc) if you need help. If you feel like you are unsafe or just want to make sure people know where you are at all times text a friend your location even if they are not in the same country or awake.

    11. Hide Some Backup Money in a Different Pocket

    Find a few secret pockets to hide cards and money in as another precaution. This tip is more than just safety it protects you if anything happens to your money.

    As an example on a recent trip to Thailand, I decided to take one travel card and then my credit card plus my normal bank card. I got off the plane after a full day of work and then 18 hours of travel, put my travel card in the ATM and then forget to take it out! The receiving cash before taking my bank card through me off and I never took it out in my tired state ?.

    After losing out on covering everything back to pounds next thing I know I’m looking at my American express statement thinking how on earth has my balance gone down £500! Turns out someone got my credit card details and went on a spending spree. Thankfully it’ll all get refunded and my boyfriend is travelling with another travel card so I didn’t end up getting all the bank fees. It just goes to show always travel with multiple cards!

    If you have any questions about the areas and whether they are safe, let me know in the comment below. Plus if you have any safety tips I would love to hear about them.

    More London Articles

  • Exchanging a Foreign Licence for a UK Drivers Licence

    Exchanging a Foreign Licence for a UK Drivers Licence

    Now that you have finally settled down in the UK it’s time to exchange your license to a UK drivers license. It’s a pretty easy process to exchange your licence once you’ve been here for over 185 days.

    Why Should You Change Your Foreign Driving License To The UK One?

    The reason I changed my licence is because I was tired of everyone looking my Australian licence asking is this “valid” when I was buying alcohol, using it as proof of ID and I couldn’t use it as proof of address. The main benefits for you changing your licence are:

    • Proof of Address – One of the benefits of having a UK licence is that it is the most convenient Proof of Address you can have. Before having my licence I needed to carry my passport around when I needed to something at the bank and requiring me to remember in advance with having my UK licence I didn’t need to worry.
    • Cheaper Car Insurance – Most companies offer cheaper car insurance for full UK driving license holders. I recently tested this on confused.com to see whether it was true using VOLVO V60 SE T3 as the car model of choice. The first quote with my Australian licence came to £2924.32 and the second quote using my UK licence came to £937.56. It’s worth making the switch if you are planning to buy a car to save those £££’s.
    • Continue driving in the UK – If you wish to continue driving in the UK you must change your licence after 12 months of staying in the UK on a foreign licence. I waited 3 years before exchanging mine however I don’t really drive in the UK. You can exchange it up to 5 years after becoming resident if it hasn’t expired.

    Can You Get A UK Driving Licence On A Visa?

    As long as your visa allows you to hold a permanent address in the UK and have lived in the country for at least 185 days of the last year you will be able to get a UK drivers licence. For example:

    • Tier 5 Youth Mobility
    • UK Ancestry
    • Right to Abode
    • Spousal Visa
    • Student Visa
    • And others…

    How to Exchange a Foreign Licence for a UK Drivers Licence

    The process for exchanging your licence is (note that this is only for England, Scotland and Wales, Northern Ireland has its own process).

    Check If Your Country Has A Reciprocal Exchange Agreements

    To exchange your licence your home country must be a ‘designated country’ (countries with exchange agreements with Great Britain), the countries in this agreement are; Andorra, Australia, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Falkland Islands, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Hong Kong, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland and Zimbabwe.

    The application does ask which country your licence was issued in and where you passed your test. If you didn’t pass in one of the above countries you will have to complete a driving test. You will be able to drive on your licence for 12 months before requiring to exchange.

    Complete driving test (if required)

    Countries that don’t have a reciprocal agreement you will need to apply for a UK provisional licence and pass the UK practical test. It’s not required that you take any driving lessons before taking the test but it could be helpful to familiarise yourself with the UK rules.

    Check out this handy little tool to see if you can drive in the UK on your non-UK drivers licence.

    A Copy of Your Licence or Proof of Entitlement Letter From The Issuing Authority

    You need a copy of your drivers’ license or proof of entitlement letter from the issuing authority confirming your licence is valid with all of your details etc. and send that in with your application in the UK. Saves you having to re-order another licence.

    When I was in Australia I said my licence was lost and paid for a new one. Plus got a new photo whilst I was at it.

    If you passed your driving test in Canada or New Zealand you will need to provide proof that you can drive a manual gearbox if you want a manual license.

    Manual or Automatic Licence

    Your licence should be switched to the type of licence you had in your home country so in Australia I had a manual licence and when I exchange I also received a manual drivers licences. The same happened when my sister applied, she has an automatic licence and received an automatic licence back.

    Order Form D1 From The Driver And Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)

    D1 Instructions and Form
    D1 Instructions and Form

    The easiest way to get a D1 form is by ordering it online, otherwise post offices should have copies of the form.

    Get A Passport Sized Photo

    You will one standard UK Passport size photo to send with your application. Just like a passport the photo is valid for 10 years so make sure you look your best ?.

    Where to get photos? I always end up going to Snappy Snaps for my passport photos as there are so many around. They will ask you what type of photo you require and provide the correct type.

    Complete the D1 Form

    Simply complete the two page form. If you need any help there is also a guide to support the application.

    Send the Application with Your Documentation

    D1 form and ID
    D1 form, Australian license and biometrics card.

    You will need to include:

    • Completed D1 form
    • Passport Photo
    • Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) (if you’re on a visa)
    • Your licence or proof of entitlement letter from the issuing authority
    • £43 fee – As I don’t have cheque book I decided to get a postal order to pay the £43
    • Self-addressed registered post envelops (optional)

    If you arrived in the UK on a British passport then you just need to add your passport in the application and you will not need to send your passport off with the application.

    Please note: If you don’t provide a self-addressed registered post envelope then your documents will be posted back to you in second class post. DVLA will not compensate for any loss or delay in the return of your documents. I highly recommend paying extra for the registered post envelope for a piece of mind.

    How to Pay Via Postal Orders and Checks

    For some reason the DVLA only accepts cheques! The easiest way to get one is a postal order from the post office. The cheque will cost 12.5% of the value order which will be £5.37 on top of the £43. Simply go up to the counter, ask for a postal order to the DVLA Swansea and one will be produced with the correct amount.

    Alternatively, you can visit your bank or credit union’s branch to request a counter cheque. Make sure you check with your bank branch before you make a trip there and see if counter cheques are available. If you use an online bank like Monzo this option won’t be open to you.

    Make sure you add your name and date of birth or licence number on the back of the cheque.

    Where should I send the application?

    The application should be sent to:
    DVLA
    Swansea
    SA99 1BT

    I sent mine by registered post and included an addressed registered post envelope so it could be tracked when my documents were returned. Your new UK licence and identity documents will be sent separately.

    How long does it take to get a driving license UK?

    Allow about 3 weeks for your driving licence to be sent to you. This can take longer if they need to check your health or personal details.

    Understanding Your UK Driving Licence and the Codes

    On the back of your UK licence there will be a table of vehicles (categories) and licence codes which state what you can and can’t drive.

    If you have a standard licence then chances are yours will say something similar to mine. My exchanged licence it says I can drive the following categories and with the associated conditions:

    • AM which is a 2-wheeled or 3-wheeled vehicle with a maximum design speed of over 25km/h (15.5mph) but not more than 45km/h (28mph) if I comply with code 122 (see below).
    • A with restriction of 79 (3) which is motor tricycles with a power output more than 15kW.
    • B1 which is basically a quad bike.
    • B the one we are most likely to drive, a car. It’s exchanged to a full licence, if you had an automatic licence it would say 70, 78 which is restricted to vehicles with automatic transmission.
    • BE I can drive a car with a trailer.

    The codes determine what conditions are on your licence. Here is a quick highlight of the codes I think are most common:

    • 01 – eyesight correction, for example, glasses or contact lenses
    • 70 – exchange of licence
    • 71 – a duplicate of the licence
    • 78 – restricted to vehicles with automatic transmission
    • 79 – restricted to vehicles in conformity with the specifications stated in brackets on your licence
    • 79 (2) – restricted to category AM vehicles of the 3-wheel or light quadricycle type
    • 79 (3) – restricted to tricycles
    • 122 – valid on successful completion: Basic Moped Training Course 125 – tricycles only (for licences issued before 29 June 2014).

    For more information on the code here.

    Video on How to Get a UK Driving Licence

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  • How to Build a Credit Score as a New UK Resident

    How to Build a Credit Score as a New UK Resident

    When moving to the UK I had no idea I would be starting from scratch with my credit score (totally naïve of me!). No matter how good or bad your credit score is in your home country you will be starting from zero when you move to the UK.

    Whether you’ve just moved to the UK or been here for a couple of year this article will cover who the credit agencies are, what they generally look for and how to build your credit score as a new resident.

    Stay tuned until the end to hear about the drama I had getting a phone contract and contactless card.

    Who Are the Credit Reference Agencies (CRA) in the UK?

    The UK has three Credit Reference Agencies (CRA) that lenders generally use to verify you when you are applying for credit. Just to keep us on our toes the credit scores are not standardised so each one will score your credit differently.

    Here is Experian, Equifax and TransUnion (the three CRA’s) score breakdown from very poor to excellent:

    Agency
    Score
    Rating
    Experian
    0-560
    561-720
    721-880
    881-960
    961-999
    Very poor
    Poor
    Fair
    Good
    Excellent
    Equifax
    0-279
    280-379
    380-419
    420-465
    466-700
    Very poor
    Poor
    Fair
    Good
    Excellent
    TransUnion (formerly Callcredit)
    0-550
    561-565
    566-603
    604-627
    628-710
    Very poor
    Poor
    Fair
    Good
    Excellent

    Here’s what my basic credit report looks like with Experian:

    basic credit report

    What is Included and Not Included in my Credit Score Rating?

    Even though your credit score will be totally blank as a new resident of the UK it’s good to know the factors that you are measured on.

    What’s included:

    • Name, address and date-of-birth.
    • Past credit applications.
    • Credit repayment history, including late or missed payments.
    • Your existing debt.
    • Your electoral register presence.
    • Any joint credit cards or loans.
    • If you’ve been declared bankrupt or have an IVA.
    • Any county court judgements (CCJs).
    • Current account turnover.

    What’s not included:

    • Student loans.
    • Medical history.
    • Council tax arrears.
    • Criminal record.
    • Parking or driving fines.

    What Credit Scores Affect

    Here’s a quick overview of how your credit score can affect major finance areas:

    • Mortgages – Poor scores will simply get you rejected. Work to improve this before you look at buying a property. 
    • Credit cards – whether you will be accepted and the rates you will be offered, 
    • Loans – same as credit cards. 
    • Utility bills – as they share data between themselves it’s important you pay your bills on time. 
    • Mobile phones – generally as you are spreading the price of the handset so this is counted as a loan. If you are rejected you won’t get a contract and will need to pay as you go.
    • Car and home insurance – Opting for monthly payments means that the insure is giving you a loan for the money over the year and generally charging you interest. They will run a credit check for this. It’s cheaper to get yearly insurance due to this. Even when you use comparison markets for insurance they will run soft credit checks to provide you quotes from insurance companies.

    Here are 12 Simple Steps You Can Do to Build Your Credit Score as a New UK Resident

    1. Get a UK Address

    London flat block in Peckham.
    London flat block in Peckham.

    As a new UK resident finding accommodation will be high on your list anyway as you need somewhere to live! Having a UK address is one of the few common denominators that is shared across your credit accounts. Therefore, you do need a permanent address in order to get credit as it forms part of the data shared with credit agencies.

    What do credit agencies use your address for?

    • to confirm your identity.
    • to match all your credit information to you.

    When providing your address it’s important to always write it in the same format. For example, Flat 5, 64 verse 5/64 can impact some of your applications. It’s best to keep it consistent so you don’t have any issues with your credit reports.

    Another thing to be mindful of is any type of credit, the lender will ask you to address history over the past three years. For example, if you apply for a sim-only contract on a phone companies website you might get rejected whereas going into a store you can be accepted. This has happened to me, I was accepted in store but rejected online as I was unable to provide the address history. 

    How Does Your Address Affect Your Credit Score?

    Credit agencies use your address to determine how you have handled credit in the past.

    ClearScore states that things like what area you lived in and who lived at your address before you shouldn’t have an impact on your score.

    The one thing to be careful of is how much you move could indirectly affect your ability to get credit. Lenders look for stability in people’s credit scores so moving can indicate that you have a number of issues.

    At the end of the day, you can’t avoid moving so don’t worry too much but be mindful if you move 3 or 4 times a year then lenders will be cautious about lending money.

    2. Open and Manage a Bank Account

    Setting up a HSBC UK Bank Account

    Opening a bank account can be challenging in the UK and a bit of a catch 22 as a new resident. You need proof of address to open a bank account but then you don’t have the proof and so on it goes.

    Get a Bank Account Before Moving

    To make things simpler before moving to the UK, see if you can open a bank account for the UK in your home country, banks like Citibank and HSBC offer these services. Just be aware that this could cost you money to open an account internationally.

    Allow at least one month before you leave to open one of these.

    Get a Traditional Bank Account in the UK

    To get an account with one of the high street banks like Lloyds, Santander, Barclays, HSBC or NatWest you will need to do this by attending an interview and bring the following information:

    • Your passport (mandatory).
    • Biometric Residence Permit (mandatory if you are on a UK visa).
    • A letter of employment (bank-dependent), proof of address which can be a rental contract or bills in your name to a UK address (mandatory) and potentially a letter from your current bank advocating you as a customer (bank-dependent).

    When I struggled to get a bank account, I used Britbound service to help me. They have a package for a UK Bank Account and Sarah makes the process really easy. The only downfall is the appointments must be in London with the bank they have the relationship with. If you are moving somewhere else in the UK this might not be the best option. 

    Challenger Bank/App Focused Bank Account

    Challenger banks were created as digital-only banks in the UK. They are an alternative to the traditional high street banks. They will provide you an app as the base to run your banking needs. 

    I recommend looking into Starling, Monzo and Revolut as options for your banking needs. Both Starling and Monzo are FSCS protected which means if they go out of business your money is protected up to £85,000. 

    Revolut and Wise use safeguarding as their means of protecting your money which means they have to hold the equivalent amount of money in a safeguarded account. If they went under then this money is used to return your money. 

    I currently use Monzo for my everyday spending and Wise for all of my international transfers, plus parts of my business banking. Most of my income is paid in USD so this is a perfect solution as in between the bank and saves on exchange fees. 

    To open an account with a Challenger Bank:

    • Have a UK phone number (you generally will get rejected if you don’t have a UK number).
    • Download the app of your prefered bank.
    • Provide proof of your identity by taking a photo of your passport.
    • An address where you can receive the debit card.

    How Does Your Bank Account Affect Your Credit Score?

    Bank accounts will affect your scores if you do things like switch banks too regularly or if you switch before you apply for a big loan, an overdraft or credit card when you don’t need it.

    As a new resident, you may end up with a bank account that wasn’t exactly what you wanted to start off with. Once you’ve got yourself settled, shop around until you find the right bank or financial institution and then switch.

    If you plan on switching bank accounts look for the seven-day switching service. This means that you are not stuck in limbo when switching bank accounts and if you forget to change a payment like your salary or direct debits and standing orders these will be transferred into your new account.

    3. Show Proof of Employment

    Getting a job is probably high on your to-do list when! The benefit of having a job is to show that you have a regular income and a salary to pay for things like debt.

    How Does Your Employment Affect Your Credit Score?

    When you first arrive, you may struggle get a mobile phone contract or a credit card. Once lenders see regular payments into your bank accounts this should make the process easier.

    4. Get on the Electoral Roll

    When you register to vote, your electoral details are recorded on your credit report. The confirmation of your name and address boosts up your credit rating after 30 days.

    This is only applicable if your nationality allows you to be eligible to vote. For example; EEA citizens and Commonwealth countries like Australia, New Zealand and Canada.

    If your nationality isn’t one that allows you to vote, for example, US citizens then you can request a Notice of Correction to your credit report. You will need to sign-up to a credit agency and get a report run first and then explain the reasons why you can’t register to vote.

    You can register vote two ways, either online or by post. The local council will send a letter to your household each year requesting you to confirm the voters at that address.

    How Does Your Electoral Roll Affect Your Credit Score?

    You could be missing out on additional points which will boost your overall credit score rating.

    Voting isn’t mandatory in the UK so if this isn’t something that you don’t wish to do then it’s fine.

    5. Manage Small Credit Accounts

    Stack of credit cards

    Building credit through forms of credit such as a mobile phone contract or credit card will help build your score steadily. When you have no credit history the types of credit cards you can apply for will have higher interest rates and lower credit limits.

    With mobile phone contracts, you may find you can only apply for a SIM-only contract while you build your credit score (I have a funny story about this which I will add to the end).

    Showing lenders that you can manage a line of credit and pay those bills on time is key to level up to kick-a** adulting skills/ building your score. Once established you can move on to the actual type of credit cards or phone contract you wish to have.

    Just to answer questions on forums like:

    Can I get a credit card on a Youth Mobility Visa or UK Ancestry Visa?

    Yes, you can! Being a resident, you will be able to apply for a card, you just may need to start with a credit builder credit card as it’s likely you have no credit score.

    At the moment I only have one credit card with American Express and a phone contract which I will be changing to a SIM-only contract. I did have an overdraft which I cancelled as I no longer need to after having a credit card. This was all while I was on my UK Ancestry visa.

    Credit Builder Credit Cards

    Here are a few options for cards to start off building your credit with are:

    • Capital One Balance Transfer Card
    • Chrome Credit Card
    • Tesco Bank Foundation Clubcard Credit Card
    • Chrome Credit Card
    • Aqua classic Credit Card

    Find out more about Credit Builder Credit Cards at uSwitch or Money.

    AMEX Card

    American Express makes the move abroad seamless for 20 countries. This is a great option if you’re an existing member or look at applying for one a few months in advance so you can make the switch. Once you move, let them know and they will transfer your card across. 

    What you must have: 

    • An eligible American Express Card.
    • A home address.
    • A phone number.

    Don’t have an Amex Card? Use my referral link to get started. I currently have the British Airways points card. This is great for collecting air miles and if you meet the companionship vouchers these are amazing for long-distance flights. I’ve flown to Mexico for £300 return in the past. 

    How Does Your Small Credit Accounts Affect Your Credit Score?

    Several factors can affect your credit score when it comes to credit like payment history, length of credit history, types of credit and new credit lines. It all comes down to managing your credit lines, so:

    • Making sure your payments are on time and you don’t miss any.
    • Establishing a longer-term credit line so getting accounts you actually want in the long run.
    • Type of credit you have has an impact so having a mortgage, student loans, credit card debt, medical bills or retail accounts will be factored in when applying for credit.
    • Opening too many new credit lines, this will increase your risk factor and flag to lenders.

    6. Set Up Direct Debit Payments

    Look at setting up direct debits for your personal loans, credit cards, phone bill, rent or household build as it allows you to pay your bills on time.

    As each accommodation arrangement is different this will depend on how your bill arrangement is set up, live in or private landlords may want to manage the household bills whereas renting or owning your own bills means you can manage it however you want. The more you establish yourself in the UK you can build on establishing direct debit payments.

    How Does Direct Debits Affect Your Credit Score?

    Late payments will damage your credit score, even one late payment can affect your credit score. Direct debits help ensure that you always pay your bills on time and don’t have to worry about remembering all those dates.

    7. Don’t Apply for Credit too Often

    Hard searches (when credit is applied for) are noted on your report so applying for credit you are not ready for will have an impact. It’s best to wait until you have built a credit score before applying for bigger credit lines.

    Check with Experian, Equifax or TransUnion before applying to see if you will make the cut and be successful with that credit line. See if you can find any information about what the lenders are looking for as well.

    You can run soft searches for credit that you are likely to be accepted for. This is used in things like when you get a quote for car insurance and it doesn’t affect your credit score. 

    How Does Applying for Credit too Often Affect Your Credit Score?

    I’ve mentioned this just above it will be noted on your report so having 10 hard searches on your report won’t make you look favourable to lenders.

    When I was having issues getting a mobile phone I only tried twice over the year before I was successful the third time. I wanted to make sure that I didn’t have too many marks on my score.

    8. Close Accounts You No Longer Use

    Keeping nice and tidy accounts shows to financial companies your suitability for credit and how much credit you already have available to you.

    This is a balancing act as you don’t want too many short relationships and it can be better to leave them inactive. It can give you a short-term boost closing them when you need it. 

    How Does Having Too Many Account Affect Your Credit Score?

    A bit of a balancing act is needed as the length of the accounts also is factored into your credit score. Have a look at your report before closing accounts. Potentially you could see a dip in your credit score but nothing that should stop you from getting credit.

    9. Check Your Credit Report and See If There Are Any Errors

    Finance error report

    After you’ve been here a while and are established, start looking at ordering a copy of your credit file. These can be ordered online for a small fee from the websites of the three main credit reference agencies: Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. Alternatively, you can sign up to the websites to monitor your score (some do come with a monthly fee).

    Check if you have any errors and ensure any notice of corrections are added to your file.

    I currently use Experian to check my credit scores as they offer a free report to see how my score is growing and then a paid service if you want to dive deeper into your records.

    10. Consider Tools like LOQBOX To Improve Your Score

    Companies like LOQBOX help build your credit score. Think of it as a digital piggy bank but it’s reported as loan repayments to the credit reference agencies. This shows that you can handle credit and improve your score. 

    When using this option make sure you can make the payments, if you are unable to make the payments then do cancel your account and avoid any impacts on your reports. 

    Read the fine print before joining these companies. Here’s some feedback from a friend on their experience with LOQBOX: 

    For LOQBOX make sure you currently have income and your credit score is high enough to apply for an overdraft. There’s nothing to imply the account they link you to set up does a credit check but it does. It is a savings account with TSB that has an “optional overdraft”, however in their experience this was not optional. Since the “savings” account required a credit check and she was unemployed their application got declined and their credit score went down. 

    They thought from LOQBOX was only a savings account and didn’t require employment for using the service. 

    12. When Applying for Credit

    Here are some things to be mindful of when applying for credit. 

    The application form – fill in the form correctly with your key details, one slip such as entering your salary wrong can impact your application. Also, inconsistency can raise your fraud scoring like different job titles, the way you write your address, phone number, etc. 

    Previous dealings with the lender – companies will assess your past data/dealings with them. For example, you may find your bank is more willing to lend you money than an alternative bank as you have a rapport with them. However, if you’ve had problems then they might make it harder to get accepted there as well. 

    Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion credit files – I’ve detailed at the start of this article what credit agencies will look for but in summary: 

    • Electoral roll information.
    • Court records.
    • Search, address and linked data. 
    • Utilities such as gas and electricity firms (as they do hard checks).
    • Account data. Banks, building societies, credit cards etc.

    Fraud data – if you have committed fraud or someone has stolen your identity and committed the fraud then this will be held on file. 

    Why I Couldn’t Get A Mobile Phone and How It Was Resolved

    A couple of years ago I tried to get a phone on a contract and I was rejected! I couldn’t understand why it was so I mentioned this to my boyfriend and he’s like have you checked your credit score? I had not even considered that I needed a credit score to get a phone! I look at my credit score and it was fair but not good or excellent.

    I spoke to my boyfriend again, he’s like have you register to the Electoral Roll? Nope, I had not done and at the time had no idea it would affect my credit score so much. Off I go to apply to be on the Electoral Roll. Waited a couple of months for it to apply on the credit report (it takes around 30 days) but during this time I had been given a new work phone so I just switched over to that one for a while.

    Year and a half later I try again! It fails yet again, no idea why! Since then I had applied for a credit card and I was enrolled to vote. I also had bills in my name for quite sometime, these were on direct debit and managing my credit lines well. I didn’t check my credit score because I was trying to save money by not paying the fee with Experian as I had already completed the free trial.

    Fast forward a couple of months I was trying to pay my credit card and the payments were failing. My bank calls me and asks me to confirm my details, but they kept failing. I had no idea what was going on, I was getting my birthday right, after all, it’s my birthday.

    After back and forth with the bank, I have to go into the bank to show my ID to prove who I am. Turns out that my birthday was out by 5 days! All this time my birthday had been incorrect, super strange.

    When the whole birthday sager settles down I reapply for the phone and it was successful.

    Huzzah I finally got there after a series of being rejected.

    Not Being Approved for Contactless

    My sister moved here a couple of years after I had been living here. She applies for a bank account and upon opening an account she was given a contactless card but I wasn’t. I ask my bank to switch me to contactless and they just tell me I’m not eligible for one with no explanation. As she didn’t have any credit score yet again I am confused why I can’t get contactless.

    I ask a couple of times confused why I couldn’t get one and still no answer. I forget the whole issue for while, after all, it stops quick spending.

    Then not long ago I lose my wallet (after the whole birthday incident) and ask for a replacement card. Open the mail a couple of days later and to my surprise, there was a contactless card. It seems that the birthday issue had been affecting my finances this whole time.

    Do you have any tips building your credit score in the UK? Any disastrous stories that impacted your score? Let me know in the comments below.

    More Living in the UK Articles

  • Moving to the UK from Australia

    Moving to the UK from Australia

    Moving to the UK

    By Kat · Moved from Perth to London, October 2013

    Australians love to move abroad. It’s in our blood. As people would say, we are bloody everywhere and the UK is one of those places that we flock to. It’s no surprise given:

    • It’s next door to Europe.
    • We get easy movement between our countries, Canada included.
    • No language to learn.

    Smooth on paper.

    Moving fourteen thousand kilometres across the sea is one of those things that toughens you up. I have the learning experiences to prove it.

    I’m a career girlie. I built my whole life around the nine to five and I moved over in 2013 with seven years’ experience and a CV I was proud of.

    Then I landed in London and literally tried to wing the rest. I didn’t know how to open a bank account. Finding a place to live was another wing-it job, because I hadn’t done any of the research. That didn’t turn out as well as I thought it would, but I survived. Then someone took eight thousand dollars out of my account, which wasn’t my doing, but it didn’t stop the tears either.

    Here’s the checklist and the adulting I’d do to help you move over:

    • a brief intro to your visa options
    • what it costs before you’ve earned a pound here
    • the Australian admin to sort before you fly

    I’m still cleaning mine up thirteen years later. My Medicare I was still sorting out when I was back home earlier this year.

    Kat in 2013, before the move, with a Rough Guide to Europe in one hand, The Travel Book in the other and a glass of wine. This is where the plan started.
    Covers
    Ancestry, Youth Mobility, Skilled Worker and Partner: who each one’s for, what it costs and the catch.
    Have up front
    The visa fee for your route, the health surcharge for the whole visa, up to five weeks’ deposit plus the first month and three to four months of living costs.
    Do first
    Your Australian admin, before you fly.
    Works for
    You, if you’re moving over solo with a suitcase and want the visas, the money and the admin in one place before you book anything.

    Fact check · 6 and 7 September 2026

    I’m not an immigration adviser. This is one Australian’s move in 2013 with today’s rules and prices next to it, checked at gov.uk, the Australian government sites and every other source linked on this page on 6 and 7 September 2026. The rules and the fees change. The basics of moving haven’t. Read the guide for your route on the day you apply, or speak to an immigration adviser. Use this to make your own call.

    Disclosure

    Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you click one and buy something, I earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes what I recommend.

    Which route you’re on

    Your visa decides how much you need to save and how long it’ll be before you can move. This might be the point where you realise you need another year of saving before you go. Add up the visa and the surcharge below, then the first few months in London on top. If that’s not in the bank yet, the Ancestry visa might not be the one for you right now. You might be lucky and have a job that relocates you, or you start on Youth Mobility and build up the funds for the rest from here.

    So here are the cliff notes on the four visas I’ve watched Australians move here on: who can apply, what it costs, what you get and the catch points that catch people out. The exact requirements are on gov.uk and that’s where to check yours.

    Route
    Who it’s for
    What it costs
    What you get
    The catch
    Ancestry
    A grandparent born in the UK
    £726, plus the health surcharge at £1,035 a year, so about £5,175 up front over five years
    Five years, then you can apply to settle
    The surcharge is about seven times the visa fee
    Youth Mobility
    Aged 18 to 35
    £340, plus the surcharge at £776 a year. You also have to show £2,530 in savings
    Up to two years, plus a one-year extension for Australians
    It doesn’t lead to settlement, so the clock runs out
    Skilled Worker
    A UK job offer paying at least £41,700 a year
    £819 for up to three years or £1,618 for more, plus the surcharge at £1,035 a year. You also have to show £1,270 in savings
    Up to five years, then you may be able to settle
    You need the employer before you need the visa
    Partner
    A British or settled partner and a combined income of £29,000 a year
    £2,064 from outside the UK or £1,407 from inside, plus the surcharge at £1,035 a year
    Two years nine months, then an extension, then settlement after five years
    The old £18,600 floor only applies if you first applied before 11 April 2024

    Right of abode, Global Talent and Innovator Founder exist too and they depend on your circumstances more than anything I can generalise about, so go straight to gov.uk for those. Investor and Start-up are closed to new applicants. If you’re not sure where you land, start with gov.uk’s check if you need a UK visa tool.

    The Australians I know who came over on Youth Mobility went one of three ways when it ran out: home, sponsored by an employer or a British partner. The extra year for Australians makes it a better visa than the two years I watched people run out of, because two years is barely enough to work out whether you want to stay.

    Mine was Ancestry. I went travelling for three months first, landed in October 2013 and here I am, indefinite leave to remain and a British passport later. Different routes suit different lives. This one suited mine.

    Worth it

    The Ancestry visa, if you’ve got the grandparent. Five years, then you can settle, then a passport. Spenny now, but it’s the route that ends somewhere.

    Worth it

    Youth Mobility, if you haven’t. Two years plus one is enough to know whether you want to stay. The Australians I know who stayed switched to a job or a partner visa before it ran out.

    What the visa costs, all in

    Whichever visa you’re on, the fee on the gov.uk page is not the cost. The Immigration Health Surcharge comes on top and you pay it up front for the whole length of the visa: £1,035 a year, or £776 a year on Youth Mobility or a student visa.

    What that looks like for your visa:

    • Youth Mobility, two years: £1,552 of surcharge on top of the £340 fee.
    • Skilled Worker, three years: £3,105 on top of the £819 fee.
    • Ancestry, five years: £5,175 on top of the £726 fee.

    The rounding works against you too. More than six months but under a year is charged as a full year.

    An information card comparing the Ancestry visa in 2013 and now: AUD 459 and no surcharge charged in 2013, £726 plus £1,035 a year of surcharge today.

    My visa in 2013 cost AUD 459, about £289 at the time and no surcharge, because it didn’t apply to the Ancestry visa then. It does now, so it’s a spenny visa these days. For an Australian the visa plus five years of surcharge is roughly ten thousand Australian dollars before you’ve bought a flight, give or take the exchange rate.

    It prices a lot of people out and it’s a much higher entry point than I had. I didn’t need savings to get in. The savings I did have went on travelling first. I was very fortunate.

    What to have in the bank before you land

    The question I get asked most is how much to bring and I won’t give one number, because it depends on where you end up living and how long the job takes. What I can give you is the things to forecast and how to work each one out, with my own figures in it. Every rent here is London, from my own tenancies in southwest London and Shoreditch. Prices are different elsewhere in the UK.

    Forecast these before you fly:

    • rent, plus the deposit and first month you pay before you’ve slept there
    • bills, if they’re not in the rent
    • living, so food, transport and a bit of going out
    • the gap before your first payday
    An information card listing what to budget for your first three months: rent, deposit, first month, bills and the gap before a payday.

    Rent. The average room in inner London is £979 a month on SpareRoom’s figures for the second quarter of 2026 and the southwest London average is £1,039. Call it £1,000 a month for a room to do the maths with.

    Deposit and first month. The deposit is capped at five weeks’ rent where the annual rent is under £50,000. Most places ask for the first month at the same time. On a £1,000 room that’s about £1,150 deposit plus £1,000 rent, so roughly £2,150 before you’ve bought a pillow.

    Bills. Where they’re on top, allow £150 to £300 a month depending on whether you’re sharing. Co-living buildings fold them in, mine does, which is part of why they cost more.

    What they’ll ask you for. Any rental will want the same things: proof of your right to work, bank statements showing you can pay and sometimes an employment contract. It depends on the agency or the landlord. Renting a room in a shared house can be easier, because the other housemates already carry the tenancy. A lodger agreement, where you rent from someone who owns and lives in the place, runs on its own rules.

    The old way round having no UK payslips was to offer months of rent up front. That door shut on 1 May 2026. A landlord in England now can’t take more than a month’s rent before you move in, so the bank statements are what carry you.

    The gap. Give yourself two to three months to find a job. Then remember UK pay is monthly, so your first payday can be a month after you start. I was used to fortnightly pay in Australia and this caught me out. Realistically you’re covering three to four months of everything from savings, with pay landing around month four or five. Mine ran out. My dad sent me money for Christmas that first year and it went straight on the credit cards and the rent.

    The worked example, on a £1,000 room with bills on top:

    • deposit, about £1,150
    • first month’s rent, £1,000
    • three more months’ rent before payday, £3,000
    • four months of bills, £600 to £1,200
    • four months of food, transport and living, your number, because mine from 2013 won’t hold

    That’s about £5,750 to £6,350 on rent and bills alone before you’ve eaten. Put your own living number on top and that’s your minimum.

    How to bring it down. A hostel at the start is a real option. Mine was Saint James Backpackers in Earl’s Court, a bed in an eight-bed dorm, £110 for four nights in October 2013, so £27.50 a night. I stayed in hostels from October until the end of January 2014 while I sorted a job and a room. Ask around the hostel too, in case someone’s renting out a room. The pet-sitting websites are the other one, free rent while you find your feet, but you need to build up a portfolio of sits first, so it’s not a day-one option.

    Worth it

    A hostel for the first stretch. £27.50 a night in 2013 and it bought me three months to find a job and a room without burning through the savings.

    What I pay now, for scale. A co-living studio in southwest London at £1,883 a month with bills included, think university halls for working professionals. Before that, a one-bed in Shoreditch from 2023 to 2025 at £2,300 a month with bills on top. Yes that’s an expensive area, but I haven’t seen many one-beds much under that anywhere I’d want to live. The co-living place wanted the same as any flat before they’d rent to me: bank statements, right to work and previous tenancy references.

    Moving the money. Sort the transfer before the money moves. In 2013 the banks took a cut I never saw coming and I lost real money to it before I worked out there was a better way. Wise is what I use now for moving money between here and Australia. There are other transfer companies out there, but this one is the most hassle-free for me and I like it.

    I didn’t keep receipts for the move itself, because it was 2013 and I wasn’t running a website out of my own move. So this is “about”, not itemised to the penny. I’d rather tell you that than dress a guess up as a figure.

    I flew with one suitcase, no shipping, no excess baggage and took roughly $15,000 AUD, most of which went in the first four months while I had no income here. I’m not going to translate that into what it “would be now”, because that’s a guess wearing a number’s clothes.

    Before you get on the plane

    This is the section I’d want someone to read before they book the flight, because it’s the part I got most wrong and I’m still tidying up thirteen years later.

    One thing to keep in mind: I came over on a five-year visa, so a lot of what I did, I did because five years is a long time to not live somewhere. If you’re coming for a year to three, on Youth Mobility say, you might make different choices.

    Two hard deadlines first, then everything else.

    If you’ve got a HECS debt (the Higher Education Loan Program, or HELP, as it’s called now), or any other study loan, leaving doesn’t pause it. Once you’ll be out of Australia for 183 days or more in any 12 months, the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) wants an overseas travel notification within seven days of you leaving.

    Then every year, by 31 October, you report your worldwide income to them if it’s over a quarter of the repayment threshold, which is $16,750 AUD for the 2025 to 2026 year. Once it’s over the threshold itself, $67,000 AUD that year, you keep repaying, in pounds converted back to dollars. I don’t have a HECS debt, so this one never applied to me. If you do, it’s a deadline with a penalty on the end of it.

    An information card listing six things to do before you get on the plane.

    Write it all down and scan it. Your tax file number, your Medicare number, your super details, your bank logins. Scan every critical document and send the copies to someone at home. I sent mine to my mum. Even a copy makes the conversation easier when something like a passport goes missing.

    Change your address on everything to someone reliable. The day they move house, or the address quietly goes stale, you lose the thread on all of it. The government consolidated my old super funds while I was mid-move and it was only luck that my family still got my mail so I saw it happen.

    Set up myGov and link the ATO and Medicare before you leave, because linking asks for identity documents that are far easier to have to hand in Australia than from a hostel in London. Then move your sign-in off the SMS code to a passkey or an authenticator app, while your Australian number still works.

    I didn’t. I left mine on SMS to a number I’d already cancelled, so I put the codes through mum’s phone. Then she changed number and I was locked out. Then my sister’s phone, then she switched providers and I was locked out again. Every time I had to prove who I was all over again to get back in. It took embarrassingly long to fix.

    Consolidate your super while you’re in there, if that’s your call. The ATO lets you do it through myGov, under Australian Taxation Office, Super, Manage, Transfer super. This one’s a personal choice and not financial advice. I just wanted my small ones, about $1,500 AUD each, in my big fund and not getting eaten by fees. The government’s clean-up scheme did most of mine for me and I did the last one years later when mum posted me the letter. Don’t run it the way I did.

    Close off your tax year before you go. I didn’t lodge a final return before I left and ended up sorting it out a couple of years later, from here, which is the harder way round.

    Cancel what you don’t need and know what you’re keeping. I kept one Australian bank account open so I wouldn’t lose my history and I’ve paid about $5 AUD a month for it ever since, which is the fee on my account type. Other account types charge differently or not at all, so look at your options rather than paying for the privilege like I do. Everything else, the credit cards, the extra accounts, I closed.

    Bring the things you can’t get here. You can buy a lot of Australian food in London (a shop like Sanza, for example), but for the niche stuff, pack it or organise a care package for when you land. Mine is Cherry Ripes. A friend of mine swears by one particular sanitary product and brings a supply every trip home.

    Kat packing one suitcase for the UK. Everything else can be bought here or posted over.

    Worth it

    Sorting your Australian admin before you fly. myGov, super, the tax year. The cheapest thing on this page and the one I got most wrong.

    Not worth it

    Leaving your myGov sign-in on an Australian SMS number. Three lock-outs, three phones, three rounds of proving who I am.

    Your first weeks here

    The loop that ate my first weeks: I needed a UK address to open a bank account and I needed a bank account to get a place to live. Round and round, from a hostel bunk in Earl’s Court. It’s the thing to solve before you land. Here’s the order I’d do it in now.

    1. Money before you land. Set up Wise before you fly. You can get the card sent to your Australian address, so you land with a way to pay for things that isn’t your Australian bank.

    It’s the best way I’ve found to do the transfers. I don’t have other Australian accounts to compare it with and I know friends who use other things, but it’s been the best for me. It’s the upgrade on what I had in 2013.

    Affiliate

    Set up Wise before you fly. The card comes to your Australian address, so you land with a way to pay that isn’t your Australian bank.

    Set up Wise →

    2. The address and bank account loop. I went through a relocation company called BritBound, who got me set up with Lloyds and sorted my National Insurance number, all of it by post, I never went in for an appointment. I’ve stayed with that Lloyds account since.

    I went looking for BritBound while writing this and I think they may have shut down, so take that as what got me sorted in 2013, not a recommendation. An HSBC overseas account, opened before you leave, is worth looking into as an option. I didn’t know it was a thing at the time.

    An HSBC branch. The overseas account is the one I'd have looked at in 2013 if I'd known it existed.

    3. Right to work and the National Insurance number. You don’t have to wait for your National Insurance number before you start working, you just need to prove your right to work. Your visa is that proof. Mine came through before I started, so I never had an emergency tax code.

    Worth it

    Wise, set up before you land. The card comes to your Australian address and you arrive with a way to pay that isn’t your Australian bank.

    What catches Australians out

    Six things that catch you after you land, none of them on the visa form. Most of them caught me.

    1. Your tax code. Out of twelve years of UK payslips, about eight have been fine and four haven’t, or not quite. Being self-employed for a stretch changed it and I get a bonus every year, which throws the tax office’s maths out every single time, so I always end up paying HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) some back, out of a later payslip or as a lump sum.

    Anything unusual, a bonus, a second income, a bit of freelance, will change your tax code and it’s on you to check it’s running right rather than assume the payslip is.

    2. Swapping your licence and the manual catch. Australia is a designated country, so swapping your licence needs no test, just the paperwork and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) fee of £43. You can drive on your Australian licence for 12 months after becoming resident and you have up to five years to make the exchange as long as the Australian licence hasn’t expired.

    The trap: you can get a manual licence, but your Australian licence needs to have it on there, or you provide proof you can drive a manual. Otherwise you’re issued with an automatic. Mine, on a manual Western Australian licence, went through fine and so did my sister’s on her automatic one. A friend of ours had to go back to VicRoads for a letter confirming her manual entitlement before hers would go through. If there’s any doubt about what your licence shows, sort that proof out before you apply.

    I’m not going to recommend a car insurer, because I’ve bought one policy in thirteen years and that’s not enough to have an opinion.

    Not worth it

    Buying a car early. I’ve owned one for two months in thirteen years. Everything else has been a rental.

    3. Qualifications that don’t transfer. Degrees don’t always carry across one to one. For most jobs it’s fine, but anything regulated, pharmacy, healthcare, allied health, has its own pathway: registering with the UK regulator (the General Pharmaceutical Council for pharmacy, say) or a bridging qualification before you can practise. Check where yours stands with UK ENIC, the official body that compares international qualifications against UK ones, before you land.

    A friend of mine, qualified as a pharmacist in New Zealand, couldn’t work as a pharmacist here on that qualification. She was only here on a two-year visa, so there was no point doing the bridging work and she worked as a pharmacist’s assistant instead. Right call for two years. If you’re coming for longer, factor the conversion in first.

    4. The Medicare clock. You can be out of Australia for five years without losing Medicare. Past that you re-enrol from scratch when you go back, with a current passport and two documents dated within the last six months proving you live in Australia again, a lease, proof of a job, a bank account. If you’ve been away more than 12 months you may need to re-enrol anyway.

    I rang Medicare last time I was back and they told me the five-year part but not the twelve-month wrinkle, so the written rule is the one to follow. Five years is where it stops being a phone call and starts being paperwork.

    5. Voting from overseas. Voting isn’t compulsory while you’re overseas, but if you skip an election without telling the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) you’re away, they write to you and can take you off the roll.

    If you plan to be back within six years, register as an overseas elector and tick general postal voter, so the ballot papers come to you on their own. Otherwise it’s a postal vote or the embassy, high commission or consulate, which open for the two weeks before polling day.

    6. The Australian cards that keep charging you. The 28 Degrees Mastercard I moved over with in 2013, back when it had no fees at all, has changed hands since and now carries an $8 AUD monthly fee after the first year. Add my $5 AUD a month bank account and that’s money leaving every month for nothing. Check every Australian card and account in your wallet for a fee before you fly. Close or switch the ones that charge you for existing.

    Not worth it

    Keeping Australian cards and accounts you don’t check. Mine have quietly charged me for thirteen years.

    Where I’m at now

    Thirteen years on, I’ve gone from an Ancestry visa to indefinite leave to remain to British citizenship and I’ve helped a fair few Aussies land since. Both of those steps have their own pages if you’re on the same road.

    And I’m still mopping up the Australian admin I didn’t do before I left. So take the before-you-fly section from someone who learned it the slow way.

    Kat's timeline from leaving Australia in August 2013 to British citizenship in 2019: Ancestry visa, five years to indefinite leave to remain, citizen the year after.

    FAQ

    How much does it cost to move to England from Australia?

    Budget four things: the visa fee for your route, the Immigration Health Surcharge for the whole visa (£1,035 a year, or £776 on Youth Mobility or a student visa), a deposit of up to five weeks’ rent plus a month up front and enough to cover two to three months without a payday. I can’t give you one number that holds, because prices have moved a long way since 2013 and I don’t have receipts to back an updated figure.

    How much savings do I need moving to London specifically?

    Enough for three to four months of everything before your first monthly payday. Real rents: the inner London room average is £979 a month (SpareRoom, Q2 2026), my co-living studio in southwest London is £1,883 with bills in, my last one-bed in Shoreditch was £2,300 plus bills. Add up to five weeks’ deposit, the first month and bills of £150 to £300 if they’re on top. A hostel at the start brings it down. Pet-sitting does too, once you’ve built up a portfolio.

    Does the Youth Mobility visa lead to settlement?

    No. It runs up to two years with a one-year extension for Australians and there’s no route from it to indefinite leave to remain. The Youth Mobility page has the rules. The Australians I know who stayed did it by switching to a sponsored job or a partner visa before it ran out.

    What order should I do things in?

    Visa first, because it decides everything else. Then your Australian admin, before you fly: myGov linked, super consolidated, tax year closed, the ATO travel notification lodged if you’ve got a HECS debt. Then money you can spend from day one. Then the address and bank account loop, which is easier with the first three done.

    What’s different for someone moving from New Zealand?

    Most of the UK side is the same. The qualifications trap is the one that bit my own friend, who’s a New Zealand pharmacist, so check that before you assume your degree or registration carries across.

    Worth It / Not Worth It

    Worth it

    Moving to the UK. Every bit of it. Europe on your doorstep, a career you can build here and the friends who follow you over. Thirteen years in and I’d do it again tomorrow.

    Not worth it

    Winging it. I did. It cost me sleep, money and most of my first four months.

    The Pivot

    Worth it

    Worth it, every bit of it, though I’d do the admin in a different order if I went back. How I landed with almost nothing in the bank after three months around Europe and what my old employer did next is one for Controlled Chaos.

    Also worth reading: Indefinite leave to remain →

    British citizenship →

  • How to Travel Through the Balkans (6 Modes Explained)

    How to Travel Through the Balkans (6 Modes Explained)

    One of my favourite places to travel is the Balkans. It’s super cheap, everyone’s really friendly however getting around can take a little planning or long-winded searches on the internet as I found out. The initial questions I had when planning my trip were:

    • What’s the best way to travel across these destinations?
    • Rent a car? Are the roads good in those countries?
    • Should we catch the train? Are the connections between the countries easy? Is it worth buying an InterRail Pass?
    • Is Bus or Coach easier?
    • What other modes of transport are available?

    In this guide, I will cover everything you need to know about transport in the Balkans. From travel tips, modes of transport you can take, useful website, safety travelling in the Balkans and much more. 

    How to get to the Balkans by Plane

    While low-cost carriers like Ryanair, Wizzair and Easyjet fly to destinations in the Balkans it’s not always cheap to fly into some of the destinations. In my experience flying into cities like Sofia, Zagreb, Athens or Budapest is way cheaper than flying into Belgrade from London for example. Plus, there is generally more flights into these cities. 

    It does mean that if you are planning a short trip it can either make the travel time longer or you end up spending more to get to the places you want to go to.

    To find flights I use websites like Skyscanner and Kayak to find the right flights, play around with routes etc. To get you started here are the major international airports in the Balkans:

    Flying to Albania
    Tirana International Airport Nënë Tereza.

    Flying to Bosnia and Herzegovina
    Sarajevo International Airport and Banja Luka International Airport.

    Flying to Bulgaria
    Sofia Airport, Plovdiv Airport, Burgas (Bourgas) Airport and Varn Airport

    Flying to Croatia
    Dubrovnik Airport and Zagreb Airport

    Flying to Kosovo
    Priština (Pristina International Airport)

    Flying to Macedonia
    Skopje International Airport and Ohrid St. Paul the Apostle Airport

    		Flying to Moldova
    Chișinău International Airport

    Flying to Romania
    Bucharest Henri Coandă International Airport

    Flying to Serbia
    Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport, Niš Constantine the Great Airport and Vršac Airport

    Flying to Montenegro
    Podgorica Airport

    Flying to Slovenia
    Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport

    Flying to Greece
    Athens International Airport

    How to get around the Balkans by Trains

    Train station in Mostar Bosnia and Herzegovina

    Trains aren’t my preferred mode of transport in the Balkans as the connections between the countries are not always straightforward as it is by bus. When you do get trains, the scenery is absolutely stunning and is a great way to travel.

    An example of the difficulty of travelling by train is Dubrovnik to Split and seems like such an easy route to take but it’s not possible by train, you will only be able to catch a bus, ferry or Minibus there. Additionally, there are absolutely no trains to Greece or Albania, between Macedonia and Bulgaria, Croatia and Montenegro or Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

    Then you get journeys like Mostar to Sarajevo which is totally possible by train! My main point to this section is to do your research on train routes before travelling. Some countries it will be easier to reach from western Europe by train, so it can be another great way to enter the area and go by bus from there on.

    Of course, there are benefits by travelling overland by train like catching an overnight train to save on a night’s accommodation like we did when catching an infamous overnight train from Belgrade to Budapest.

    Before you travel check out these websites which will give you more detailed information:

    • Rail Europe – Provides information on fares and passes as well as schedules for the most popular routes in Europe.
    • Man in Seat 61 – Provides excellent independent information and advice.

    Classes

    The classes on the trains will be based on whether you are taking a short trip or a trip that has sleeping options.

    As a general rule:

    • Hard seats – What I would say is as comfortable as a park bench. I had this style of seating on a train from Novi Sad to Belgrade which is fine for an hour or two’s train ride.
    • Soft seats – Available for both short travel and overnight trains. The seats are quite comfortable and were the option we ended up with on our train ride from Mostar to Sarajevo and Belgrade to Budapest. 
    • Third Class Berths – A six-person sleeping berth in a closed compartment. These styles of the cabin can be quite crowded with little room for your things and stuff. Although the cheapest option if you are looking to save money. This option isn’t as widely available.
    • Second Class Berth – A four-person sleeping berth in a closed compartment. If there are two of you, you will share with two other people but if there are three of you, you will often have the compartment to yourselves.
    • First Class Berth – A two-person sleeping berth and generally fancier with a washbasin and decoration. A high price tag will come with this option.

    Reservations

    Mostar to Sarajevo train tickets with reservations

    All our train reservations were made on the day or when we arrived at the city we were travelling from. Online booking is not common and will be dependent on the country or train provider. For Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia we were unable to book tickets online.

    It was super simple:

    • Buy tickets at the station (there are always places)
    • Some require having a seat reservation with your ticket (the ticket office should give you this). Seat reservations several days in advance are also recommended for busier routes and during peak summer periods, but this is only necessary if the timetable specifies that seat reservations are required.

    Rail Passes

    An option to consider is rail passes for your journey in the Balkans. Keep in mind that not all the countries covered by rail passes; Kosovo and Albania are notable exceptions.

    Discount prices are offered to travellers under the age of 26 and children aged four to 11 are eligible for a child rate. Discounted fares are also available if you are travelling in a group of two to five people (although you must always travel together).

    With the passes there are two options you can choose from:

    • Single-Country Passes – Simply it gives you train travel for one country, with the freedom to explore its numerous cities and towns. 
    • Multi-Country Passes – Allows you to travel across to multiple countries with a single rail pass. For the Balkans, these are offered by EuroRail.

    For more information look at Rail Europe.

    InterRail

    The InterRail Global pass is available for the following Balkans countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia.

    Europeans residents (living in Europe for over 6 months), some resident of Turkey and parts of North Africa are eligible for the InterRail pass. It’s not valid for the country you live in essentially so it’s good to check the terms and conditions before booking. The pass is not available to non-European residents.

    Check InterRail for more information.

    Eurail Global

    Just like the rail passes EuroRail offers single and multi-country passes which are available for non-European residents.

    Single country passes are allowing unlimited travel in Croatia, Greece, Serbia and Slovenia. 

    The multi-country pass allows travel in three, four or five neighbouring countries, including Croatia, Slovenia, Montenegro and Serbia. For some of the country’s combinations, two countries may be classified as one like Montenegro and Serbia are classified as one country for the purposes of this pass, as are Croatia and Slovenia.

    Check EuroRail for the latest information and purchases.

    Coach (Bus) Travel in the Balkans

    Coach (Bus) Travel in the Balkans

    Travelling around the Balkans by bus is quite easy! As with any bus travel, the journey can be quite long but with some entertainment, it’s a great way to catch up on some reading or movies. Unlike train travel buses operate in all countries both internally and internationally.

    Night buses are a good way to save on accommodation. For my Balkans trip, I decided not to do night travel in the end since most seemed to arrive at 4am in the morning and the accommodation was really cheap.

    Quick tips for bus travel:

    • Bring spare cash with you, some to cover the baggage charge and some to cover the toilet costs, you’ll be stuck otherwise!
    • Bring snacks and drinks, an obvious point but the food stops are not great.
    • There’s border control, so stay alerted and keep your belongings close to you.

    Bus Travel Within Countries

    Bus travel within countries is a lot cheaper than travelling internationally and can get you to more of the surrounding towns and areas. If you are struggling to get where you need to head to the bigger the towns which will have better connections.

    In most countries, bus routes are operated by multiple companies, each with its own timetables and fares. It can be hard to find a schedule or price information online and I’ll leave the best links and way to book in the booking section. 

    International Buses in the Balkans

    Travelling by Coach (Bus) from Skopje to Tirana

    Most of our travel within the Balkans was international buses. Personally, I found this was the best way to get to the places we wanted to go. It did take a bit of planning to understand the routes and schedules and go to the bus stations beforehand to find the timetables and purchase tickets.

    Generally, our journeys were pretty easy going. The road can quality vary between countries making the comfortability and journey length different. For example, the road quality was poor in Albania and there is a tremendous number of potholes to endure on the trip! When we entered Montenegro, the road is better quality but they do have very windy roads along the coast added time to your bus journey.

    Border crossing can take a while depending on the traffic, lanes open or if they decide that they wish to search every bag individually.

    Here are detailed guides on the following routes:

    Booking Balkan Bus Travel

    Booking in advance isn’t a must and can be quite hard with the lack of online systems available. In countries like Slovenia and Croatia, it will be a lot easier to book online than somewhere like Macedonia or Albania.

    I would suggest when you arrive at your departure destination going to the bus station to get the latest timetable, understand which company you will be travelling with and just purchasing your ticket while you are there. With the more popular touristic places like Dubrovnik, there will be more demand during the summer months, so this would be the only time I recommend purchasing in advance.

    In doubt ask your hostel or hotel for help on getting the latest schedules and prices.

    Booking at the stations you will encounter two main types of a bus station, one in a parking lot and one in a building. In general, you needed to shop around or know the company you wished to travel in countries like Bulgaria and Albania, alternatively, sometimes there would just be central ticket desks selling tickets for all providers like in Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Croatia.

    For the central ticket, desk takes note of the carrier, so you can find the bus stand and bus you are meant to be on.

    The ticket price will not include the baggage fee so ensuring you have about 1 euro per bag in local currency is a must. We had a few awkward moments on our journey where we didn’t have the right change and ended up holding up the bus.

    How to Search Balkan Bus Routes

    The websites I used for searching bus routes in the Balkans were:

    It’s important to note that the websites may not give you reliable information. A good example was when we were travelling from Sofia to Skopje the bus, we were aiming for which was the 15:00 to Skopje arriving at 19:25. As a precaution, we went to the bus station to ensure we had the right times, bus companies and what not. When we arrived, it turned out the schedule was different than the ones available online, instead, there were buses running daily at 09:30, 16:00 and 19:00. However, when we were travelling the 19:00 was cancelled for the day we were catching a bus to Skopje.

    Border Crossings

    Bosnia and Herzegovina border crossing

    Border crossings were generally easy in our experience. The guard would board the bus to check everyone’s passports or you would get off the bus to a passport counter. The passports were then taken for processing and once clear handed back to the passports back to the owners.

    There were brief checks underneath the bus in the luggage compartments or in some cases you were asked to take your luggage to a room with tables where the luggage would be checked by the guards. They may do stricter spot checks, but we were not subjected to these on our trip.

    Another thing to be mindful of when planning your trip is the complication with the Kosovo-Serbia border. Currently, Kosovo is not recognised by Serbia as an independent state so if you entered Kosovo via Albania, Macedonia or Montenegro, officials at the Serbian border will deem that you entered Serbia illegally and you will not be let in. To avoid this exit Kosovo via another country and then enter Serbia. Alternatively, if you enter Kosovo from Serbia then there is no issue entering Serbia.

    Minibuses

    Minibus (car) travel in the Balkans i.e. guy driving you in his 4-seater car
    Minibus (car) travel in the Balkans i.e. guy driving you in his 4-seater car

    About halfway into our Balkans trip, we discovered that lots of hostels had teed up with companies to provide minibus options between countries. The minibus options are surprisingly not too pricey compared to catching a bus and much quicker. 

    The minibuses can be anything from a large van to a guy driving you in his 4-seater car while you are squished together. Some are even door to door service which is a luxury!

    Booking Minibus Travel in the Balkans

    Sign in the hostel to book minibus travel in the Balkans

    The best way to book minibus travel is via the hostel or hotel you are staying at. Normally in the reception area, there will be a sign stating the route and cost. Just tell the receptionist the route you wish to take and next thing you know it will be all booked, plus provided with all the details you need.

    You will be matched with other passengers travelling the same route as most services have a minimum number of 3 to 4 people before they will schedule your departure. In Sarajevo, we were lucky that another hotel/couple were heading to Belgrade when we needed too.

    To book online you can look at:

    • GoOpti for minibuses in northern Croatia, Slovenia, Italy and Austria.
    • Gea Tours have a range of route in the Balkans but there seem to be a few issues with their website and someone hacking their site, so I would use this with caution.
    • Taxi Travel operate transfers to the main cities in Austria, Croatia, Hungary and Serbia.

    Minibus routes

    There isn’t a definitive list available online, here is an example of routes available from Belgrade to other nearby cities:

    • Belgrade to Budapest
    • Belgrade to Sarajevo
    • Belgrade to Timisoara
    • Belgrade to Vienna
    • Belgrade to Zagreb

    Ferries

    Local ferries in the Balkans

    Ferries are a limited way of getting around the Balkans. Lots of the boats that go between the destinations are organised day tours like the popular day trip route Dubrovnik to Kotor and Budva in Montenegro.

    The routes you can take are:

    Travelling by Car

    The best way is definitely by car, preferably your own, because it’s difficult and expensive to take rental cars across borders. It’s the best strategy to get you to the offbeat destinations that you can’t get public transport too.

    An important thing to mention and I cover this above in the bus section (skip above) is how you enter and exit Kosovo. Make sure you plan this correctly so you don’t get into any trouble.

    Renting a Car

    Car rental within a country is great but as soon as you leave the country you’ve rented the car from there are fees or restrictions with crossing borders and one-way car hire. The option is best suited to those wanting to explore the country in-depth and dropping the car to the same destination.

    Things to consider before renting a car

    • Renting a car anywhere (apart from your home country) will require you to have your passport and driver’s license.
    • As a general rule for those that hold a European Union driving license, you will not need to obtain an International Drivers Permit (IDP). For example, if you are driving from London to the Balkans you may decide to drive through Italy which will require you to have an IDP if you don’t have EU license.
    • Check the simple things like no hidden fees, how many drivers you can have or that you have unlimited mileage.
    • One of the biggest ways that car rental companies earn money from you is via insurance. Picking up third-party insurance will save you a ton of money.
    • Can you drive manual transition? Most cars offered in Europe will be manual so if you can only drive automatic this may drive up the price.
    • Consider emailing the hire car company to negotiate the price of the rental.
    • Not all countries have the Latin alphabet some will be in Cyrillic alphabet making it interesting understanding where you need to go.
    • The Green Card Insurance System – you need a green card to show that you have insurance. Car hire companies will usually charge extra for this card (actually a piece of paper).

    Driving your own car

    Driving your own will give you the freedom to cross borders without all the costs that a hire car comes from. The crucial part of driving your own car is knowing the documentation you will need for your car to drive across borders. The main one is the Green Card Insurance System.

    Green Card Insurance System

    As I mentioned above the Green Card Insurance System is something you need to be aware of when driving your own car in the EU. This is your proof of insurance and shows on it the countries you’re insured to drive in. Ensure you are clear with your insures about which countries you can and can’t go to within your policy.

    Before you leave your home country make sure you have the green card otherwise you could end up paying double insurance to get another green card to enter your destination. It’s not applicable in all countries so check the countries you are travelling to and through.

    Is it Safe to Drive in the Balkans?

    Being a confident driver helps greatly with driving overseas. It’s an experience driving in the Balkans and not for the faint hearted. The roads can be the width of 1 to 1.5 cars, meaning you need to pull to the side of the road and let people pass. That doesn’t mean the locals will follow the same rules, generally they will be speeding past you whilst you are trying to be safe! Take it slow and keep to the road rules, at the end your safety is the most important part of driving.

    Animals on the road are another hazard of driving in the Balkans. You can stumble across all types of farm animals and wildlife.

    The road quality will be a mix of some good roads, some bad roads and some horrible roads. Researching the road quality and route you wish to take will ensure you get there safely and quickly. Here are some tips:

    • Check between different navigation systems
    • Look at Google Satellite to see the road quality
    • Search YouTube or Google to see if there are any videos, photos or comments about the roads
    • Ask locals for advice as the roads are constantly being re-done and the locals will know the best routes.
    • Travelling on a sealed road will be beat driving on an unsealed road. Sometime navigation systems send you via the quicker route but later you find out it’s a dirt track taking 5x times longer.

    In conclusion: Travelling in the Balkans requires a bit more flexibility and accepting of a mix of transport options available. Take the trains, if there are no trains take buses and rent a car here and there to explore regions more deeply.

    Have you ever been to the Balkans? What was your experience with transportation?! Any tips you recommend?

    More Balkans Articles

    How to Travel Through the Balkans
    How to Travel Through the Balkans: Everything you need to know about the different modes of transport in the Balkans from Bus, Train, Plane, Minibus, Ferries and Car. Balkan travel tips include how to get to your Balkans Destinations, useful website, safety travelling in the Balkans and much more. #Balkans #Croatia #BosniaandHerzegovina #Slovenia #Serbia #Montenegro #Kosovo #Macedonia #Bulgaria #Albania #Greece
  • Driving in Italy: 18 Tips on How to Drive as a Tourist

    Driving in Italy: 18 Tips on How to Drive as a Tourist

    Driving in Italy can be a stressful experience especially if it’s not in the language you speak or the side of the road you drive on. Personally, as long as it’s not city driving it’s well worth getting a car in Italy to explore the towns and regions.

    As a tourist, it’s always great to study up on the rules of the road before renting a car and driving yourself around in it. This everything I learnt when driving in Italy. P.s. if you happen to be visiting Tuscany check out the beautiful town of Radda.

    Do I need an International Driving License in Italy? (Officially known as International Drivers Permit (IDP))

    Renting a car anywhere (apart from your home country) will require you to have your passport and driver’s license. However, some countries also require an International Driving Permit (IDP).

    For those that hold a European Union driving license you will not need to obtain an International Drivers Permit (IDP). I drove in Italy with my UK license which is the pink format UK license (full license), however, if you are on the green format license (provisional) you will not be able to drive in Italy.

    If you have a non-European Union driving license you will need to obtain an IDP before arriving in Italy.

    How to Obtain an International Driving Permit?

    You can get an IDP at your local association for example;

    Make sure you go via an official website as there is a scam out there for IDP’s.

    It is the traveller’s responsibility to ensure that they have the appropriate paperwork. Even though you may not be requested to show your IDP by the car company or travel agent, if you get pulled over by the police they will be expecting to see your IDP. I recommend even though it seems a silly process it gives you peace of mind while driving legally during your trip to Italy for only a small fee.

    Cheap is not always best when renting

    Cheap is not Always Best When Renting a Car in Italy

    For our trip to Italy, I rented a car from a cheap hire company. It’s not awful but make sure to read the fine print and know exactly what comes with your rental. They really lure you in with their great offers!

    Check the simple things like no hidden fees, how many drivers you can have or that you have unlimited mileage.

    I may have hit a sign with our rental car (whoops…) thankfully it was exactly where there was damage on the car previously and no one was the wiser of my minor accident. Otherwise, those nasty fees would have definitely stung me.

    Driving in a new country can be stressful (especially Pisa!) and caused my minor accident so make sure you have insurance. One of the biggest ways that car rental companies earn money from you is via insurance. Picking up third party insurance will save you a ton of money.

    Manual Transmission is the Preferred Choice

    In Europe, it’s very common to get manual transmission cars and will be the option provided to you unless you specified otherwise. Make sure you let the car company that you want to rent an automatic or choose it as the option on the booking site and be prepared to pay a lot more.

    What else do I need to carry in my car when driving in Italy?

    You need to carry triangles in your car when driving in Italy

    I had no idea there were certain things that you need to carry in your car when driving in Italy. Thankfully the rental car companies will provide you with these items which they did for mine. Being in Tuscany I did not think I would need snow chains in March!

    Double check when you pick up the car just in case. Planning to drive your own car in Italy you will need to consider purchasing some of these items. So what do they expect you to have?

    • Warning triangles and reflective jackets (compulsory attire) – in case you need to pull over on the side of the road
    • UK cars will without a GB-euro symbol number plate to display a GB sticker
    • Snow chains during the winter months

    Other items to add to your checklist:

    • Full and valid driver’s licence
    • IDP card (if required)
    • Proof of Insurance
    • Passport/national ID
    • Headlamp beam deflectors (if required)
    • Proof of ownership (original V5C document, not a photocopy)

    Get a GPS or a Map

    Get a GPS or a Map When Driving in Italy

    I totally recommend that you get some sort of map or navigation as the roads or routes to get to places aren’t that straightforward. There is no way I would be able to navigate driving around without a GPS or a map.

    Which side of the road do you drive in Italy?

    In Italy they drive on the right-hand side of the road. Being a part of the small third-party of countries that drive on the left it can be a tad confusing (at least for me).

    How Do Petrol Stations Work In Italy?

    As I went with a cheap car hire company we had to fill up the car before going on a road trip the first lesson that we learnt and ended up with some pretty expensive full. There are two options to fill up your car, by an attendant or self-service.

    Turns out when the attendant fills up your car you get charged extra €16 cents per litre or gallon (I can’t remember). So make sure you find the self-section to save yourself some serious cash. It also seems to be the option that has the least amount of fill-up points.

    Look out for these signs to tell the difference between self-service and attendant service:

    Self service will look like this at an Italian service station.
    Self service will look like this at an Italian service station.
    Attendant service will look like this at an Italian service station
    Attendant service will look like this at an Italian service station

    Service stations are very frequent along all of the motorways just like most of Europe.

    Speed Limits in Italy

    Speed Limits to remember when driving in Italy
    Speed Limits to remember when driving in Italy.

    Speed limit signs seem to be very limited i.e. the ones that actually show what speed you are meant to go. Most signs are the national speed limits signs so they expect you to know the speed limits before you drive. Make sure you memorise this speed limit in the table below and don’t forget the speed limits vary depending on the weather.

    Speed Limits in Italy
    Motorway
    Dual Carriageway
    Open Road
    Town
    Dry Weather
    130 km/h
    110 km/h
    90 km/h
    50 km/h
    Wet Weather
    110 km/h
    90 km/h
    80 km/h
    50 km/h

    It Might Be Close But It Can Take You Long Time To Get There

    Italy has a lot of windy Roads not very many highways and the roads can be in quite a poor condition (which they introduce speed restrictions for instead of fixing the road). It might be 7 miles away but it can take up to 40 minutes to drive due to this unless you are a rally car driver.

    Everyone Goes Faster Than You In Generally

    Coming from Australia we would only have pretty strict road rules whilst some people break the rules we tend to be careful in breaking the rules as there are massive fines if you are caught. However in Europe you can get some people are going 50 kilometres over the speed limit. As a left lane is generally where people speed or overtake you keep to the right-hand lane. This way you don’t feel pressured to speed and save yourself a speeding fine.

    What is the alcohol limit in Italy?

    Drinking wine in Italy is definitely alluring especially with lunch or dinner. The alcohol limit in Italy is 0.05% so no more than 1 to 2 wines or the safest option don’t drink at all.

    How are fines issued in Italy?

    Speed Cameras in Italy
    Speed Cameras in Italy.

    Police officers usually do not patrol the roads but if are and pull you over the fine will be issued on the spot. The police can collect 1 quarter of the maximum fine and must give you an official receipt for the amount of the fine paid.

    If there is a sign showing with a police officer with a hand raised or orange autovelox boxes this indicates that there will be speed traps and check points.

    There are lots of cameras set up to register a car’s speed and if you are running over the limit it will automatically issue a ticket. If you’ve rented a car in Italy, the ticket will be sent to the car rental company and they will generally charge it to the credit card they have on file plus admin fees.

    Signs on the Autostrada

    Italy uses international road signs. You will see signs like national speed limit which is white and black, green background signs that indicate road names/ types and general signs saying:

    • Uscita meaning Exit
    • Entrata meaning Entrance
    • Tangenziale meaning tangential, usually a ring road around a large town

    Tolls

    Motorways in Italy can have tolls which are really easy to identify as they will have toll stations. There are three ways to pay for the tolls:

    • Cash
    • Credit Cards: Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Diners Club are accepted.
    • Telepass – unlikely method as a tourist, it requires you to have a transponder and linked up to your bank account.

    Depending on how you would like to pay, look out for the following signs:

    • Cash follow the white signs
    • Credit card follow the blue signs
    • Telepass follow the yellow signs.

    Be Careful at Entrances and Exits on the Motorway

    You will generally find that the entrance and exit ramps for the motorways in Italy can be very short or have quite tight corners so be careful when approaching these.

    Tailgating is Common

    Coming from a country where you are supposed to give space on the road, this is the total opposite in Italy. Italian drivers drive much closer to each other than we’d be used to especially when overtaking. They can come right up to your rear bumper and be a little daunting so the easiest thing to do is slow down, let them overtake and continue to drive safely.

    Never drive in the ZTL!

    They have these zones called Zona Traffico Limitato (“ZTL”) also referred to as the“Area Pedonale” which are areas restricted to limited traffic and/or pedestrians only. It’s illegal to drive in these zones unless you have a special permits to do so. Most permit holders are police, public transport and emergency vehicles so not us tourists!

    Watch where you park!

    Ah parking in Italy can be a nightmare in certain areas especially the big cities. Its best to check with your hotel where the best places to park and how to pay for parking as they will have the insider knowledge.

    Always make sure you have a ticket from the nearest parking meter and display it, the fine can add up really fast. The meters are normally coin only so have a few euros prepared.

    Other tips

    • No brainer tip, wear your seat belt.
    • Age limits apply to where people can sit in a car, for example children up to the age of 12 cannot travel in the front seat.
    • Don’t use your mobile phone while driving (again common sense).
    • Always have your headlights on, they are compulsory when you are driving on motorways, dual carriageways and on all out of town roads.
    • In some countries I know they allow you to turn right on a red traffic signal but this is illegal in Europe.

    Let us know in the comments below your tips for driving in Italy!