Moving to the UK - any advice?

[Goudgey]

Hey guys/gals,
my girlfriend & I are moving to the UK for a couple of years in July this year.
Has anyone here done an international move before and have any advice they can offer?
Whats the best way to find/rent a place?
Is it necessary to get a UK drivers license?
Whats the best way to set up bank accounts - use my Aust accounts or set up new UK based accounts?
And most importantly, should I sell my crap-o bike and buy a new one over there?

Any other advice or comments is greatly appreciated.

Cheers

[camday]

try http://www.gumtree.com/ for accomodation/jobs/nearly everything and I will try try and find this other link which you can set up bank accounts once there.

[camday]

http://www.1stcontact.com/live/index.php? will get you set up bank account wise plus a sim card for your phone. Just make sure your phone isn't locked to a network over here.
You prob wont need a licence as the public transport system is great. The tube will get you around London, but there are always trains heading across the country, and you can get cheap flights if you are keen also.
Bike wise, they will sting you big time to take your bike over there, unless you want to send it over early or get someone to send it once you are set up there. They have plenty of bike stores, so you should be able to source someting once there.
I was there last year, and came back early for family reasons, but thinking bout going back.
Good Luck

[Ty]

ditto to what camday has already posted.

www.gumtree.com is the bomb. also try http://www.tntmagazine.com/

you can swap over your aussie drivers licence for a UK one for about 30 quid, it not really needed but some car hire firms on mainland europe perfer the UK one.

but really if your in in london owning/driving a car is death, 1 pound 30 pence per liter of fuel, 8 quid chage for driving in central london (kensington included now too). the tube and the bus service is great, get yourself a transport for london 'oyster' card and you'll save bucket loads on fairs.

as far as bikes go, if your in london check out the 'brick lane' bike market on the weekends, but remember narrow wet cobble steets sucks.
ebay.co.uk is good for cheap bikes, and the royal mail is cheap(ish) and fast for postage.

i loved it and had a fucking ball. wish i coud do it again.

sort'd gezza'

[shirtz]

gumtree is the key. depends where u are headed but nice bikes last 5 minutes here. one stolen like every 60 seconds.

dont worry about first contact. and you can get yourself a sim by just walking into a store!

[arpit]

Hey guys/gals,
my girlfriend & I are moving to the UK for a couple of years in July this year.
Has anyone here done an international move before and have any advice they can offer?
Whats the best way to find/rent a place?
Is it necessary to get a UK drivers license?
Whats the best way to set up bank accounts - use my Audit accounts or set up new UK based accounts?
And most importantly, should I sell my crap-o bike and buy a new one over there?

Any other advice or comments is greatly appreciated.

Cheers


Advice - Take a raincoat.

Drivers licence - Check to see if you can use your Aussie licence with rental cars. Depending on where you are, it may be totally foolish to buy a car. Oxford, for example... Imagine Sydney, but swap the bike and car roles around.

Bank accounts - They will charge you fees. I get charged a fee of 5 pounds a month :(. Try and get a bank account with a Visa debit card.
By using your UK account you will avoid currency exchange fees, which could very will exceed the bank fees.

As for a bike - definitely buy a new one here. It really isn't worth the hassle to transport a bike overseas for a lengthy period. If you just want a commuter, you can pick up a good one for 200 pounds. The V brakes on my UK bike rival the Hayes 9s on my STP. Don't get one with disc brakes. If you want to look cool, just make little aluminium foil discs in your wheels ;)

Maintaining a commuter bike is a totally different experience to maintaining a high end mountain bike... My cables and chain are covered in lithium grease, as are all the bolts. The fork seals and brake boots are filled with the stuff too. The seat has a plastic bag over it. The bike has been in the rain for 5 consecutive days as of today.

When you find out about all the great mountainbiking in Scotland, Wales, France, Italy, Spain and Greece, you'll be buying a high end mountainbike as well :) I'm spending 1000 dollars on hiring a bike for my italy trip - buying a good bike could save you lots of money if you plan to do mountainbiking.

[Goudgey]

Thanks for the advice guys. I'm sure it will prove to be valuable.
At this stage we're not sure if we're going to stay in London or Edinburgh. Both would be great but I've heard good things about Edinburgh in particular. Does anyone have any opinions on either?

Arpit - are you saying that riding is the best way around Oxford? Whats Oxford like compared to London - uni town isnt it? - and if you dont mind me asking, why have you ended up there instead of anywhere else? I hadnt really considered it as an option.

www.gumtree.com looks the goods, but whats with all the singles wanting to hook up?!:D

[Dozer]

Send a PM to a member of farkin by the name of Mr Plow. He recently made the big move and he may be nice enough to offer some advice.;)

[flying high dh killer]

I was born in Edinburgh and lived there for the first 6 years of my life so i guess i'm biased but it is a beautiful and incredibly historic city. If you're a pussy about cold and rain though it's not for you.

[ilostmypassword]

Thanks for the advice guys. I'm sure it will prove to be valuable.
At this stage we're not sure if we're going to stay in London or Edinburgh. Both would be great but I've heard good things about Edinburgh in particular. Does anyone have any opinions on either?

Arpit - are you saying that riding is the best way around Oxford? Whats Oxford like compared to London - uni town isnt it? - and if you dont mind me asking, why have you ended up there instead of anywhere else? I hadnt really considered it as an option.

www.gumtree.com looks the goods, but whats with all the singles wanting to hook up?!:D

Dude, avoid London! It's a total dump. You will be much happier in places like Oxford, Cambridge, Somewhere in Yorkshire or Canterbury (where i come from). Why? well they are smaller friendlier cosmopolitan places/ cities with quirky History. London is just massive, dark, expensive and full of racial tensions (this is the real London not what you see on the TV). Trust me you don;t want to be here in the rain and cold.. it's just plain shit. Visit London for sure.. but live there???? *shakes head*

Oh, I'm from the UK btw :D and have lived in Aus for 6 yrs now- soon to be NZ :D

Good luck mate! :)

[arpit]

Bikes in Oxford.[/SIZE]
http://forums.farkin.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=69249&stc=1&d=1179323363
Let it suffice to say that they are not uncommon.
http://forums.farkin.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=69250&stc=1&d=1179323473


And to those Aussies who stop riding when it gets a little cold... Harden the fuck up!

http://forums.farkin.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=69251&stc=1&d=1179323621


Can get a bit touristy, but the city is prettier than sydney:
http://forums.farkin.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=69252&stc=1&d=1179323733



It is indeed a bit of a university town. That's why I'm there.



Oxford as a small town
http://forums.farkin.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=69253&stc=1&d=1179324062
Ultimately Oxford is a small town. Shops aren't open as late as in Sydney. You will need to buy more stuff via mail order. It isn't as quiet as you might expect though, because of the high population density.

The bars and clubs
http://photos-807.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-sf2p/v82/166/49/36814209/n36814209_33454807_8592.jpg
Are numerous but smaller than what you'll be used to in Australia. The large student population gives them a nice vibe though.



Exploring the countryside

Can be fun. Plenty of cycling to do. If you like driving you will have fun too, provided you keep your driving OUTSIDE the city itself.
http://forums.farkin.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=69254&stc=1&d=1179324636



As for London?

Well, It's officially recognised that you can get around fastest on a pushbike:

http://forums.farkin.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=69255&stc=1&d=1179324736

[shirtz]

^^^good post^^

i rode my bike to work for the first time today, took exactly the same as the tube, about the same amount of sweat too ;)

ive heard all good things about oxford. lots of hot women i hear, ill be up there soon i hope! as for london, its ok. im not a big city boy, but if you are, and can earn some decent coin (my asshole mate earns 300quid a day) then its good.

[Goudgey]

Damn, Oxford looks the goods. where's that particular bar located?
I see your point about cycling. After a big night how the hell do you manage to find your bike amongst the thousands of bikes?

[jamit]

I regard to driving you can get a international drivers license for next to nothing which covers you in the UK and will get you a hire car as well. RAC do them over here is WA.

When I was last there 2 years ago they also had a mutual Health care agreement which gives similar cover as Medicare does here.

I also found London was a dive nice to visit and all but would not want to live there, Oxford gets the thumbs up from me, I have never been to Edinburgh but hear its nice.

Buy a bike there they always seemed cheaper over there. I thoroughly recommend Orange Bikes <Orange pride all the way>

[Pete J]

And to those Aussies who stop riding when it gets a little cold... Harden the fuck up!


Hahaa, you should try a real winter sometime!
After your second or third, then tell us how your motivational levels are doing...
I'm hoping i can get mine back to where they were when i first got here, i rode nearly everyday for fun and commuting, even when it was f f f freeezing coooold.

[flying high dh killer]

Damn, Oxford looks the goods.

Pity it's filled with the English...

[Goudgey]

ha, I hear ya!
Used to live in Dumblane when I was a wee lad.
Scotlands definately my preferred option

[Switch]

I lived in the UK for a year three years ago and recomend going anywhere else in the world first unless you are going for career reasons. Nice place to visit and had a ball driving around the whole country for a couple of months but have just found other places in the world have better, everything. Edinburgh is definately the choice over London, and the UK as a base location for further travels into Europe is what most people use it for. Scotland and Wales are cool for the Mountains and riding. As recomended an international drivers licence from RACV or NRMA etc is a cheap option. Getting a bank account can be a pain, you often can't get an a/c without a residence and you have trouble renting without an a/c, a vicious circle. Have bagged the UK a bit but you will have a good time there especially if you get out of the city and into the country side as much as possible. Bon Voyage :cool:

[Drizz]

Pity it's filled with the English...

Last time I was there it was filled with Czech/Polish/Russians, I tell you European springbreak sure bring out some Eastern Euro hotties.... :D

[.:: GAMBO ::.]

Hahaha you must have gotten a better time of the year than me, i went there and i got the worst freakin conditions, cold, wet and windy enough you could get blown away, although that is most of the time over there, i hope its not always ths bad, for your sake johhny :D where are you planing on shacking up when you move over there?

[Goudgey]

Well, I'll be heading over in their summer so the weather wont be too much of a shock to the system. Not looking forward to experiencing winter though.
Not sure where we're going to shack up. Either London or Edinburgh are the likely options. We'll get there, have a look around and then decide where we want to live.....and then we'll try to find work.

[Stereochild]

Oxford was rad, best baguette shop there, variety times 10 plus some weird coke like beverages that were awe inspiring. No hustle and bustle compared to London.

Definitely ride everywhere in oxford, i know i walked around it a few times in a day. Just make sure your bike is identifiable as otherwise you will lose it amongst the other thousands of them

While you are over there, at least for the first month or two i think there would be other things on your mind other than riding, though it would be handy to get to and from places.


London's ethnicity shocked me, i was unaware how many middle easterners/africans lived there, i missed out on seeing tonnes of horse faced poms, no fair.

All of above is opinion.