This is a general guide as to what you may want to pack for your five-week visit to the United Kingdom. I’ve been here five times (three with Study Abroad) so I think I know London fairly well. Of course, students who have done Study Abroad in the past are also excellent resources.
PASSPORTS, MONEY, ETC.
Of course you will need to bring your passport — you can’t get on or off the plane without one — but you won’t need to carry it with you everyday unless you’re leaving the UK. Some other form of ID (driver’s license) could be handy if you fancy a beer. Incidentally, the legal drinking age in the UK is 18.
People in the UK (and Europe in general) tend to use credit cards instead of cash. There’s probably no reason to get a pile of British money here before you leave. Make sure that your credit card does not have international payment fees. If it does, consider getting a new card. While you’re at it, try to have a card that allows you to tap-and-pay (they have an icon that looks like a sideways WiFi symbol on them). I usually also carry a debit card (again, one without international fees) for the rare times that I absolutely need cash. You may also consider using something like Apple Pay or Google Pay — nearly every vendor accepts them. Again, though, make sure that the credit card linked to your payment device does not charge international fees.
MOBILE PHONE SERVICE
You have four choices as far as staying connected in Europe is concerned.
- Purchase an international travel plan from your current cell provider. Not usually a good idea, because it can be REALLY expensive, and sometimes coverage can be spotty. If you have T-Mobile, by the way, you get free text and data all over the UK and Europe.
- Buy a cheap contract phone when you arrive in London. These will probably cost $50-$100 and won’t be nearly as nice as your current phone.
- Buy a SIM card in London and put it in your current phone. This is my preferred strategy. You can get unlimited text and talk and 10Gb of data for less than $20/month and you get to use your own phone with your own apps on it. I’ve been very satisfied with a carrier called GiffGaff (they will even send the SIM card to you in the U.S. so it will be working the minute you step off the plane), but any of the major carriers (O2, Three, Vodafone, and EE) are o.k. and much cheaper than in the US. Other places to look are Tesco and Carphone Warehouse. If you go this route and you plan to travel to the continent, make sure your new SIM gives you roaming access so that you can use your phone outside the UK.
- Don’t do anything. Just hangout with people who have phone and data service in London and follow them around. Not recommended, because we use our phones’ data services a lot in London to help us get around.
Incidentally, your housing and classrooms have free WiFi and there are many free WiFi hotspots throughout London.
CLOTHING
First and foremost, you will want to dress comfortably. There will be many days when you will be walking A LOT — four or five miles may not be unusual. We will be using public transit and sometimes the sights are not close to the station. So, comfortable walking shoes are a must.
You will have a few occasions where you will want to dress up just a bit — business casual, maybe — like tours of cathedrals or our High Tea, but most of the time you can wear pretty much what you would wear on campus. Jeans and t-shirts are usually fine, but avoid t-shirts with offensive text. I also avoid clothing with overtly American messages (flags, etc.) just to be polite to our hosts.
It will rain (not every day, though) so make sure that you have an umbrella, a good lightweight rain parka, or both. Most days will be comfortable although there may be some relatively cool, overcast and drizzly days. A few days will be hot even by NC standards. Remember that air conditioning is not as common as in the US, and when it’s available they usually set the temperature much warmer than we’re used to.
You may want to have a smallish backpack for when you’re sightseeing to put your rain jacket, umbrella, water, snacks, and other stuff in.
There are washer/dryers in your rooms but in my experience I’ve found the “dryer” part to be something of an exaggeration. Expect to have to hang your clothes to dry (this is where clothes made of synthetics have a big advantage over cotton clothing — they will dry a lot faster).
ELECTRONICS
You probably realize that the shape of the electrical outlets is different in the UK and Europe, but you may not know that the voltage level (220vac) is different from the 110vac we use in North America. Most electronic devices (cell phones, laptops, tablets, etc.) will run on 220vac (BUT DEFINITELY CHECK FIRST!) with a simple adapter called an “International Travel Power Adapter”. These sell for less than $20 at your usual sources and many even have USB ports on them for charging your gear.
Don’t bring an iron, hair dryer, curler, etc. unless it is specifically an “international” model that will run on 220vac. Even with a travel power adapter you will burn out a device that is not designed for 220vac.
You will want to bring your laptop or tablet with you. I usually pack two of every cable and adapter that I might need in case of loss.
You may want to bring a small portable charger to keep your phone topped off when we’re out in the city all day.
FUN FACT
Many restaurants don’t supply takeout boxes. I always carry a few ziploc bags just in case. Also, duct tape. You can fix anything with duct tape.