10 Things You Should Know Before Moving To London

10 Things You Should Know Before Moving To London

Thanks to a long history of colonization around the world, the UK remains one of the most popular migrant destinations on the planet. Whether you’re moving here because of ancestral rights, or simply looking to start a new life from scratch, London can be a city of dreams if you know how to play it.

These ten things will help ease you into the English capital, and have you moving about like a local in not time at all.

1. It Rains… A Lot

It’s likely the first thing people warn you of when you mention your pending move to this very wet city. “But, what about the weather?” they might ask, knowing full well you’ve probably never considered a life where an umbrella is always within reach.

Indeed, it rains buckets in London and across the UK. This is simply the way it is and not worth getting perturbed over if you’re serious about settling here. Often it rains, sometimes it doesn’t — it’s okay.

London – by Hala AlGhanim – Unsplash

2. It’s Not a Cheap Place to Live

Another point that will be thrown at you once or twice when discussing said relocation. An apt one, at that, as few foreigners can comprehend the London cost of living prior to arrival in the city.

For people coming from other parts of the EU, the London prices are less shocking. But for migrants from countries in Africa, South America or Asia, it tends to come as a rude awakening. You’ll likely find yourself paying weekly rent in London for what you probably paid monthly at home.

3. Understanding the Dialects Will Get Easier

First thing you need to know and accept is that there is no such thing as one British accent. Instead, the United Kingdom is broken down into dialects, and there are more of them in this tiny land than there are across the entire United States of America.

Some of the dialects you’ll encounter while in London won’t even sound like the English language to you at first, even though they are. You’ll meet people from different districts and eventually be able to pick them out of a crowd just by the way they talk. It’s good fun, after a while.

London – by John Cameron – Unsplash

4. An Oyster Card is All You Really Need

You’ve probably heard about these cards in passing conversation. The city of London is wonderfully connected with world-class public transport facilities. You’ll never struggle to get from A to B, and the Oyster Card is what makes it all possible.

Just one card gets you access to all of London’s tubes, railways and bus systems. The cards are rechargeable and can be purchased at all tube stations or online. Just make sure you load money onto them on a regular basis.

London – by Will H McMahan – Unsplash

5. Okay, And Maybe a Few Apps

In addition to your Oyster Card, there are a number of apps I recommend all newcomers to London have installed onto their smartphones.

While Google Maps can do the trick most of the time, it lacks realtime statistics to an extent. Citymapper is an app that is far more accurate and efficient in getting you where you need to be in the most timeous way possible — it will even tell you which tube car to get into in order to shave minutes off of your journey.

Food delivery apps will come very much in handy while living in London, especially if your neighborhood is lacking in decent food options within walking distance. Deliveroo is the most used food delivery app in the city.

Deliveroo – by Ross Sneddon – Unsplash

6. No Need to Tip at Pubs!

One perk of moving to London is that you’ll no longer have to tip the barmen every time you order a beer!

Tipping in bars and pubs is not expected in London. If you do decide to leave a little something behind at the end of the night, it will by no means be rejected. Tips are always greatly appreciated but there are no hard feelings toward any patrons who simply pay their exact tabs and leave.

7. Get Ready to Carry Coins Around

Your chic, lightweight, double fold wallet simply won’t do the trick once you move to London town.

Coins in London carry ten times the value of coins in other parts of the world, sometimes even more! They are not the kind of currency you dispose of every time you see a tip jar (though this is not an excuse not to tip!) or leave gathering in a Mason jar in your apartment.

In London you’ll find yourself paying with coins more often than you likely ever thought you would!

by Toa Heftiba – Unsplash

8. The National Dish is NOT Fish & Chips

The national dish of the United Kingdom is a good old Tikka Chicken Masala. Yes, a curry.

If you ask me, it’s the perfect embodiment of how eclectic and inclusive this part of the world has been toward external influences. In London, you’ll eat cuisines from all over the world, including some of the best Indian and Pakistani food.

Tikka Chicken Masala – by amirali mirhashemian – Unsplash

9. The London Summer’s Will Rock Your World

People will tell you this over and over throughout your first London winter. “Just wait for the summer”, they’ll say, “it makes it worth it!”.

It’s true, there is something very special about summer in London. The energy that the heat brings to the city is tangible and it’s not just the parks that come to life.

Does it stop raining in the summer? Absolutely not. But you won’t freeze to death running in it, which is a nice change of pace.

London – by Robert Bye – Unsplash

10. The Beatles and Harry Potter are Still a Massive Hype

Perhaps you suspect this already, but yes The Beatles and Harry Potter are still major points of interest throughout the city of London.

You’ll find diehard remnants of both these legacies just about everywhere you go. Whether it’s entire curios shops, or a sandwich named after one of the leads at a local deli, you won’t be able to escape the hype for long intervals — but who would want to?

by Fleur – Unsplash