3. SETTLE YOURSELF IN ENGLAND


Find accommodation

We suggest staying in hostels. It's just too darn expensive to stay anywhere else. Hostels vary in shapes, forms and sizes, but generally provide affordable housing with minimal amenities. You'll have a shower, a bed, and… well, that's it. Some hostels provide meals (or serve them at minimal costs) while others offer lounges packed with overstuffed chairs and pool tables. Some places require advance reservations - and advanced payment. But the best advice you can get is this:

  • Shell out $25 and buy a Youth Hostel International Card (YHIC). Some hostels only allow card-carrying members to stay there. Sure, you can buy one there, but they might give you a hassle. A YHIC makes it all much less stressful. You can also consider purchasing a $16 Hostels of Europe card, good at over 250 independent hostels.

  • Get to the hostel you'll be staying at as early in the day as you can. They fill up quickly, and this'll give you a place to put your stuff (as long as you can lock it up).

  • Get a guidebook that will let you know where all of the hostels in England are. We suggest Hostels UK or Cheap Sleeps in London (no, it's not about finding a hooker).

  • Some websites to look at are: Youth Hostels Association of England and Wales and London Hostels.

  • If you can afford a hotel (bastard!), then check out Places to Stay in the UK for lodgings all over England, or the London Hotel Guide London lodgings.

Get around

Definitely bring comfy sneakers with you, but know that to get around you'll have to use a bit more than your feet. Public transportation is very reliable in England (and the buses are double-deckers! How cool is that?).

To get around all of England, the most common methods are by bus or by rail:

  • Buses: First of all, remember that in England, buses are called "coaches." Fancy shmancy. National Express runs most of the show and helps out your wallet with student discount cards and tourist passes.

    (Note: many irate natives of England have informed us that they actually call buses "buses," not "coaches." If they ever use the term "coach," it's reserved for the buses that take you into other cities, but never for the buses that are used locally within London. We'll keep referring to them as coaches within this SYW because it sounds more exotic.)


  • Rail: England has a special train system called Britrail. The bad news is that it's expensive (at least $200). The good news is that with a Britrail ticket, you can take the train wherever you want around England an unlimited number of times (that is, if you have an 8 day pass, you can travel as much as you like over those 8 days). Go to their website for more details, but a travel agent may be able to score you a special student deal. But we recommend that you stick to the buses.

To get around London, there are several options available:

If you're there and you're lost and you need to know how to get home, call mom and cry. When she doesn't help you, reach a hotline for 24 hour information on London's public transportation at 0171-222-1234. And check out London Daily's advice on getting yourself around the town:

  • The Tube: London may have an outrageous club scene, but the Underground actually refers to the city's (mostly underground) local transportation system. Think Gwyneth Paltrow in Sliding Doors. You will love the Underground, from its frequent scheduling, to its neat and safe interior, to its conductors' "Mind the gap" warnings. But remember to rid your vocabulary of the word "subway" and replace it with the word "Tube." Good, now you're ready to go.

    The system operates on 12 interlocking lines that travel throughout zones based on distance from central London. Most of the tourist-y stuff is in Zone 1, but we recommend that you venture further out for more museums, parks, neighborhoods, and historical sites. Passes for a full day, week, or month are a must if you're going to take the Tube for even a few stops, as these options can save you a bunch of cash. Also, remember that the Tube closes a few minutes shy of 1 a.m., after which you will need to take a taxicab, a night bus from centrally located Trafalgar Square, or a long walk.

  • The bus: In London, you'll find the famous double-decker buses you've breathlessly awaited to ride. Go soon, since many have already been replaced by single-deckers. Tube passes also work on buses, and the same zone system governs the cost of your travels.

Or you could always take a taxi or rent a car. Just don't forget that "other side of the road" thing.

Know what to do in an emergency

We don't want to scare you, but things might go slightly (or even more than slightly) awry. To keep the chances of this happening to a minimum, travel smart. Pickpockets love tourists, especially in crowded places like Tube stations.

If severe trouble arises, go to the American Embassy in London, which is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Or, you could call for help in the States: the Bureau of Consular Affairs' Overseas Citizen Services (OCS) offers a 24-hour travelers' hotline at (202) 647-5225. After U.S. working hours (from 8:15 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. EST, Monday-Friday and 9:00 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday), call (202) 647-4000 and ask for the OCS duty officer.