cheap trip to england

[hawaiiSUCKSexceptsurf]

after i graduate or possibly before, id like to spend tome time in england. but the thing is, i hate tourists and i hate being one. 2 weeks still wouldnt be enough. i was hoping you brits could give me some information on cheap apartments, how cheap they come, where they are, how much it costs to travel to london, etc. on public transportation. and if you know if americans can get tomporary work visas.. and do you think thats an impossible idea?

[drowningbitbybit]

...cheap ... london...

Two words that should never be in the same sentence
And transport is really expensive and startlingly bad

But, hey, thats half the fun of travelling, right?


Getting a temp work visa as a student is really easy, Im not sure about after. The problem is most temporary work is in london or other cities where its hideously expensive to stay. Otherwise you can look at getting temp work in a resort (Newquay or whatever) which is pretty easy, but then you're in amongst the tourists, AND probably staying in a crappy shared room in the back of a hotel.


All depends on what you want to do, how much travel etc. Im sure there's a whole bunch of spare rooms, floors and sofas you can sleep on

[teighto]

Got an idea for ya

i'll stay at yours you stay at mine

[Laguna]

You live in Hawaii and want to move to England to work?

Too many people now are posting drunk

Like DBBB said , London is not cheap. Its over-rated and very crowded.

[drowningbitbybit]

Like DBBB said , London is not cheap. Its over-rated and very crowded.

This time of year, its more crowded in Cornwall

Empty here....

[Phil]

to many people not enough surf london sucks, not only that the exchange rate sucks atm for $1 you will get about 50p, and everything is much more expencive here not just london for example you would expect to pay around $11 for a burger king meal

[drowningbitbybit]

to many people not enough surf london sucks

I feel a bit honour-bound to stick up for the big smoke - it gets a lot of flack, usually from people who haven't spent a great deal of time here. Its true, there far too many people stacked up in the south east corner of england, and its got no surf (although its got three different coasts facing three different directions within a couple hours drive).

But it does have its good points - one thing Hawaiisucksesxceptsurf has said frustrates him is the mentality of the people on the island. Come to London and see the opposite of that - anything goes, walk into a pub wearing a wetsuit, high heels, a pink wig and carrying a rottweiler and people will shrug and let you get on with it. People outside of london often say that its unfriendly, but its not its just accepting. And cherishes individualism. Compare the attitudes of localism with Gay Pride (Im not on that side of the fence, but its an amazing thing to see).

And, to use an emotionally blackmailing argument for a moment, on the 8th July last year, every londoner got back on the tube, back on the bus, back to work (i wasnt supposed to be going to work that day, but I damned well did) and Ive never been so proud of the people.

It has a spirit which most of the world doesnt recognise, and wont til they spend some time in one of the most liberal cities in the world.






...But it is very expensive, the travel to the surf sucks, and (today at least) its raining.

[hawaiiSUCKSexceptsurf]

well i hadnt hoped for london, which is why i would take a train in...

it sounds a lot like new york city. however, my grandparents have a very nice and affordable house a half an hour drive outside of the city. thats what i was hoping for. the train costs 20 bucks for for a round trip ticket from their house though, and for some reason the train takes almost 2 hours.

do the student work visas only apply if you are currently going to school? i looked into going there for a semester (studying abroad) but it looked like it would cost about 13,000 american.

believe it or not but you do get bored with surfing. well not bored... but used to it. i used to go out every day i could, always stoked.. now i only go if there are waves. i refuse to go if its small, even if that lasts over a month. the only reason id go surfing if i moved out to england for a while is to go with a bunch of you guys.

[hawaiiSUCKSexceptsurf]

also i dont really hate tourists but i hate seeing their bald white heads shining in the sun in some stupid american concertible. its so... obvious. first off most people here drive japanese cars. its funny how you can just tell..

i also dont think a short period of time (even 2 weeks) is enough to really experience a place.

how much is rent outside the citys for like a cheap small studio (per month)

[Phil]

i must admit i havnt spent alot of time in london, when i was there it did seem very accepting and very laid back its good to see the diffrent cultures, races relgions geting along with one another, some thing you dont get in the country and its some thing i miss about not living in a thriving city like london but i could never go back to lving in one for long.

for me being in citys i feel trapped everyones allways in a rush, i like the open moors of exmoor the quite costal villages in the winter like lynmouth wide open spaces, to much hippy in me i think

[pat42]

The cheapest option would be to get a dorm room in a hostel which would be pretty central and you'd be meeting other travellers. About £70 a week $140 US

Otherwise a room in a shared house would be about £100 a week.

The underground (tube) fare from the furthest zone out is £4 one way

Check this out : http://www.tntmagazine.com/

Gives you info on visas, jobs, travel etc

For prices on rooms and apartements, click 'property zone'

I'm only in London cos I can make a lot of money here..........but I work very hard and have no social life. But I do go on nice trips.

I met some Aussies in Bali who had spent a year living in a hostel in London and had jobs and had a great time

[hawaiiSUCKSexceptsurf]

thanks pat that site really helps.

[hawaiiSUCKSexceptsurf]

its odd that everything costs so much more there but it also seems like you guys get paid a lot more. my job is childcare and i am responsible for 30, sometimes since were so understaffed even up to 55, first graders. i make 8.50 an hour, so like 4.25 pounds.

[SDCali]

just remember, right now they do not allow any carry on items on flights to the UK.
No liquids or gelatainous substances allowed on flights in US, I got stuck in the middle of that whole fiasco, I am heading back to Cali from Maui on Wednesday.