Working in London United Kingdom

Airport

London has five key airports that will likely be used by working holidaymakers for one reason or another during their stay. They are Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton and London City.

Heathrow
London’s major airport is located in the city’s west. Heathrow services the UK’s premier airline, British Airways, along with most of the major international airlines, including Qantas. However, it is not home to any of Europe’s low-cost airlines, such as EasyJet and RyanAir.

There are several ways to access Heathrow airport. Generally the quickest, and most comfortable, is via the Heathrow Express, which leaves from Paddington station every 15 minutes and takes just 15 minutes to reach the airport. For those on a budget, Heathrow can also be reached via the tube on the Piccadilly line for the basic London Transport rate to reach zone six from your starting point.

Several buses carry travellers to Heathrow from many destinations around the city. A simple Google search will assist travellers if this is your chosen way of travel. If travelling in groups consider taking a taxi, which is best pre-booked at least 24 hours prior to travel. There is an abundance of taxi companies in London that specialise in travel to Heathrow (again use Google). This can also prove cost-effective when booked in groups and a convenient way to move luggage around.

Gatwick
London’s second largest airport, located about 47km to the south of Central London. Gatwick is a base for many carriers, ranging from British Airways and Virgin Atlantic to low-cost carrier EasyJet.

There are multiple avenues for travel to Gatwick from Central London. The most efficient is the Gatwick Express, which leaves from Victoria Station and is a non-stop 30 minute journey departing every 15 minutes. For savings on ticket prices check out the Gatwick Express website and pre-book. A cheaper, yet longer, way to travel to Gatwick by train is by using the South West Trains service. This option stops several times and can take up to an hour, but will save you a few pounds.

Travellers can reach Gatwick by bus as well, with a number of companies providing services for this. One of those is EasyJet under the EasyBus label. Another, yet very costly, way to reach Gatwick is by taxi.

Stansted
Stansted is a base for many of Europe’s low-cost carriers, including RyanAir and EasyJet. It is located about 48km north-east of Central London. The airport can be reached most efficiently by the Stansted Express, which leaves from London Liverpool Street station every 15 minutes and takes about 45 minutes. For savings on ticket prices check out the Stansted Express website and pre-book.

Travellers can reach Stansted by bus as well, with a number of companies providing services for this. One of those is EasyJet under the EasyBus label.

Luton
Luton is a base for many of Europe’s low-cost carriers, including EasyJet and RyanAir. It is located about 56km north of Central London. The airport can be reached by train from St Pancras station through the First Capital Connect or East Midland Trains companies. Travel time to Luton by train is usually between 20-30 minutes.

Travellers can reach Luton by bus as well, with a number of companies providing services to achieve this. One of those is EasyJet under the EasyBus label. Travel by taxi to Luton is another option.

London City
London City Airport is located on a former Docklands site just 11km east of Central London. The airport is a base to international carriers such as British Airways, Air France and Lufthansa. Due to its close proximity to Central London, travellers should take the most convenient transport option to reach the airport given their circumstances. These include tube, train, bus or taxi.

Railway Station

London is home to several major rail stations that service domestic and international travel. The major stations in London include: Euston Station, Paddington Station, Waterloo Station, Kings Cross / St. Pancreas, Victoria Station and Liverpool Street Station.

Euston Station
Opened in 1837, Euston Station is the primary station for travel to the West Midlands, the North West, Wales and Scotland. Key cities that Euston Station links to include Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow. Euston also consists of an Underground station.

Paddington Station
Opened in 1837, Paddington Station is located slightly north-west of central London and is a key station for travel to and from Reading, Bristol, Cardiff and Oxford. It also hosts the dedicated Heathrow Express airport service. The station consists of 14 platforms, an Underground station and several shops selling Paddington Bears.

Waterloo Station
Opened in 1848, Waterloo Station is located in central London just south of the River Thames. Waterloo, which has 19 platforms, is one of the busiest rail stations in Europe, with more than 94 million passengers passing through in 2011-2012. It is a key station for travel to South-West England and features a significant Underground station.

Victoria Station
Opened in 1860, Victoria Station is a centrally located terminal and the second busiest in London after Waterloo Station. Victoria is the primary terminal for travel to South-East England with destinations from the station including Brighton and Canterbury. It has 19 platforms, features a major Underground station and hosts the Gatwick Express airport service.

Liverpool Street Station
Opened in 1974, Liverpool Street Station is located north-east of central London and is the third busiest station in London. Liverpool Street has 18 platforms, is a key Underground station and hosts the Stansted Express service to the airport. The major centres in England Liverpool Street links to include Cambridge and Norwich.

Kings Cross / St Pancras International
Opened in 1952, Kings Cross Station is a key station north of central London that provides travel to major centres in northern England, such as Newcastle and Leeds. It has 12 platforms and is also an important Underground station. West of Kings Cross Station is St Pancras International where the Eurostar service leaves London for mainland Europe.

Transportation

London has one of the most extensive, and most recognisable, public transport systems in the world. It consists of an underground, local and regional rail and bus system to all parts of London and its greater metropolitan area. This system is primary operated by London for Transport, a government controlled public transport organisation. To use the public transport system visitors should consider buying an Oyster Card, a contactless electronic travel smartcard.

Before long the underground, or Tube as it is commonly known, will become your greatest friend in London. Or even your greatest enemy. However, by taking advantage of the tube – the largest rail network in the world – the possibilities around London are endless. Outside of the common glitches in the system, the Tube is usually the most efficient way to travel around the English capital. It has 11 lines, which all have an individual name and colour. For example, two of the busiest lines on the Underground are the Central line (red) and Piccadilly line (blue). The Tube generally runs between 5.30am and 1am.

London’s iconic red buses, which usually come as double-deckers, form the city’s bus system. While the Tube is a better option for long distance travel around London, the buses often provide efficient transport for shorter trips. They are also a convenient option for the few areas around London that the Tube doesn’t reach. There are also several bus routes that operate 24 hours a day and provide a form of transport to get home after a night out.

The rail system in and around London is operated by National Rail. These services, which locals often call overground or overland, mainly operate outside of London’s busier central area and, in particular, south of the city. The National Rail is more often used by commuters who live around London and not so much by tourists.

At some stage everyone who lives in London or visits the city will take a black cab. These unique vehicles are great for getting around any part of London and can be found at designated cab stands throughout the city or hailed from the street. It is also possible to book a black cab on the phone, which is a wise option when getting to the airport for an early morning flight. London also has a mini-cab taxi service. These taxis are licensed hire cars that must be booked by phone or online for an agreed on fare.

Travel by boat along the Thames is another important form of transport for Londoners. Frequent ferries travel in both directions along the Thames throughout the day. This is also a great way for tourists to take in a different view of the city from water.

Cost of Living

Living expenses in London vary greatly. Be prepared for high rental costs when searching for a place to live. That is, unless you are content with share house arrangement, which many in London are.

Day-to-day costs can be both low and excessive, depending on where you shop. Supermarkets like ASDA, for example, provide outstanding value for money, while high-end alternatives such as Waitrose can be viewed as very pricey. Shop around!!

The average after-tax monthly salary in London is about $3,400.

According to online cost of living database Numbeo (http://www.numbeo.com/), prices for typical items on current exchange rates (June 2013) are as follows:

Accommodation

Prepare your budget for accommodation in London. Even with the pound not at its strongest in recent years the price of accommodation, for a visit or extended stay, is expensive. If you can keep nightly accommodation to under £100 then let’s call that a job well done. If money isn’t an issue then spend away, into the thousands each night if you please.

However, London is spoilt for choice when it comes to accommodation. The most popular areas to stay are generally in the West End or West London. In the West End, visitors benefit from a central location that is conveniently placed to visit the city’s landmarks. However, in West London, in areas such as South Kensington or Chelsea, it is a quieter, more suburban experience.

A few accommodation options to consider in London include:

Budget
Astor Hyde Park
St Christopher’s Inn
Palmers Lodge

Mid-range
Strand Palace Hotel
Rubens At The Palace
City Inn Westminster

High-end
The Savoy
The Langham London
The Dorchester

Shopping

London offers one of the greatest shopping experiences in the world on any level. Bargains can be found in London, but the city is better known for its high-end thoroughfares in the West End. This area is made up of famous streets such as Bond Street, Oxford Street and Regent Street. Shoppers at the West End shopping district will find basically anything they want, including many of Britain’s flagship branches like Selfridges and Marks & Spencer. Other prominent shopping areas in London include Tottenham Court Road, Camden Town, Chelsea and Beauchamp Place.

The two biggest shopping centres in London are owned by Australian company, Westfield. Known as White City, the first Westfield in London was opened in 2008 in the Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Prior to the 2012 Olympics a second Westfield was opened nearby the facilities for the Games in Stratford. Both centres offer a broad shopping experience, from bargain products to high-end goods. However, London’s most famous shopping centre will always be Harrods, which is found in Knightsbridge.

London has a thriving market scene, which varies from food and fashion to music, sporting goods and more. A few of the more popular markets in London include Old Spitalfields Market, Greenwich, Brickland and Portobello.

Emergency

Emergency telephone services:
Police, ambulance, fire brigade and coastguard                999

Australian High Commission, London
Australia House
The Strand
London WC 2B 4LA, UNITED KINGDOM
Telephone (44 20) 7379 4334
Facsimile (44 20) 7887 5559
Website www.uk.embassy.gov.au

Insurance and Healthcare

Insurance is recommended, but not compulsory for working holidaymakers on the Youth Mobility Scheme in the United Kingdom. With that in mind, once your visa has been approved and your flights booked, it would be suggested to take out some form of insurance for your stay. Check out www.workingholidaytravelinsurance.com/ for more advice.

The UK has an outstanding health care system featuring extensive public and private sectors. The public sector, known as the NHS, is organised by the government and funded by taxes. Every registered individual is welcome to service through the NHS, including expats living in the UK. Expats in the UK can also take out private care, with an extensive range of services available for those willing to pay extra. Costs for private health treatment in the UK are comparable to those in Australia.

According to the government supported Smart Traveller website, the standard of health facilities in the UK is comparable with that in Australia. In addition, it strongly recommends that travellers take our comprehensive travel insurance that will cover any overseas medical costs, including medical evacuation, before departing Australia.