Useful information
A quick presentation of the UK...
The United Kingdom is formed by Great Britain (England, Wales, and Scotland) and Northern Ireland.
A few key elements:
• Population: 61.1 millions of inhabitants
• Area: 244,820 km2
• Elisabeth II is the Queen regnant of 16 independent sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms, including the United Kingdom
• Prime Minister: David Cameron
• Official language: English
• Currency: Pound Sterling
• GMT -1 hour
• Climate: oceanic
• Religion: Protestantism and catholic
Bank holidays:
• New Year’s Day
• Good Friday
• Easter Monday
• May Day
• Spring Bank Holiday
• Summer Bank Holiday
• Christmas Day
• Boxing Day
In January 2010, 109,393 French people were registered at the French Consulate and live in Great Britain. 67,218 of them live in London. The rest of them are concentrated in big cities such as Birmingham, Coventry, Manchester and Oxford.
All individuals coming from the EU can live and work in the UK as long as they’ve got a valid ID or passport.
How to get there...
There are 5 major airports in London and around: Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton, Stansted and London City.
Now, if you want to travel by train, you can use the Eurostar which connects London, Paris and Brussels. If you need to take your car or motorbike with you, you can travel with Eurotunnel which links Folkestone and Calais.
You can also cross the English Channel by ferry. The shortest way (between Dover and Calais and Folkestone and Boulogne) takes approximately 90 minutes. Ferries connect many ports of the south and the east of England with France, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and Scandinavia. Departures for Spain start from Portsmouth and many ports on the west coast of England link to Ireland.
Driving in the UK...
French people can drive in the UK with a French valid driving licence.
Careful though! People drive on the left hand side of the road and the priority for drivers from the right hand side doesn’t exist!
There are a lot of speed cameras on the roads in Britain, so careful not to drive too fast!
In England, speed is measured in mile/hour. 1 mile is around 1.609 km.
Speed limits are as follows:
· in cities/towns: 30m/h
· on normal roads: 50m/h
· on motorways: 70m/h
You are obviously not allowed to drink and drive in the UK, you could lose your licence and go to jail if you get caught by the police.
When pedestrians are engaged on a zebra crossing on the road, drivers must stop.
British drivers are usually very polite and patient. Do not use your horn for no reason, as it will not be appreciated!
Transport...
Roads are well equipped and maintained in the UK, but very busy on main roads. There are no tolls on motorways, however a few bridges are chargeable.
“National Express Coaches” are coaches that run all over the UK. They are comfortable and quite cheap compared to the train.
Trains have got a lot better these last few years in term of quality and comfort. However, train tickets can be expensive, depending on where you are in the UK.
Working in the UK...
Work regulation is a lot more flexible in England than in France. Employers do not have to provide a written work contract to their employees.
35h a week don’t exist in the UK! You would usually do 37.5h in public sectors, and a lot more in specific industries! You get in average 4 weeks off a year as well as 8 bank holidays.
From October 2011, the minimum legal wage in the UK is as follows:
· For workers between 18 and 20 years old, the hourly rate is £4.98 an hour
· For workers aged 21 or older, the hourly rate is £6.08 an hour
The above rates are gross, Tax and National Insurance Contribution need to be deducted.
A few exceptions: Au-pairs (who are fed and offered accommodation by their host families), apprentices and work experience students.
As soon as you start your job, you will need to book an appointment at a job centre and apply for a National Insurance Number. You will need to take with you a letter from your Manager confirming your employment, as well as your ID/passport.
At the end of your stay in the UK, before going back to France, you will be able to get some of the taxes you have been paying back. This is called Tax Return; you will need to speak to HMRC about this.
Employers may ask you to open a UK bank account to pay your wages directly into. For this, you will need to make an appointment at a bank and take your passport/ID with you.
Health...
Each individual living in the UK is free to choose their GP and can deal with a doctor accredited by the NHS. Consultations are free. If you decide to see a doctor who is not NHS accredited, please note that consultations can be very expensive.
You will need a proof of address, your European Health Insurance Card and your ID/passport in order to make your first appointment with a GP and use the free services of the NHS.
Some dentists are NHS accredited but there are not many.
Medications are chargeable, except for people under 16, students between 16 and 19, pregnant women and elderly individuals above 60.
As well as the European Health Insurance Card, Breakaway advise you to get a complementary private insurance that covers you abroad.
Weights and measurements...
Metres are officially used, but distances are still measured in inches (1 inch=2.54cm), yards (1 yard=0.9144m) and miles (1 mile=1.6093km).
For weight, we use ounces (1 ounce=28.35g), pounds (1 pound=0.4536kg) and tons for weight.
Additional useful information...
Shops usually open from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Saturday.
Supermarkets are usually open from 7am to 8pm Monday to Saturday and from 10am to 4pm on Sundays. Some are open 24 hours a day.
Post Offices and Banks are open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm, and on Saturdays until 12pm. They are closed on Sundays.
Emergency: call 999 to contact Police, Ambulance, Fire and Rescue Services.
The stamp of a standard postcard to be sent from the UK to France costs £0.68.
You will need an adaptor to use French electrical appliances.
Telephone codes are as follows:
· From France to the UK: +44 followed by the number you wish to call (ignore the first 0)
· From the UK to France: +33 followed by the number you wish to dial (ignore the first 0)
Remember! If you use your French credit card to withdraw some money in the UK, you will pay additional charges on each transaction, even if it’s an international card! So try to avoid using it but if you have to, it’s better to get out a big amount at once than withdrawing small amount several times.
Useful links...
- If you travel by plane
Expedia Easyjet Ryanair Air France BA
- If you travel by train
- If you travel by ferry