APARTMENTS

There are plenty of published sources of information on apartments (flats) in each city. The Yellow Pages, apartment and house-hunting guides (available at grocery store counters), listings in the daily local newspapers all act as good aids for locating and renting an apartment. Other help in identifying suitable neighbourhoods and apartment complexes, can often be provided by colleagues and other friends/acquaintances in the area. Also bachelors usually save on living expenses by sharing apartments/houses, with other consultants working at the same place.

The internet can be a great help when looking for an apartment. You can find a few sites that have online renting, or online searches, to find an apartment closest to you.

All apartments are fairly spacious, come equipped with a refrigerator and cooking range (a dishwasher too, sometimes), and are well heated in winter. Most, in warm areas, also have air conditioning installed in them. Coin-operated washers and dryers for clothes are available, for use by residents, in the basement areas of most apartment complexes.

Once you have moved into an apartment, please maintain an inventory of all the items in it (furniture also, if this is rented) and their condition. This will be helpful when you move out.

Buy: this web site gives information on cheapest gas, electricity and mobile phone companies.

CHOOSING AN APARTMENT

There are some things that you need to keep in mind while choosing an apartment:

• Decide how much you can pay, how many rooms you need and where you want to live.
• Landlord and tenant laws vary from province to province, so always check up, and know your rights before you sign anything.
• Most apartments are leased by the year, although some are rented monthly. If you are only going to be in the country for a short period, or intend on moving on, then it may be worth while getting a shared apartment.
• You may have to pay the first and last month's rent in advance.
• You may also be asked for a damage deposit. This will normally be returned to you when you move out. It is a form of insurance for landlords in case a tenant causes unreasonable damage.
• A bachelor apartment is a small apartment designed for one person (two at the most).
• Some apartments are larger than others. Ask the person you are renting from how many people can live in it.
• A furnished apartment should contain at least bed(s), table(s), chairs, lamps, curtains and basic kitchen equipment.
• Furnished apartments cost more than unfurnished ones.
• You can buy a telephone or rent one from the telephone company. You may have to pay a deposit on your rented telephone. However your phone will not work until you are connected by the telephone company.

Your apartment will be equipped with basic utilities and features, including:

• water from taps that is safe to drink.
• sewage disposal that pipes waste from bathrooms, kitchens and laundry rooms.
• electricity.
• a heating system powered by natural gas, oil or electricity.
• a lockable front door opening to the street or a common hallway.
• a bathroom with a toilet, sink, and shower or bath.
• closets for storing clothes.
• a kitchen or kitchen area with a sink, counter, shelves or cupboards, and appliances such as a refrigerator and a stove with oven.

Note: It is normally very difficult to find an apartment /room for a duration of less than 6 months. Most letters/agents operate on the policy of a minimum period of rent guarantee of 6 months, which translates into your signing a lease with the letter. The lease is a legal document enforceable in a court of law, you should treat this document with a lot of respect.

FOOD

Despite an internationally poor reputation, British food can actually be quite good especially if you stick to the country's specialties. Britain is an island of meat eaters and this accounts for their excellent roast-beef, lamb, pork and fine Yorkshire hams. For those with less ambitious appetites, more emphasis is now being laid on lighter fare, such as quiche, salads, chicken and fish. English cheese is diverse from the many varieties of cheddar (available everywhere) to the strong but delicious stilton. Breakfast is generally a large meal and is the biggest meal in Britain where they believe "Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a noble, supper like a slave" .

Indians who live on a strictly vegetarian diet need not despair. In most of Britain large cities, Indian food that is spicy and especially good is available. You may find, though, that a few delicacies do not have the same taste or indeed even look the same but most of these joints are authentic and you can rely on the fact that what you get is indeed vegetarian.

Most Pubs or bars (Public Houses) around the country stop serving alcohol at 11, however there are exceptions hotels are exempt from this law and some bars manage to get around the law by turning themselves into clubs which generally are allowed to stay open till 2 a.m. Clubs in London are allowed to stay open longer.

Restaurants generally stop serving food at About UK 10 pm. Fast food stays open a little longer. A typical restaurant meal will cost you About UK £15 a person with drinks costing extra. Hotel restaurants are usually a little more expensive depending on the hotel. Expect to pay a lot for food in London. McDonald’s, at the time of writing costs less then £3 for a big mac meal almost everywhere, with other fast food restaurants costing more or less the same amount.

Food and cooking in the UK may be different from what you were used to in your native country. Most English shop for food at large stores called supermarkets. You can also buy food at smaller grocery stores and specialty shops. In larger cities with well-established immigrant communities, you may find specialty food stores that sell food from your home country; but some of your traditional foods may not be available in the UK or may be very expensive. There is a big Indian community in the UK, so there will be Indian stores and restaurants you can go to, where you are likely to find all the things you may need.

You will find listing for restaurants and take-out joints in your local Yellow Pages.

The UK also has the famous food outlets:

• McDonald's
• Pizza Hut
• Dominos
• Kentucky Fried Chicken
• Subway

Dine Online and Restaurants.co.uk are comprehensive guides to restaurants in the UK.

FOR VEGETARIANS

Being vegetarian in the UK is not easy. To make it a little easier, keep these things in mind:

• Remember that meat is eaten more often, and vegetarian food is not that common.
• Ask the people at the restaurant for vegetarian dishes. If they don't have any, order something and tell them you want it without meat, and without eggs if you don't eat eggs.
• Be careful with the salads because all salads are not vegetarian.
• If you have a doubt About UK something, don't hesitate to ask.

PHONE CALLS

Telephones are a tricky affair in Britain, they seem to have a will of their own. It is wise to remember to dial slowly, and if calling from a public telephone, to have plenty of 10p pieces available (lined up on top of the phone preferably), and to expect disaster at any moment. Public telephones are found in bright yellow kiosks and it is a national joke, that none of them are in working order. That's an exaggeration of course, but for an innocent abroad, they might as well not be in working order. They are a challenge to use. One must pick up the receiver and listen for the dial tone, then dial, then listen for the ringing. If the party on the other end does answer, it is then time for decisive action. A harsh beeping tone will commence - this is the signal for you to insert the first 10p piece. Pray that your coin is not bent and that the coin slot isn't full of chewing gum, for that bleep is merciless. A few seconds and then you will be cut off. If you repeat this maneuver several times, when you do eventually get through, the person on the other end won't want to talk to you, convinced that you are an idiot or annoyed that you have forced them to get up and answer the telephone so many times without managing to say anything. Try to use private telephones. For the operator, dial 100, directory inquiries for London 142, for emergencies 999, directory encores for elsewhere in Britain 192, for the overseas operator 155.

International calls: To make an international call economically you could try Swiftcall, a very popular service operating in the UK that has a rate About UK half that of operators like BT. You can call them at 0171-481-0881 to find out more or visit to them which is open 24 hours a day at the World Trade Center in London. To open an account over the phone you might need a credit card number to give them for charging plus there are introductory incentives as well. There are also other services like Econophone, for About UK £10 you could talk to India for About UK 12-15 minutes.

Telephone companies in the UK:

• Atlantic Telecom
• British Telecom
• Cable & Wireless
• Virgin Media
• First Telecom

Competitive rates for international phone calls

• AXS Telecom

COLLECT CALLS

• Pick up the phone and dial 100 to call the operator.
• Tell the operator that you want to make a collect call, and give her the phone number you want to call. Leave the rest to her.
• The operator will ask the person at the other end whether he/she would like to receive a collect call from you. If that person agrees, you are through.

COIN CALLS

Coin calls are easy to make. You put in the amount indicated on the phone, and then dial the number. The phone itself will have all the instructions printed clearly on it, and all you have to do is follow those instructions. The amount of coins you need to put will be different for international calls. You may also have to put additional coins to extend a call.

PHONE CARDS

Pre-paid phone cards are available for long distance and international calls. You can get them at stores, though you have to be careful as they can cheat you. Phone cards are usually cheaper than regular phone calls you might make. They have a fixed time limit, and a rate. They come for different times and rates, at different stores or companies. You will find them available most anywhere, and in fact, they are more popular than using coins.

There are a couple of ways you can obtain one. Either from a machine where you insert some money, and get a card; or over the counter. You can also re-use the same card, by adding more money to your card.

TRAVELING

Most cities have excellent public transportation systems. Large cities have several different systems, such as buses, streetcars, subways and trains. In smaller communities, buses and taxis are more common.

You can use the online Street Map to find your way around.

TRAINS

The underground (tube)

It can be quite confusing using the underground for the first time. When taking the correct line make sure it is going in the right direction (East – West or North – South). In planning your route, take into account that the underground walking tunnels can be quite long and it may take a while before you find the right exit.

Long Distance Travel

There are many types of fares depending on the day of the week, the time of day, student status, number of days (or weeks) the ticket has to be valid, family ticket, and so on that it is impossible to give all the combinations here. It is best to explain to the ticket salesman what your route is (e.g. only train or train plus underground or bus) so that he can give you the cheapest possible ticket.

Railcards and Network cards are passes that allow the holders to have considerable discounts on certain routes. These can be discounts for any member of the family or people traveling with them. If you plan to use the train quite often, but on an irregular basis, this might be an interesting offer.

For timetable information About UK traveling by train in Great Britain you can go to Railtrack Travel Information. If you are traveling further, there is a site where you can buy tickets and reserve seats throughout mainland UK, thetrainline.com.

Another railway company is British Rail. You will also get train timetables at this site.

BUSES

This is a good way to get around towns and cities, it is normally quite cheap and services within major cities are frequent. Bus links within the UK are generally speaking very good.

The destination is shown on the front and the back of the bus. Buses are not required to stop everywhere so signal the bus driver on time if you want to get on or off. London (and other cities) are divided in zones and your fare depends on the zones of your journey. You can pay the fare to the driver when you get on the bus. Tickets depend on the destination, number of days (week or months) you want to travel. Weekend and holiday services are very restricted.

There are also long distance buses (coaches), express buses and sight-seeing buses. Express buses are usually cheaper than the British rail system.

The main bus company that serves the United Kingdom is National Express their buses are of very high standard and normally run on time. Busses can also get very crowded on long distance trips so if your journey is going to be more than an hour it is probably a good idea to book your ticket in advance if the bus company allows this.

London Transport Web Site is a very useful site for traveling in London with the underground or the bus and includes maps and information on fares.

TAXIS

You can call for a taxi by telephone through listings in the Yellow Pages, or approach one directly at a taxi stand. Taxi stands are often located outside shopping malls, large office buildings, hotels, airports, train stations and bus stations. In some cities you may also get a taxi on the street by raising your hand to show the driver you need a ride. Taxis charge for time and distance traveled and can be quite expensive.

There are two types of taxi in the United Kingdom. Traditional taxis (licensed hackney carriage) and mini cabs. Traditional Taxis can normally be distinguished by the taxi light on their roofs. All of London's famous Black Cabs are licensed taxis. Licensed taxis are allowed to pick people up anywhere and they must have a meter and display their tariffs. The driver of the taxi must also have his/her badge on display. Traditional licensed taxis can be almost any colour and many also display "all over advertising". In London taxis are licensed by the police and given a thorough mechanical test at least once a year. The taxi drivers pass strict tests of their knowledge of London streets, places of interest, famous buildings, hospitals etc. before they are given a license.

In London mini cabs are currently not regulated at all (although they are in the rest of the United Kingdom). They are only allowed to pick up people who have pre-booked by phone or in person at the mini cab company offices. It is illegal for mini cabs to respond to hails in the street. Drivers do not have to pass any tests and mini cabs do not usually have a meter so passengers should agree a price before starting a journey.

DRIVING

This can be a very cost effective way to see a lot of the UK especially if you want to see some of the smaller towns and villages. It also gives you the freedom to go where you want when you want.

Driving in the UK is very different from driving in India and the road rules are something that you should follow very strictly. You can visit the DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) for more information.

When you apply for a license in the UK, you have to do a written test and then a driving test. If you don't understand any of the instructions or questions in the tests, don't hesitate to ask.

Renting a Car

There are several car hire companies within the UK like Avis and Budget, and others that you will find in the Yellow Pages. Prices start from About UK £20 a day with discounts being offered for longer periods of hire. If you have never before driven in the UK it would probably be wise to hire a car only after you have seen how people drive here.

AIR TRAVEL

Flying can sometimes be the cheapest and more convenient option, when traveling around the UK. British Airways and British Midland are two of the airlines. For more, the Yellow Pages will be of help.

MONEY MATTERS

The pound sterling is a decimal currency divided into 100 pence. Coins come in the following denominations 50 p, 20 p, 10p, 5p, 2p and 1p. Notes are in the following denominations: £50, £20, £10, and £1.

Exchange Rates

• You won't be able to change your rupees in the UK. Even if you do find a place that will change your rupees, you probably won't get a good rate.
• Foreign currencies except dollar, deutsch mark, pound sterling, yen etc., are hard to change.
• If you are carrying large dollar amounts, it would be best if you carry them in the form of Traveller's Checks which are accepted in most places.
• The best place to convert foreign currency is at a bank, where you are guaranteed the current exchange rates.

The conversions given below are subject to change. For latest rates click here.

£1 = Rs. 67.4375

BANKS

Opening a British bank account and acquiring all the services related to it, is not very simple in the UK. UK banks are not always very keen to accept customers from abroad. You may have a better service if you are dealing with a bank who is used to dealing with expatriates (mainly in London).

• When you open your bank account, you will be asked for personal information. This is true no matter which bank you use or which account you choose.
• Before you leave your country, make sure that you have an English statement from you current bank that you have been a customer of theirs for years and that they enjoy a good banking relationship with you.
• They may also want a utility bill and a letter from your employer stating the terms of your employment.
• On top of that, if you have no credit history, which is normal because you come from another country, you are not likely to receive immediate overdraft facilities or a credit card. Only a couple of months later will you finally get a credit card and a decent overdraft amount.
• A negative account balance will cost dearly: there is a monthly fee, high interest rates, and each additional transaction will incur a fee which could be £10 or more.
• It is also important to be able to use your bank cards from your home country as a back up for the first couple of months.
• It is difficult to recommend a bank because service may vary even between branches of a single bank. Shop around and ask the advice of other expatriates.
• If you want to change banks, it is best not to close your account with your previous bank right away. Open a new one with a bank where you might get a better service and see how things go. If you are satisfied with your new bank after a couple of months, you can then close your old account.
• If you do have a credit rating (this can be possible if they are banking with the same bank as the one from their home country, like Citibank) then life will be a bit easier.
• When you open a bank account you will automatically receive a check book and a separate paying-in book (to make payments into your account), a check guarantee card (also called payment card) which also doubles as a cash card or debit card.

Bank Types

• High street banks: the main banks are Barclays, National Westminster, Lloyds TSB, Bank of Scotland and Citibank also offers special services for its expatriate customers.
• Building societies: including Abbey National, Halifax, and Woolwich. The building societies were created About UK 200 years ago as a savings bank for people who wanted to save in order to buy a house. Nowadays they offer pretty much the same services as the high street banks. If you plan to buy a house you should consider them when shopping around for a mortgage.
• Direct banks: Alliance & Leicester Commercial Bank and First Direct. These are telephone banks that have been very successful in the last couple years. They don't have branches, even though all the banking for Girobank can be done at the Post Office and First Direct is a division of Midland Bank.

Credit Cards
It's hard to live without a Credit Card in the UK. There are even some places that don't accept cash, and it is a convenient method of payment. So, it would be a good idea to apply for a credit card the moment you get to the UK . For information on major credit cards:

• Visa
• Master Card
• American Express
• Citibank

If you are in touch with your British employer, ask them whether they will help you acquiring your first credit card.

• Your company can provide you with an introduction to a bank, which will help you get your first credit card without many problems.
• Your company can even guarantee your debts for some time.
• If your company is small and unable to help you, make sure that you apply carefully.
• If you are rejected for a credit card, it could spoil your chances when you apply again, even if it is at some other bank.
• Do not apply again and again if you have been rejected once.

Automated Teller Machines

Most banks today offer self-service banking through ATMs. You can find ATM in banks, shopping malls, gas stations, convenience stores, supermarkets, airports, train stations, etc. In most cases, ATMs can be used 24- hours a day, seven days a week.

Full service ATMs can be used to:

• withdraw cash
• transfer money from one account to another
• get your account balance
• some allow you to update your passbook or obtain an account statement

The cost of using an ATM depends on your bank. Most banks charge a transaction fee which is deducted from the account.

TAXES

There will be certain taxes that will be imposed on you in the UK. This will either be deducted at source, or you will have to pay it. You should ask your company About UK the taxation policies and also About UK all the other commodities that may be taxed. For more information on taxes, visit the Inland Revenue Website.

INSURANCE

It would be wise of you take out insurance from home. That way, you will be covered for some time, before you can inquire with your company About UK their insurance policies for employees. Otherwise, if you want to take out insurance in the UK, it would be best to ask your company for advice and help.

For information on Health Insurance and a free quotation, click here.

Screentrade is a good site for the comparison of insurance companies

BUSINESS HOURS

Business hours in Britain are generally 9:30 am to 5:30 pm though some shops and companies begin the day a bit earlier or a bit later. Fishmongers, butchers and greengrocers are often open for business as early as 7:30. Banks in Great Britain are generally open from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm Mondays to Fridays.

Restaurants and snack bars, book shops and local corner stores are open until later in the evening and sometimes all weekend. All banks, post offices government and private offices, and most shops close on public holidays.

HOLIDAYS

Holiday list

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Governmentcitizensandrights/LivingintheUK/DG-073741