Studying Abroad in London? The Nitty Gritty

Dr. Jessie Voigts
September
29
/ 2016
Categories
Best Of
Traveling

Originally published September 2016. Updated November 2026.

 

My very first overseas assignment working in Study Abroad was a summer London program. Can I tell you, it was one of the best summers of my life? I loved the students, I love London. You can’t go wrong. Every year, there are many students studying in London, changing their lives through study abroad. 

 

London is a huge city, full of possibilities – more than you can ever imagine! It can be overwhelming, especially if you’re coming from a smaller college or a small town. There is a plethora of benefits to studying in London - and to gaining international experience - so it's a great move for your future.

Here are the nitty gritty details of what you’ll need to do to thrive in London.

Studying Abroad in London? The Nitty Gritty

Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons, adapted by Wandering Educators

Money

You’re fine with your debit card and credit cards from home (well, as long as the funds are there!). There are ATMS and banks all over London, ready to spit out your money. Remember before you leave, to contact your bank AND any credit card companies you’ll be using, and notify them of your travel plans and dates. This includes excursions to other countries – Europe is easily accessible for weekend jaunts! This helps prevent fraud. If you don’t do this, you’ll find yourself money-less in London, until you can sort it out. Avoid at all costs – you’ll want to jump right into British culture (including pubs and theatre performances) as soon as you get there. 

Speaking of Money, Look for the Free

There are tons of free things to do in London! You can hear the choir at evensong services at Westminster Abbey. Visit the free museums (including the British Museum, the National Gallery, the National Portrait Gallery, the Science Museum, Natural History Museum, the Tate Modern and Tate Britain, and the Victoria and Albert Museum). Download London walking tours and explore. Watch the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. Listen to free music every day at 5:45pm (1:45pm Sundays) at the National Theatre. Peruse the offerings at Sotheby’s. You can even see a BBC TV show, live!

Elgin Marbles at the British Museum

Elgin Marbles at the British Museum. Photo: Becky Burns

Health Care

You will have access to excellent health care in the UK. Whether it costs you anything depends entirely on how long you are going for, and this is the most expensive thing students get wrong before they fly.

Going for longer than six months? You will need a Student visa, and it comes with the Immigration Health Surcharge. Students pay a discounted rate of £776 for each year of the visa (everyone else pays £1,035, so take the discount and smile), and you pay it up front as part of the online application, on top of the visa fee itself. Once it is paid, you use the NHS exactly as a UK resident does, with nothing to hand over at the appointment. Budget it as a visa cost rather than a health cost, because that is when it actually lands.

Going for a single semester? Under six months, you are most likely traveling as a visitor rather than as a student. Americans now need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (£20) instead of a visa, and there is no health surcharge to pay. There is also no NHS entitlement, which is the part we hope doesn't surprise you. You will need private medical insurance from home, arranged before you leave. Ask your host university which method your specific program uses; an assessed work placement can put you on a Student visa even inside six months.

 

Getting Around

Transportation in London is quite good, and you can also walk many places, if you are able. If you’re going to be using public transportation (including the tube), it’s worth getting a Student Oyster photocard, which will give you 30% off travel cards and bus/tram passes, which means more money to spend on things YOU love – art supplies, tickets to concerts and plays, a pint at the pub, etc.

Two things have changed since this was first written; both save you money.

You probably do not need to buy an Oyster card at all. Tap in and out with your own contactless bank card or your phone and you pay the same pay as you go fares, with the same daily cap. Contactless also does something Oyster cannot, which is cap you weekly, Monday through Sunday, working out the cheapest combination of singles and passes for however much you actually traveled that week. Use the same card or device every single time you tap, as it links your journeys together. (Keep your contactless card well away from your phone at the reader, too, or they fight each other and neither one works.)

Check whether you qualify for the photocard before you count on it. The 18+ Student Oyster photocard is a real saving and costs £22 to apply for, but it asks for at least 14 weeks on the same course, with at least 15 structured learning hours a week, at an institution on TfL's scheme, and you have to be living in a London borough during term time. A single short semester may not clear that bar! Note too that the photocard does not touch pay as you go fares on its own. If you want your individual journeys cheaper, add a 16-25 Railcard to the photocard, which takes a third off off-peak pay as you go and off-peak daily caps.

The map has changed since 2016 as well. The Elizabeth line opened in 2022 and now runs straight through the middle of London, out to Heathrow in one direction and Essex in the other. It is purple on the map, the stations are enormous, and it is a genuine pleasure to ride. The Night Tube also runs on several lines on Friday and Saturday nights, which matters more than you would think at the end of a show. Check Transport for London for which lines are running that weekend.

If you've just arrived and want to explore without the burden of your bags, consider using convenient storage services. This way, you can move around more comfortably and make the most of your time in the city. Once you're done exploring for the day, just pick up your left luggage London and proceed to your next destination.

London Eye and County Hall

Photo courtesy Wikimedia commons: Kim Hansen

Sightseeing

You might not hit the big attractions right away – you’ve got to get settled (and start studying). But when your family or friends come to visit, they’ll want the grand tour. If you buy the Go City London Explorer Pass, you can save on admission to over 15 London attractions, including Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour, Coca-Cola London Eye, Madame Tussauds, St. Paul's Cathedral, London Zoo, SEA LIFE London Aquarium, London Dungeon, Walking Tours (including Doctor Who and Sherlock Holmes!), Wembley Stadium Tour, Fat Tire Royal London Bike Tour, and more.  If you’re planning ahead, ask for one for a gift from well-meaning relatives. They are good for up to 30 days after activation at first use.

London also boasts FOUR(!) UNESCO World Heritage Sites (Kew Gardens, Maritime Greenwich, Tower of London, and Westminster Abbey and Palace).

There’s so much to see in London that if you lived here a lifetime, you wouldn’t see it all. Take time to see what YOU want to see – not what you feel you must see!

Big Ben from the London Eye 

 Big Ben from the London Eye. Photo: Becky Burns

Discover the Unusual

There’s SO MUCH to see in London, from shopping to art to museums to – well, just about anything! Take time to discover the unusual, and be open to serendipity. One of my favorite memories in London was stumbling upon Wagamama, a Japanese noodle restaurant. We were bunched all together at a long table, ordered way too much food, and laughed and laughed. Did I mention how great the food was?

Staying Connected

Sort out how you are going to call home before you go, and make sure the people who will worry about you have the same app you do. WhatsApp, FaceTime, Google Meet, Signal, and Teams all work fine over wifi and cost nothing. Agree a standing time to talk, too. The week you arrive is the week you will most want to hear a familiar voice, and it is also the week you will be too disoriented to organize it.

Weekend Getaways

You’re SO close to everything, in London! You can jet off to Paris for a weekend, or take the train up to Scotland to enjoy the best of Edinburgh or the Highlands. Check for student discounts, look for sales, and pack light – you’ll have fun discovering new places, AND coming back home to London.

 

Before you go: paying for it

The money category on this page is about living in London. These two are about getting there in the first place:

 

The complete Studying Abroad in London series

Heather Robinette was our Study Abroad in London editor, and she wrote all thirty-five of these drawing on her own six weeks studying in London. Start with the overview, then work through whichever part you need:

Studying Abroad in London: What You Experience from Start to Finish

Before you go

Settling in

Getting around

Seeing London

Weekend trips beyond London

Coming home