Cash & Cards: Managing Your Money in London

One of the difficult parts of foreign travel is working with different currencies and figuring out how best to pay for everything. Here at home, you’re likely used to just swiping your debit card for everything and carrying very little cash. While you won’t need cash for transportation — you’ll receive an Oyster Card once we arrive that will cover your transportation on the Tube/Underground and on buses — you will still want to keep more cash on you than normal.

Most weeks, I stop by a cash machine, pull out £100 and then use that for 3 – 5 days; then I go back and get more. I don’t encourage you to carry more cash than that.

It’s easy to check the current conversion rate by typing “1 BPS to US” in Google.

Card Options

One significant difference between US debit/credit cards and those of Europe used to be that we used only a “magnetic strip” while most of Europe uses the “chip and pin” system. More recently, US cards come with a “chip and pin.”  State Employee’s Credit Union (SECU) uses a chip-enabled card, as does Wells Fargo. Cards without chips still work in the UK, but the person taking your card may look at it funny for a minute.

If you are worried at all about taking your main bank card around London, you might consider getting a special card for travel. No one uses “Travellers’ Cheques” anymore, and you absolutely do NOT want to bring a lot of cash and “exchange” it — those places will rip you off!

SECU offers a “Cash Points Global” card. This card is not connected to your banking account, so if it’s lost or stolen, no one could get more money than is on the card. You (or your parents) can also add funds to the card at any time, so you might find this option interesting.

Personally, I (Dr. Banks) use Wise (formerly TransferWise). This “bank” allows me to add funds from my US banks whenever I want; I can then convert that money in the app from US dollars to British pounds and tap-to-pay using my watch or iPhone everywhere in the UK without getting any foreign transaction fees. I’ve used it for several years now; they will also send you a plastic card to use in ATMs or instead of your phones. I’ve found it a great option that’s cheaper and quicker while abroad. You can also convert to many different currencies so if you are going to the UK but also heading to Europe after or during the trip, this option lets you move money from dollars to pounds to euros so you can easily spend wherever you go.

Financial Security

Regardless of whether you get “burner” cards like the two above or you bring and use your own debit and credit cards, you must be careful. For any of your own cards that you bring, be sure to call your bank/credit card company and tell them that you are traveling. You may find that your card has special options for international travel, but you’ll also want to know how much your bank/card charges you for international purchases. Those fees can add up quickly! SECU suggests the following when you travel using their cards:

Important Traveling Tips

• Notify the Credit Union of extensive domestic and/or international travels
• Inquire about potential international fraud blocks before you travel*
• Test your card to confirm that you have the valid PIN
• Verify that your card will not expire while traveling
• Carry alternative payment methods (i.e. additional debit/credit cards)
• Do not pack all payment methods together (i.e. one in a suitcase, another in a purse or wallet)
• Remain observant for pick pockets
• Photocopy all cards front and back and keep copies on hand

Cellphones and Tablets

Each year, the question about phones and communication comes up. And each year, the answer is a bit different as smart phones, tablets, and US cellular providers evolve in a global marketplace. If you have a “smart phone” (an iPhone, a Galaxy, an Android phone, etc) or tablet, then there are options for you once we get to London. Depending on your carrier here, there are options here, as well.

U.S. Carrier Options

A new cell phone option in the US might be something to look into: Google Fi. This service costs what a regular US cellular and data plan costs but has the benefit of working in over 200 countries. Basically, any country you will go to as part of going on the London program is covered. Dr. Kitta has used this service recently had great success across Europe.

If you use AT&T, Verizon, or Sprint, you will most likely want to get a foreign travel plan with them. USCellular doesn’t work overseas. Why a travel plan? The two summers that I’ve not gotten one, I landed at Heathrow, and then one summer, forgotten to turn off my cellular service, while the other, I used it to make 2 texts to find students. My bill? $300.00 … for having it on for 6 hours! If I had had an international plan, I’d have paid the $30 or $40 up front and that would have been it. Even if I don’t use it, I’m getting an international plan this year just to be safe. They’re not expensive and they are really nice if you get lost or stuck somewhere and need your phone for just a minute.

These plans are not very useful while you’re traveling, frankly, and their allowances can disappear quickly, but as a back-up option, I recommend it. You may want to look into what your cell plan offers you. Having an International Plan on your phone can help you if you find yourself lost in London or at the airport. It’s a good backup plan and it’s not very expensive all things considered.

You certainly do not NEED to purchase one of these. As long as you put your phone on “Airplane Mode” and never turn that off while you’re abroad, you won’t find any additional charges on your bill. And now that we have unlimited wifi in the flats, you can use your phone over wifi at the flats, and there are a number of places in London with free wifi (Starbucks, for example).

Cellular Plans in London

Now, if you use your phone or tablet as your main camera, or you just like the idea of being able to upload pictures to FB, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat while traveling, then you might look into getting a SIM card from any of these main carriers:

• eSim.net – Newer phones with eSim technology like the iPhone 14 do not have physical SIM cards, so the options below may not work. eSim.net offers local UK phone lines with lots of internet access for fairly cheap and can be bought and set up before leaving the US so you know it works.
• GiffGaff – GiffGaff is one of the cheapest option (£10 for 15gig of data) and you can order your SIM card delivered to the US so you have it before you and you can make sure your phone is unlocked. Friends used this recently and had great service in London and throughout the UK and most of Europe. You’d want a “SIM only plan” which lets you just buy a SIM card for the one month we’ll be there.
• EE – EE is what I use currently. You want a “Pay as You Go” SIM option, and currently, 60gig of data would run £20. I’ve used O2 and Three and they have their benefits, but most recently, I used EE and got the most data for the cheapest price.
• O2 – O2 probably has the best coverage in London, and each of their SIMS also provides you with free WiFi access at spaces all over the city, including the Underground. Currently, their Pay as You Go option would cost £15 for 20 gig of data.
• Three – 3 is probably the second most popular London-related phone service, but their “All in One 20” month-long option is a really good plan.

If you want to purchase a SIM card, you can join me on the first or second day we’re there. It’s pretty easy to find a shop that sells SIM cards.

Cellphones & Tablets @ the Flats

The WiFi in our flats used to be limited; since 2015, we have gotten unlimited wifi data on up to 2 devices with our individual access cards. Since then, we’ve had very few issues with wifi, which is great. We hope this will be the norm this year, as well! This means you can use your iPad/Tablet/smart phone to make calls home over Wifi, use Skype/Facetime, WhatsApp, and all the other apps you love to use.

Converters and Adapters for Electronics

Every year, students are a little anxious about their computers, hairdryers, curling/straightening irons, and other electronics. Here’s what you need to know about your electronics to make sure, as much as possible, you don’t have any issues.

Adapters

Most of your electronics will only need an adapter so that your U.S. two- or three-pronged plug will fit into the wall outlets in the U.K. Adapters are fairly cheap and you can get some before you go from Target, Walmart, or Amazon — or you can wait until we get to the U.K. These are in every corner shop. Your computers all have power cords with “blocks” on them, which while annoying to pack in your backpack is great because that regulate the current and means all you need for them while in the U.K. is an adapter. Likewise, you can usually charge your phones, tablets, e-readers, etc by plugging them into the USB port on your computer. That simplifies things dramatically. Similarly, if you have any sort of medical equipment or other electronics that has a currency modulator as part of the cable, you’re probably safe to use an adapter.

If you’re planning on going to France, Spain, Italy, Germany, or anywhere on “the continent,” then you might want to get an adapter that works across environments like this one: Universal Travel Adapter.

Converters

Converters may be needed, however, if you bring hair dryers or curling irons or straightening irons. Those types of electronics typically do not have a currency regulator on them and plug right into the wall, but since the U.K. runs on a different voltage, that means possibly blowing up your hair dryers and various irons. For those, a converter is necessary. These are more expensive because they do more work than adapters. (for more about the differences, REI offers a nice explanation of the different kinds.)

You might also talk to the folks who will be your roommates about purchasing a hairdryer while in London. They aren’t all that expensive and at least then, you know that it will work and not blow up.

Other Electronics

It’s hard for us faculty to predict what you may need in London when it comes to electronics, but if you have particular needs, please let us know in advance and we’ll do what we can to make recommendations. This is especially important if any of your electronics are medical in nature; we want to make sure you don’t get to London and have any problems there.

Packing for London

One of the biggest challenges you’re going to face before we get to London will be packing. How much should you take? What sort of clothes? What’s the weather going to be like anyway? If you’ve never traveled away from home for three weeks, then you’re probably wondering how in the world you’ll get all those clothes, shoes, facial creams, and hair products in one or even two bags. Here’s the secret: YOU DON’T!

A few helpful tips about packing for London:

One medium-to-large-sized bag with wheels. That’s it. If it doesn’t fit, it stays at home. Period. And trust me, the wheels are a life-saver when you’re trying to get through customs and a large airport like Heathrow or Gatwick! Stick a duffle bag in to use to haul back the clothes or gifts you buy over-seas if you must. What goes in this one bag? Easy: pack for one week and wash on the weekend! No one in London will be impressed by your sense of fashion, or what they’ll see as a lack thereof. This is your checked luggage. Don’t put anything in it that you’ll need on the plane, e.g., medications, contact solution, etc.

• 6-7 shirts (+ one dress if you’re so inclined)
• 2-3 pairs of jeans
• 1 pair of pants & a belt
• 1 – 2 pairs of shorts (one rarely wears shorts in London, but it can get hot)
• 1 pair of non-tennis shoes & some flip-flops (assuming you wear tennis shoes on the plane)
• 7 days worth of underwear and socks
• pajamas and a set of lounge wear (you will have a roommate, so don’t make him/her uncomfortable by choosing to parade around nude in the flats)
• bath essentials in plastic bags (you can buy soap and such in London); put everything liquid in a plastic bag b/c it may burst during flight and you’d hate to get to London and have all your clothes coated in shampoo!

One backpack with your important items: passport, laptop, digital camera/camera phone, US-to-England adapter for the electrical outlet, your daybook, your other course materials, and your laptop/tablet, if you’re bringing one. There is wireless in the flats, as well as at location throughout London. (Click here for more about phones/tablets, and click here for information about converters/adapters.)

One small hand-held bag with a change of underwear, a shirt, a pair of jeans/pants, a light jacket/rain coat, and your teddy bear. That’s it. It will be hot in NC, but much cooler when we land and you may want quick access to your jacket. Don’t put anything liquid in there or anywhere on your person, and avoid the hassle. This bag is also great for the return trip b/c you can put all the extras inside that you pick up abroad. Because we’re going to be there in July, it will be relatively warm, but you’ll still need clothes for cool weather. England is along the same latitude as Maine and parts of Canada, so even in summer, it can be cool there. One year, in mid-June, we had a day that was 50 degrees and some students froze because they didn’t pack well.

If you MUST have mouthwash or contact solution on the flight over, then make sure it’s 3 oz. or less and all liquids fit in a small quart-sized Ziploc bag. You’ll have to take this out at the airport to go through the check-in and they are strict! Also, it can’t be just “3 ozs are left” – the container itself has to be labeled 3 oz or less or the TSA folks will take it from you. I’ve tried to go through with half-used tubes of toothpaste and it’s a no-go.

When dressing for London, remember the following:

• It will be much cooler in London than in NC, even in July, and it will be less humid. People have started to wear shorts, but don’t over-pack them. They’re nice for an occasional trip to the park, but jeans or pants are better all-weather gear. The thing is this: if you go out and it’s warm, and you put on shorts, most days, you won’t return to the flats until after dark – this is city life, after all – and the temperature changes significantly throughout the day. I wear short-sleeved shirts every day and put my Columbia fleece on top; I’ve never been cold and when it’s warm, I can easily take off the fleece.
• Rain is frequent, though not like NC. You’re best with a light rain coat, maybe one with a hood; umbrellas are a waste of time as the wind will quickly turn them inside out. The rain mostly “spits” at you, as Rick Taylor says, and it’s over fairly quickly. Worst case scenario, you run into a shop or one of the museums for a bit while the rain goes away.
• TENNIS SHOES! You will destroy your feet quickly in flip-flops, either from stress or from the many germs and gross sticky things that are part of city streets and subways. Two years ago, I had a student who, to borrow from Jimmy Buffet, “busted a flip-flop” on the way to see Wicked and had to walk around London and the Tube barefoot … we almost had to amputate her disgusting foot back at the flats because we weren’t sure it could be cleaned! ☺

These are good rules of thumb. I’ll share more about packing as we get closer, and if you have questions, just ask.