6. Cheap International Calls
One of the first questions you may ask is if your current phone will work in the UK. The answer is most likely yes! The UK operates on the GSM band, which is the standard for most of the world. You can double check what your home country and current phone is using here.
However, the worst thing you can do is keep your current SIM card in your phone while studying in the UK. You will pay extremely high call charges for calling back home as well as on local numbers. Here are our top tips for keeping connected on the cheap.
For calling local numbers: If you already have a phone then you will need a new SIM card. Pay As You Go (PAYG) means that you top up the phone when your credit runs out and this is good for keeping an eye on your spending. Monthly contracts are usually better value as you will get free minutes and texts but you will have to pay out every month, coming with added long-term responsibility. If you’re likely to make international calls, see below.
If you would like a new phone, check out our comparison tool to get a great deal that will have minutes, text and data bundled together for a low monthly price. You can even keep the phone when then contract finishes.
For calling back home: Recently there have been a host of low-cost international call providers, such as Lebara, LycaMobile and RebTel. However in my experience newcomer RebTel offer the best value, with some calls under 1p a minute and your first call is free. Click here to see the rates. Alternatively, use Skype on your computer to call another Skype computer back home for free – this includes video chat!
7. Travel
Getting around in the UK can be daunting at first as there are many options. We are here to help you get around by simplifying your choices. If you are traveling locally then check out local bus companies and consider biking. Stagecoach are a bus company within the UK that offer a year pass called a
UniRider. This is a cheap and easy way to travel around the city and can save you a lot of money throughout the year.
If you are within London then the tube is often the fastest way to get around. Also, for travel in London, take a look at the Oyster card. It is by far the cheapest option.
The two main options for national travel across the UK are by coach or train. Trains are often the quickest and most comfortable way to get around the UK. Tickets
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