Landing : UK

Few things you need to know and do before and after coming to United Kingdom.

Before You Start

1. Check out what you need from your Country : Handy Travel Kit List
2. Plan your  flight 
1. You can book additional baggage for least cost, if  you are travelling by BA or opt for any flight which provides 46 Kg luggage space!
2. Visit SkyScanner to get good prices for your air-trip
• Tip :  If you travelling from South India. Why can't  you try booking flights from Delhi - London? Costs will be halved! Check out plans & options.
3. Take a chest X-Ray of yours and keep it in Hand luggage
1. Currently there is Restrictions on TB patients or diseases related to it. Do check before travel.
4. Planning to buy a new mobile?
1. It is 30-40% cheaper compared to India, so why not shop @ UK?
5. Get your friends or relatives address, where you are planning to stay.
6. Get the bus or transport / contact details, to where you are going. Keep them handy.
7. If you know car driving and have valid India Driving license, then would recommend you to get a International Driving License from your RTO. The International Driving License or your Indian Driving license is valid for 1 year here, after that you need to obtain a UK Driving License. Driving in UK is one of the cheapest mode of transport for trips especially and you can rental car which are very affordable.

Once you Land in UK

1. Get a mobile number [ SIM]
1. If you are always going to get in touch with your friends & relatives back in India, then you might need specialised SIM from any vendors like Lyca / Lebara /  Vectone /  Nowmobile / GTmobile etc...
2. If your profile requires UK calling and India [personal] calling then opt for providers like O2 /  Orange /  Vodafone etc.... 
3. Tip : Every vendor has various schemes, which will work out from ½ pence to 1 pence, when you top-up depending upon the scheme you are in. Currently direct calling to India is 1 penny. If you manually dial the number, then it might be ½ pence. You can take 'Unlimited Landline scheme' from Orange or any similar providers and top-up, which will make you ½ pence.
2. Get a bank account [Similar to Savings Account in India is called as Current Account in UK]
3. If possible [just ask for it, will be very helpful], get a Credit Card provided by your  UK Bank
4. Register you UK debit & credit card in the CashBack Sites listed below
1. Fivers
2. TopCashBack
3. Quidco
4. FutCash
5. BeforeIShop
6. uPromise
7. FatWallet 
8. Bing 
9. ePionions
10. Quidsinuk
11. Cashback
12. Wepromise
13. UKRewards
14. PennyMix
5. Accommodation [Either plan with your friends or get enquire an agent to get houses/flats for rent]
1. Rent Cost Approx : UK except London City - £500 - £700 for 1 or 2 BHK
2. Rent @ London City - £ 900 - £1600
• Tip : Don't worry about furnished or unfurnished accommodation! There might be difference of £50 - £150 on monthly rental between unfurnished flat & furnished flat. hmmm...so where or how to furnish a flat then? Check out your local area / nearest charity shops. You would find Good Sofa Sets, TV [CRT] at a very high discounted price and they will also deliver them with minimal cost! Though it might be seconds, it is worth trying them. You can recover the cost in 3 months. While departure, you can either return to the charity shops for free and throw them away!! [This is how it works here]
6. Shopping – Grocery
1. ALDI for Veggies & fruits
2. Asian Shops – for Asian Veggies & sub-continent products
3. LIDL for Special Weekend offers
4. Morrison’s – multiple offers, value for money
5. Sainsbury’s – multiple offers, value for money & quality
6. ASDA - multiple offers, value for money & but it might  be far from your place :( 
7. Tesco – Think of this, as a last option, as mostly it is Volume based buys
8. Co-Operative - If this the nearest!
• Tip 1 : Most of the dishes we use need Tomatoes. Try 'Can Peeled Plum Tomatoes' the nutrients or tastes the same with less cost. Other items, which you can try from frozen or can are Garden Peas, Corn and some times drumstick, bitter-gourd, cauliflower.
• eShopping for Groceries..
• Amazon
• AsianCookShop
• eMasala
• SpiceofIndia
• iTadka
• Heera
• Thanima
• For Germany : GetGrocery
7. Shopping – £1 or cheaper shops
1. Poundland
2. Pound-stretcher
• Most of your initial purchases and also while returning to your home country, will/can be in  Poundland, which will save you a lot :)
8. Internet Connection [ In UK, you need to have phone connection to get this]
1. For bundles - Phone, TV, Internet - Virgin Media / Sky / BT
• NOTE: You need to have TV License to watch live programs [ it can be broadcasting from anywhere]
2. For only Internet + Phone - Plusnet / O2

Will add more, based on further experiences... do pop-in later!