Expert: David Stewart White - 6/15/2008

Question
I need to know how much plane tickets would cost from North Dakota to England, for 2 adults and 2 children. Is everything in England much more expensive than in America? How much would it cost to live there for at least 2 years? Is it worth visiting? What are the least expensive, but nice enough to live in kind of hotels or motels? Do they have different termonology for things? Do you get used to driving on the left side of the road? Would it be easier to get a guide to take you around? Is the weather rainy and cold like people say it is? How long does it take to get an accent? (If you don't know could you guess or ask somebody?)When is it the best time to go? I hope you can answer these questions for me please. I am thinking about asking my grandma, mom, and sister to go with me for a few weeks or 1-2 years to visit next summer.

Answer
Hello,

I'll try to answer some of your questions:

Plane tickets have been going up in cost because of the cost of fuel.  I would expect to pay $1,000 per person for a round trip ticket from the US to England.  There are sales at times.

I really can't answer your question about how much it would cost to live in England for two years very easily.  England is quite expensive for Americans right now because the US dollar is so low in value compared to the British Pound.  Housing is very expensive, as is gasoline ($10 per gallon), food, etc.  But more importantly, you really can't spend more than 6 months in the UK as a visitor unless you have a special visa or residency/employment permit.  

Driving on the left side of the road has never been a problem for me.  It helps that everyone else is driving that way...just follow the traffic flow.  There are private and group guides (private being very expensive) if you prefer not to drive, but you can also use the huge railroad network to get around England on your own.

The weather can be almost anything--it never gets as cold as North Dakota, I would be almost certain.  It can be rainy and cool, but little snow, sometimes in the summer in southern England it can reach the 80s.

The best time to go, in my opinion, is when there aren't as many tourists in the major cities.  Mid-to-late September and early October are good, May and early June are nice too.

I hope this information is helpful.

David White

http://www.KidsToLondon.com