5 Great Reasons to Move to England from the US
We didn’t make our dream of moving to England from the US come true until we were in our mid-40’s with two teenagers. A lot of people thought we were crazy to start over so late in life, but it was one of the best decisions we ever made.
These are the top 5 reason we felt moving to England from the US was the right for our family.
Thousands of Years of History
The first humans arrived in England 800,000 years ago and it has been continuously inhabited ever since. It is a living, breathing museum.
We wanted our children to grow up with an appreciation for art and history, moving to England provided amazing opportunity to give expose them world class museums (many of which are free). To live in England is to be immersed in history, art, architecture, literature, and ancient ruins.
From Roman baths to medieval castles, you could never see it all one lifetime. But you can spend every weekend trying!
One of the best ways to see everything that England has to offer is to join the English Heritage and the National Trust. Both the English Heritage and National Trust include hundreds of different manor homes, gardens, ruins, and outdoor spaces that you can access for free after joining.
They often have special events over school breaks and holidays. Christmas is an especially magical time with many historic homes and garden putting on gorgeous holiday displays that you will never forget.
Endless Outdoor Adventures
We spent the 12 years before we moved in Fort Collins, Colorado, which offers year-round access to nearly every outdoor activity we could want.
We were worried that we had been so spoiled by our time in the Rocky Mountains, that we would have to adjust to life on an island.
I’m so glad we didn’t let that stop us because when it comes to outdoor adventures, the UK is next level.
With over 1,500 paths and trails covering 88,000 miles, the United Kingdom offers some of the best access to nature in the world.
Mountains
If you are into mountains, then you have the Cairngorms in Scotland, the Pennines in England, the Mourne Mountains in Northern Ireland, and Snowdonia in Wales.
Coastal Trails and Endless Beaches
In the United Kingdom there are 7,723 miles of coastline and over 1,500 glorious beaches.
We have always loved the ocean, but flying four people to the coast from Colorado is not cheap. We were lucky if we got to the beach once a year.
When we finally chose a place to move to in England, we realized that we were going to live an hour away from pristine coastal trails, sandy beaches, and gorgeous blue water.
Even though we moved in the middle of winter, we went to beach several times a month. We feel like it’s one of the best things about our move to England from the US.
Going to the beach for the day still feels like such as luxury to us!
3. Access to the World’s Best Universities
Two of the three best universities in the world are in the UK. With tuition capped at ยฃ9,250 for UK residents and most courses taking three years rather than four, going to university in England might be cheaper than the US.
When our daughter was in middle school, she dreamed of going to university in England. She was dreaming of historic buildings covered in ivy and local cafes filled with students studying literature.
At the time, moving to England felt like just that- a dream.
Studying abroad felt like something that was only for wealthy families with unlimited funds.
But over time, as we continued to research moving to Europe, we realized that going to university in England was an entirely realistic goal for her.
It is true that top universities such as Oxford and Cambridge can be difficult to get into and costly for international students, but there are many options that are far more accessible.
Many UK universities favor international students because almost a 5th of their funding comes from international fees.
Fees for international students vary greatly between universities and for different courses. Keep in mind that an undergraduate degree in the UK is usually only three years as opposed to four in the US, which cuts down on the cost considerably.
Many students find that paying for three years of international fees in the UK is still cheaper than going to college for four years in the United States.
If you have lived in the UK for three years when your kids apply to university, you will pay the same tuition as British citizens.
4. Fantastic Weather
Seriously! England’s temperate climate is quite enjoyable for most of the year. It’s rarely too hot or too cold to be outdoors.
When we were making a pro-con list for moving to England from the US, the weather was definitely in the negative category.
After living in sunny Colorado years, we were nervous about what it would be like to live in place where the weather is often described as “grim”.
We were delighted to find that it is rarely too hot, too cold, or too rainy to be outdoors. It’s not uncommon to have many days in a row of gorgeous, sunny weather.
Are there days that are rainy, cold, and overcast?
Of course. But those are the perfect days to browse a local bookstore, sip a cappuccino in a cafe, or grab a pint and cozy up to the fire in a local pub.
And remember, it’s all that rain that makes this island so green and beautiful.
After being here through every season, the weather is one of our favorite things about moving to England from the US.
5. Easy Travel to Continental Europe
With frequent trains, flights, ferries, and even buses running between England and mainland Europe, it’s the perfect home base for traveling to the rest of Europe.
No matter where you live in the UK, you will find an airport nearby with cheap flights to popular European destinations.
The cheapest flights will usually be out of London, but other popular airports include Manchester, Leeds-Bradford, and Edinburgh. Airlines such as Jet2 and Ryan Air offer flights as low as $20 to Paris, Copenhagen, Krakow, and Venice! Going to Barcelona or Paris for a long weekend is completely doable!
If you are trying to reduce your plane travel to protect the environment, or you just want a unique experience, look at the many options for traveling by ferry.
We traveled to 7 countries in first 9 months after moving to England, without spending a fortune. Moving to England has been one of the best decisions we have ever made!
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