29 Jul Living In England VS USA (And How To Ship To Your Belongings There Like A Pro)

Are you moving to England? That’s awesome! You are joining a community of around 200,000 expatriate Americans living in the United Kingdom.

There is no doubt that you will love living across the pond. But even though Americans and Brits share a language and watch each other’s TV shows, there are many differences between England vs USA.

It will likely take some time for you and your family to settle in and feel at home overseas. Though having your belongings packed and shipped to your new house will help, you will still need to adjust.

To make your transition as smooth as possible, here are some insights into English culture and how it differs from the USA. And we’ll also give you tips on how to ship your belongings there, too.

Living in England vs USA: The Key Differences

England and the USA have many similarities. They both love sports, maintain personal space, and have comparable family values.

But let’s take a look at some of the differences so you can compare England vs USA and discover what living in England is like.

Weather

The first point has to be about the weather differences because English people love talking about the weather.

It depends where you live, but the weather in the US is a lot more predictable. If you live in Texas, summer will be hot. And if you live in New York, winters will be cold.

But London weather? It could be rainy, windy, snowy, hot, or cold any time of the year. The weather is less extreme but less dependable.

Insider tip: If an English person says the weather is “mild”, this is not related to an actual temperature. What they are saying is, they thought the weather was going to be colder than it is.

Also note that the English measure temperatures in Celsius, not Fahrenheit.

Driving

Can you drive a stick shift? If not, you soon will. The majority of cars in England are manual and very few are automatic.

They also drive on the left-hand side of the road and, in general, have smaller cars than those in the USA. English people need to be 17-years-old before they can learn to drive, unlike in the US where the driving age is 16.

The United Kingdom also uses “roundabouts.” Sounds like a children’s amusement park ride, but it is a circular junction where cars travel around a fixed point to change directions. There are around 7,000 roundabouts in the USA but so few Americans have seen them.

Tipping

Tipping culture is a huge part of American consumer life. Americans tip their servers, taxi drivers, tattooists, and anyone who performs a service for them.

This is not the case in England. Sure, feel free to tip the waitstaff 10-15% for good service but it is not mandatory in most restaurants. If it is mandatory, gratuity will already be on your bill (in England, it is a bill, not a check).

Cafes and salons may have a little bowl on their front desk for tips but again, it is not expected. And never tip your taxi driver or delivery driver unless you did something wrong!

Working

Working in cities in England is much like working in US cities with some small differences. All office workers in England have, by law, at least 28 days of paid annual leave per year. And everyone takes it, every year.

And when you apply for a job in England, you do not need to worry about their healthcare plans. Healthcare in the UK is free on the National Health Service (NHS) anyway.

England also has paid maternity and paternity leave and a national minimum wage for all workers. American employers also have to offer maternity leave, but only for 12 weeks and it’s unpaid. The US does have a federal minimum wage, but it does not apply to all industries.

How to Ship Your Belongings to England

Our shipping services offer you flexibility and reassurance for a successful international move.

Before you even call UPakWeShip for a quote, try and declutter the belongings you do not want to take to your new home in England. Then, you can use our handy volume estimator to determine how big a container you need to transport your possessions.

We offer a variety of pallet, U-Crate, and shipping container sizes to suit every family. Though since you are making an international move, our pallets will likely be too small! But you have that flexibility if you need it.

UPakWeShip handles the delivery of your crate or container, picks it up, and ships it to your new home overseas. We take care of all the customs documents and insurance to protect your belongings during transit.

You can even track the whereabouts of your crate or container through our tracking system.

Customs clearance in the UK can take anywhere from a few hours to a couple of weeks. It will be quicker if you take a look at our prohibited items list before you pack to avoid any unnecessary delays on either side of the pond.

And that’s it! That is all it takes to ship your belongings from the USA to England.

Ready To Begin Your New Life Across the Pond?

Moving abroad can be challenging. When you compare England vs USA cultures, they are quite similar. But there is still a lot of paperwork and red tape with any international move.

Let us take the stress out of shipping your belongings so you can start drinking tea and practice complaining about the weather instead.

Contact us today to receive an estimated quote for shipping your belongings from the USA to England.