London is the most popular working holiday destination for Commonwealth citizens. Literally thousands of young people from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa and other countries head to the UK every year to gain valuable work experience to boost their careers, while being conveniently placed to explore the wonders of the UK and Europe. If London doesn't appeal, there are plenty of other options such as Edinburgh, Cardiff, Brighton, Manchester or other towns to consider having a working holiday or gap year in.

LiveWork&Play in London & the UK has been answering FAQs about working holidays and gap years in the UK since it was first published in 1995. This fourth edition has loads of information and hundreds of contact details for employment, accommodation and travel options. It is as indispensable as ever, just look at the contents following:

Introduction 7

Chapter 1: Ready, Set, Go! 1
Can you go? 11
Working Holiday Visa 12
UK Ancestry Entry Certificate 13
Certificate of Entitlement to Right of Abode 13
Work Permit 14
When to go? 16
How to go? 18
Packing 19
The question of money 27
How much to take? 27
How to take it 29
Sorting your affairs 31
Holiday insurance and medical care 32
Useful things to do, obtain and join 35
Stay in touch 38
Checklist-let the countdown begin 26

Chapter 2: Arriving in the UK 32
Arriving by air 43
Disembarkation, Immigration and Customs 43
Getting from the airport into London 46
From Heathrow 46
From Gatwick 47
Arriving by sea, road and rail 47

Chapter 3: Settling In 49
Where to start 49
Things to do 50
Open a bank account 52
Register for a National Insurance Number 53

Chapter 4: Accommodation 55
Living in London 55
Short-term accommodation 57
Hostels 57
B&Bs and small family-run hostels 61
Camping 62
University and college accommodation 63
Long-term accommodation 63
Flat and house sharing 69
Setting up a flat 71
Council tax 72
How to find 74

Chapter 5: Work 75
Where is the work? 75
Should you organise work before you go? 78
How to find work 79
The tax system 85

Chapter 6: A-Z of Jobs 87
Accounting, banking and financial services 87
Agricultural and farming work 89
Barwork 94
Call centres/customer service 96
Care work 97
Entertainment 100
Fashion retail and manufacturing 101
Freelance Travel Writing 101
Hair, beauty and spa personnel 102
Holiday centres and camps 103
Hospitality and catering 104
Information technology 108
Lawyers and legal secretaries 109
Medical and health care 110
Nannies and mother's helps 116
Office support 119
Riding/grooms 120
Ski season (Scotland) 121
Teaching 122
Teaching English 125
Technical, trades, general labouring and industrial positions 126
Tour managers/guides and coach drivers 129
Travel consultants 129
Vets and veterinary nurses 130
Volunteer work 131

Chapter 7: Holidaying 135
Sightseeing in London 135
Transport around London 136
The Tube 136
Buses 139
Black Cabs 140
Hitting London's tourist spots 142
Daytripping outside London 147
Sightseeing in the UK 148
Transport around the UK 149

Chapter 8: Useful Information 163

Index 187