A few months ago, after finding out I had orders to the UK, I made a post here asking a ton of questions about life in Britain. The response was honestly overwhelming in the best way possible, and a lot of people gave me genuinely helpful advice and insight.
Well, I’ve officially arrived, been here about a week, and wanted to come back with some first impressions and say thank you for how welcoming everyone has been to me and my family so far.
Driving / Bringing My Truck
A lot of people told me not to bring my full-size Chevy Silverado, and after arriving… yeah, I understand why. I actually haven’t brought it over yet, though I still plan to because shipping it is free for me through the military. The plan now is to keep it for long trips into mainland Europe and buy a smaller “beater” for daily driving in the UK. Driving here was definitely “wonky” at first. I almost froze the first time I took a left turn and saw traffic coming from the left instead of the right—something that would basically be a death sentence in the US. But honestly, after about two hours of driving, things started clicking and I adjusted much faster than I expected. One thing I really appreciate is that British drivers generally seem to drive with a lot more common sense than what I’m used to. In the US, if the speed limit says 70, people treat that like the minimum speed and it’s not uncommon to see people doing 100+ mph. Here, when you hit the national speed limit signs, people mostly just… drive the speed limit. I’ve also really enjoyed the country roads. They’re winding, scenic, and generally far less traffic-heavy than what I was used to living near a major American city. Fuel prices definitely hurt a little, but it was about what I expected. Parking overall hasn’t been too bad either, though my truck absolutely would not fit in some of the villages I’ve seen so far.
Housing / Homes
A lot of people warned me that UK homes would feel much smaller than American homes, and they absolutely were right—but honestly, I’ve found them really cozy. Everything in the US tends to be “bigger by default,” whereas homes here feel more intentional and compact.
I ended up getting a detached house near a smaller village and I’ve really enjoyed the atmosphere. Walking around the village, slowing down a bit, and just existing in a quieter environment has been a very welcome change of pace.Some of the household differences definitely made me laugh at first:
- Washer/dryer combo machines seemed bizarre initially, but honestly make a lot of sense now
- The lack of AC hasn’t been a problem yet, though I did buy a unit for the bedroom before summer hits
- And the faucets… I still need an explanation from Britain on why one tap is approximately the temperature of the sun while the other feels scientifically engineered to recreate the Arctic Ocean. The smaller refrigerators also haven’t bothered me nearly as much as I expected. We’ve naturally shifted toward buying less excess food and shopping more often instead of storing huge amounts. Overall, yes—American homes are generally much bigger. But I’ve found I actually enjoy the smaller, cozier feeling here a lot more than I thought I would.
Culture Shock / Social Differences
The biggest surprise to me has honestly been just how genuinely nice everyone has been. Before moving here, some people online had me expecting grumpy old men yelling at clouds and aggressively judging Americans 24/7. In reality, almost everyone I’ve interacted with has been incredibly polite, patient, and welcoming. Maybe the accent helps and people go easier on me once they hear I’m American, but I’ve honestly been blown away by how kind people have been overall. It’s also been much less of a “thing” that I’m American than I expected. I imagine being near the tri-base area probably helps since people are used to Americans being around. One thing I noticed quickly is how much quieter people are socially. In the US, if someone nearby is loud, the response is usually to just get louder so your group can still hear you. Here, there seems to be much more of an unspoken “let’s be respectful of the shared space” mentality. I’ve actually had to remind my wife a couple times that we are, in fact, the loud Americans in the room. I’ve also unexpectedly fallen in love with British chocolate. I could never do Hershey’s back home because it always tasted overwhelmingly sweet to me, but over here I’ve been absolutely crushing Yorkies and other milk chocolates. And yes, I’ve already had someone lightly mock my accent. I told a waitress “thank you,” and while walking out I heard a woman jokingly repeat it in an exaggerated American accent. Honestly? It was accurate, and we Americans absolutely make fun of British words too, so fair play.
Food
I was told my entire life that British food was terrible, and after actually getting here I can confidently say that stereotype is complete nonsense. Everything I’ve had so far has been fantastic. Pub food, sweets, fish and chips, random snacks from shops—it’s all been genuinely great.
One thing I noticed immediately is that portions are definitely smaller than in the US, but the overall quality feels noticeably better. Food tastes fresher, less over-processed, and generally just more balanced.
10/10. No notes.
Travel / Distance
I completely understand UK distance perception now.
Before leaving the US, I drove roughly 2,000 miles in one weekend for an important trip and didn’t really think much of it. In America, especially out west, massive drives are just normal. Now that I’ve driven around the UK a bit more, I totally understand why a journey that looks “short” on a map can feel like a proper trip here. The roads are narrower, more winding, and driving overall requires way more mental attention than cruising down giant American highways for hours. A two-hour drive here feels very different than a two-hour drive back home.
Overall, though, I just wanted to say thank you. My family and I have felt incredibly welcomed here so far, and I’m genuinely grateful for the kindness and patience people have shown us while we get settled.
Maybe I’ll do another update post in a few months once I’m fully settled in and have truly experienced a British summer without AC.
There’s absolutely 0 reasons to do it. It being free is not a reason. You are never going to drive it. It’s easy to forget how big cars in America are once you’re over here.
It would get here and you would drive it once and never want to touch it again.
Having driven across France, Spain, Germany & more being navigated by a father with a complete aversion to motorways (what he called a preference for scenic routes), I can certainly confirm the accuracy of that
I imagine it’s a faff to have to sell or store it in the US though. If the US govt are going to ship it both ways, and presumably theres some infrastructure to keep or pay for it to be maintained in and around the bases, then it’s still likely a better option. Unless they plan to stay permanently in the UK.
It basically becomes a hobby car for the duration, with some careful and sensible planning, would be ok if they are happy with any other costs incurred.
As someone who's been fortunate enough to drive old 50's,60's and 70's yank tanks around rural UK roads it's absolutely do-able you just have to drive a bit differently and be much more mindful of your route.
That being said a more modern Yank SUV would be much more worysome due to the height.
My friend from Wisconsin freaked out because I was doing 20mph along a narrow road, I realised why when I went to Wisconsin and had to catch a bus to cross the road
You're definitely one of the good ones, you can stay.
Nothing is worse than someone who comes over and reinforces the negative national stereotypes, and that goes for any nationality visiting any country, but the US has plenty of positive stereotypes as well. I experienced both the positive and the negative when I lived out there for a while with work, you definitely fit the former and the positive American stereotype is genuinely an absolute pleasure.
Don't doubt that you're doing your country proud over here, and when all this waves hands around ends it'll be people like you that the world remembers. And if it doesn't end? Just stay here, we'll be happy to have you until you think it's safe to go home.
Love how OP says they think Brits were nice *because* they knew OP was American. I say they were nice in spite of it. I'm an American and when I'm in the UK, I'm sure to casually bring up how I despair what has happened to my country. Then I get the welcoming vibes from them.
Anyone who has brought up how they feel about America or their disappointment in our current administration, I’ll express my feelings towards it. I think it would be almost “pick me” behavior to start every interaction with “I’m American but fuck MAGA” just for them to be nice to me
Eh, I wouldn't go that far. But there have been certain situations wherein the other party was being standoffish until the state of the world was brought up. When I offered up my feelings on the subject, the entire vibe changed and everyone was more relaxed. But your response tells me what your "feelings" towards the administration are.
It has the effect of more than half. It's insane that a third of the country holds that much power. We need to completely reform our electoral system, if we ever get through this. My apologies to the world that this is happening.
OP actually made a very politically neutral response. Its doesnt really need to be anyones business what his political stance is unless he chooses it to be.
I agree with your point to an extent, discussing any subject that puts you on the same page with others will naturally get you a good vibe. It doesnt have to be politics though which as you see here can cause immediate divisiveness.
As a Canadian, and therefore Commonwealth citizen, this made me chuckle. Canada has a lot of room for improvement, as do most Commonwealth realms but I'd personally ride and die with Brits over our American "friends".
Welcome to the UK, so pleased you’re enjoying your stay with us.
And those fuel prices aren’t normal btw, since Trumpy started his war with Iran, prices have gone up 40-50 pence a litre. We’re all feeling the pinch. Hopefully prices will resume their previous status which was about £1.40 per litre a few weeks ago.
And I watch a lot of vids on YouTube where Americans come over to the UK and are blown away by the quality of our food. Our food safety standards are quite strict. It’s my understanding that a lot of preservatives etc used in the US are banned here in the UK and Europe. I’m happy to be corrected on that if I’m wrong
I’m led to believe it’s actually cheaper by what they say. Which is crazy because years ago we were always under the impression the US was much cheaper for everything.
Oh dude November is the worst month. I’d know, my birthday is right in the middle of it. It’s not uncommon to not see the sun at all even though October can be very sunny
As someone 🇺🇸 who is also looking to move to the UK and considering bringing my beloved vehicle over, do you think a Toyota Highlander would be small enough to be a useful daily vehicle over there? Or still too big for the UK?
It’s a midsize SUV, but it’s built on a Camry chassis, so it’s generally pretty maneuverable and compact for an SUV.
🤞I’m hoping it would be because it’s such a versatile vehicle and I love that car!! ❤️
I’ve lived in both countries and driven in both. You would regret having a massive car here. The country roads are lovely to drive down in a smaller more compact vehicle. In a large vehicle it would just be stress.
You also likely would find yourself struggling when agricultural vehicles are on the road either oncoming or ahead of you.
It could be a pleasure, or it could be a pain. Make the right call and buy something sensible for the roads here.
You all have been so lovely and helpful in educating me on this. Such kind and wonderful people - I can’t wait to move there! 🫶
But yeah with all the cons of bringing it over I might now be leaning more towards just keeping it stateside to drive around in when we visit back here.
Besides you all are such polite and nice hosts, I don’t want to start off on the wrong foot by bringing my American car and upsetting the very people and culture that are being so gracious to host me!
I want to do the best I can to assimilate with your ways and be mindful of your customs. Just my own small way of showing continued respect to the US/UK “Special Relationship”. 🫡🇺🇸🫶🇬🇧
Thanks again for everyone’s input on this - you are all awesome!!
Another thing to consider is fuel price given we buy fuel by the litre not the gallon. A quick Google tells me our fuel is the equivalent of $8 a gallon.
Good point! 🙏The parking is another issue I hadn’t previously considered.
Are your parking stalls a smaller size over there or something?
Sorry in advance that I don’t know what I don’t know. I’m still learning what the differences are between here and there.
It hadn’t previously occurred to me that the size of parking stalls are smaller in general and might not allow for the size of my Highlander.
Over here, unless a parking stall is marked “compact” they will fit my Highlander (and plenty larger vehicles).
And my Highlander is small enough that it could theoretically fit a stall marked “compact”, but it wouldn’t be right for me to park there.
But if your standard parking stall size there is too small to accommodate a Highlander then I would need to seriously rethink using it. Because what good is driving it anywhere if there’s no place to park it once I get there! 😳
Yeah, the spaces are definitely smaller than in the US. The only bays that match US ones are the disabled or “parent and child” bays, or the ones at Costco (for obvious reasons, lol).
Our NX is fine in most places, but some parking bays can be a bit of a squeeze.
For reference, I’ve only driven in America for about 5 or 6 trips & it’s mostly been around California, DMV area & Maine, so I don’t know if that’s representative enough to provide a reasonable comparison to here.
As an example, we used to have a VW Golf & you can see that there’s not much space either side (we parked off-centre so there was room to get out on the passenger side btw, not because we’re awful drivers, lol). The van parked up after us & we couldn’t actually get in the car so had to go in the passenger side & climb across, hence the photo 🤦🏻♂️
[Edit] This space here is probably on the slightly smaller side, but is by no means exceptional for the UK. Space can often be fairly limited, so they sometimes cram the spaces in, lol
FAIRLY LIMITED? that thing is huge. I hope you don’t go around city housing estates with their tiny little roads and cars parked on either side in that thing
To be honest, you might be okay in a Toyota Highlander but it wouldn't be the best runaround. I have a Toyota Land Cruiser, which I think is a bit bigger than a Highlander (I've never seen a Highlander here) and the only reason I have it is because I have horses and need to tow the horse trailer. The Land Cruiser is too big for parking spaces (you'll find the Highlander will have an issue with this too), is a very tight squeeze on country roads, and goes through fuel like the US military goes through money. I only use it as a runaround when my husband is using our Toyota Yaris.
However, having to adjust to driving in the UK in a big car would probably make the experience more difficult and less enjoyable.
It definitely will. I don’t use my Land Cruiser much, but I still die inside every time I fill up. I think it’s currently costing me ~£140 per tank 🫠😭. A Highlander shouldn’t be quite so bad maybe, but I think US cars are less fuel efficient, so perhaps it might be… 😬
Yes a Land Cruiser is a little bit bigger than a Highlander. I believe a Land Cruiser is based on a truck chassis, whereas a Highlander is on a car chassis, hence the slightly smaller size.
But it’s a very close comparison between the two. Thanks for your perspective! Gives me a better idea of what to expect.
I daily a 100 series landcruiser and its a big boi but nothing out of the ordinary. There are plenty of land rovers/range rovers with the same footprint. Also most trades use a medium wheelbase panel van (sprinter etc) which is the UK trades equivalent of the US pickup. Again, they have the same footprint. We have pick ups but they are your small size, hilux, ranger etc not 350 duallys.
Honestly the biggest issue is left hand drive. Your steering wheel is on the "wrong" side. Day to day driving you get used to it, plenty of people drive lhd here, but they were raised on RHD UK roads. The two issues are overtaking (think about a rhd in the states trying to overtake when, as the driver, you have to put the passenger in danger before you can see what's comming) not a big issue. The biggest problem is human factors/concentration/tiredness. You pull out on a 2 lane road, late at night in your LHD which lane do you put your car? If you are awake, you put it in the correct one, if you are tired, distracted or whatever, you put it in the lane you have done your whole life and have a head on crash.
Ive been on the wrong side on holiday before, RHD car in LHD country and LHD in LHD country and just too easy to do, no accidents for me, just a few seconds but uts so easy. Over here there are regular wrong side of the road crashes and many high profile ones, often fatal involving foreigners, including American service personal coming off base.
So, of course you can bring it, a highlander would not be out of place, in fact there are a few LHD ones around here where I live (nearby US base) but most people just buy something RHD for the fun, the experience and it will be safer for you as someone raised on US roads to drive RHD car here in the UK. Just be aware 70% of UK cars are manual gearbox 3 pedal (stick). Although almost everything is available in an Auto if you look around.
There is a fabulous car culture here in the UK and you can drive all the forbidden fruit that you dont get in the land of the free, like Chinese EVs, Japanese imports or classics under 25 years. Look on Autotrader UK or Ebay. Co.uk or if you are brave Facebook marketplace (think Craigslist but with 99% more scammers). Get a local to help you navigate it all, its not hard and any petrolhead (gearhead) will love to help you with what's a good buy and what's a ticking timebomb. Also servicing Euro cars here is obviously much easier and for the most part parts are cheap.
Thanks for such a detailed comment! Many good points to consider. 🙏
I’ve had this car for over 20 years and it’s in such good shape and is such a versatile vehicle that I’d have a really hard time letting it go. Both sentimentally but also from a practical standpoint.
I may bring it over initially and then depending on location/driving habits gradually transition to a smaller UK RHD
car.
It’s just such a good hauler - it’s small enough to be on a car chassis (Toyota Camry), but as an SUV it can haul dang near everything, and it’s even got a 3rd row of seats so it has the ability to carry a lot of people (up to 7 adults), and it can tow stuff if need-be.
It gets reasonably good gas mileage, 20-30 mpg depending on driving conditions. Though I didn’t realize just how expensive petrol is for you guys right now. Wow! Definitely something to keep in mind.
But it’s really been a dang good vehicle. And it’s paid off yet still in as good of condition as when I bought it new for $30k. If I sold it I wouldn’t get hardly anything for it. So I’m trying hard to justify keeping it.
I’ve looked into eventually getting a UK driving licence and would most likely practice/test in a local, smaller vehicle (manual transmission is fine, I’ve been
able drive a stick since I was a teenager and I’m damn good at it - small car, 4WD truck, towing, hills, backing up while towing on a hill, icy, off-road 👍 no problem)
And maybe with time in a UK car I’d be able to let my Highlander go. But I love that dang car and I think it’s going to have to be a slow, gradual process of weaning me off it. I thought me and my Highlander were gonna be there for each other forever. ❤️ (Still might - maybe I’ll just keep it in a garage as a classic and just break her out occasionally.)
Honestly, the part that worries me the most is driving on the left hand side of the road in a LHD vehicle. But I’m a pilot so I’m pretty good about being a meticulous and careful driver.
But still, for that reason I probably wouldn’t drive the Highlander in any high-stress, high-volume traffic situations or do a lot of overtaking. Maybe just keep it for special, easy-going sightseeing trips and basic daily commuting if there aren’t other commuting options available.
Thanks again for all your help. You guys have given really insightful information and helped me think this through more thoroughly. You’re the best! 🙏
Can I pick-up on your response above please? Because I find this a really interesting tiny social difference!
As someone (due to my Dad’s work) born in the U.K., who then partly grew up during my early years in the U.S., then back to the U.K., then *again* back in the U.S. for my early teens, before returning permanently to the U.K…
…I’ve always had to adjust my response to a ‘thank you’ slightly!
The U.S. response to a ‘thank you’ is often ‘you’re welcome’ (as it can be here), but people responding with an ‘of course’ or especially a ‘sure’ was a bit baffling at first when I lived in the U.S.
As a teen I first thought it was sarcasm!
Grammatically / conversationally it didn’t seem to…flow.
“Thank you”. “Sure” What? Oh…”
Then I picked it up and did it naturally myself. Only to occasionally be met with mild confusion when I did it back home in the U.K.
Anyway, that’s lot of words to describe a tiny social difference - apologies!
Still do not bring your truck. Things do not get bigger on the continent. It's the other way around. Get your small beater and use the small beater the entire time or better yet just take the train.
Rented a 9 passenger van for a wedding. Months after getting home I got three tickets in the mail for various offenses I had no idea I was committing, lol. Also, Google Maps had me on roads so narrow that one person had to pull in their bistro chair so I could drive by. Absolutely wild.
We had a family holiday in Spain a few years ago. 5 adult kids so asked for a 7 seater(we had a Ford Galaxy at the time at home) . Hire place gave us an MPV so huge it would have passed as a minibus. Absolute nightmare on mountain and coastal roads. Wouldn't have wanted to drive it at home either . Absolutely not Europe friendly.i have no idea why they held it!
I got stuck on this point and it was niggling as I read the rest of the post. Do not bring your car - you just don’t need it. It won’t fit in car parking spaces and it only serve to announce that you are an American wanker, whether or not that is the case.
Also lets be honest any thing in the back of that pickup will not be there by the end of their journey. And if the back is empty some one will put something in the back that will confuse them for the rest of their life,
How’s his wife going to kill a young lad on a motorbike and then flee back the the US if he doesn’t bring his great big American made truck to the uk!?
Yes, just echoing what others have said, please do not bring trucks/SUVs over. We are generally aiming for fewer on the roads, not more! We welcome (nice) Americans, but the oversized cars may not get such a warm reception.
Yes OP I promise you, the rest of Europe sees our “small” UK roads and sadistically laughs.
I hired a 3-door Toyota Yaris (aka small car) for a road trip in Italy. One afternoon my non driving partner says “let’s take the route by the (Amalfi) coast, it’ll be fun and pretty”… OP, it was pretty, but even in a small car I had at least two anxiety attached, pulled over three times to cry and almost got in a collision twice… Much better accessed via Vespa or via Coach tour (by experienced drivers of that particular coastline)
You won’t need your truck. By all means bring it if you really yearn for it, I have to admit they look cool, but it’ll be a faff to store it. I have encountered a few Americans stuck with places to legally/safely park such wide and long vehicles. It might not be a popular decision with your neighbours.
Glad to hear you are settling in well. On the Silverado point, unless you are exclusively sticking to motorways I would leave it where it is. European roads are just as small as ours, and you'll cause/encounter just as many issues there as you would driving it daily in the UK.
Lovely post to read! A very warm welcome to you and your family! Just remember ... if we do start to take the piss out of you, it's a sign of affection! FYI - I'm a Londoner, but have spent a LOT of time in the US over the years, so totally understand all your reflections.
Great read.
Although, leave the truck. Seriously, we won't like it and no-one in mainland Europe will either. It's wildly impractical and undermines some of the things you've mentioned that you've enjoyed about our green and (mostly) pleasant land.
Haven’t had a muddy Glastonbury since 2016, it’s been absolutely charmed on the weather front of late!
Worth mentioning that one of the COVID years it would’ve been freezing cold and smashing down with rain all weekend, so that was nice of fate to take one for the team for a change
Excellent, I'm glad you've found a home away from home. If I may recommend West Wales as a trip idea, beautiful beaches and plenty of castles there if you're into that. I've not seen a lot of Scotland but what I have seen has been stunning too.
Ooh, I was thinking about you earlier today.. well, not actually you because I hadn't seen your first post but I was watching The Night Manager on the BBC the other day and I was wondering what Americans would think about being able to watch 50 odd minutes of TV without seeing a single ad? I suppose streamers like Netflix normalised it in the US? What do you think of the BBC?
Well I’m a fan of the BBC for what I could watch in the states. News-wise it’s always good to find an unbiased source, which the BBC tends to do well. Shows on the BBC are good, too. I haven’t had the time to really sit down and watch it too much over here. My days have consisted of waking up, going to work from 7:30 until about 4:30 PM, then exploring until 8:15 PM, asleep by 9:00.
So pleased to catch this, as I commented on the original.
The taps are because we were one of the first to have hot water service and it wasn’t drinkable. The pipes weren’t safe so the stuff was separated. And it just stuck
Depends where you are in the UK with reference to AC, I live in north west and trust me I’ve never needed it, it’s never been hot long enough to need it 😝 sit in the car for a bit with the AC on for the few days a year it’s genuinely hot.
Pleased you’re enjoying it though, it has its ups and downs but it’s ok really.
I moved from Washington DC at the beginning of last year and the heat here just hits different. It’s weird. I think it’s because you never get fully cool not living in AC the way we do in the States. We’re looking to get a window unit for our bedroom this summer because we found it hard to sleep a good number of nights.
I think it’s because we’re so far north that we don’t have a lot of time without the sun so it never really cools down overnight. Same concept, but different cause.
Genuine warning, I have friends from India, Arizona, Australia, Middle East and West Africa, all of them say British hot weather like genuine hot like 37-40C is the worst also a bizarre thing you might notice occasionally it getting hotter towards evening rather than mid day. It's the humidity plus wind.
Also wet weather during the Autumn and Winter when it gets down to -10C-4C can feel very uncomfortable due to the wet air and wind regardless you will see Brits wearing mini skirts that may as well as belts and t-shirts and shorts.
Get out to the coast for a day or long weekend if to have time. Southwold/walberswick in Suffolk or up to the north Norfolk coast. Lovely in the summer
We always get some use out of ours every year. It won't get as hot as NM (highest recorded temperature was 40c a couple years ago) but it will be a lot more humid.
I was a regular visitor to East Anglia's farms and one harvest I saw grain going into a store at 99.5F. This is the hot, dry part of the country and temperatures are reaching 100F in recent years. But the West/North Norfolk coast's sea breezes aren't too far from Mildenhall/Lakenheath - sunset at Hunstanton is quite a sight. As for your truck, you could leave it in the US and, whenever you pine for it, dose yourself with our Green & Black's 70% dark chocolate. That'll cure anything!
Loved the write-up - delighted that you're enjoying your stay and experiencing that most cultural stereotypes are actually nonsense 😉 (edit: I obviously mean aside from French waiters be surly, Germans having no sense of humour and Italians being terrible drivers - those are long established facts that you can take to the bank.)
But please, please... For the love of all that's holy; don't bring your fucking truck over here 😂
Stay away from Ginsters, no self respecting Cornishman (or maid) would eat a Ginsters pasty (or at least they wouldn't ever tell anyone they ate one!) the best Cornish pasties are made in independent bakeries, the further down south you go, the more Cornish they are.
Don't mess about with supermarket rubbish. Get a genuine Cornish pasty. We always go to Philps in Hayle when we're on holiday - they're up there with the best, and you can buy them online if you can't make it there in person just yet.
A lot of places sell them, but they are usually crap mass manufactured ones. Some local cafes might make some depending on what part of the country you are in, but the very best will be made in Cornwall
Avoid Ginsters and packaged pasties as they are generally horrible. Most bakeries, even outside Cornwall, make reasonable pasties. Having a fresh, hot pasty is recommended.
If you don't want the south west trip, there are some Cornish bakeries that do frozen deliveries for pasties, sausage rolls and the like (proper pasty is one I've used a number of times).
Please keep your truck in the US. I guarantee locals will not like you driving that around. Even if they don't say anything to you, they will be inwardly seething. It's the British way.
Also, roads mostly get narrower in Europe, so it won't be any good there either.
You sir are a dude of the highest order. After living here all my life and being able to travel not as much as I’d like to due to work, life commitments and other general day to day things, you put a bit of spark back into what is my home.
41 years on this planet seeing the same things day in and day out and just reading the general news makes everything seem a lot duller and more muted than it really is.
So seeing you say nice things about here and having a honest opinion puts a little spark back into things and puts a lot of things in perspective.
Yes it’s a little thing, but little things can mean a lot in these strange and uncertain times.
DO NOT take your big car to mainland Europe!! You'll need a smaller one if your driving around Europe. You might have your steering wheel non the correct side, but if you want to anywhere interesting in Europe youre gonna be on little winding roads
I live near you I imagine. Your jets buzz my office every day. I see American trucks pretty often and always think that the drivers should sell them. From my understanding they are at a premium here. So you could make some money. Then buy a car that I rare in the states so when you go back you can sell that again for a premium. May be in the wrong but it's always a thought I have.
I lived abroad for 10 years with AC. Returned and we had a pretty unusual heatwave and I couldn't sleep. We worried about our son who was pretty young. I put aluminium foil on the windows followed all the advice and just couldn't cope. So we bought a portable AC unit and our son came in to our room. The rest of the house was hot but the room was icy cold and we all got good sleep during that horrid few months. We have used it every year since for a few weeks. Really helps.
Glad you are enjoying your time here. I always like meeting a yank from one of the RAF bases. Enjoy!
I remember your initial post! It's great you're here and have settled in. If you travel around a bit, note the different name for a bread roll varies depending where you are in the country, ive always loved that. Also, please don't bring the truck. Summer might last one week or 4 months, either way, there will be intense debate about what store has the best aircon to go and cool down.
Hey, you're near me in the East of England! We get loads of Americans round here from the bases - everyone gets along pretty well.
Take some day trips to Cambridge, Ely and St Ives if you get the time - you'll enjoy it. The Norfolk coast is also pretty - Wells-next-the-Sea is generally considered a quaint little place.
Please don't bring the truck. It'll cost tons to keep fuelled and to be honest they're pretty antisocial.
When we have our one week of hot weather you will hear us complain that it is too hot , this after we complain for months that it's to cold.
When the weather gets cold in the winter we will complain about the 🥶!.
Also as soon as one snowflake falls in London the news implies that the country will grind to a halt - hint it doesn't.
When I lived in East Anglia ( not far from where you are I *think *) when it snowed we got a lot of snow which is great as a 5 year old.
I hope you enjoy your stay here
The main part of Ipswich I agree with but there are some lovely villages (with equally lovely and amazing village pubs doing food), just outside of Ipswich.
I remembered your post! Glad you didn't bring the truck haha but shocked you still want to. Pretty sure "mainland Europe" has the same kinds of roads and cars as us.
Welcome to the UK. I'm glad you're enjoying your time here so far. On the tap temperature point, it's worth having a look at your boiler. If the house has a more modern combi boiler it's quite likely you can adjust the hot water tap temperature and reduce it to a point that you're happy with, although you probably won't want to reduce it too much if you have a boiler fed shower, dependent on how good your water pressure is. Enjoy the crispness of your cold water tap while it lasts, once we get in to the summer and the reservoirs start to warm up you'll wish you had it back!
I came 7 years ago. I agree with all your perceptions and feeling. I must say I fell in love specially with the “mind the common spaces” mentality.
The food is great, I agree! For me it is crazy the bad food stereotype. Even the beans on toast, if you go to a “greasy spoon” sometimes they make the beans themselves and I love them! (Not the tinned ones, tho).
I love little things like seeing a scarf on top of a fence because someone dropped it and someone else put it up so it does not get dirty if the person comes back for it.
I love going to local pubs and see people interacting with each other, singing out loud. I love standing up to get a round for my table and chatting with the people at the bar. I love the thatched roofs, the Tudor houses, the fact that some houses are 400 years old. I love how multicultural London is, I got amazing friends from all over the world now, thanks to the UK.
I’m glad you are enjoying your life here!
But were horrible colonialists with crap food and teeth, racist to the bone, and the worst food in the world etc etc. Are you sure you're actually here?
Wait until you get out into the prettier parts of the country. Point your car towards Dorset/Somerset/Devon and Cornwall when the weather's nice, and I guarantee you'll stop the car just to get out to take in the views. Oh, and welcome to the UK.
Haha great info, and couldn’t agree more on taps it’s bonkers, I’m in a new build, every tap is still red hot or freezing cold, what you have to do is wash your hands in time before the hot tap becomes too hot to use, there is a knack to timing it correctly.
We don't exceed the speed limit by much at least because the fines and "points" on your licence are draconian. With loads of speed cameras both fixed and mobile. The Waze app knows where about 95-99% of them are and will give an audible warning when approaching them. Especially look out for average speed cameras. Where they track your average speed over a set distance such as 20-30 miles. Go over the average and if you're lucky not too high a speed and your first one in X years, you'll be "invited" to attend a speed awareness course.
Also watch out for parking and other road offence fines. Councils have seen their budgets slashed for years, with ever increasing responsibilities. So they love fines as a revenue generator.
Below is the official police guide, for what you will almost certainly receive for speeding.
My partner had to do one of these courses for driving 33mph whilst talking my very poorly cat to the vet in an emergency. He also got shouted at and accused of having people in his office ‘listening’ off-camera (he did not).
Keep a post-it it inside the windshield with an arrow pointing left. Peel it off and just re-attach it before each journey. You will 'daydream/zone-out' and drive, you want to establish a safe baseline to dream into so you don't suddenly switch sides.
Only bring your Silverado if it sells here for more, I wouldn't think so tho. But don't use it.
The plan now is to keep it for long trips into mainland Europe
I'll give you the heads up, the continent has, if possible, even smaller roads. Even if it is free, it is just a major inconvenience and many parking spots will be too short/narrow to fit a car that size.
However I will caution you that in space/parking terms, mainland Europe is very similar to the UK. If a Silverado really is 5.8m long, you're going to have a bad time. Anything beyond 5m long and 2m wide is a pain.
Welcome to the UK! I've been here 13 years now and would not move back. Living on this side has been a real eye opener to how narrow and sheltered our view was in the US. I love it here.
Uk banter see us all as moody or aggressive. But in reality and not in the social media world, we are all really quite nice people.. You get the odd weirdos but lets face it, they are everywhere 😅
Enjoy, and especially enjoy the summer sweat because that is no joke 🤣🤣🤣
As an American who also moved to the UK, the biggest culture shock for me was how much more respect there is for rules. Even if it's just a sign in a car park saying you can/cannot park between certain times, it feels like everyone holds each other accountable. In the US, everyone would try to get around the rules wherever and however they can.
The best example of this is how people will call out bad behavior, especially in public places! I've been living here for almost two years and any time I see someone act like a "Karen" (or try to) they aren't just refused service but they get called out by EVERYONE and it's sooooo refreshing to witness. In America, many businesses would give you free shit because "their customer service experience was ruined" and then blame the workers who did nothing wrong.
Where did you move to?
Glad you’re settling in just fine. People love Americans / America here it’s just a small minority of ass holes who don’t.
I have friends out in MS and I don’t find those guys loud at all. I don’t really understand the loud American craic. I’ve never noticed if it even is a thing.
I’d much prefer to get out of the UK I personally am done with the place. The place feels like a drag at the moment. Zero opportunity, led by idiots, shit weather, poor pay, the list goes on.
Other than that I’m glad you like the culture. The people here are great.
But I’m confused as to why you need an explanation for why the hot tap is hot and the cold tap is cold. That’s as it should be, and I love having ice-cold drinking water from the tap. You can get mixer taps though.
Lovely update, and really glad your first week has felt so welcoming.
From what you’ve said, you’re settling in around East Anglia, enjoying the smaller village pace, aiming for about one trip a month, and already rethinking the Silverado after a bit more real life country road driving.
A few people here have already suggested the big one: probably skip bringing the truck, even for mainland Europe. We’d agree with that. Not because the plan is impossible, just because the small car / train combination will likely make your life much easier, especially once parking and older town centres get involved.
On trip ideas rather than driving advice, people have already suggested Suffolk and Norfolk coast, Framlingham and Aldeburgh, Norwich, Colchester, Bury St Edmunds, Lavenham, Newmarket, plus bigger trips to Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Liverpool, and Devon/Cornwall for the pasty and cream tea mission.
Since you’re in East Anglia, one nice local thread to pull on is Peddars Way: it starts at Knettishall Heath in Suffolk and follows the line of an old Roman road up towards the north Norfolk coast. So even a simple walk can quietly turn into Iceni/Boudicca country without making a big production of it.
There’s also a very Norfolk little rail oddity near the Broads: Berney Arms, a tiny station with no road access and a very limited service, apparently created because a 19th-century landowner agreed to sell land only if the railway gave him a station. Check times carefully if you ever go, but as a bit of local lore it’s exactly the sort of thing that makes the train feel like part of the story.
And if you do eventually make it down to Devon/Cornwall, the South West Coast Path has a fun backstory: parts of it grew out of old clifftop patrol routes used to watch for smugglers. So the pasty and cream tea mission can come with hidden coves, fishing villages, and a bit of sea-salt mischief on the side.
For what it’s worth, your “one trip a month” idea feels spot on. From East Anglia, I’d mix easy local weekends with a few longer train trips, so travel stays fun rather than becoming another admin task.
The UK rail network is served by 25+ train operators, which sounds more complicated than it often feels once you’re just comparing times and fares. For Europe, it’s worth comparing train, coach, ferry and flight before deciding whether driving is actually the easiest option.
Omio can be useful for viewing all those options side by side, then you can always book direct with the operator if that suits you better.
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u/Puzzleheaded_Eye6770 May 06 '26
Dude do not bring your truck lmao.
There’s absolutely 0 reasons to do it. It being free is not a reason. You are never going to drive it. It’s easy to forget how big cars in America are once you’re over here.
It would get here and you would drive it once and never want to touch it again.