Pros and Cons of Living in England

What are the pros and cons of living in England?

Expats, digital nomads and retirees living in England responded:

"Liverpool is a great city and the people are friendly and have a great sense of humour. There's a lot to do and see and the transport system is good. However, some areas can be quite dangerous because of violent football fans and drug dealers," added another expat in Liverpool.

"I enjoy the wide open spaces, seeing cows and people horse riding nearby. I like that I am 30 minutes or less to London. I like that museums and galleries are free," explained one expat living in Welwyn.

"London is a very international city with many opportunities, however it can be expensive. You can make friends and date, however you need to make an effort. Unfortunately the British are quite insular and Brexit has not helped this and will not help the country economically in future. The National Health Service is overall quite good, however you sometimes need to be assertive to get what you need as they're always trying to save money. The cost of housing can be quite high, but that doesn't mean the quality or cleanliness is good. Renting a nice, clean flat at a reasonable price can be problematic," said another in London.

"London is one of the great cities of the world - its way of life, diverse population, great public transport, choice of entertainment and great food are huge pluses. I love to cook, so the access to the highest quality ingredients is a huge attraction (think Borough Market and great online grocery ordering) as are it's wonderful 'city of villages' feel. From one end to the other, the River Thames is its lifeblood and we have lived overlooking it, as well as literally on it in a converted Dutch barge. The NHS healthcare system is good for basic coverage but, like all socialized services, access to specialists, testing, imaging and so forth are all rationed and, as such, you wait. And wait. That said, we plan to purchase a pied-a-terre here. It's a great place to invest and having this world at our doorstep and Europe across the Channel is what we want as we grow older. ," explained one expat in London.

"Loved living there. Opening a bank account was hard Getting a phone with a decent plan was hard ( no credit history) Finding all the grocery you wanted was hard in walk in grocery stores in city (more pre-made foods)," explained one member in London.