Quand vous aurez accepté une place dans une école ou une université, votre établissement vous enverra probablement de la documentation pour vous aider à vous préparer. Lisez-la attentivement : elle vous en dira plus sur l’établissement et les environs, elle vous donnera des renseignements pratiques comme les heures d’ouverture des bureaux, des conseils concernant les transports locaux et les choses importantes à faire (par exemple une demande de logement ou l’inscription aux cours).

Le British Council organise des réunions sur tout ce qu’il faut savoir avant de partir : les procédures d’immigration et de contrôle des passeports, comment se rendre à l’école ou à l’université, les questions financières, la planification de votre budget et les différences culturelles. Pour en savoir plus, contacter le British Council. L’Ambassade de Grande-Bretagne ou la Haute Commission la plus proche peut également vous conseiller sur les documents dont vous aurez besoin.

When booking your travel, try and make sure you arrive at a time that will enable you to get a transfer to your institution or accommodation.  Aim to arrive on a weekday (Monday – Friday), rather than at the weekend (Saturday and Sunday) or on a public holiday, and try to arrive in the morning; as trains, coaches and taxis may not run throughout the night and will give you time to reach your final destination and settle in during working hours when transportation links are most frequent and facilities such as banks and shops are open. This may mean that you travel through the night and arrive tired and slightly jet-lagged but it will help to make your onward journey easier.

Many students arrange their onward journey from the airport to their institution at the same time as they book their flight. A travel agent in your home country may be able to help you do this. In this case, when you reach the UK you can continue your journey by following the instructions from your travel agent.

There are more than 40 airports in the UK, many of which fly to and from international destinations as well as providing internal flights within the UK. Most UK airports are served by their own rail station, with buses and coaches travelling from them to many local towns and other destinations. Speak to the international office at the school or college where you will be studying to find out how best to travel to your institution.