September and January arrivals ask the same questions every year, and most of the money-saving happens in week one. This is the sequence, with 2026 prices.
Key takeaways
- Before you fly: create your UKVI account and check your eVisa — BRPs are gone and vignettes are no longer issued for students.
- Week one: register with a GP, open a Monzo or Starling account from your phone, buy a Lebara/giffgaff SIM, get an 18+ Student Oyster (30% off travelcards) and a 16–25 Railcard (£35) linked to your Oyster.
- Council tax: full-time students are exempt — get the certificate from your university.
- Arrival with luggage: the Tube at 8am with three cases is misery; a fixed-fare car to halls is often cheaper per head than two train tickets plus a cab from the station.
01 / VISAeVisa, IHS and the border
- eVisa only. Biometric Residence Permits stopped in October 2024 and expired BRPs have been invalid for travel since June 2025; students no longer get 90-day vignettes. Create your UKVI account and link your eVisa before travelling; airlines check it. Generate a 'share code' for landlords and employers from 'View and prove'.
- Immigration Health Surcharge: £776 a year for students, paid with the visa — it gives you NHS access like a resident.
- At the border: eGates if your passport qualifies (EU, US, Canada, Australia, Japan, Korea and others, age 8+); otherwise the student line. Carry your CAS and offer letter on your phone.
- Work: most student visas allow 20 hours a week in term time; check your conditions.
02 / WEEK ONEGP, bank, SIM, National Insurance
- GP: register with the practice nearest your halls (passport, visa share code, proof of address). Free appointments; 111 for advice; A&E for emergencies.
- Bank: Monzo and Starling open from your phone with a passport and share code in minutes; high-street banks need an enrolment letter and a UK address and take weeks. Wise or Revolut for sending money home.
- SIM: Lebara (5GB for £5 a month), giffgaff (£10 for 15GB) or Lyca — buy at any supermarket; keep your home SIM in the second slot for OTPs.
- National Insurance number: needed for part-time work; apply online on gov.uk after arrival (takes a few weeks); you can start work while it is pending.
- Council tax: halls are exempt; in private flats every tenant must be a full-time student for the 100% exemption — get your certificate from the university portal.
03 / TRANSPORTStudent Oyster, Railcard and the cheapest way to move
- 18+ Student Oyster photocard: £20 fee, 30% off weekly and monthly Travelcards and Bus & Tram passes (not pay-as-you-go). Worth it if you commute daily; apply online with your enrolment.
- 16–25 Railcard: £35 a year or £80 for three (mature students 26+ qualify with a form). One-third off trains, including to the airports. Link it to your Oyster at any Tube station for a third off off-peak Tube and DLR singles — the trick most students miss.
- Pay-as-you-go caps: £8.90 a day in Zones 1–2 (contactless or Oyster), bus £5.25.
- Bikes: Santander Cycles £3 day pass; Lime/Forest monthly passes for short hops.
- Night: Night Tube on Friday and Saturday on five lines, night buses every night. Pre-book cars for late finishes rather than relying on apps at 2am.
04 / ARRIVALAirport to halls with your whole life in two suitcases
Heathrow to a central hall by Elizabeth line is £15.50 and 35 minutes — then a bus or a cab from the station with 60kg of luggage. Gatwick, Stansted and Luton add a rail leg and a change. For two or three students sharing, or anyone arriving at 6am, a pre-booked fixed-fare car door-to-door usually costs the same per head and removes the station-to-halls problem. Rushxo tracks the flight, waits if it is late, and quotes one price for the car including luggage; 7-seat MPVs take three people and six cases.
05 / MONEYLiving cheaply: food, deals and discounts
- Supermarkets: Aldi and Lidl cheapest, then Tesco and Sainsbury's with a Clubcard/Nectar app; meal deals £3.50–4; Too Good To Go bags £3–5 at closing time; Olio for free surplus.
- Discounts: TOTUM (NUS) card and UNiDAYS app for shops and food chains; student nights at museums and theatres; TodayTix Rush and National Theatre £10–20 under-30s tickets; Prince Charles Cinema memberships.
- Free: all the national museums, university libraries, park runs, free gym trials.
- Rent: halls £180–350 a week central; private rooms £800–1,200 a month; deposit protection is law — check the scheme certificate.
- Safety: phone snatching is the student crime — keep the phone away from the kerb; register it on Find My; never take an unbooked minicab.
11 / WINTERWinter 2026/27: dates, prices and what to pack
London in winter is dark by 16:00, 4–10°C, and rains about one day in four — and it is also the best-decorated, best-value and least crowded time to visit, outside the week before Christmas. Everything below is confirmed for 2026 unless marked.
- Lights switch-ons: Carnaby 4 November; Regent Street and St James's 5 November (free street event 17:00–21:00); Knightsbridge 10 November; Marylebone and Old Spitalfields 11 November; Covent Garden 12 November; Leadenhall 19 November; Oxford Street early November.
- Southbank Centre Winter Market: 2 November 2026 – 4 January 2027, daily 11:00–22:00, free entry.
- Skate at Somerset House: 11 November – 10 January, adults £15–28.50, children £11.
- Christmas at Kew: 13 November – 3 January, from about £25 adult, £20 child, under-4s free.
- Hyde Park Winter Wonderland: 19 November 2026 – 3 January 2027 (closed 25 December), 10:00–22:00. Entry is free off-peak (Monday–Thursday in November, must be booked), £5.50 standard, £8.25 peak, or free with £25 of pre-booked rides. Rides and bars are where the money goes.
- Trafalgar Square tree: lit in the first week of December (Norway's annual gift); free carols most evenings until Christmas.
- Christmas Day (Friday 25 December): no public transport at all — no Tube, bus, train or Elizabeth line. Pre-book any car journey weeks ahead. Boxing Day runs a reduced service; sales start 26 December and most stores open with shorter hours. The substitute bank holiday is Monday 28 December.
- New Year's Eve fireworks: ticketed only via Ticketmaster (2025 prices were £40–55; 2026 on-sale date to be announced in October). Westminster Bridge and the riverside are closed without a ticket; Primrose Hill, Greenwich and Alexandra Palace are the free vantage points. Tube is free from 23:45 to 04:30 on the night.
- New Year's Day Parade (1 January, free along Piccadilly, Regent Street, Trafalgar Square and Whitehall); Canary Wharf Winter Lights free in late January; Burns Night 25 January; Chinese New Year 6 February 2027 with the Trafalgar Square and Chinatown celebrations the following weekend; Pancake Day 9 February.
- Pack: a waterproof outer layer, a warm mid-layer, scarf, and waterproof walking shoes. Umbrellas lose to wind; hoods win. Indoors is well heated, so layers you can shed.
On the one day a year with no transport, and on the nights when the apps surge, a pre-booked flat fare is the difference between a good evening and a £90 ride home. Rushxo runs through Christmas Day and New Year's Eve at the price agreed when you book.
Frequently asked questions
Do I still get a BRP card as a student in 2026?
No. Students get an eVisa linked to a UKVI account. Set it up before you travel and use share codes to prove your status.
How much is the 16–25 Railcard and does it work on the Tube?
£35 a year (£80 for three years). Linked to an Oyster at a Tube station it gives a third off off-peak Tube and DLR fares, plus a third off trains.
Is the 18+ Student Oyster worth it?
If you buy weekly or monthly Travelcards, yes — 30% off. It does not discount pay-as-you-go.
Do international students pay council tax in London?
Full-time students are exempt. Halls are exempt automatically; in private flats get a certificate from your university.
What is the cheapest way from Heathrow to my halls with luggage?
Elizabeth line is cheapest for one person with one bag. With two or three cases, or sharing with friends, a fixed-fare car door-to-door is usually equal per head and far easier.
Fixed Price, Luggage Included
Landing with your whole life in two suitcases?
Door-to-door to your halls at one agreed fare with flight tracking. Share a 7-seat MPV with coursemates and split the price. TfL-licensed, 24/7 on WhatsApp.
Prices, fares and rules were checked in October 2026 and change frequently. Confirm with the operator, venue or gov.uk before you travel. Rushxo has no commercial relationship with any venue or provider named.