For its size , the UK certainly packs a punch. England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are all fascinating destinations in their own right. As a country, there’s few places in the world that rival the history, heritage and cultural clout of the UK. Choose from an abundance of amazing landscapes, UNESCO heritage sites, picture postcard villages and uber cool cities.
Here’s our guide to the gap year pros and cons of the UK:
Pros:
There are lots of gap year work options from volunteer work to paid jobs and internships to fruit picking.
The cities – the UK is packed with historical cities – London, Manchester, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Bristol, York, Oxford and Cambridge.
National Parks – there’s 15. Check out the Lake District, The Peak District, Snowdonia, the Yorkshire Dales and the Cairngorms.
UNESCO sites – the UK has 32, from cathedrals and castles to palaces and Roman ruins.
The museums – the UK has an impressive amount of world class museums and art galleries, many of which are free.
The size – the UK is compact making it easier to get around. Even on a day trip you can find yourself in a totally different part of the county.
The coastline – the weather may not be tropical, but the UK has outstanding beaches with Cornwall, Devon, Pembrokeshire and Scotland leading the way.
The UK is multi-cultural and as such you can eat your way round the world in many UK cities.
The NHS – the UK has an amazing free health system for all.
Cons:
The weather – the UK has 4 clear seasons and although it get regular heatwaves in the Summer, they are not predictable.
The cost – the UK is expensive compared to eastern gap year destinations and even compared to European destinations. London, in particular is a very expensive place to live.
Unless you have paid income, it’s difficult to support yourself for a long time in the UK.