going back for a visit
 

For the first time in 20, yes count them, 2 0 years i'm going home (for a visit)

Things that have surprised me so far.

Cost - airfairs have gone through the roof and there seems to be very little difference when you shop around - other than going via a chinese airline. Bought my ticket now anyway, but interested in other's experiences.

Car hire - WOW. obviously i want a car to get around but whoah has that gone up. And what also surprised me was when booking on line what's considered 'local'. One of the internet trawls was coming up with hire companies 30 miles away from Heathrow! Again, wondering what others here have experienced.

Driving. Family and friends back home are telling me i'm going to notice the most how much driving in towns/cities/motorways has changed, Traffic violation cameras, speed cameras and private clamping sharks everywhere. Comments?

And lastly - crime. Basically I've been advised not to be kiwi friendly anymore, head down, get to where you are going, don't trust gangs of teens and knife crime is rife! Comments?

I'm still looking forward to seeing old mates and family, but I do wonder if anything of what i left behind is still there, so I'm interested in what anyone who's been recently has to say.

Cheers

Re: going back for a visit
 

Whereabouts are you going? No crime or gangs of marauding teens in any of the places I stay/visit, and I go back every couple of months. But where you’ll be will make a difference on that.

Definitely tons of speed cameras, so keep an eye on the speedo and use Waze.

And depending on where you’re going, you may find it much cheaper to get a train/coach away from Heathrow and then pick up a hire car. Just use Expedia or similar to find a reasonable price.

For air tickets I use Skyscanner or Google flights, and make sure I’m flexible on date (using their ‘search entire month’ feature to find the cheapest dates).

Re: going back for a visit
 

Who knows, but hopefully the fish and chips or snacks from M&S are still lush!

Re: going back for a visit
 

They certainly are - having moved home from Aus in 2023, I can assure you, they are good as ever!

Re: going back for a visit
 

Whereabouts are you going?
South and West Wales, Manchester, Bournemouth

Definitely tons of speed cameras, so keep an eye on the speedo and use Waze.
Sounding like a dinosaur now, what's Waze?

And depending on where you’re going, you may find it much cheaper to get a train/coach away from Heathrow and then pick up a hire car. Just use Expedia or similar to find a reasonable price.
I did think about that but to be honest I just want to land and go. The idea of having to catch a train/coach wasn't that appealing

For air tickets I use Skyscanner or Google flights, and make sure I’m flexible on date (using their ‘search entire month’ feature to find the cheapest dates).
Good to know, thank you

Re: going back for a visit
 

Manchester has speed cameras on The motorways, and dual carriage ways but stick to the speed limit and you will be fine, M60 is the ring road all around Manchester and will help getting around but not so good in the rush hour traffic, I don’t find speed cameras a problem, it’s something you get used to be off the busy roads there are hardly any, Bournemouth has a lovely coastline and is a nice place to visit especially the New Forest, Sandbanks and Weymouth you can even visit the IOW. I find people to be very helpful and friendly even to strangers more so than when We lived in Australia. Hope you have a fab time….use your accent people here will love that lol
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Re: going back for a visit
 

Air fares are pretty cheap right ow. We've just booked returns for May 26 for 1600 quid with Air NZ and Turkish airlines via Singapore
I've seen some fares as low as 1400+ depending on your dates.

Speed cameras tend to be average speed cameras now so just stick to the limit and you'll be fine. On my last visit, I couldn't find my way home from Manchester city centre to my mums house, a journey I had made a million times, due to changes in the roads and new roads having been built

It has changed A LOT. be prepared to be disappointing. I hate going back and only pay the shortest visit to see family. It's dirty,overcrowded and unfriendly. This planned visit will be my last

Re: going back for a visit
 

It's a GPS map/ direction finding app for your smart phone, which shows speed camera locations.

You do know what a smart phone is, don't you? ;)

Re: going back for a visit
 

Be prepared for it to be different.

Its not about one country being better than the other, each has good and bad points.

OP, Enjoy the differences and enjoy the trip :)

Re: going back for a visit
 

We returned to the UK from NZ two years ago. We hired a car on our return and the cost had certainly sky-rocked since my last visit in 2023.
I can't say that I've noticed a huge issue with crime. Yes, bad stuff happens but it's not out of control.
I smile and say hello to people when out and about. Brits are still generally friendly and helpful. Probably not Kiwi-friendly level but fine.
I've not been into Manchester since we've been back, so can't help with that. I visited it back in 2019 and was a bit bamboozled with the new road layout, buildings and tramways. Piccadilly station was huge compared to how it was when I was a student there in the 1980's.
Then I think of the changes in Auckland since we first moved there in 2005. Places change, apparently it's called progress :lol:.
Due to illness, I didn't drive for two years. I'm still adjusting to driving on narrow country lanes. I used to be so confident on them but now I found them scary! Narrow parking spaces are a pain in the bottom, especially as cars have got larger.
There are quite a few speed cameras about but as Justcol says, you're more likely to encounter variable speed cameras on motorways. I dont drive as fast as I used to on the whole, so haven't had any issues. I've noticed that the UK has become more like NZ were lack of indicator use is concerned!!! However, drivers are more courteous here than there.
I think you are worrying unnecessarily and over-thinking your visit.

Re: going back for a visit
 

I didn't mention it being better or worse than anywhere else.
A blind man could see how much it's changed it 20 years and
the last two kiwis I know who have been have said how disappointing it was.

Re: going back for a visit
 

So far nobody has mentioned Low Emission Zones (LEZ).
Something to beware of if travelling to city centres.
Hire cars should be up to the latest standards, but you don't want to get a surprise fine.

I assume you know about taking out excess insurance for car hire before your trip?
Saves a huge amount of money compared to the "optional" collision damage waiver the hire companies try to load onto you when you pick the vehicle up.

I generally don't hire cars in the UK, but when I have in the past I haven't found any budget firms which hire out older vehicles (as RentaDent used to in NZ).
Worth a look online to see if you can find any.

We have abandoned the "just get off the plane and go" strategy these last few years.
We find it much less stressful to book into a hotel on arrival then tackle the world when fresh.

Re: going back for a visit
 

Many of you may not know that since January this year many UK bus fares have been capped at 3 pounds. So in certain places you can go over 40 miles for that cost. Last month there we had a hire car but used the bus a few times as it is less stressful. no parking issues and gets you to the center of cities rather than to a park n ride on the outskirts. .
Many buses have also been upgraded recently, for example you can use contact less cards to pay.
On the subject of navigation we used Wayz... generally good but it chose a narrow, mountainous road going through a tank training area on one trip in Yorkshire, a really awkward road, just using a more normal ciuntry road on return. Then in Essex one late afternoon it took us, and many others behind. down narrow country lanes. Presumably to avoid heavy traffic on the main road. The locals all knew the road but we didn't so we held up many other cars that afternoon. I would have preferred to crawl on the main road.

Re: going back for a visit
 

Like anywhere on the world peoples experiences and expectations are different, I have lived/visited attractions/cities etc around the globe and some I have loved and some were just not for me, I am a Mancunian live in the Peak district and rarely need to go into Manchester (which most people rave about) my brother on the other hand loves going into Manchester he thinks it’s fab and has worked /travelled all over the globe as I say each to their own I am always mindful of being respectful

Re: going back for a visit
 

I went back in 2018 - car hire was quite cheap and groceries were cheaper than here. I went back in 2022 and car hire had quadrupled, the groceries had also skyrocketed to similar price to here. I left the UK due to crime, but never experienced any in the three times I've been back, but mostly I'm careful with my belongings, etc, etc. Driving? Yeh, there's speed cameras, but don't speed, like?? The biggest PITA was parking. I quickly learned to use the Park and Rides and leave the car outside of any popular town or large city. Then there are the various apps to pay for said parking if they don't take coins.

Side note: I too, am heading back again in June and have just discovered that my NZ passport will not allow me in anymore due to my dual nationality. I've had to fork out $300 odd for a UK passport renewal (19 years out of date) and another $120 to have it posted to the UK. There's new entry requirements as of end of February 2026. My kiwi travelling companion gets to pay $30 for an ETA. I'm fuming!