Hi, I’ve been with THS for almost 3 years now, traveling around the US full-time. We’re about to head out to London, travel the UK for a couple of months, then head to Europe for 3 more. We’ve been doing research to make sure we are prepared with documents and other necessities, but I’m wondering if anyone has advice, particularly about customs, visas vs ETAs, and any legalities I might be missing. Also, driving tips and whatever else might be helpful to someone like me. Lots of experience in America, none in Europe. Thanks so much!
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Welcome @jerilynkass - how exciting !
The answers to your questions around visas etc will depend on what passports you have ?
I have sat in the UK twice so far with my most recent trip being November to January and then heading back mid-March.
I am assuming based on your post you are a US citizen. If so, you will need an ETA which you can either apply for online or with the app–this is a travel authorization for visa-exempt nationals… My husband and I just got ours last week and the approval was almost instant–came about a minute after I received confirmation of the application being submitted. It is very easy and costs a little over 12 USD each.
Not sure if you have seen the major thread here about housesitting issues abroad, but you should not mention anything about it if you speak with immigration officials. Though this is unlikely since the UK has e-gates that US citizens can use.
But when I flew into Glasgow in November, they were diverting some people to the immigration officers to speed things up it seemed. It is a pretty small airport and the line for the egates was kind of long and there was almost no one waiting to talk to the officers. The conversation was very relaxed–asked a couple of questions about what we were doing and for how long we were going to be there. I offered to show proof of onward travel since we already had set plans after the UK but she said it wasn’t necessary. I had a hotel booked since we arrived a day before we were scheduled to arrive at the sit but she didn’t ask to see that either.
But if you didn’t have travel booked from the UK and it made you feel better to have something just in case, there are airlines in the region offer full refunds for flights cancelled within 24 hours. US law specifically says that any airline operating a flight to or from the US must abide by this policy .
If you need a sim card for the UK, you can buy them at any convenience store and put them right in the phone yourself. I bought one at the airport and it was super easy.
Also something important to know about London: The underground and overground train fare depends on the distance traveled and is calculated based on which stations you tap in and out of.
Because of this, if you are traveling with another person, you can’t use the same card for both people. Buses are a flat fare so you only tap in and don’t need to tap out at your destination but again, you need separate cards for both people. Both cards can be linked to the same account though.
The rates for the contactless cards are the same for Oyster cards. I know there are special tourist cards you can get for shorter term trips that may offer unlimited travel for X amount of days but I have never used that so can’t say much about how they work.
If you are planning on traveling around the UK , know that some of the train fares can be crazy expensive, even for relatively shorter trips.
I remember thinking we would take a day trip to Bath when we were in London, and the roundtrip fare for the 1 hour 15 minute ride was almost 200 USD for two people! Regardless of whether it is affordable or not, I would not pay that.
I believe there is a special discount card you can buy that gives you 30% off every time you buy two tickets together. There are also rail passes that allow for a certain amount of travel over a certain amount of time, whether all over the UK or in specific regions.
There is an extensive network of buses though that can get you to and from many of the same routes as the train so you have a cheaper option if you need or prefer it.
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Don’t know much about visas and legalities for you, but for travelling the UK you’ll only really need a car if you plan to do more remote sits in small villages where there’s limited public transport or you want to do sits where you can take dogs in car rides with you. But otherwise, you can travel the UK quite easily with public transport (I have travelled the UK extensively only with public transport, including the Scottish Highlands and Wales). You can download the Trainline app and use the checkmybus website as well for coaches that will take you all over the country, often for a much cheaper price than the trains. For sim cards, you can either get a physical one as @KC1102 said, or get an E-sim for easy data access if your phone is compatible.
If you plan to see London, the London Pass is a really great idea if you want to see top attractions at a lower cost and you’ll get to cut queues as well. You can pick up an oyster card for London public transport from any tube station or off licence corner shop, or you can just use your regular bank card (but it will take transfer fees each time you tap on and off).
For bank cards, of course you can use your own but it will take transfer fees. You could look into getting a Revolut card or similar to avoid transfer fees. Hope that helps! 
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Thank you so much, KC1102. This is very helpful! I am a US citizen- should have mentioned that. I read somewhere that you should bring an itinerary with you to show that you will be moving on to another country, and I started one including all housesits, addresses, contact info, etc. Are you saying I shouldn’t bother with that?
We were planning on taking a train over to France, and we’re not sure where we’re departing from (back to the US). Do you think it’s better to buy a plane ticket, or will a train ticket do as well?
I’ll definitely check out the major thread for housesits abroad. Thanks again!
I have a US passport
A travel agent told me to book a hotel for the first night so if they ask you can show proof. You may want to rest after a long flight so staying in a hotel or hostel is a good idea for the first night.
Many hostels today also have private rooms with a bathroom but these book early as few at each one.
I will tell you what happened to a young woman traveling from Asia to Australia. There is a YouTube channel that films people stopped at the border. They asked her why she is there. She said to help out a family with their kids ( Workaway travel). They said you are here to work. She said no work as I do not get paid. They said it is still work. They told her that her doing it for free is preventing an Australian from getting this job where they will get paid. They sent her home on the next flight. Felt so bad for her. She was devastated. A college kid just trying to have an adventure.
Never tell immigration that you are house sitting. Visiting friends or tourism if they ask.
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Wow, that is good to know. It sounds like mentioning housesitting might be construed as work, and it is perhaps better just to say that we’re there for vacation. Thanks for alerting me to this potential snafu, Seniorsitter.
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That definitely helps, Nagy26. Thank you!
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It is unlikely that an officer would want to see some super detailed itinerary of your whole trip but it can’t hurt if it makes you feel better, but again don’t mention housesitting.
I have traveled internationally extensively for many years and it is extremely rare that immigration officers ask for any information about where I am staying or proof of onward travel. I am sure a train ticket would be fine if you were asked. You are more likely to be asked by an airline, but if you are able to check in online at the US airport and don’t have any luggage to check, you won’t be interacting with any staff until you board the flight. If you have checked baggage, it is possible they could ask.
There are lots of things immigration officers can ask visitors in theory, but in practice is not common. For example, many countries will say you have to have a certain amount of money for the duration of your stay but I have never been asked to provide proof of finances in the dozens of countries I have visited.
It is unlikely you will be asked to provide proof of onward travel when you get to France but again, it is always a possibility. I am sure a train ticket is just as good as a flight especially since many people travel between countries by train in Europe.
Just be sure to check if the train offers a refund if you cancel–some will just offer a credit for a future trip. There are also a couple of bus companies that travel between Europe but I know that at least one–Flixbus–doesn’t appear to offer refunds, only vouchers for future travel.
Also I thought of a couple of more things that might be good to know and I edited my original post. Also, if your phone is e-sim compatible you can get one of those. I always forget about that option because my ‘travel phone’ is older and doesn’t have that capability.
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I did a 6-month trip in Europe last year (3 months Schengen, 3 months UK) and I’m currently in London again.
You will need the ETA for the UK now, I had to get it for my current trip. It’s easy, there’s an app for it. The ETIAS for Europe is supposed to start sometime in 2025.
I can’t speak to driving since I only take sits that are accessibly by public transit. I don’t want to drive overseas and am not interested in rural sits. It’s very easy to get around Europe by train.
I use an esim for cellular data that’s good all over Europe. You can get just data really cheap and there are some that include a phone number if you want phone service too. I just get data and use WhatsApp for calls.
If you fly into the UK you will go through an e-gate so it’s unlikely you will talk to a person at passport control. The other European countries I’ve flown into really haven’t asked me anything. I think one asked how long I would be there. I do recommend having an onward flight showing when you will leave. I was asked for that once, but it was several years ago.
Have fun!
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Use Trainline for train travel. It will search for the best fares, and can save tens if not hundreds of pounds for travellers. I use it all the time 
Yes it is a good site but even on there I have seen some pretty high fares. But maybe even those are the discounted ones!
In U.K. “Advance” tickets are the cheapest way to travel by train . These are usually available to buy 12 weeks before travel . However , they are not available on all routes and sell out quickly .
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Yeah, this is why I use National Express or Flixbus coaches and avoid trains where possible 
As a UK citizen I have been asked at passport control in a few European countires reason for visit, I have always said visiting friends. On one occassion I was asked to provide the address of where I was staying. I NEVER mention pet sitting. Wondered if they thought I was a granny drug mule ha ha.
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It might be worth you looking at the various railpasses available for Europe. You can buy one for a particular country and pay for x days of travel or a general one for Europe.