Burger here, I’ve been living in Yurp for a while now but still haven’t made it to the UK. As a 'mercan I take it with a grain of salt when Euros tell me transit is “bad” anywhere, but I do hear its supposed to be “bad” outside of London.
Do you guys own cars? Is owning a car necessary to live where you are?
Fellow American ex-pat. I lived in the UK for many years, am now in France. I lived in Sussex, Norwich, Brighton and Oxford, and the only time I didn’t use my car every day was when I lived very close to the rail station in Sussex. And paid £3000 a year for a gold card (it’s a lot more now).
The buses can be very expensive (looking at you Norwich), and and are often slower than walking (Brighton knows I’m talking about it). Having a folding bike was essential, if that’s a possibility. Definitely check your city first.