Having money wired from home through a money-wiring company is never convenient or cheap and should be considered a last resort. Fees depend on the country, method of payment and amount being transferred, but as an example, wiring £500 to Britain from the US will cost £20-35, Moneygram and Travelex (Thomas Cook) being the cheaper options.

It's also possible to have money wired directly from a bank in your home country to a bank in Britain, although this is somewhat less reliable because it involves two separate institutions. If you go down this route, your home bank will need the address of the branch bank where you want to pick up the money and the address and telex number of the head office, which will act as the clearing house; money wired this way normally takes at least two working days to arrive and costs around £25 per transaction