Is it a good idea to become an au pair(nanny) to live in London for a year or two?

I am a Au Pair here in the States for two years and I really like it. I also visited London and I could think about staying there for some time.

I was an au pair for the summer (2 months) in france. I really loved it. Being an au pair was a great experience for me but ask yourself why london? If it's a dream of yours to visit london, then I guess why not, but for me I wanted to go somewhere, where I didn't speak the language. It was a blast, and my french improved greatly. The family I stayed with also spoke some english so there wasnt a huge language barrier. I'd really go for france if I were you. Great people there. But if you feel you want to go to london, go for it, but really please make sure you know the family well first! Speak to them on the phone, you'll be suprised how much you'll get to know them, and if you'll get a good feeling about them just from their voice. Remember also, au pair isn't vacation, it's work! I doubt the children you'll be watching will want to see all the tourist sites.

In London there is a difference between au pair and nanny. An au pair is a student usually, studying english and they have a lot of the horrid household chores to do as well as caring for the children. A nanny simply cares for the children and their needs. An au pair is poorly paid in comparison to a nanny. I nannied for a couple of years and it was terrific. Good Luck.