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Encounters.uk guides

Dating Guides: Straight Answers for UK Singles

Plain answers to the questions UK singles really ask, from checking out a site to planning the first date.

Know what you’re getting into, then enjoy it

Online dating is easy right up until you try it. How do you know a site is above board? Where do adults go for something casual now that Craigslist personals have gone? How do you start again at 40, what do you put on a profile, and where do you go on the first date? These guides answer them all, with advice you can use on any site or app, not just ours.

Each guide stands on its own, so start with whichever question is on your mind. We’ve grouped them by where you are right now: weighing up a site, looking for something casual, starting again, or getting ready for a first date.

Choose your site with confidence

Before you share a photo or send a first message, it’s fair to ask who runs a site, how long it has been going, how its plans renew and what other members will see about you. This guide answers every one of those for Encounters.uk, plainly and in one place.

  • Is Encounters.uk Legit?

    Who is behind the site, what Classic, VIP and VIP Plus each include, how renewals work, how to spot a fake profile, and why we have nothing to do with Encounters Dating.

Weighing us up against the big names? Our dating site comparisons set Encounters.uk next to Plenty of Fish, Tinder, Badoo, Doublelist and Encounters Dating, one at a time, so you can see which suits you.

Casual, adult and upfront

For adults who know what they want and would like to find it close to home. This one is frank about where people meet for no-strings fun in the UK now, and what each option charges for.

Already sure? Casual Encounters is our adult section, for anyone 18 or over, with more than 900 members across the UK.

Starting again, at your own pace

Back on the market after a long relationship, new to a town, or simply ready to meet someone? These two cover where people meet now, online and off, and how to make a fresh start feel like one.

  • Dating Over 40 in the UK

    What has changed since you last dated, where people your age meet, first dates, a new partner and your children, and how to spot a scam.

  • How to Meet Singles in the UK

    Twelve ways to meet someone, from dating sites and singles nights to speed dating, clubs, classes and running groups, plus how to turn a chat into a date.

Over 40 and ready to meet people at the same stage of life? Mature Encounters is the section made for you.

First impressions that count

The profile gets you noticed and the first date does the rest. Start with your photos and your words, then pick somewhere you can both relax and be yourselves.

  • Dating Profile Tips

    The photos to use, how to open your profile, example bios for men and women, usernames that work and the things best left out.

  • First Date Ideas in the UK

    Twenty-five first dates to try, from cheap and daytime ideas to rainy day and evening plans, with picks for over 40s and for cities from London to Glasgow.

See who’s near you

Our location pages cover 18 UK cities, from London to Glasgow, each with the age mix of our members and ideas for a first date close to home. Singles near me explains how distance shapes your daily matches.

Dating guides: your questions

Which guide should I read first?

Whichever question is on your mind. If you want to know who runs the site and what each membership includes, start with “Is Encounters.uk Legit?” If you’re new to online dating, start with Dating Profile Tips. Coming back after a long relationship? Dating Over 40 in the UK is the one.

Do the guides only apply to Encounters.uk?

No. The advice on profiles, first dates, meeting people and staying safe works on any dating site or app. Where a guide compares services, it names them and says what each one does well.

Which Encounters.uk section is right for me?

It depends what you’re after. For a relationship, try Single Encounters; over 40, Mature Encounters; for adult fun with no strings attached, Casual Encounters; and for older women and younger men, Milf Encounters. Each section keeps its own members and sign-up, so if two suit you, you can join both.

Put the advice to work tonight

Choose your section and see who your daily matches bring.