Britain- May or June?
 

I am planning a spring trip to England and Wales for two weeks.
I have pretty much narrowed it down to May or June.

Any advantages/disadvantages to vacationing in the U.K. in either month would be appreciated. I know there are 2 bank holidays in May which is why I am leaning towards early June. Any opinion or advice is much appreciated.
Thanks.

If I had a choice I would pick June, it may be high season , as opposed to May being shoulder, but I prefer better weather, which of course is never a guarantee , but I would just chance June over May .

Many sites are outdoors, The Tower Of London is much nicer to wander around in decent weather, same with Bath, or any castle,, just my preference.

absolutely nothing in it . . . .

June is not high season in the UK since most schools are still in session until well into July.

June has longer days, May has (sometimes) a bit cheaper airfare.

Weather can be glorious either month - or neither month.

Pick when you can get the best flights/fares . . . . .

If you are in London in June you should consider attending the "Trouping of the Colours" in celebration of the Queens birthday. It is quite a show. I saw it first in 2003 by chance and scheduled a 2005 trip to London with DH so he could see it too. I think it is the 2nd Saturday in June and although I imagine the Brits are accustomed to seeing things like that as a visitor to London it was really fun to see.

hi semiramis,

don't worry about the bank hols - most attractions will be open as will hotels and restaurants. only things shut - the banks and some shops.

also, don't base your choice on the weather. it was warm enough for me to sit outside and eat my lunch wearing a t-shirt today - early feb. it could be freezing in June, boiling hot in May.

regards, ann

<<< also, don't base your choice on the weather. >>>

I would agree, driving home today and within a mile I went from bright warm sunshine to dense fog with visibility of about 50m

June.

The schools have a week off in May (half term following the Bank Holiday Monday) so the end of May is usually a bit busier with UK tourists.

The weather should be better in June but it's actually a lottery! You do get longer daylight in June though.

I'd be swayed if tickets and hotel were much cheaper in May but I expect it'll be a close call especially booking only 3 to 4 months out.

We chose June for our UK tour specifically because we were hoping for the best weather - and we got rain 17 out of 18 days! You are probably just as likely to get good weather in May as you are in June. On the bright side, we really enjoyed the long June days, which gave us more time to enjoy the sights when it WASN'T raining. :-) We never had a problem with crowds, although we did not go to London so I can't speak for conditions there.

(England and Wales are very beautiful and enjoyable in the rain, might I add.)

Very little difference. Statistically rainfall is about the same in each month.

June can, sometimes, get quite hot and does so more frequently than May. May day length is less but probably more than enough.

It all depends on exactly what you are doing, but my personal choice for two weeks would be between the two May holiday weekends.

As stated, there's not a lot in it weatherwise - June last year was awful! The week that includes the late May bank hooiday is a school holiday - in fact some primary schools have 2 weeks - so more accommodation may be booked up and attractions may be busier then.

If you are visiting gardens, mid- to late May is when they are at their springtime best. You can see bluebell woods, primroses galore, and the fabulous rhododendrons at Exbury. If you can, go to Sissinghurst which probably always looks fantastic. There's also the Chelsea Flower Show May 20-24, a major national event. Even if you aren't a garden nut, try to watch TV one night during the Flower Show to see how deep gardening culture runs in England. If you are not (yet) a gardener, at least enjoy the city parks and tiny frontyard city gardens.

But - on the other hand, if you are into Roses and herbaceous borders -- later is better. Mid to late June-ish.

as we said, not much to choose between the two months. Both have their major benefits.

Thanks for all the comments.

I wanted to avoid bank holidays because of getting last-minute accommodation difficulties. (We ONLY book our first couple of nights in advance and stay at B&Bs.)

How does this sound - middle two weeks of May (arriving around 8 or 9th and leaving on May 24 (should we book May 23 night in advance - since it is just before bank Holiday?) OR June 6 - June 21???

We will probably be mostly be in Gwynedd, Powys and Shropshire. We will probably fly into Manchester or Birmingham (so one/two nights in that area).

Any comments still appreciated. Thanks very much!

tttt

If it were me - I'd choose June 6 - 21.

But that is just my subjective choice - either would be fine.

hi, semi -

that looks like a good plan.

I'm not familiar with Gwynned or Powys, but Shropshire is lovely - Ludlow [a real foody haven] the long mind [a hill of sorts and pronounced as in "sinned", not "kind"] and shrewsbury [where my DH once earnt a living doing time and motion studies in a long-gone bra factory].

they would all be fine in May, weather gods willing.

regards, ann

Either dates would be fine, as said before the weather could be lovely at that time of year but with no guarantees.

What are you interests? There are lots of castles, houses and gardens in the area you mentioned. If gardens are of interest, May will be especially good for rhododendrons and azaleas, June for herbaceous borders. One of my favourute gardens in Shropshire is Wollerton http://www.wollertonoldhallgarden.com - which I think is just about perfect at the end of June.

Shrewsbury is great, especially if you have ever seen/read the Brother Cadfael books - go visit Shrewsbury Abbey, it's set up like it would have been in the 13th C., during the books.