My husband and I were thinking about possible taking a one week trip to the UK the week of Nov. 21st. My cousin has invited us to stay with him at Cambridge University for about 4 nights, from which we would take a couple day trips into London and Bath. The last 2 nights, we would stay in London, to allow us to take in a show and a couple good restaurants.

I knew that winter is not the most comfortable time to visit England, but last night, we ran into some of my parents friends who's daughter has been living in London for the past year. They were saying that the cold is almost unbearable, and it got me thinking... is it going to be worth it? Should we switch to a milder destination and save England for a future visit in May or Sept?

This forum has always been very helpful for me, and I thought I'd get some good advice on here. We live in Florida. Is the cold and rain as extreme as they said? They mentioned their daughter is leaving London because of the unbearable cold. Please be honest. Is the discomfort enough to hinder the trip?

Any suggestions and/or advice would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

Apcretul, I am also interested in the answers you get. From checking weather sites, I get that November averages a high of 51, low of 40 in London. I have thought of going in the Fall of the year also, and wondered what experience others have had. I personally like to travel when it's cooler, so those temps don't sound bad to me.

Weather.com lists the average high temperature in November for London as 50 degrees and the average low as 37 degrees, with 3 inches of rain in November on average.

I guess it depends on what you find unbearable. You can count on it being cool and maybe somewhat rainy.

One thing that does make a difference is that a lot of buildings in England aren't heated as much as we're used to here, so sometimes it's a little colder <i>inside</i> than we might like.

How you feel about the weather can depend a lot on what you are accustomed to. Just as a ballpark guesstimate, the typical temperatures at that time would likely be in the mid-40s to perhaps 50 degrees F in the daytime. Coming from Wisconsin, I have no problem with that in late November. For someone living in Palm Springs, that might not be quite so balmy-sounding.

It might rain and be windy but it is unlikely to be unbearably cold in November.
You should have no problem in London. As with any city, it doesn't have to be hot and sunny to enjoy. Touristy places like Cambridge and Bath will be much quieter at that time of year, so it is a trade-off. Even in November, it doesn't always rain. I'd say, come and enjoy.

For goodness sakes, it's not Siberia! Just think that it will be much like an East coast USA city.

I went to England this past Christmas, and although very cold and damp, had a lovely time! We got a deal that couldn't be passed up on a flight, then also on a hotel by a train station. A lot of Fodorites said that everything would be closed for the holidays, but we were never alone out there. The shopping, restaurants and siteseeing tours kept us busy--even a New Year's cruise dinner and party. The only time the cold weather played a role was going to see Stonehenge. The cold wind blew us to pieces and as soon as pictures were taken, we ran back to the bus. Look, wear a warm scarf and coat, take an umbrella and boots and have a great time!

I was in London several years ago around that time and although the temperatures weren't terribly cold, it felt colder because of the rain. And remember it will get dark very early. But pass up a trip to England? NEVER! Just dress warmly!

Ditto to what Roger says. A friend from Boston who is very sensitive to the cold, spent the week of Thanksgiving in London several years ago and found it to be more temperate than Boston would be at that same time of year.

I have been to London several times in November. It's really not that bad. You will probably be in museums, stores and restaurants most of the time anyway. Have a nice cup of tea to warm yourself.

I wento to London in Feb 2002 and was pleasantly surprised by the weather; it was cold, but there were long, sunny spells, and my sister and I enjoyed ourselves very much. By the way, her first time in Europe, we both grew up in Puerto Rico.

apcretul

Yes May and September are lovely in England but I hardly think the average temperature in November is unbearable. I say go in November and then go back again in May or September.

Another good site for weather is www.weatheronline.co.uk

Sandy

apcretul: Since I've been talking about Scottish weather, the southern half of England is not Scotland, and London is not Edinburgh, it's generally quite a bit milder in London. I can't handle cold very well myself, but Nov. in England has never been a problem for me. It will be cool, but not unbearable. The bone-chilling stuff comes later, in January. I'd go in Nov.- you'll love Cambridge, (psst. as to which Uni. is better- Oxford or Cambridge-Cambridge wins, hands down!)

What is unbearable depends in large part on where you're from and how well you personally tolerate heat or cold. London in winter is distinctly warmer than Boston or New York - probably more like Virginia.

But since you will be doing mostly indoor things - I don;t think the weather should be that much of an issue - unless you're one of those people who starts putting on winter coats when it goes below 70.

I live in Florida, too and I look forward to the weather in England in October and November. I do take a lined raincoat but often have to remove the liner.

Bring an umbrella and warm clothes, you'll be fine.

I'm from Minnesota, but I found the cold in London to be a different kind of cold. It was very damp and as someone mentioned earlier, many buildings (my apartment!) aren't centrally heated. I would recommend clothes that are good for a damp-type cold - wool, flannel, fleece. My ski jacket wasn't all that useful. Also, be sure to bring warm indoor clothes. Most Americans dress indoors as if it were July.

Beany,

Quite right about Americans dressing indoors like it's July. I find that to be even more true back east. I live in California and whenever I've visited people on the East coast or Midwest during the winter (which I try to keep to a minimum -- way too cold for me), I can't believe how hot they keep their houses during the winter. It's almost suffocating, restaurants also have that problem, I almost felt like I should be wearing shorts and a tank top. Most people in California don't keep their houses that warm during the winter, and usually wear sweaters.

Lyb -
Yes, and then those same Californians wear those some sweaters and wool SCARVES outside when it's 60! At least they did last December. I was so thrilled with the weather that I put on shorts and completely looked like a tourist. And was pretty cold by the way, but doggonit was GOING TO GET A TAN.

After reading all of those replies, I guess it's decided -- we should go. I had my husband read them and he said we can handle it.

I'm looking forward to planning the trip! Hopefully we'll be able to take advantage of the off-season rates.