UK in winter
 

Dear Fodor's participants---I'm attempting to spend some time in England in the winter as I've never done this before--November seemed like a good time to go--but no! Now I'm told that November is a favorite tourist time in England. I'd like some info/opinions from you folks about good winter months to spend in UK and suggestions about where, etc. Thanks in advance--BMK

Hi B,

Nov is Winter?

How about Dec to Feb? :)

((I))

Not quite sure what you mean by &quot;<i>I'm told that November is a favorite tourist time in England.</i>&quot; - and even IF it were true, why would that be a problem??

November - While still Autumn, is close enough to winter to be a &quot;winter time&quot; trip to the UK. The days are short, the weather can be wintry (though not normally hard freezes or anything like that) and the crowds are gone.

Winter doesn't &quot;officially&quot; start until Dec 21. Is there some reason you want to be in the UK in the &quot;Winter&quot;? or do you just mean the off season? Off season really runs from about the end of October to the End of March.

What are you actually looking for?

Been in November and last year in Ferurary. The key is to book when school is still in session. I went eary in the month and places were crowed. This coming Feburary I will not leave until after the 17th. Actually both months were much the same. Short daylight days which fits well for me. More time in a pub without feeling quilty. :)

November is not a favourite tourist time.

November DOES have a mini boom in foreign tourists.

Most foreign tourists in Britain come from our European neighbours. The All Saints weekend invariably causes a brief burst in London weekend holidays from them - not least because, at a time of year when everyone's back, London's theatres, art galleries and opera houses are working normally and there's a great deal more to do here than in the dead months in the middle of the year when the city's empty and there ae just a few bewildered-looking Japanese office ladies gawping at the Harrods fish counter.

Although the November foreign weekenders don't spill out of London much, getting hotels in stag night capials like Liverpool or York is pretty tough during November weekends. Just as in any developed country, most tourism in Britain is from people who live here, and there really isn't any time of the year (except over Christmas when we hiberate, and during the peak summer months when we go off to prop up struggling foreign economies like Florida) when we stop taking our kids round London museums or gawping at stately homes.

Unless you're planning to lie on a beach getting the sun (in which case, the UK is rarely going to be the best choice), it really makes little difference what time of year you visit. If you have a specialist interest - like gardens, or climbing mountains - the season matters. But the density of other tourists really doesn't change much through the year.

What do you want to spend winter in England for? Don't you have enough snow, ice, rain and wind where you are? Tourist places will have shorter opening hours or be shut in winter.

If you want off season with normally reasonable weather, try May.

We often spend time in the UK in Nov and have never noticed the crowds to be that bothersome. Nov thru March is just about our favorite time to be inLondon. The theatre season is in full swing, lots of concerts and the museums are relatively uncrowded.

We actually enjoy the cool to cold weather after our blistering summers in FL

If you come in Novemeber (specifically 5th Novemeber) you'll see the fireworks and Guy Fawkes stuff.

We often go to the UK in November and February. This February the weather in London was fantastic (very springlike with flowers everywhere) but in the past we've struggled to get our flight out of Massachusetts because of snow.
Avoid school half term week which is in the second or third week of February.

November is often wetter but who knows!
I'd try to go early in Nov for Guy Fawkes celebrations or early in Dec for Christmas lights and stuff.

Wow! Great feed-back---thanks to you all. Well, I guess I do mean 'off-season' when there are fewer tourists and I don't have to fight crowds. Winter is just a favorite time of mine, but SERIOUS winter, like with snow, etc. is a little too challenging. I live in CA so our winters are fairly mild and frequently drought dry. Actually, the LondonTown website said that Nov was a very popular time, but perhaps not as busy as they claim. I like the idea of uncrowded museums and possibly an easier time getting tickets to shows. Of course lower prices for hotels enters into the picture. Guy Fawkes Day sounds like a fun time. And hanging out in the pub longer wouldn't be bad either. Thanks Again, BMK

actually - hotels aren't much cheaper in the offseason. It is the airfare where you get big winter time savings.

I suspect Londontown said Nov is a popular time hoping to convince people to visit London then. They are a booking engine afterall.

I live in CA as well - and do not find London too cold in Winter. But from what you said I assume you are in SoCal. Up here in the north state, winter is definitely not drought dry.

Fall through early spring you can fly to London for 1/2 the cost (or less) of fares in summer. This Feb. I flew non-stop from SFO to LHR for $422 - in July that would be over $1000.

Why on earth does anyone think winter starts on 21st December. 21st December is the winter solstice- ie MID-winter.

The weather is nearly always colder in January and February than in November, but here in North East Scotland, November snow is common.

Come in November, bobby, and with aname like that, come to Scotland

For meteorologists winter is December, January and February. Winter actually begins on December 21st or there abouts -the shortest day, just as summer begins on June 21st, the longest day, and spring and autumn begin at the equinoxes

Sheila, its because winter officially starts on Dec 21st, of course we all know it starts in July really..lol ;-)


Muck

Dear Fodor's folks---My computor's been down for over a week and I couldn't wait to get back on line to check this website. Actually, I'm in the Gold Country of CA, sort of mid-state, and yes, our winters have been somewhat dry, however, I do love SOME snow (not a white-out, you understand) and I DID just buy a great cushy down coat for the occasional snowfall---I can see myself now, strolling the London streets taking in the sites----YUP! Winter it is! Thanks, BMK

It would be a very odd November if it snowed in London. Much more likely is grey damp cold temps where it feels as if your very soul is being sucked away

Your cushy down coat would be soaked through and you'd feel very miserable

If you are able to go during the time between Christmas and New Years, you might find parts of London very uncrowded. Many offices close for some or all of that period, so the crush of worker-commuters diminishes.

Note that some businesses, such as sandwich shops catering to the lunchtime crowd, also close down in part of the city. However, most tourist attractions are closed on Dec 25, many on Dec 26, and most (but not all) on Jan 1.

On New Year's Day, when others were nursing hangovers, we walked the streets of London...sometimes actually in the street because of reduced traffic.

Doesn't matter if it's official or not, November is WINTER as far as I'm concerned. Doubt there'll be any leaves left on the trees - autumn will be over ....

Autumnal half-term school holidays are in October, not November. (Actual dates depend on areas, but my kids school are off 21-29 Oct). I haven't really noticed surge in continental European visitors over Armistice day (11 Nov) or All Saints day.

Nov is too early for Christmas decoration. We occasionally hear of Americans moaning of absence of thanksgiving day.

Weatherwise, it would likely be dark and damp. Sun sets around 5pm. Could be rainy, but very unlikely to be freezing cold. Make sure you bring an umbrella, and good shoes you can walk around in rain. Hard to say if you'll need a heavy-duty winter wool coat... You're probably better with a lined raincoat plus a pullover and a scarf.

They're right Bobby, and they would know, don't take that puffy down coat -- it's not gonna snow and you will boil in it. I visit London late November every year and conclude I don't really need a coat, just some sort of jacket that is not too heavy or too long. Take a sweater to wear underneath. The best weather I ever experienced in London was over Christmas a few years ago -- the sun was blinding for two straight days and I abandoned most clothing layers. If you want *snow* and *winter* you're going to the wrong place.

November is actually my favourite time to visit the UK (and I've been there many times at every time of the year). Fairly mild weather, far fewer tourists....

I spent last Thanksgiving in London. The weather was perfect, NO crowds and it was cheaper (if you could call it that!). Not sure who said there were tourists in London during November, but we saw very few. And we saw mainly Americans who were taking advantage of using fewer vacation days during T-giving like us. I only wore a lambs wool jacket or a rain pullover and was fine. Remember, it could be cold and rainy in August there as my UK friend tells me. And besides, we were mainly inside if it did rain which I think was a day or so. Check the historical weather on a site to see if it is something you want. Maybe we got lucky, but I would absolutely go that time of year again. It does get eerily dark there very early that time of year. But who cares. Stay in West End if you can. London is awesome, have fun!

Flanner said:
&quot;November DOES have a mini boom in foreign tourists.&quot;

I think you mean LONDON DOES have a mini boom in foreign tourist.

I don't see foreign tourists flocking to many places other than London in Nov.

I don't like November, guy fawkes, darkness, damp and the Build up to Christmas selling already in full swing yuk !!

;-)

Muck

hi, BMK,

how about Cornwall in February - the gardens are open, magnolias in full bloom, and if it rains, you can catch the early daffs at Eden.

regards, ann

Everyone talks about the weather; and rightly so:

I was in London in Nov, 1952: London's 'Black Fog' stayed around for more than a week: many people died! Tubes were running OK; and I actually saw Bus Conducters walking out in front of the Bus with a torch (flashlight) to show the driver the way.

You shouldn't experience anything like that. Expect cold (50's), damp weather in November. Mid-September to mid-October is probably better.

I take it all back. It's winter NOW.

It is indeed Sheila.

Yesterday morning, 9.15am in my garden here in Glasgow it was 10 degrees. Unbelievable August weather.

The house's central heating has been on for a week!

bill

NEDSIRELAND,

Fascinating reply. I find myself wondering if your recollections are those of a young child (we all have them and did it actually happen that way?) or a young adult (12-13 years old maybe?) or were you grown up at the time?

I remember the soot-black buildings in Manchester when i was a child.

I guess I'm asking, how old are you?

NED - Your experience probably had more to do with the fact that coal was still widely used in the 50's and less to do with the season itself.

NED's quite right. It really happened. It was fog that was teh catalyst.

And I take it all back. I just went out and it's glorious. Long may it continue.

NED's right, and coal (not to mention manufacturing industry) was the catalyst for the fog.

We then passed a series of clean air acts, sent the manufacturing abroad and London Fog is now no more than an American brand of raincoat.

?????

We can have fog any time of year and still do.

I repeat, the reason the 50's fogs were so bad is because they were combined with pollution from coal dust. Thus the season is immaterial, as the source of the BLACK fog (coal) has been largely removed now.

What we used to get was smog. Now we just get fog - which harms no one.