UK - June or Sept?
 

I would really appreciate help from others on whether to go to England/Scotland in late June (after the 17th) or in September (after the 10th). We are planning approx a week in each country (London/Glasgow/Edinburgh). My biggest concern is avoiding really crowded times. We had hoped to go earlier in the spring but that didn't work out. Appreciate any thoughts! Thanks very much.

Hi Mc- if it were *me* I would pick September, for a number of reasons:

1- fewer crowds- there will be tourists in September, but there will be far less than in the summer. Think of all of the backpackers and student groups just out of school and flocking to London on their vacations. In September, just after Labor Day, everyone's back IN school. :)
2- better airline rates- June is high season for airlines, September many airlines are struggling to fill the seats.
3- better hotel rates- again, high season is in the summer.
4- it's a bit cooler in the fall

Late June even the Scottish kids are still at school and the university students are either still doing or are recovering from exams. In September all the schoolkids are back at school but the uni folk have another month to go

So the crowds aren't that much difference from September

In June you get the longer days (in the north of Scotland it'll never get really dark) whereas in September all of the UK will be having 13 hours of daylight max

However it's generally warmer & drier in September

Oh and September these days is the same airfare season as June

In fact I totally contradict what freeman0819 says.

For the weather look up "indian summer" - in September the land and sea are warm from July and August weather whereas in June the land & sea are still warming up.

Thanks freeman, that is very helpful. Fall does seem to be a better choice! Would it make much difference in weather/crowds whether we went right after Labour Day or into October? Some books seem to say if you are going in the fall should try to keep to September, others seem to like October.
Thanks.

Sorry Alan- this is what I have experienced over the last five years of traveling to London in June and in September. Again, this has been MY experience. Thanks!

I disagree a bit w/ freeman -- though you could not go wrong w/ either choice. I personally prefer June -- especially for Scotland. Main reason is the loooooooong days. Walking on a deserted northern beach at 11 p.m. - in daylight - is a real experience.

The gardens will be a bit better in June - though still good in September. June is not "summer" in the sense of crowds and kids/families traveling. Airfares in my experience are a tiny bit lower in June than in Sept.

the heather is in bloom in Sept - but the gorse and broom is in bloom in June.

I also find that Sept is generally warmer than June - but the looooooong days make up for that quite a bit.

Thanks to you both!. I know how to make the ultimate choice in these things is often very personal - our biggest concern is the crowds.
The longer days do sound very attractive and June is a bit better for personal scheduling, so I would rather go then if it worked out. But I am worried about hordes of visitors - our break here (Canada) doesn't start until end June for kids, and our university students are out by end of April.
I am not as concerned about the weather temperature- we have chosen Europe in April before and the weather is iffy, but we avoid the crowds. I travel with my older parents, and so we trade off weather concerns so that we don't have to stand on line for things and deal with a lot of chaos.
I am concerned that either time may be much more crowded than we are used to.
Thanks!

McCooper: There are really NO crowds to speak of in June. Of course London is crowded year round. But for rural England and especially in Scotland -- the crowds don't start until pretty late in July.

UK and European schools are mostly still in session until July so families really have to cram their summer hols into a short period from mid July through August

Janis- you are correct. London is crowded year round. But given the choice *I* would go in September. The company I work for sends about 150,000 travelers abroad annually, at some point they hit London, and they are mainly there in the month of June. Number of travelers we have scheduled for September? About 200. No need for me to be person number 150,001 in line in London in June. :)

So, Mccooper, you should weigh all of your options- i.e. check for airfares, hotel availability, etc and see what works best for you. Either way, I am sure you will have a fabulous time!

just leave those 150,000 in London - the city can absorb every last one of them w/o blinking.

And there will be virtually no crowds in Scotland.

Janis, I promise not to send them all to the countryside. Mccooper, you're safe too. :)

ENJOY

Good advice above. June mostly features coach-tour hordes of kids rather than British tourism. Both are good bets for weather - my birthday is 18th June and I struggle to recall many, if any, which weren't sunny.

It really depends on the luck of the weather.

I had the the worst weather both in in June and in September. However, my rate of success in England has been best in September.

I 'had' to spend a week in Southampton on business one year in Sept. All issues were ironed out by Tuesday, which left me to enjoy great weather (think 75 degrees+) in the town of Romsey, near Southampton. The local pub had tables outside in the back and I read 2 books and drank about a 1/2 a keg while hanging out. What can I say, my airplane tickets 'forced' me to stay.

BTW my recommendation is September though June is superb if you intend doing a lot of hill walking

Thank you all so much for your help. It sounds as if I have the luxury of choosing from two good time periods. I really appreciate all the feedback, and feel relieved about the crowd issue, my main concern.
Thanks!

I, on the other hand, think June- but I'm really talking about Scotland.

The vast bulk of Scottish tourism in from UK based people, and the schools are still in in June.

I also think, empirically speaking, that the weather is father more reliable. Warm and sunny. masses of wild flowers, the end of the spring migration and the tourism industry is till welcoming and not jaded.

And, did anyone mention the long nights?

If you go in September, I would recommend doing Scotland first, then England afterwards. From mid-September on, Scotland can be quite chilly and wet. I once spent 10 days in Scotland in late September, and it rained every single day!

Another vote for June although both months are fine.
Again, the gardens will be looking good and the long nights are a big bonus.

Another vote for June. But that is because I am going in June. :) I can't wait to see the Duthie Park Rose garden in full bloom at the end of June. Lovely. :)