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When To Go
It won’t take long to appreciate the British obsession with weather. Generally, temperatures are mild and rain can fall any time, but the key word is changeable – conditions can be bad one minute, great the next.
Summer (June to August) normally gets the most sunshine, but there are cloudy days too. Conversely, winter (November to February) may enjoy fantastic clear spells between bouts of snow, while spring (March to May) or autumn (September to October) sometimes produce the best weather of the year. There are also variations over distance: southern England might be chilly, while Scotland enjoys a heat wave. Or vice versa. Be prepared for anything and you won’t get a surprise.
With that in mind, May to September is undoubtedly the best period to travel in Britain, although July and August are busy (it’s school-holiday time) in coastal towns, national parks and historic cities like Oxford, Bath, Edinburgh and York. April and October are marginal, but can be good for avoiding crowds, although some Tourist Information Centres (TICs), hotels and attractions close from mid-October to Easter.
Overall, the least hospitable months for visitors are November to February. It’s pretty cold in the south, very cold in the north, and days are short. In Scotland, north Wales and the hills of northern England, roads can sometimes be closed by snow. Reaching the islands can also be a problem as high winds disrupt ferries.
For winter visits, London and the big cities are an exception; they’re busy all the time, and there’s such a lot to see that the weather is immaterial. Besides, you’re almost as likely to have a damp day in June as you are in January.
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