Accommodations available in early September

Personally I think it is fine to wing it ---- BUT ---- we do it all the time so we are use to the uncertainty this creates. Historically we would hit the TI and still do but we also make heavy use of Hoteltonight.com and haven't had to sleep in the train station -- yet!!! Maybe next trip. For us, all we are looking for is a clean bed. We don't need views or anything else.

I would book in advance if you can. Early September is still busy because people without children will wait until then to travel. Depending on where you are going to be accommodation options can be limited, and you can end up paying more trying to book at the last minute.

A lot does depend on the area. In cities you would not have a problem finding something unless there was a big event going on. In more rural areas you will possibly find that you have to stay away from the nicest locations.

In Scotland the lodging situation in scenic rural areas accessible by public transportation (Oban, Skye, etc.) is really dicey. Demand exceeds supply. I would not try to wing it in such places. If you have a car and can just head off to a different town, it wouldn't be as risky. Edinburgh has enough hotels that you'll probably find something, though you may not like what you have to pay. Glasgow's a lot more wallet-friendly, assuming there isn't some big convention going on at the time of your visit.

London, Bath and York are among the highest-demand places in England, so if you've built the typical Rick Steves itinerary, you may be choosing from among places that are either rather pricey or not so well located.

Excellent, thanks so much for the replies! We will probably play it safe and book each night in advance, especially in the more rural areas.

Early September is a very popular time to travel in the UK for people without kids - kind of peak shoulder time.

Full-time Tourist Information offices have also disappeared from many towns as frankly most people use the internet to book.

I’d be booking ahead but maybe booking cancellable accommodation in case I change plans. I think you will be paying far too much for what’s left if you don’t book ahead in September in popular destinations.

To illustrate the problem with waiting until the last minute.......
something acraven said:
"Edinburgh has enough hotels that you'll probably find something, though you may not like what you have to pay. "

Hotel rooms are less expensive if you book far ahead of time.
The savings can be substantial.
For example, booked far in advance, our usual London hotel was 125 pounds per night last time we stayed there.
One time when we had to stay there, not booked far ahead, booked about 5 hours before checking in, it was 350 pounds per night.

The other negative for waiting til the last minute, and just walking up, is that you may get the very last room in town, not a very good room, for the highest price in town, because they know you've got to have a room.

You may also have to drive from hotel to hotel, checking to see if they have a room, then on to the next one, and so on. Not fun after dark in the pouring rain in an area you're not familiar with.

Sometimes it lends an atmosphere of calmness and sanity to a trip, planning ahead, and knowing where you'll be staying for the next night or two. Sometimes flying by the seat of your pants, spontaneity, and "winging it" is not all that much fun after all.

In recent years we’ve begun reserving in advance. Playing it by ear in smaller, rural locations with few lodging options was getting dicey. We got tired of going to 3 or 4 lodgings until we found one with an available room and they were places we normally wouldn’t have chosen, but were the only places available.