Best time...

Definitely fewer tourists in November. Possibly cheaper air fare. Good chance of better hotel rates. November is obviously colder. You can Google for average temperatures during the month, but I'd expect highs pushing 50F and lows in the high 30's. (I.e., cold mornings and evenings.) Could be colder, might be warmer. Could be wet, might be dry. (Almost certainly both.) There's usually a breeze of some sort going on in London. No matter when you travel, check the forecast about 5 days ahead and pack accordingly.

Definitely fewer hours of daylight in November. This might be a problem if you prefer to spend most of your time outdoors. But, if you are an indoor type who won't notice the sun has set at 4pm (as it will late in the month) then, no problem.

May/June weather can be very nice, mild, and breezy. You'd see noticeably more tourists, especially at the typical spots.

London is always busy. There willbe fewer peolpe in November, but it will be colder than early summer and the days will be shorter too. Schools in England don't break up for summer until July, so May or June will be fine.

For London I don't think weather is a major deciding factor and winter can bring more cultural offerings and actually the weather in November is not that horrible. If you're planning on going out of London into the countryside, then I would say don't miss England in the Spring, it can be glorious.

Daylight would be a bigger factor for me than temperature. You might look at wunderground dot com or another weather website to look at the history of sunrise/sunset in London in November. This was for Nov. 28, 2016: Rise Set
Actual Time 7:37 AM GMT 3:53 PM GMT

Is September an option? We took our trip in late September and I thought it was a great time to visit. The weather was still nice and the time had not changed yet so the days were still long. We didn't have any issues with long lines and I thought the rates were pretty good.

The deciding factor for you may be cost of your flight. We are getting pretty close to the end of May now, so if you checked flight prices, they may be high. Buying far in advance, for November, I'd expect a bargain price on your flight.

The end of May has become a very popular time for tourists to visit London. My husband and I were there last May for most of the month. The weather was beautiful. The day we visited Westminster Abbey I think there were several hundred people there. Likewise with Tower of London. The tourist crowds really rolled in while we were there. Mostly Americans and Germans.

You would have fewer tourists crowding the sights in November. Cannot say what the weather would be.

I travel to London often in November.

Colder but not bitter cold. Some rain but not constant. Occasionally a light drizzle is what I've encountered. Many days with blue skies and sun.

So waterproof coat, scarf and gloves.

As previously noted day light hours will start to begin to end around 4pm.

London is always busy but I've found during my numerous November trips the hordes of tourists are not massive.

In another of my posts I've mentioned having Hampton Court virtually to myself in November of 2015.

Airfare IS cheaper. My trip last year I snagged a LAX-LHR round trip on my favorite airline Virgin Atlantic for 800.00.

I've been to London twice in May. Lovely time but definitely more tourists.

I also love November because of the Christmas Decorations.

Hi Mary,

Go now. You'll get hooked and find a way to go again in November. ;-)

Have a great time,

Jill

I agree with Jill--go soon! I took a long-awaited "once in a lifetime" trip to London last December. My 3rd trip there is coming up in 6 weeks. ;)

The biggest advantage of going May/June is having longer daylight. For your first trip you might prefer having more daylight.

Hi Mary,

I deliberately choose to go to London in fall and winter a lot of the time, but that's because I don't want to miss our short spring and summer here at home. Spring in London is gorgeous. I'm happy to be there any time of year.

Here are some pros and cons of the times you're thinking about. You already know I favour Go Soon, Go Often ;-)

In favour of May / June:
- lots of flowers
- long days
- warmer weather
- most people are not on vacation, and children are in school, so it's less crowded than in full summer
- it's cricket season, and even if you don't like sports, it is a very English scene to see cricketers on the green. This happens in many communities within London and beyond. Just riding the bus you may pass people in white outfits playing their regular Sunday game.
- pubs will have their gardens open; lots of chances to sit outside for your restorative moments
- possible last minute deals on your flight; maybe also on accommodation though I prefer to have the accommodation solidly booked before I go.

Beware of in May:
- 2 long weekends (Bank Holiday weekends) so there are 2 Mondays when everything will be a little busier and hotels may be booked up. You are looking at travelling in late May or early June so may miss this entirely. Don't let it put you off but try to avoid it if you are able.

In favour of November:
- less crowded generally
- can be cheaper for flights but this is so variable it's hard to say for certain
- lots of lead time now to shop for cheaper deals on accommodation and flights
- there is still a lot of greenery (London always looks green compared to where I come from)
- there are flowers all year round, though of course November is not like June for this
- Christmas decorations are up by end of the month
- Chance to see a Christmas panto – this is a fun traditional thing you don't get outside the UK
- Lord Mayor's Parade and Guy Fawkes Day in early November are both something unique to see.

Beware of in November:
- days are shorter
- can be chilly or rainy
- toward end of month the Christmas shoppers start to be numerous, so some shopping areas can get very crowded.

About the weather: It depends on your personal comfort zone. I'm used to cold winters and I don't like hot weather. I find London weather quite pleasantly mild most of the time, 12 months of the year. It can get windy and it can rain of course, and that makes a chill, so I do always carry a hat, scarf, and mitts with me. I used to carry an umbrella and used it but now I favour a raincoat with hood or a separate hat. I wear very unfashionable waterproof hiking shoes so my feet are always warm and dry.

Friends from warmer places do notice the chill but you can get indoors easily most of the time if you're doing the usual tourist things.

Go soon, go often ;-)
Have a wonderful time, Mary.

Cheers,
Jill