Hi all- I'm contemplating a trip to England in 2024. I have traveled to England many times in the last 30 years, and the latest visit was in August. I took my niece, who is a student, so we had no choice but to go during peak season. We had a wonderful time, but I was quite disconcerted by the crowds in London, Bath and York and would like to mitigate this next year. I'm considering mid to late September (can't go any later) and am curious if anyone on the forum has just returned and what they experienced in terms of crowds at the top attractions in these cities. Presumably, kids are back in school and it's more off-peak, but I wonder in these post Covid days if this still holds true. My travel partner wants to include Bath, York and the Lake District, so these places are a must, as of course is London. We'll have a rental car for most of the trip so getting away from the throng will be possible. I would love to hear about any recent experiences and insights.
Posted by
Downingtown, USA
2456 posts
We just returned two weeks ago from seven days in London. Have been there several times always off season. We took.day trips by train one included York. We did not find any crowds even at the tower to view the crown jewel. Line was fairly short and moved quickly. No lines at entrance nor in the cafeteria. Same with York. We shared a cab with my sister from one of the train stations and even there was only maybe ten wait. Same with Eurostar. Hope you have same experience.
Posted by
Mid-Atlantic area
7206 posts
Was in Scotland, northern England and Lake District in late September into mid-October 2022 and other than Edinburgh and Stirling no place was overly busy. We had a rental car. Our visits to London, York, and Bath have been November into December, so I have no recent experience for the timeframe you’re looking at.
Posted by
San Francisco area
1891 posts
I was in London and York the later part of September. I was somewhat surprised that York definitely seemed to be into shoulder season. The pedestrian area and shambles were still busy but not too crowded. Restaurants were fairly easy to get reservations if booked a day in advance.
London was busy as it often is but not peak of summer busy. I stayed a little further away from central London so I didn’t see as many tourists. The exception being when I was in Soho, Trafalgar Square and Leicester Square.
Posted by
Bristol, UK
1452 posts
London isn’t really that busy in the summer compared to other times of year. A lot of people who live there are away so many things are relatively quiet. Hotels can actually be cheaper because there’s far less business travel.
Bath and York are busier in summer. The absolute busiest time in Bath is during the Christmas Market which most locals seem to love complaining about.
Posted by
alameda, ca, usa
2693 posts
I was in London 9/20-9/24; my 3rd visit in September, others were August and April. I found it as pleasantly busy as my other September visits; some rain, some warm temps, parks felt busy on a warm Saturday, the Tower was not crowded mid morning on a Thursday. Mid September is probably my favorite time to be in London.
Posted by
Lincolnshire, UK
2320 posts
Unfortunately you have chosen three of the main tourist hot spots with London, Bath and York. They are also year round tourism. If you are serious about wanting to avoid the crowds, you need to look at some of the less popular places. There's a lot more to England than these three...
Posted by
OP
Port Angeles
169 posts
Thank you all for the replies. I'm very encouraged about a mid to late September visit!
Posted by
Last Frontier aka Alaska 🏔️
3575 posts
Just got back 2 days ago from 11 days in London and 3 nights in Bath. The only place that was insanely crowded was Westminster Abbey. Everywhere else was very manageable. Go early is best advice. Definitely see Crown Jewels first at the tower. We did and no line. Later that afternoon, the line was soooo long!
Posted by
OP
Port Angeles
169 posts
@Tammy- Thanks so much for the feedback. We had the same experience in August. Westminster Abbey was packed! I was glad we did the Verger tour as our guide expertly wove us in and out of the crowds, plus it was a small group. We went to the Tower at opening like you and saw the Crown Jewels straight away. By the time we left the Tower, a few hours later, the line to see them was insanely long. We tried joining a Beefeater Tour but the group was so massive we couldn't hear much and left.
Posted by
Texas Coast
35 posts
Just returned from York. We stayed in the country, touring the sights in the Dales, then took a day trip to Yorkminster, which was lovely. It was a weekend and the Shambles resembled leaving a football game. It was so crowded, we didn’t attempt it.
Posted by
Missouri, USA and Essex, UK.
1055 posts
Check which weekend the Jane Austen Festival in Bath is for in 2024. We had a great time joining in with the events, but if you are not interested then you will want to avoid Bath during this time.
Just checking the Jane Austen website it states: "We look forward to welcoming you to the 23rd annual Jane Austen Festival 13th to 22nd September 2024."
Posted by
15 posts
I was just in London from Sept. 23-29. Weather was warmer than I thought it would be and the crowds were manageable. It was a great time to be there, I thought.
Posted by
OP
Port Angeles
169 posts
Thanks again for all the feedback.
@Europe Travelers- That was similar to our experience in York, especially the Shambles. Maybe it’s a Harry Potter thing :) I like the idea of staying in the countryside and day tripping to York. Might look into that- thanks!
@mpaulynsettle- Thank you so much for letting me know about the Jane Austen Festival! I'm a fan, but not that much of one. Will definitely avoid it.