how far in advance

Everyone likes to go on vacation in the summer, including Europeans. Crowds, therefore, will peak during the months of July and August. Those are also the months when the British will get in their camper vans and head to mainland Europe, so not only will there be greater crowds of North American tourists, but there will be fewer locals, and some shops may close for part of the time. So the earlier in May you go, the fewer crowds you'll encounter, and that will increase gradually through the month of May and into June, and then will jump more quickly in late June and the summer months. By September, crowds will slowly begin to lessen.

I think it's fine to start researching accommodations as soon as you've purchased your flights, and I'd suggest getting serious about getting your accommodations booked about 6 months before your trip, earlier if you do go in peak season or plan to stay in very popular locales. With hotels, there's no harm in booking early unless you book a non-refundable reservation where you have to pay in advance.

I haven't used airbnb in England, but I have elsewhere in Europe. Here, too, it doesn't hurt to start researching early, but if you book early, be sure to review the cancellation policy. Also, when you book early, there's a greater likelihood that the host could cancel your reservation, although that's only happened to me once, and it was with enough advance notice that I had no problem rebooking elsewhere. Well-reviewed and well-priced accommodations on airbnb can get snatched up quickly in peak season. On the other hand, some hosts don't open dates far in the future until they are sure of their own schedules, so some accommodations may come open as you get about 6 months in advance. This is just my anecdotal observation, so I can't say for sure when is the best time to book airbnb accommodations.

Enjoy!

Hi,

I think that you will be happier in September when the weather is a bit more stable and May has two bank holidays that will add to crowds. I would leave right after Labor Day in the U.S. and have accommodation reservations in London and any arriving and departing cities if they are other than London. I have used AirBnB once in South England and loved it. https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/1648888 is the link. I do only use AirBnB with some caveats: has to have minimum of 15 reviews, the more the better. I read all the house rules carefully and I don't bother with booking a house/apt for less than three days. I find it a hassle to set up everything, i.e. finding a market, buying coffee, etc. for less than three days. I have used Budget and Enterprise, with success in Great Britain and remind you to bring a map as rental car agencies do not always supply them.
I hope this helps,

Lisa

Has Lane ever been to the UK? It's not a description that I recognise, despite having lived here all my life!

Late July and all August is when the schools are off and therefore places are busiest. Few people with families have camper vans! These are far more likely to be owned by retired people, who don't holiday when the schools are on holiday.

Oddly, the weather is often better here in May than in June, although this year and last, both have been wet. September weather is also good, which is when I would travel or the first 2 weeks of June. Daylight hours are slightly longer in June, but still good in September.

As has already been stated, there are 2 Bank Holidays in May - the 1st and the 29th, so places will be busier then and more expensive. The Lake District and Cotswolds will have crowds from Easter until early October so are best avoided if you don't want crowds - there are many other attractive places to choose from here.

Shops in the UK don't close for holidays, unless you find a shop owned by just one individual with no staff to stand in whilst they are away, but this will not impact on your holiday. This isn't France!

How far out to book accommodation depends on where you are going - e.g. there will be lots of choice in London, but you will need to book Skye months out. I usually book a September holiday by early January. Booking.com and Airbnb are sensible websites to look at. If you want good, basic rooms in cities or on major roads, consider Premier Inn or Travelodge chains. Sawdays.co.uk and smoothhound.co.uk both have a good selection of B&Bs and inns. There are other websites if you want a 7 night cottage rental.

I have never found much to choose between car hire companies. I use the consolidator Holiday Autos. Note that some more remote car hire places aren't open on a sunday. The default hire is manual transmission. You can specify an automatic, which will be more expensive, but I don't think they guarantee this. Don't drive straight off a transatlantic flight.

Fair enough, Jennifer. It's been some years since my last visit to the UK. But I did ride a ferry from Portsmouth to Ouistreham that will filled with camper vans or cars with camper trailers. Seemed like the whole of the UK was heading to the continent!

I travel to England every year from the US. these are somethings to think about when you pick your dates for travel. Whit week is at the end of May when all the students are out of school for one week. Students are in school through June and For the first half of July. Then take a 6 week vacation. This is peek travel for the British and crowds and costs will also be higher. I like to go early June (can catch the trouping of the color in London) or I wait until early July when weather may be slightly better. If you wish to travel around England, I would suggest B&Bs for one or two nights or you could book a cottage. (Usually a cottage requires a one week stay). If you were going to the Cottswolds area, you may want to spend a week there. There are some beautiful cottages to rent all across England. It is always good to start planning 9 months out. For a cottage reservation, I would be booking by January 2017. I usually book all my reservations and then book airline tickets. But either way is good. I have booked airline tickets as early as November for a summer vacation. (Just because I found a deal).

We are planning four week drive tour of England and Wales in 2017. We have booked a transatlantic cruise from Southampton to Miami on 29 October, so we will be arriving in Heathrow around 1 October. We did visit Britain on a British Isles cruise with three days driving tour as well in 2013 with a transatlantic cruise from Miami to Harwich in early May. The weather was a bit chilly, but not bad. I hope October is similar to May.

The other differences for October is about an hour less daylight, and in general more rain.

IMHO it is never too soon to make plans. If you are staying in B & B's some may not open their books until December / January. We were in the UK this May and June and it was not too busy (except in very touristy areas) I made our reservations in September the prior year. For car rentals, if you need an automatic you must advise them in advance. Automatic vehicles are not always available, they also tend to be larger vehicles that those with standard transmissions. Come armed with good maps and a co-pilot, A GPS is very handy. Be prepared for roads that may be much narrower than what you are used to.

Have a great trip

We prefer to travel when it is a bit cooler so have gone to the UK in May or September. Bring a raincoat/windbreaker and don't let the weather stop you.

For reasons already listed, avoid July & August - more crowded. And airfares can be hire too.
I have been to London in June, and England/Scotland in September. I found both times of year not overly crowded. Weather was not a big issue either time - but something to consider earlier post.
Days are longer in May/June - which is nice.
Re - airfare - I sometimes have gotten decent pricing from an offer after I booked my flight online from the airline.

By "crowds" in the Lake District, like, how crowded do you mean? I'm hoping to visit the first week of June.