Train Strikes in England May 26 - June 1, 2024

none that I am aware of.

14 days notice is required, so any strikes would have to be announced before 12th May (for the 26th) and before yesterday for the 1st of June.

Great, thank you very much!

Whilst Cornwall is wonderful I would seriously suggest travelling there on those dates would be a bad move.

Firstly it’s a long way to go when you have such a short trip. Secondly you will be travelling in the English schools half term when accommodation will be difficult to find and the county will be absolutely rammed.

Thank you for that input. What areas will be affected by the schools vacation?

The whole of England is on vacation, so Bath and the Cotswolds just as much as Cornwall can be expected to be busy.

If you look at booking.com there is no lack of accommodation at all to be found currently in Devon and Cornwall. Probably more than might be expected. Many people will actually be flying away to warmer climes in the Mediterranean.

Next week is currently forecast for largely good weather, but temperatures in the mid teens centigrade- not exactly a heatwave.

Domestically people will go away at very short notice if the weather turns out to be good.

You will find all the areas you have mentioned will be very busy - they are popular with tourists, both from overseas and from home and next week is probably the busiest week for U.K. tourism aside from the peak Summer school holidays. As Stuart says, yo7 will undoubtedly be able to find places to stay but all the best options and locations are likely to be more difficult.

There are however endless other locations that will be much easier to find space in, all at least as attractive. For example, I spent yesterday undertaking the cross Morecambe Bay walk for the second time. Now, whilst it’s very difficult to do that as a casual visitor (you have to use a professional guide*), the whole area is both stunningly beautiful and comparatively quiet and certainly almost completely devoid of International visitors, yet within sight of the Lake District. That’s just an example - I’m sure other locals could provide dozens of other options. Especially in my view to compare to the Cotswolds, which is pleasant but perfectly average countryside with exceptional marketing.

I wouldn’t go to Cornwall for less than a week, especially at this time of year. I suppose that you could just about get away with it if you plan your whole visit there.

I very much appreciate the guidance! We will definitely look into other options, we had thought of Oxford as well for a night but maybe that too will be quite crowded. We enjoy “off the beaten path” which had made me a little weary of the Cotswolds.

I've been wanting to do the Cross Sands walk for very many years but have never managed it.

There is a really interesting history in those walks, well beyond the scope of this thread.

I live on the edge of the Lake District, but will be giving the Central lakes a very wide berth next week, because of the problems the tourist numbers bring, especially around Keswick which I effectively have to pass through to get anywhere in the Lakes.

One of the things John is alluding to is that there is the almost unknown Furness area in the South of "Cumbria". (what used to be known as Lancashire North of the Sands pre 1974), It is only just south of the honeypot areas and within very easy reach yet little visited by overseas tourists- lots of really interesting history to explore in Furness without even venturing into the core Lake District- fantastic walking (especially costal walking). Even a bird observatory on Walney Island with it's miles of beaches and dunes.

Even Kendal itself (just 8 miles from Windermere) a great town to visit away from the throngs.

Come out west where I am and there is so much to visit- not least the less well known valleys of Wasdale, Eskdale and Ennerdale- magnficent places, each of them. Easily the equal of the central Lakes, without the crowds.
Eskdale has the benefit of the La'al Ratty miniature steam train and Wasdale has a free valley bus confirmed again for this year.

And the strong links we have to American history and the Wordsworth story (way beyond Grasmere and Rydal). And a lot of Roman stuff integral to Hadrian's Wall, but totally neglected by those who just go to the big money sites around Hexham and Haltwhistle.

All of that is just airbrushed out of the RS guides,

I'm not promoting the Lake District- just one example- the North York Moors, Northumberland, large parts of the Yorkshire Dales being other examples.

Again, thank you for wonderful input. I am taking notes!

Oxford itself tends to be significantly quieter in the evening than during the day weekdays (particularly late morning to afternoon) because so many visitors are day trippers and are gone by then.