England in December

Check the National Trust UK site...they have wonderful Christmas programs at some of their estate locations in the countryside and historic landmarks in London...you might be able to email them and they'll let you know what's coming up so you can make reservations. There may also be some that need no reservations and will be decorated for the Holidays. Of course there is always shopping in London, etc. Their public transportation is very easy to use...check ahead to see what passes or cards are available to save you money! Trying to go too many places outside of London that time of year with short daylight hours might be a lot of work but a couple of Day-Return Trips on the train are certainly doable; maybe spend an overnight in Bath.
Remember the UK is as about as far north as Canada and has a Marine climate similar to Vancouver BC. Dress in sweater or fleece layers with a raincoat and you should be OK.

I think I'd be inclined to stay in London and make trips out -the hours of daylight are very short at that time of year, so you could spend the dark hours travelling.
In London there will always be something happening in the evening.

We've stayed in London in early Dec. and done day trips out by train many times (close to 20). It is a great time of year- as long as you aren't looking for lots of daylight. I enjoy seeing the streets at dusk (you start loosing light around 2:30 or 3:00 and it can be completly dark by 5:00- you don't get mronging light until 8:00 or later). Even Kew Gardens is nice that time of year- they have Christmas displays and there are multiple green houses as well as the regualr gardens. Many of the UK towns and villages have good to excellent Christmas markets during that time. Bath has a HUGE one. Cardiff's is smaller- but has lots of local craftsmen and Swansee has a nice one. Edinburgh has a very good one. Canterburry has a very good one as does York. Wihdsor usually has a 'French' style market (most are more 'German' style) Even 'regualr' markets (I like to be in Stratford-Upon-Avon on market day) will often have more crafts stalls and many churches will have sales/bizzars as fundraisers. There's usually ice skating at several places in London. A few years ago I wrote an article about basing in London and doing day trips by train. I've rewritten it and posted it as a TripAdvisor article- here is a link in case you'd like to read it.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g186338-c176673/London:United-Kingdom:London.And.Day.Trips.html

Sarah, I hope you enjoy your first trip to Great Britain. Be aware that the days in mid December are the shortest of the whole year, and what light there will be will be very low in the sky. If you travel north of London the days are even shorter. If you are in London the museums will still be light inside even when it is dark or overcast or soaking outside. If you wander around the country many things you will want to do will be outside and you will have much less possible cover and warmth. Walking is great, but in the depths of winter be ready for mud, puddles, rain and snow. York can be beautiful, if cold, in the run up to Christmas.

Thank you all for your help so far! Even though it's further from London, I really want to go see York--it looks so beautiful! I really appreciate all the input. Many Cheers.

York is surprisingly small...but is worth the trip to see York Minster. Most of the town is fairly modern with a small restored history district. The Wall is fun to walk on. Avoid Yorvick if you don't like spoon fed history. I think Bath; especially if you are an Austin fan, would be a better experience at that time of year. They do get more Snow in Yorkshire.

Just a reminder that snow is a possibility in December, with the travel disruption this can cause. Of course there may not be any this year, but there has been to a greater or lesser extent the past 3 Decembers in the south of England. I don't post this to put you off, but that this in my mind leans towards a single base and day trips that can be worked out around any days of bad weather there might be.

Thanks for the thoughts on weather. I know it is perhaps an unusual time to travel, but you do what you can. Would you recommend travelling to small towns/villages near London? As just a tourist, is it worth it, or might I just end up wandering around with nothing to do. Beautiful, yes, but it will be cold! I love history and all things oldruins or restored. I also would love to meet locals. I am from the southern US and small towns here are really friendly as compared to larger cities, but I don't know if British culture is a bit different.

I have traveled a few times in the winter as well as the summer to UK, and I actually prefer the winter travel. More unique, less tourists in the villages, and I had surprisingly warm weather each time I was there (once over New Years) I would definitely make the trip to York... it is lovely and I much preferred it to Bath. I am not a big city person for more than 3 or 4 days so I would stay in the countryside or a smaller village rather than all my time in London. I love just driving around in the countryside and exploring the little villages and towns along the way. I dressed in layers and had gloves and a hat and was fine and if it gets too cold just pop in someplace and get a creme tea! Yum...
I loved Cambridge, Oxford, and all the little villages in the Cotswolds.

Thanks for the opinions! I will probably not be renting a car as I am traveling on the cheap, but hopefully public transport is pretty good as some of you have said. I take buses and trains in my hometown so I'm used to that kind of travel. I am a bit nervous traveling as an American as I have heard that we don't have a nice reputation abroad. Have you found yourself welcomed in the UK? I know everyone is different, but I don't want to make a huge British faux pas and offend anyone. I'd like to get to know some locals and I'm wondering what your experiences have been with that.

have been to London many times in December on business. The days are noticeably shorter and it gets dark early. In that short a period of time stick to a few big Cities and possibly find day trips to nearby attractions. We always take a good raincoat that we can zip the lining in and out depending on the weather. Towns to consider are London (most of your time), you could also go by train to York for a few days (compact town within the walls). If you enjoy cathedrals, you can do Salisbury, Winchester and Canterbury in a day trip by train from London (all have the sights clustered around the cathedral). From London, half day trips can be made to both Windsor and Hampton Court by train. One advantage of being in London is the theater which is great at that time of year

I hear your desire to meet local English people. The British, as a rule, and particularly the older generation, are fairly reserved and not particularly bubbly with strangers. A couple of good ways to meet people may be - go to a good pub and go to the bar. Don't sit down at a table because people who do that often don't want to talk. At the bar, and you don't have to have alcohol if you don't want, you can easily get into conversation, and if you are not in London you may actually have some locals there. Expect that the person behind the bar or serving in a restaurant, especially in large cities and towns, is likely to be an eastern European or Australian working in England. Another way I have thought of, particularly good in London, is to go into a church which is selling Christmas cards. There are many, and they are often staffed by older lady volunteers who are all to happy to chat if they are not too busy. In addition to cards these stands often sell small quantities of Fairtrade items and little knicknacks. If you go to York have tea at the quintessential Betty's Tea Rooms and down a little Yorkshire Tea. It is not done to speak to others on the Underground, except, as Mayor Boris so elegantly said the other day, to discuss your toes having been trodden on. If you are used to the train between Dallas and Fort Worth, or Amtrak, realize that British trains stop for a very short time at stations and you have to be ready to get on or off. You have to press the button on the door, or use the outside handle, and trains often only release the doors for 15 or 30 seconds. Happy planning...

Nigel,thanks for all the wonderful advice! I love learning such things so that I can attempt to be more respectful to the local way of life and not spread American malcontent.
Keep it coming! I love hearing from you all, thanks so much!

Sarah, don't worry about unfriendliness. We've found the Brits friendly, good-humored, easy to talk with, especially in pubs as Nigel describes. We've had people offer directions on the street when we looked (and were) lost. Basically I'd say they like us even though they think we're sort of goofy, smiling all the time and chatting. You have to respect their reserve but keep the conversational door open. This is probably true of Europeans generally but it's easier to talk with Brits because we, theoretically, speak the same language. I think December in London is a great idea, though I was there in winter only as a schoolboy back in the 60s. It's dark, like here in the Northwest, but a big city gives you lots of options. Good all-day trips might include Canterbury, Oxford or Cambridge, Winchester, Salisbury. York would be worth an overnight I think. Shorter day trips: Windsor, Hampton Court, Greenwich. No need to drive anywhere. Have a good time!

Dick, thanks so much that was such a thoughtful answer. I'm thinking of doing one overnight in York perhaps as that is the city that I am most interested in that is far away (though Edinburgh sounds so delightful) and then do daytrips from London itself. I cannot wait to meet people and see the beauty of the UK. You have all been swell and I am more excited than ever about my trip!

You mentioned Edinburgh in one of your posts. If you are interested in going there, suggest you fly into London for start of trip and then train to Edinburgh and home from there. It is only about 4-5 hours from London.

In York we stayed at the Abbey Guest House, http://www.abbeyghyork.co.uk/, which is on the riverbank between the railroad station and the old city, an easy walk to the Minster, Yorkshire Museum, and other sights. There are larger hotels more centrally located and probably more expensive. If you overnight in York, you'll want a central location to save time. Edinburgh is great, worth several days I think, but maybe a bridge too far for the trip you're planning. Since it's the same latitude as Juneau, Alaska, I can only imagine how little daylight it gets in December! Save it for your next trip in warmer and brighter months.

Sarah: If you want to meet Brits when visiting London I would suggest joining some meetup groups that are active and participate in their events. When I was in London during the Olympic Games I went to see a West End play ("Chariots with Fire") with one group, visited the Science Museum and then regrouped with them in a pub and talked while sitting at a table with another group, and spend a few hours dining in a Turkish restaurant with another group of 30 or so folks and then spending another hour or so talking with them in the adjoining pub. These activities did not cost me anything except the food, beverage, and theater admission costs. The people that you meet are almost all residents of the UK and not American tourists. You can join the meetup groups before leaving the USA. I would recommend Robert's London Culture group which meets several times a week and often draws over 100 locals and which visits in-town sights ending with a pub stop (link: http://www.cultureseekers.org/), Mark's London International Group (http://www.meetup.com/London-International/) which visits in-town and nearby areas , and Ken's Singles Dining (http://www.meetup.com/LONDON-CITY-DINING-CLUB/) group. Some of them have a membership fee but will waive it if they know that you are an American visitor. Best wishes.