I'm planning to go to London either in last week of October or first week of November. Which is the better time to go? I know it can get chilly, but what about other things? Does it get dark too soon? And what about this school half term holiday that I've been hearing about; do tourist attractions get crowded by school kids during the holiday?
thanks.
Remember that the clocks go back at the end of October. Sorry no idea of school holiday dates for the 2010/2011 year starting in September 2010.
The school helf term holiday will be 25 Oct thru 29 October 2010. October and November is a lovely time to be in the UK.
If you can deal with chilly weather, that's a find time to go. The downside is that the sun comes up later and sets earlier. Think sun between 9 and 5, and pretty much really dark by 6 or so.
Last week of October is bad, school kids everywhere as well as school groups from other areas. I usually go in November and its about 50f-60f average during the day. You should bring a sweater but you shouldnt need a heavy jacket unless you get cold easily.
For about 20 years we went to London the last week of Nov/first week of Dec. It was a great time to go. The shorter days didn't bother us.
Liz, our family went to London last October (around the middle of the month). We found it a good time because prices drop just a little after August and September. It was a little chilly, but not much different from home. - Oklahoma City. We dressed in layers, so we could remove our outer one in the afternoon when it was warmest. My cousin goes in November (around Thanksgiving) and she always freezes!
If you'e not keen on being there during half term, November is for you. According to my handy Nat. Trust Diary, on Oct. 30, sunrise is at 7:50 and sunset is at 17.38 BST., and on Nov 6, sr is at 7:02 and ss at 16.25 (!wow) (remember the clocks were set back on the 31st)
It can be c-c-c-c-c-cccccold. The air's still a bit moist, and with the temperature, it can really dig in. I'd plan to dress in warm layers.
It does get dark fairly early.
November 5 is Guy Fawkes day (remember, remember, the 5th of November). If you haven't experienced it before, it's a truly British thing to do. Check out London, OR one of the smaller/medium sized cities nearby (Colchester has a great display in it's Castle Park).
It's like a cold Fourth of July. :)
PS - If you're planning on doing any of the London boat/bus tours, bring something to sit on - the seats get deathly cold in the open sections!
In my experience, B&Bs in the British Isles (including Ireland) were way too cold inside for me when I traveled in the fall. The B&B owners seem to be comfortable in cooler indoor temps than I am. Also, they told me that it costs too much to heat the house. To me 60 degrees indoors is too cold. I had no problem with chill in hotels, just B&Bs. Outdoors, I would expect to bundle-up, but indoors I would like to be able to take off my hat and coat.
We found the Nov/Dec weather to be similar to ours here in NC. Damp, and sometimes a cold wind. From the times I've visited San Francisco (I assume that's what SF is for) you should be ok. Take gloves, a scarf and a windbreaker with a hood to layer over a sweater or take a good rain coat with a zip out liner. The gloves were what helped me most. We did not find the early sunset to be a problem. That was when we'd hit Covent Garden Market or similar things.
