Travel to England in January

Have you ever been to the UK before? If not, then I think maybe stay in London for the week. January can be pretty gloomy and the days are short. There is always something to do or see in London and if the weather is poor, you'll still be able to enjoy yourself, especially in the evening.
You can always opt for day trips away from London if the weather looks good.
In that case, Oxford or Winchester would be a nice change of pace and not too far to go.

I'll second the recommendation for staying in a city, most likely London. Exploring the countryside of Europe during the winter is difficult because the days are much shorter than in the US. But the cities are always well illuminated.

Have been to London many times in January. I like the winter months. There is a ton of things to do and if you think the next day is going to be nice,
sign up for a tour out-of-town or plan a train journey. I would definitely go to Windsor Castle, rain or shine just leave early in the day to make up for the shorter daylight.It's a little bit of a walk from the train station but as long as you have
an umbrella, you will be OK. I have rarely been caught in a downpour (except in the warmer months--!)
The rain, if any, will be more like a drizzle.

Other places to visit by train include Oxford, although again it is bit of a walk from the Station.
If you going out-of-toen for the day, be sure to but a day return ticket which is valid after the morning peak time. If you want to tie yourself down, book
a ticket in advance for Bath. (I think the regular fare is high)You have to do this 60 days in advance.

You will be busy every moment.I find the temps. much more comfortable than in NY.And the January sales will be on.

Have a lovely time!!!

Remember to get any outdoor pics early.
Dusk can start to settle as early as 3:30 - 4:00 pm!

Hi Debbie, I would also recommend going to Windsor. You can get the train at Paddington Station, it's a 35 minute train ride. Once you get to Windsor as you exit the train just go towards your left and its a three minute walk to the street. You will see the castle when you get to the street it's right across the street. Windsor is a great place to visit, after visiting the castle if the weather is nice walk down to Windsor Great Park. As you exit the castle thru Henry VIII gate turn to your right when you get the the street turn to your left and follow the street to Windsor Great Park, it's only a few minutes walk.

Here is a link to an article I wrote about basing yourself in London and doing day trips by train. With only a week you would be able to do Windsor and 1 or 2 other places. I encourage you to tour the Tower of London, visit the markets (Covent Garden and others), see some theatre, see Parliment and Wesminster and maybe St. Pauls-in fact, there are lots of posts on the boards about what to see in London! let me know if you have any questions- we have been to London more than 40 times in 20 years.

Here is the link- if it asks for your zipcode, use 28208. http://www.aaacarolinas.com/Magazine/2008/Jan-Feb/britain.htm?zip=28201&stateprov=nc&city=charlotte

Debbi, also check Rick's book "London" for day trips to London, he has many listed, and if you get an early start you can easily do some. However, I've been to London 6-7 times, and I keep meaning to do day trips, and so far I've only made it to Windsor Castle...there's just so much to do in the city itself...And one of my trips was in January, and tho they'd just had a big snow, a couple of days were just beautiful!