Visiting London AFTER the Olympics?

A big city like London, can be visited year-round. But I suspect right after the Olympics are over it will me more crowded than usual, as a lot of folks will have intentionally postponed trips until the games have concluded.

My concern with going in the fall is more about the weather and climate conditions than anything else.

My husband and I have traveled to London in the summer and the fall, and we prefer the fall. The weather is nice, crowds are gone, and the days are still long enough that you have plently of daylight to see the sights. In fact we'll be there again this fall. Also if you decide to venture up into Scotland, the weather there shouldn't be a problem either. As far as crowds post-Olympics - it's anyone's guess. I know that some people will be postponing their trips until after the Olympics, but others can't wait until late September or early October due to school calendars.

I usually go to London in the spring, but have also been in September and October. When I was there in the fall the weather was generally cool--usually in the 50s, and sometimes rainy. Early September is generally warmer and sunnier than October. I like to sit outdoors at parks and cafes, take riverboat rides, and walk all over the city. The one time I went in October the weather was not very conducive to that. The days, too, were shorter, of course. For those reasons October was not my favorite time to visit. However, if you like museums, plays, restaurants, and things that are not weather-dependent, then October should work out just fine. The crowds will be smaller then, too. I might add that when I went last April/May, it was unseasonably cold, and I ended up buying gloves and a scarf to keep me warm, so you just never know. No matter when you go, there are plenty of things to do in London. If it gets cold, just bundle up, grab an umbrella, and keep on moving :) Here are a couple of websites re weather in London: http://goo.gl/t9TTF http://goo.gl/I7yhf

After the Vancouver Olympics, some places were closed due to needing cleaning, for refurbishment, etc. I'd just check that anything you want to see or do won't be in the process of being cleaned up/rebuilt. Remember, the Paralympics start at the end of August and run into September. However, our experience in Vancouver was that most special exhibits closed by then. Expect lots of marked down Olympic merchandise. :)

Josh, Before moving to Germany I spent most of my adult life in Southern England, just North of London. My birthday is in Sept. and I have almost always been able to celebrate it with a barbeque. The weather is often nicer in September than in August. Can't promise anything though, August this year in Germany had temperatures that I would normally associate with November. From what my children tell me it was worse in England. In short, no promises, but go for it, Sept. has often been a better month weatherwise than August.

Thank you everyone, and thank you Shoni for that first hand knowledge ... very helpful. We're used to crowds and rain in our travels to Europe, but we don't necessarily want to INCREASE those things by any means. We will continue to be diligent in our research and appreciate everyone's advice and help!