We wish to travel from the eastern United States to London, England.?

Question

Which is the best month to travel. We would appreciate suggestions on ways to use our money wisely. What sights should we see? How much time should we stay to feel we aren't rushed. Are Americans welcomed in London. I understand that are not in Paris and many other places. Thank you.

Answer 1

The Summer months are the best to go to England as the winter months are cold and wet and generally miserable.

If you have two weeks to spend then you should be able to get everything in that is touristy ( Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, etc. ) A friend of mine went last year and asked the same question, I advised her to catch a train to either Oxford or Cambridge to see the old University cities, you can catch Eurostar and go to Paris or Brussels for an overnight stay.

there's loads to do, so much in fact that I would suggest going online and checking out everything so that you get to see what you want to see and then try and fit everything in around.

Answer 2

I've been to London and Paris, and I also live on the east coast. In Pennsylvania to be specific. I didn't feel unwelcomed in Paris or London... but then again no one really heard my accent. I was only in London about 3 days, as well as Paris. We didn't have a car when we were in London, so we had to take taxis or walk... not a good idea because it's big. We got to see a lot anyways though. I should add that my boyfriend is british, so he knew where everything was already, so walking wasn't a problem. We saw Big Ben (who wouldn't), and we went on the London Eye. I would definitely say to go on the London Eye because you can see the entire skyline, for miles. It's not as stunning as New York City's skyline, but it's still a very good experience. We went to Buckingham Palace which was also nice, and we went to St. James's Park, and the british museum. If you like animals a lot, St. James's Park is a must because the animals there are almost tame. The squirrels will eat right out of your hand. We went in probably January of last year... it wasn't as crowded as it would be in summer, and a flight ticket in summer will cost you about $1000, as if you go in winter or another colder month it'll be a lot cheaper. Make sure you take a lot of money because every $1 is only £0.50... so you would have to pay $10 for something that only cost £5. It's very expensive, but well worth the money. Have fun.

I should add that even though the price is cheaper to go in a colder month, it's FREEZING there. So you would probably enjoy yourself better in June, that's when the countries over there seem to start growing their flowers and just look 1000 times better than in winter.

Answer 3

Best times to go are in spring ( late March to late May) or in fall ( late September to early November)..or autumn as the English always call it.

Try to avoid July, August and early September. This is the height of the tourist season and London, which is already an extremely busy city, becomes choked with hundreds of thousands of tourists from all over the world, so all the major attractions get uncomfortably crowded. In very hot weather, London can get humid and uncomfortable..and because hot weather is quite rare there, few buildngs are air conditioned.

Winter is a pretty good time to visit as well...there are not as many tourists, and it is rarely too cold ( although it does tend to rain a lot). As a guide, New York City is always far colder than London in winter.

Londoners are perfectly welcoming to Americans, just dont act the typical "ugly American" and you will get along fine (and actually, I have found Parisians to be equally pleasant, although they do seem to appreciate you more if you can speak French)

Answer 4

Avoid August/Sept the height of the tourist season. Everything will be so much more crowded. If you stay in a bed and breakfast a little out of central London it will be cheaper. The underground is well connected and you can get to just about anywhere on the tube. Buy a day pass or week pass which will work out cheaper than individual tickets to each destination. A week should be enough to 'do' London, more if you want to visit Oxford, Cambridge, Stratford upon Avon, etc. The British are always hospitable and polite. Not to worry about whether Americans are welcome or not. Obviously its common sense not to get into heated discussions on world politics with strangers. London is relatively safe but watch out for pickpockets on Oxford Street and other tourist spots. Stay safe. Enjoy.

Answer 5

I’m from England and I would say May is the best time, flowers out in bloom, temp is good, but anytime during the summer is great, beginning of October is pretty cool to.. Flights are pretty cheap they start to go up around June 10th and stay up till Sept/Oct. Americans are welcomed in London, as I have found here in the US people might ask your opinion on politics, but there just interested in what your view is.

Paris, it’s good for a day or two but that’s it, there are lots of other parts of France to look at that is far more beautiful, in regards to them not being friendly, I found that the French in Paris was very rude but outside of Paris the people where great!

England it really depends what you’re looking for, there is a lot of history and art, if you like hiking I would definitely visit Yorkshire Mountains. Manchester is pretty cool and gives you a better taste of English food and environment rather then accommodating to tourist taste and likes, like London. Need to visit London for the Royals but then you need to head out to taste the English food and get a good feel of the culture, make sure you taste the Chinese and Indian food there, it's pretty darn good, and (we probably make better foreign food then English lol). If you go to Liverpool you have the Beatles, go to Norwich you have the Norfolk Broads if you like boating. Close to London you have Oxford, Cambridge or Southend-on-sea (a seaside town) that is pretty nice towns. Definitely recommend you checking Scotland out if you can, I am sure you will love it!! Also check out Ryanair . com very cheap airfares to Europe and Dublin another great place to visit. I would say three weeks would be enough but you can never have enough time!!

Try not to use cabs, they are expensive!! The tube is easy and gets you all round London. The trains get you to all the cities outside of London and the buses get you all over town and are quite frequent. Only rent a car if you are spending time out of London, if you want to visit the Countryside and stuff, if not don't bother, transportation is extremely good all over England.

There is an express train that will take you from Heathrow airport and Gatwick airport to London city center so you don't need a car for this.

Check kayak . com for cheap flights from US to UK, it searches all the airlines and websites for the cheapest listed price.

Well goodluck, hope this helps a little

Answer 6

My first trip there was in September. Perfect! The weather was great, not hot, not cold. Places weren't too crowded. My 2nd trip there is going to be next month in February. I think the average temps in the day will be in the 40's, and as I live in Boston that will not be a problem for me. Personally, I think any month to visit London is great, as long as you get to go. I did not find anyone to be unfriendly to us, rather people were very nice. I learned of The London Pass recently and will be using one for my next trip. It seems like a great deal. Also, the Tube was an excellent, easy way to get around anywhere in the city and was not expensive. Don't rely on cabs for everything! Have a great time, you'll love it! I sure do!

Answer 7

Alot of the museums are free, I was impressed when I visited at seeing van goch, renior and others free in beautiful impressive museums. Also, see Convent gardens whatever you do. The street attractions are always awesome and there is an open market there. I went to Harrods, just so that I could say I had been in Harrods. Also, went to Buckinham palace on tour that was cool, and tower bridge. Be prepared to walk, walk, walk. My husband has just moved here from England, and said he'd be happy to correspond with you if you'd like, you can contact me from this profile to my e mail link.
I visited in late September and found it to be cold, doing all that walking. So, I suggest, august or early september.
My hubby had visited here prior to moving and was amazed at how friendly and customer conscious shopping clerks are here as opposed to England. He said over there he finds the general shopping and outing experience impersonal.
We went to Avebury and there was a pub there, we sat at a table that had a glass top that you could see down inside that it was an old well for the village. I thought that was cool.
We went up to Donnington Castle ruins and you could see the village below that was nice.
There are alot of things you can do that doesnt cost very much. Go out into the villages and look at antiques. If your into photography you'll get some great shots.
You can chunnel from london to France or ferry from England to Pointe De Normandy and come out in a french village that is charming.
Have fun.
E mail me for my husbands e mail address and more info if you want.

Answer 8

I would say that May is the best month to be in England. In London I loved the museums, there's the National Museum (you need at least two days to tour it), there's the National Gallery with its collection of rare paintings, there's Madame Tussaud's wax museum, there's the National Zoo, there's the Queen's Palace to see, there's Soho at night (be careful though some dangerous characters rove the streets there), there's the boat trip on the river Thames, there's Big Ben and so much, much more.

Answer 9

May is lovely usually but if you want to go inside Buckingham Palace go in August.

There's lots to see.and visit. Here's a brief list of the main attractions.

Palaces - Buckingham Palace, Kensington Palace, Hampton Court Palace. All of these are open to visitors.

Museums and Galleries - Natural History Museum, Science Museum, National Gallery, National Portrait Gallery, The Tate and Tate Modern, British Museum, Imperial War Museum.

Famous Buildings and Monuments etc - The Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, Whitehall and Downing Street, Clarence House, St James Palace, Tower of London, Trafalgar Square, Marble Arch, Monument, Tower Bridge, London Eye.

Churches - Westminster Abbey, St Paul's Cathedral, St Clement Dane, Temple Church, Saint Martin in the field.

There's such a lot to see I can't possibly list them all here. I'd recommend an Eyewitness Travel Guide as they're very comprehensive and include attractions, opening times, photos and maps.

Try the website for The Original London Walks as they do loads of guided tours around the city, They're very cheap and you can take Jack the Ripper, Harry Potter, The Da Vinci Code, Charles Dickens, Museum and Ghost walks. They are very good indeed and you get to see the places lots of tourists don't eve know about.

Travel by tube or bus, It's cheaper than by taxi and very convenient. You can get travel cards from your nearest tube station.

The main shopping streets are Oxford and Regent Street. You can try New Bond Street for Designer labels. Camden for alternative clothing. There's a big mall in Brent Cross also. Fortnum and Mason of Picadilly, known as the Queen's grocers s a fantastic store as is Harrods of Knightsbridge. Leadenhall Market is lovely also and its been in one of the Harry Potter movies.

As for food, there are places to eat everywhere. China Town in Soho is good and Brick Lane for Indian Food in particular.

There are lots of public parks and green areas in London. I'd recommend lunch al fresco if it's fine.
Have fun.

Answer 10

Hi!

I would go in May ..... or September....one reason being that the gardens and parks are
really pretty and you don't want to miss them.

One thing you might want to do is to take a boat ride up the Thames to see Kew Gardens (botanical)... and have lunch. A lovely trip ... and take a box lunch. Very relaxed, very informal.... flat shoes w/ easy soles...get the boat at Westminster dock on the Thames...

Another thing you might want to do is to go to Westminster Abbey ... we went one afternoon for a service of lessons and carols... it was lovely

Be sure to have afternoon tea ... every afternoon... you will find fun things to eat.

I have been told by someone who does know museums because she worked in one herself that the most fun museum in London is Sir John Soane's ... check the internet...

You might go to the opera ... The Royal Opera House is at Covent Garden.... check for schedule on the internet...

Be sure you take a pair of walking shoes
Take London taxis... they are wonderful and so are the drivers..... and take busses, too ... they are fun ...and the underground...don't miss it.

You might want to stay at a bed and breakfast hotel simply because they can be so charming and English and evocative of gaslight! I wish I had one to recommend to you, but I have lost the connection.

Be sure to go somewhere for Indian curry if you like it.
Stay home in your hotel once in a while ... just for the morning.. or on Sunday afternoon, for a nap .... you may need the rest... jet lag, culture shock, etc. have their reality ...London is very busy ... there is a lot there. I believe it was Samuel Johnson, the dictionary author, who said about London, "When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life!"

It would be fun to go to Harrod's ~ the big department store.... they have a "food hall" if you like gourmet shops ... and there is Fortnum & Mason's, the tea people... we had tea there...it was heaven....look on the internet, you will see!

Please understand that London... and England in general is dressier than the U.S. ... so take some pretty clothes or you will feel out of place, and I do mean that quite seriously. Even though I have suggested May as a month to travel, I would suggest also that you take a light weight tweed suit and some nice blouses.. but London can be hot too... so be prepared, maybe take a linen suit also ... trust your intuition. And some lovely silk scarves ...Any advice for a gentleman would be about the same... just dress rather nicely!

You see, London is very big...and it is very old. It is very civilised and built up in a way that no American city is built up. It has been there for centuries... and it has seen very great people living there. The English are full of character and will speak with you about England and its history at the drop of a hat. They are very civil, and very nice. As for your question about Americans, it is not that Americans are welcomed, because one gets the feeling that the English are quite self sufficient. You might be surprised to see how unimportant we are to them! Very! But, they are not unkind to us either....I think they rather feel sorry for us. But, maybe that is just me.

As for how long to stay .... I would stay three weeks, four if you could ... but, by four weeks you will be very sorry to be leaving and will want to rent a flat instead ..... just make sure you book with a nice airline and you will at least have that to look forward to. And buy some clothes. English clothes are nice.

Cheers!