What is the best time of year to travel to the UK?

Question

We are planning a trip to the UK next year. We will be visiting England, Scotland and Ireland. We would like to advoid the crowds but since I am 55+ with moderate arthritis, weather is a concern. This is a trip of a life time for us.

Answer 1

In the UK the school summer holidays run from late July to early September and during this time many of the tourist spots are very busy. The last weekend in August is a public holiday and this is often the busiest weekend of the year in many places. That said, there are still a great many places you can visit that are 'off the beaten track' where there won't be that many people.

The best of the weather in the UK is to be found in the south west in counties such as Devon, Cornwall and Somerset. As a general rule of thumb the south is warmer than the north and the east is drier then the west. Unlike in the US there are no weather extremes and the difference between the warmest and coolest places or the wettest and driest isn't really all that much - just a few degrees.

There is rain all year round in all parts of the UK and Ireland, whenever you visit you should be prepared for such conditions. The best weather in Scotland is found in May to July, in the rest of the UK it's June to August.

The average temperatures in the UK are conserably lower than one of the previous answers stated. In London during the hottest moths of July and August the average daytime high is 21°C (71°F) and the low is 12°C (53°F).

Average weather conditions:
Edinburgh - http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=006130&refer=
London - http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=067730&refer=
Dublin - http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=096930&refer=

One of the nice things about the UK and Ireland is that they are 'compact' countries and you're never far from places to go and things to do, whatever the weather. You will find that a lot of places are only open during the summer months, typically April to October and if I was to pick one time of the year to visit I'd suggest mid June to late July.

Answer 2

Just get a train pass, you can do it online and see all the charges, so you`ll know which is best and I think dogs travel free, Travel-lodges wont accept dogs though and there are a LOT of Hotels wont accept them (Almost all), thought some Bed and Breakfast places will.. I`d check in advance and plan in advance because you dont want to trek out to some village with your dog and be turned away and beware village bus-services are NOT GOOD, maybe 2 buses a day if you`re lucky, you may be better off going to a Holiday-camp and some allow dogs.. Haven I think allows them, look online., or a very good place to start is DOGSTRUST UK and they have a whole site dedicated to Cottages and properties that take doggies. Be aware that Taxi-cabs are VERY EXPENSIVE so I`d personally plan the whole trip out in advance. Englands not as small as you think and its VERY expensive to get around., I`d stay in one place if I were you or get somewhere near a nice beach but we aware not all beaches are dog friendly either.. I`d go Cornwall on a nice Caravan or Chalet site.

Answer 3

The warmest/dryest weather is generally July/August and early September. The tempurature can get as high as 33c but I think it averages around 26-29c in the south of England at least. Last year we barely had any rain at all during these months.

Of course, these months are also the busiest so I would recommend booking accomodation early to avoid disappointment.

Our springs are generally ok, heavily dependant on where you go. In the south of England it's the mildest but it's very nice in Scotland at this time of year also.

On that basis - if you want a quieter period, June or Sept will be good times to come. Reasonable weather and quiet as children are back at school, although I would expect a little bit of rain as is the case in this country outside of the core summer months (or even then at times ;) ).

Hope you have a great time visiting this country!

Answer 4

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RE:
What is the best time of year to travel to the UK?
We are planning a trip to the UK next year. We will be visiting England, Scotland and Ireland. We would like to advoid the crowds but since I am 55+ with moderate arthritis, weather is a concern. This is a trip of a life time for us.

Answer 5

Go in April- May or Sept.-Oct. to avoid the summer crowd and yet it wouldn't be cold as in Nov.-March.

Remember it'd still be cool, especially in the evening and the early morning hours so make sure you bring some sweaters and jackets. An umbrella is always handy as it rains quite often, especially in May. But then you can buy umbrellas just about anywhere in the UK.

While in London, take a few days to go over to Paris for a quick visit. The EuroStar train can take you over to France in just a few hours via the Chunnel. You can buy tickets ahead online here in the US (tickets are higher if you wait until the last minute).

Have a great trip!

Answer 6

Best Time To Visit England

Answer 7

July and August are the hottest months. The school holidays start in mid-July, so early July would be best, as everyone goes on holiday to the seaside and whatnot then.

However, I will say that Scotland is pretty much never hot.

Answer 8

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Your dog will HAVE to spend 6 months in quarantine - I used to work in a Boarding Kennels that had a Quarantine Section - and that is VERY expensive. Dogs are ONLY allowed on public transport and in 99% of hotels/hostels if they are OFFICIAL Guide/Assistance Dogs. Also, there are a people who rely on public transport (Tran's and buses) who are VERY allergic to animals. $25,000 will ONLY last you you 2 months if you are lucky - the cost of some hotels is VERY expensive, travel in some places is VERY expensive unless you book well in advance.

Answer 9

Wow! thank you! I was wondering the same question yesterday

Answer 10

Try winter...there's light everywhere here...