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How do you decide what time of year to travel to England? When are the busiest tourist seasons? What is the weather in England really like? Read on.
Traveling during high and low seasons
 | Roughly speaking, the high season for travel in England lasts from Easter to the end of September. The country gets the most crowded and the prices go sky-high during the peak summer months of June, July, and August. October to Easter make up the low season, when tourism dwindles, prices drop, and attractions shorten their open hours. |
During your trip, you probably want to visit London, a destination on almost every English itinerary. London is popular year-round. In fact, London is one of the world's most popular tourist destinations.
| In the winter months, generally from October through March, castles, museums, and tourist offices outside London have shorter hours and may close certain days of the week. Hours and open days increase during the crowded months of June, July, and August. During the summer tourist season in popular cities like Cambridge or York, you can choose among three daily walking tours rather than the one that's offered in the winter. If you're a garden lover, time your visit to fall between Easter and September — peak tourist months, but also peak garden months. You can visit most castles and palaces year-round, but in summer, when lines are longest, you may find yourself waiting to get in and feeling rushed after you do. Long-distance train and bus schedules don't change much between winter and summer. However, local public transportation options in outlying regions, such as the Lake District or the Cotswolds, are curtailed during the less touristy months. |
Watching the weather
England's weather is what you might call "changeable." Except in the most general terms, you can have real problems predicting just what the weather will be like in any given season. Remember that England is part of an island, and the surrounding seas, as well as its northerly location, determine its weather patterns. In general, however, London and the south of England remain fairly mild year-round, rarely dipping below freezing or rising above 80 degrees Fahrenheit (at least for extended periods). Just don't rely on figures too much: In 2001, London and the rest of England experienced the coldest and wettest winter and spring since written records originated in 1659. But in 2007, London and southern England experienced the warmest spring on record. And every August from 2003 to 2007, the mercury has soared to the mid-90s for several days and even reached 100 degrees. Summer 2007 also saw heavy rains and flooding in parts of England.
Spring comes earliest to Cornwall and Devon in the southwest, where camellias, azaleas, and rhododendrons start to bloom in March. Northern counties, such as Yorkshire and Cumbria, take longer to warm up. Anyone who's spent a winter's day trying to enjoy a walk on the windswept moors of Yorkshire can tell you to postpone a walking tour there until spring is well advanced or summer has arrived. The Lake District in Cumbria tends to be rainy year-round, so expect sudden squalls even in summer.
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