EnglandBest Time to Visit

England gets packed in the summertime with travelling tourists and locals enjoying the summer holidays when school is out. Tourists can also visit Buckingham Palace in London, while the Royal Family spends summers at their Scotland residence. But the nation offers lots of other things to do in its low seasons too, with more affordable England vacation packages, and fewer crowds.  

Summer is also a good time to head to Cornwall, Norfolk, Brighton, or Essex to enjoy the British seaside. It’s peak cruise season so expect the port towns to be busy. If you’re more of an urbanite, Manchester, York, Liverpool, and many more cities fill out their festival calendars during the summer, and most are easily reached by train. 

The autumn, winter, and spring each bring with them their own character-building weather patterns with snow, rain, and fog, depending on the year and the mood of Mother Nature. Luckily, most of these weather patterns are perfect for taking tea and spending time in cozy pubs. If you’re into camping, hiking, hunting, and fishing, spring and fall are gorgeous times of transition as the sun returns and things begin to bloom, or when the colours burst and the land prepares itself to rest under its blanket of snow. English summers and winters are both milder than many North Americans are used to, though the damp winter chill off the North Sea might convince you otherwise.

When is the ideal time to visit England?

Late spring (May and June) and early autumn (September and October), while they may be crisp, can offer the best of both worlds on your England vacation, particularly in London and the south. The weather is warmish, the skies are relatively clear, and the crowds of summer are either yet to descend or have already gone. Things get dicier during these months the further north you go, but if you dress in light, breathable layers and don’t mind the odd downpour, it can be the best time to visit if you are looking for value for your money.

When is England’s peak tourist season?

England tours get quite crowded in July and August, particularly in popular destinations like London, Bath, and York. Book your palace and museum tours in advance if visiting during these months. It’s also Fringe Festival season in Edinburgh, and many like to extend their Scotland vacation with a jaunt south for an England trip. If you’re willing to brave the crowds and higher prices, however, vacation packages during these months inarguably offer the best weather, and the busiest event calendars, particularly in Northern England. It’s also the only time the public can access Buckingham Palace (through to mid-September), and can be a great time to visit Oxford and Cambridge, with great deals on rooms at colleges while students are away.

Which is the most affordable time to visit England?

If you avoid the holidays proper, the winter months from November to March are the most affordable time to be in England. It’s a time for cozy pubs, West End shows, palace tours, exploring eye-popping museums and historic monuments, and doing basically everything cultural England has to offer. Dress warmly for that visit to Stonehenge or the Cotswolds, however! 

How long should I plan to visit England?

Travel agencies will confirm that you could literally spend the entire six months your visa-free visit allows in England and still barely scratch the surface. One week gives you time for a pretty awesome London vacation, with visits to Bath and Stonehenge, and perhaps another to Oxford and the Cotswolds. More varied England tours might spend three days in London, then an all inclusive night or two in Oxford or Bath before heading north to the Lakes District or York. Rail or bus tours can be a good way to cover numerous stops in a limited time. A week gives you enough time for two major stops in addition to London’s essentials, but you’ll almost certainly want to come back.