The time of year that you decide to go on your family trip to London can have a great impact on your experience. Deciding when is the best time to go to London is usually one of the first things you consider. But when planning a trip you should also consider the opposite because that can have an equal impact. So what’s the worst time to visit London?
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WHAT IS THE WORST TIME TO VISIT LONDON ENGLAND
Summer brings about so much of what we love about travel. So it’s surprising then that July and August are the worst times to visit London. These months pose several difficulties which make travel to London less than ideal for your family.
This is unfortunate because, for families, summer is prime vacation time. It’s when the kids are out of school and the family is free to leave for an extended period.
The next worst time to visit would be December. This is when the temperature drops significantly and is also one of the rainiest of the year.
The great thing about London is that there is so much to do indoors. This means that you can kind of work around the rain and still have a good time
But what makes July and August the worst time to visit London for families?
CROWDS
It’s summer so since the kids are out on vacation from school, we’ll use that time to travel. Unfortunately, you’re not the only one with that great idea. Nearly every other family on the planet has the same plans.
Since London is consistently one of the most visited cities every year, a lot of people will converge on the UK capital during these months in particular. The result is a city full of tourists and overcrowding.
London boasts an impressive amount of sites that can keep your interest and that you would consider a must-see. But there is always going to be the most popular places. These sites are often popular for a reason and will see their fair share of massive crowds.
Pre-booking tickets online can help alleviate some of the issues of waiting in long lines, but not necessarily the crowds within the sites. Some crowds are expected at world-class sites, but overcrowding can easily detract from your experience.
Large crowds can also stress little ones due to restricted movement. They can also stress parents trying to keep up with little ones in the massive moving crowds during peak tourist season.
One of the best ways to get around London is by public transportation, especially the tube. During peak season, using the tube can be a bit more tiresome as the system gets strained with the large volume of people.
EXPENSE
With large demand and limited supply come large costs. The demand for flights and accommodations in particular skyrockets during the summer months of July and August. When you mix in the extraordinary volume of visitors that London attracts you get prices that can be uncomfortably high.
There are more options now when you factor in home-sharing services like VRBO and Airbnb. During the summer months, though, even those prices have seen a dramatic increase.
The costs for flights in particular are multiplied when you’re traveling with a family. What may seem like a relatively small increase can greatly shift your travel budget.
WEATHER
Sunshine and heat are good in moderation, but when you’re touring a city like London, too much of either can ruin your vacation. Since London isn’t exactly a beach vacation, all of the sun and heat can’t be tempered by a relaxing day at the beach.
In recent years Europe has been the victim of several serious heat waves that have struck during the summer months. This makes it difficult to enjoy the city.
Young ones are especially vulnerable to the effects of excessive heat and humidity. When you combine that with the larger crowds and longer lines that makes for an awful combination.
The summer months do receive less rainfall than the other months, but it’s still London, so you should be prepared for some rain at all times.
WHEN TO VISIT LONDON
For families, eliminating July and August from the list of months to visit kind of leaves you in a tough spot. Our family typically plans our big trips in the summer.
So when we decided to visit London we had to figure out when would work best for us. We decided that June is one of the best times to travel.
June provides nice temperatures without it being too hot. It’s also a nice time because it’s just before the large crowds arrive for the summer. We did get a bit of rain, but we were able to work around it pretty well.
The sites that we visited were not overcrowded or had long lines. The one exception was the British Museum on a day when it was raining. But even then the line moved fast.
Because it wasn’t peak season we also were able to get a good deal on our flight as well as on our accommodations. We booked with VRBO and found a nice apartment for a good price.
If you prefer home sharing accommodations, there are several options to choose from.
Visiting in June will also mean that it’ll be easier to pick an amazing accommodation in one of the best areas to stay in London.
7 TIPS FOR VISITING LONDON DURING JULY AND AUGUST
If you want to visit London (and you should) but don’t have much wiggle room when it comes to scheduling here are some tips to help make your trip a success:
Stay just outside the city center to reduce costs. During our stay in London we stayed in Belsize Park and used the tube to come into the city. You don’t have to stay that far out, but some other suburb just out of the city center will make a big difference.
Plan to use the tube outside of rush hour. Staying a bit out of the city center will mean that you’ll rely on public transportation a bit more. Rush hour is already a hectic time in London. When you add in peak tourist traffic that sounds like a nightmare. Start early or relax and start just a bit later to avoid the hassle.
Get up early or go late. Most people aren’t getting up early on their vacations so that’s an option to avoid crowds. The other option (the one we use) is to go later in the afternoon or evening. Check for the last times that location will admit you and go for that.
Purchase as many skip-the-line tickets as you can. You can easily do this online. This is a good tip no matter when you visit London.
Purchase your flight and accommodations as far in advance as you can. We’ve done this to get great deals on our flights and accommodations. The days of waiting until the last minute to get a deal are mostly over. We will book flights as far out as 9 months in advance. Once the flight is booked we book our accommodations.
Don’t overbook your itinerary. Using the tube and walking makes London a fairly easy city to get around. But with an increase in crowd size expect everything to take a bit longer.
Mix in plenty of indoor activities. When the weather isn’t cooperating in London (which happens for a variety of reasons) it’s good to have several indoor activities in mind. Sometimes this will involve adjusting the plans on the fly, but if you already have them researched it’ll be easier to make those changes
YOU CAN STILL ENJOY LONDON
With a little planning and preparation, you can enjoy London in nearly every season. It helps to know what to expect and to have a great itinerary. Another part of that planning is knowing what to pack. Check out this helpful packing guide so that you’ll be ready for London.
