Planning a Trip to London?

London is one of the world’s most visited cities in the world. When asked the best time to travel there my answer is “for each season there is a reason!” Because the majority of people are actually asking in terms of pricing there are definitely some months that you can find more bargains in terms of flights and hotels. September and October are my recommendations for lower airfares and hotel bargains. Flying mid-week also usually gives you the best airfare prices. The higher fares usually begin June through the end of August as well as the weeks around Christmas. Airfare and hotel costs everywhere are always at their absolute peak surrounding Christmas because of high demand.
Hotels in London tend to have reduced rates during the month of November and again in January through March. Their highest rates tend to be mid – March through August. If you are a shopper looking for bargains in stores (such as the famous Harrods) the best sales in London are the after-Christmas sales that extend through January. This is the best time for savings on items such as clothing, shoes, flatware, crystal, china, and linens.
For sightseeing and tours you may want to purchase the London Pass that can be bought for one, two, three or six days for adult and child rates. They offer some winter discounts as well. This pass can save you some money, giving some special deals and free admissions to a variety of events and attractions. The hop on/hop off bus is an excellent way to get a sampling of all the city has to offer in the beginning of your trip.
You don’t visit London any time of year for their weather! After all, the London Fog was very appropriately named after their weather. There is not really a “dry season” there as it does rain quite a bit. Many times it is just a drizzle but the downpours are most likely to occur in the later fall months, especially November.
My personal favorite time to visit London is in the late summer to September when the crowds have subsided a bit and when the State Rooms of Buckingham Palace are open to the public while the Queen vacates to Scotland.
The city is full of fabulous hotels. My recommendation would be to stay where you will be centering most of your activity. Because I like to stay near Buckingham Palace I have a favorite hotel that is literally just across the street from the Royal Mews.
Some “not to miss” attractions in or near London are the Natural History Museum, Science Museum, British Museum, Tower of London (Crown jewels), London Eye, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, Windsor Castle, and of course, Changing of the Guard. You need to make reservations ahead for a high tea and a fabulous West End theatre show.   There are certainly a multitude of excursions to take in and around London that will make this vacation one of your favorites!