UK/Paris trip -- would you pick March or July?

[DarcyLongfellow]

This board is (understandably) pretty dead, but I figured I'd try a post here anyway.

Assuming life is back to normal a year from now, we're planning a trip with my parents for 2022. We haven't locked down exact locations yet, but it will likely be London and Paris, with probably a side trip to another location in the UK (toying with Bath/Stonehenge, or possibly Edinburgh). 2 weeks total.

If all things (work, school, etc.) were equal, would you pick March or July for the trip? For various reasons, those are our two options. I figure March will be less crowded, but the weather will not be ideal (this week it looks like temps around 50F and rainy). July will be more crowded. Anything else I'm not thinking of?


Also, if anyone wants to give me any tips or suggestions, I'd love to read them! We're in the very early planning stages now. I've been to London several times (and lived there for a summer in 2002), but it's been 20 years (!!!) since I was last there. My parents have taken several trips in the past couple of years, but it will be the first trip for DH and for our kids -- 2 girls who will be 12 and 8 at the time of the trip.

Thanks!

[mrsGreeko]

We took our kids (at the time they were 4, 7, and 10) in July to London and Edinburgh for 2 weeks. July did not feel more crowded really (because London is a pretty crowded dense city anyway, so it felt crowded and dense like a big city, but it always feels like that). I also lived in Wales for 6 months and had spent a lot of time in London in 2003. Funny. Anyway, July was a lovely time to go. The weather was still cool, especially up north, but it also stayed light till so late which was fun. We did a lot of the usual expected things like the British museum (kids were obsessed with all the Egyptian artifacts), Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, Harrod’s, etc. We also did some slightly more off the beaten track things like the Scottish seabird center and Alnwick Castle as day trips from Edinburgh. Alnwick was probably my favorite part of the entire trip.

[ny96]

Both those places can be pretty cold in March.

[wanderingback]

I would pick July. The weather will be too iffy in March, worrying about rain.
Not sure what you mean by too crowded, they’re both large cities so the subway, walking on the streets, etc can be crowded regardless. I don’t think it’d make too much of a difference going in March.

[georgeglass]

We went the second week of March a few years ago and our plans to take the Eurostar to Paris from London were dashed because of a snowstorm that canceled the train.

[mrsukyankee]

I live in London. Do NOT come in March. The weather is so awful most of the time that it's just not worth it. July can be quite hot or it can be cool but it'll still be so much better than cold and rain/snow/hail. Get a hotel and not an Airbnb as hotels will more likely get air conditioning compared to Airbnb's.

Despite being busy in July, it's still totally worth coming then.

[mrsukyankee]

Oh, and if you need any ideas for London or even want a personal guide, let me know (I work less in the summer and love showing people around).

[gardengal]

Instead of Stonehenge, you should totally consider the Cotswolds. I loved it & I feel like it's a place that you love more as you age. It's basically English Countryside Porn & everything you ever thought an English village would be--and it's an entire area of them! You can visit cute towns, Warwick Castle if you're on that side of the Cotswolds & do some hiking (it's subtle, rolling hills so there's plenty of paths that aren't completely arduous if your parents have good mobility). And I feel like it's a good counter point to 2 of the major cities of Europe.

I enjoyed Bath for the Jane Austen bits (Oh HERE IS THE PUMP ROOM! THIS WATER IS TERRIBLE) but I really enjoyed the Cotswolds more.

[mrsukyankee]

Mar 17, 2021 14:23:47 GMT -5 gardengal said:

Instead of Stonehenge, you should totally consider the Cotswolds. I loved it & I feel like it's a place that you love more as you age. It's basically English Countryside Porn & everything you ever thought an English village would be--and it's an entire area of them! You can visit cute towns, Warwick Castle if you're on that side of the Cotswolds & do some hiking (it's subtle, rolling hills so there's plenty of paths that aren't completely arduous if your parents have good mobility). And I feel like it's a good counter point to 2 of the major cities of Europe.

I enjoyed Bath for the Jane Austen bits (Oh HERE IS THE PUMP ROOM! THIS WATER IS TERRIBLE) but I really enjoyed the Cotswolds more.

I agree entirely. Stonehenge is completely underwhelming. I do love Bath as the architecture is amazing. So if you can rent a car, I'd go to Bath AND the Cotswolds as a side trip. Just the names are insane - Upper Slaughter, for example. I love, love, love Bourton on Wold.

[gardengal]

Mar 17, 2021 16:08:55 GMT -5 mrsukyankee said:

Mar 17, 2021 14:23:47 GMT -5 gardengal said:

Instead of Stonehenge, you should totally consider the Cotswolds. I loved it & I feel like it's a place that you love more as you age. It's basically English Countryside Porn & everything you ever thought an English village would be--and it's an entire area of them! You can visit cute towns, Warwick Castle if you're on that side of the Cotswolds & do some hiking (it's subtle, rolling hills so there's plenty of paths that aren't completely arduous if your parents have good mobility). And I feel like it's a good counter point to 2 of the major cities of Europe.

I enjoyed Bath for the Jane Austen bits (Oh HERE IS THE PUMP ROOM! THIS WATER IS TERRIBLE) but I really enjoyed the Cotswolds more.

I agree entirely. Stonehenge is completely underwhelming. I do love Bath as the architecture is amazing. So if you can rent a car, I'd go to Bath AND the Cotswolds as a side trip. Just the names are insane - Upper Slaughter, for example. I love, love, love Bourton on Wold.

I love the Slaughters! Chipping Campden! Castle Combe! Snowhill (that’s actually pronounced more like Snozzle iirc!)

[Pibs]

Mar 17, 2021 16:08:55 GMT -5 mrsukyankee said:

Mar 17, 2021 14:23:47 GMT -5 gardengal said:

Instead of Stonehenge, you should totally consider the Cotswolds. I loved it & I feel like it's a place that you love more as you age. It's basically English Countryside Porn & everything you ever thought an English village would be--and it's an entire area of them! You can visit cute towns, Warwick Castle if you're on that side of the Cotswolds & do some hiking (it's subtle, rolling hills so there's plenty of paths that aren't completely arduous if your parents have good mobility). And I feel like it's a good counter point to 2 of the major cities of Europe.

I enjoyed Bath for the Jane Austen bits (Oh HERE IS THE PUMP ROOM! THIS WATER IS TERRIBLE) but I really enjoyed the Cotswolds more.

I agree entirely. Stonehenge is completely underwhelming. I do love Bath as the architecture is amazing. So if you can rent a car, I'd go to Bath AND the Cotswolds as a side trip. Just the names are insane - Upper Slaughter, for example. I love, love, love Bourton on Wold.

I would agree with skipping Stonehenge *unless* you do an inner circle tour. We did one at sunrise and it was breathtaking. The group was super tiny (maybe 10 people?), and we were able to go wander around in the stones. Just don't touch them -- I hear Jamie Fraser is already taken.

We also completely loved the Cotswolds and Bath. We stayed at The Pig near Bath which was just precious and had incredible food, and at Whatley Manor in the Cotswolds which also had incredible food (like one of the best meals of our lives) and the most amazing spa.

[pittpurple]

England has more consistent summers - I live in Edinburgh and we tend to have gorgeous weather in April/May and then it's miserable all summer.
I can't quite picture 'normal' a year from now - we are still in total lockdown here so I'm not sure what it will look like.
July could be insanely hot - the last couple of years the weather has been crazy so definitely look at hotels with a/c - you won't find it most other places but if you can have it for sleeping it will help (or not, it might rain the whole time too! the UK likes to keep you on your toes)

March is not great over here so if those are the only options, I'd probably do July.

(Oh, but stay away from the countryside in Scotland, particularly the West Coast as the midges will be murderous in July!)

[mich1]

I've done Paris in July and I vowed never again. I stood in the longest lines ever to get into attractions and I suspect I spent the better part of that trip standing in one line or another.

The next time I went to Paris, it was at the end of September. The weather was really crappy (rainy and cool), but no lines and I could see anything I wanted without waiting.

Last time I went to Paris, we went in December = over the Christmas holidays. Longer lines than Sept but not as long as they were when I went in July.

Of course, this was all pre-pandemic. Who knows what things will be like once countries open fully back up - but my best guess is that lines are in relationship to school holidays, and I've tried to avoid traveling to tourist areas during school holidays.

[Wines Not Whines]

I went to London and Edinburgh in April 2019. The weather in London was nice. Edinburgh was cold and very windy. It didn’t stop us from doing anything, but we were bundled up with coats, hats, and gloves. I think the wind chill was in the 30s. March would be even colder. I think it depends on whether you care that it may be very cold. March would be a lot cheaper than July, as long as it’s not Easter week.