Off-Season England Vacation Tips and Tools
There is a good reason why off-season is considered “off”. From November to March, the weather in England can be cold, snowy and rainy. And if you want to wear shorts and a shirt and don’t like to get wet, these months are not for you. Some shops are also closed during off-season. However, as unorthodox as it may sound, scheduling your England vacation during these months is worth a shot. High-season may have the best weather and extra hours of sunlight but off-season presents a more relaxed atmosphere, fewer tourists and cheaper flights and hotels.
Why travel in the off-season?
Fewer crowd
Scheduling a trip to England during high-season can become a headache than a vacation. Why? Two reasons: one, many Americans schedule their England vacation during high-season which means crowded plane and hotels, and two, English, as well as other Europeans also schedule their trip during these months, which make the city streets of London and attractions across the country much crowded. So, if you are a kind of person who can do without crowd, then an off-season trip fits you.
Savings
The basic rule is; if there is a high demand the prices are much higher and if the demand is low, the prices go down. So if you decide to travel during the months when England cities are less visited, you can definitely save a lot on rooms and plane ticket.
Greater availability
Fewer visitors mean more available hotel rooms, car rentals and plane tickets. During high-season, hotel, rental and plane reservations should be made months in advance. Alternately, you can get a hotel or a plane booked and a car rented few days in advance if not on the same day.
Packing tips during off-season England trip
It is easy to pack light if your daily outfit is shorts and a shirt. But it is a different story when you pack for the rainy season and during the winter months. The key is wise packing. If you are going to stay 5 days in England, bring 5 sets of clothes (maximum). Include light undershirts, sweaters of varying warmth, long-sleeved shirts, a rain coat, a tie or a scarf, and a windbreaker. Sweaters are very bulky but there is a remedy. Purchase clothes compressor bags so you do not have to ask someone to sit on the suitcase while you latch it. All you need to do is to place your sweater in these bags, the air out and you will reduce the bulk out of your sweater by 40% to 50%.
More tips for off-season traveler
Be flexible. Just because it rains doesn’t mean you should spend the rest of your day peeking through your hotel window and hope that the rain would stop. You can still go out and visit indoor sites such as historical museums or go to a popular café and enjoy a cup of coffee or a glass of wine. Find other things to do if a particular attraction is closed. The thing is, there is more to England than the sites familiar to us. Do not be so confined with your itineraries. The best things are always found in unexpected places.
Travel just before the peak-season. If you want to enjoy high-season weather but not high-season cost, scheduling your England vacation a few weeks before the high-season changeover would be great.