Best time of year to visit the UK

[mongers]

Edinburgh is 56N. I love the long days in Scotland near the solstice 

I remember playing out until around 10 pm when I lived in Scotland.  Didn't realise it was unusual for it to be light that long.

As an American I was shocked at how long the days got in France in Summer.  That is where it really hits home at how far north Europe is.

I was amazed when I read that DC is on the same latitude as Cairo

No there's quite a difference., though both probably still in the 30s.


edit:
checking my little bit of anchient UK technology (psion!!) DC is at 38.53N and Cairo is dead 30 N, don't know how accurate that is.

About Quebec, it's around the same latitude as Odessa, only 20minutes in it.

[PJL]

It's probably a good idea not to go to London during the Olympic Games unless you are specifically interested in that.

Ironically so many people have decided that, it's forecast that they'll be far fewer tourists in Londoin than usual because of the Games, and there are concerns that instead of helping the industry it's actually going to be harmful.

[Brazen]

You'd enjoy the Edinburgh Festival which is in August, but it can make your visit expensive and touristy. Late spring, say May, is massively variable weather-wise. September can have the hottest days and October is usually reliably mild and easy to get around, but check for school holidays and half terms - I always seem to book a week off in half term 

Have you thought about the kind of things you'd like to do you haven't done before?

[Warspite]

Go to London for Wimbledon.

[Josquius]

May, June or just before school hols begin.

Second.
Its hot, but not unbearably so, and the Brits haven't started touristing en masse yet.

[jimmy olsen]

May, June or just before school hols begin.

Second.
Its hot, but not unbearably so, and the Brits haven't started touristing en masse yet.

I'm pretty sure that most Americans wouldn't consider Britain in May hot.

[garbon]

You'd enjoy the Edinburgh Festival which is in August, but it can make your visit expensive and touristy. Late spring, say May, is massively variable weather-wise. September can have the hottest days and October is usually reliably mild and easy to get around, but check for school holidays and half terms - I always seem to book a week off in half term 

Have you thought about the kind of things you'd like to do you haven't done before?

The festival does sound sort of fun and if I get too tired of the tourists, if I go in middish August, I suppose I can always head down south once the olympics have cleared out.

No actually I haven't given it any thought at all besides adding Scotland into the mix.

[Sheilbh]

If the festival gets too much I recommend getting the train to Glasgow - it's far more fun than Edinburgh for the other 11 months of the year.

[Richard Hakluyt]

If the festival gets too much I recommend getting the train to Glasgow - it's far more fun than Edinburgh for the other 11 months of the year.

As they say in Glasgow, Edinburgh is "all fur coat And nae knickers" 

[Sheilbh]

I always thought that was a positive in Glasgow

[Martinus]

London Languish Meet Time!

[Tamas]

London Languish Meet Time!

Again?! My ribs barely healed!

[Martinus]

London Languish Meet Time!

Again?! My ribs barely healed!

Wasn't the last one over a year ago? I thought it was the Autumn of 2010.

[Tamas]

London Languish Meet Time!

Again?! My ribs barely healed!

Wasn't the last one over a year ago? I thought it was the Autumn of 2010.

I was making a joke.

If you want a London meet you ought to schedule it to early february or so, as I might have some business there during that time

[Josquius]

I'll probally be visiting the UK at some point in the summer holidays.

If the festival gets too much I recommend getting the train to Glasgow - it's far more fun than Edinburgh for the other 11 months of the year.

I've only briefly visited the two (albeit many times to Edinburgh) and...well. The way it seems to me is that Edinburgh is by far the best to visit as a tourist (so pretty!) but as somewhere to live I would definitely pick Glasgow, it used to have a pretty awesome indie scene (not sure if it still does...certainly no bands worthwhile have emerged for a while...)

If you are in Scotland then you should stop off for a day in my area too! Durham cathedral is amazing, and a world heritage site, and Newcastle is rather nice too. Then there's York with its brilliant little medieval area.
I'm also partial to Berwick and its wonderful city walls. And Whitby is always amazing, wonderful quaint old fashioned fishing town...overran by goths. But...yeah. That's just me.