Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Cardiff's Average Daytime Temperatures & Rainfall
JAN
FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC
TEMP. (°F)
40
40
43
46
52
57
61
61
57
52
44
42
4
4
6
8
11
14
16
16
14
11
7
6
TEMP. (°C)
RAINFALL (IN.)
4.2
3.0
2.9
2.5
2.7
2.6
3.1
4.0
3.8
4.6
4.3
4.6
CURRENT WEATHER CONDITIONS
The best place to head online for a
detailed weather forecast is
www.bbc.co.uk/weather
.
WHEN YOU'LL FIND BARGAINS
In short, summer's warmer weather gives
rise to many outdoor music and theatre festivals. But winter offers savings pretty
much across the board.
The cheapest time to fly to Britain is usually during the off season: from late Octo-
ber to mid-December and from January to mid-March. In the last few years, the
long-haul airlines in particular have offered some irresistible fares during these peri-
ods. Remember that weekday flights are often cheaper than weekend fares.
Rates generally increase between March and June, then hit their peak in high
travel seasons between late June and September, and in December for the run-up to
Christmas and New Year. July and August are also when most Europeans take their
holidays, so besides higher prices, there's more crowds and more limited availability
of the best hotel rooms.
You can avoid crowds, to some extent, by planning trips for November or January
through March. Sure, it may be rainy and cold—but the country doesn't shut down
when the tourists thin out (although many countryside attractions such as National
Trust properties do close for the winter). Often you'll find city arts festivals during the
off season, and hotel prices can drop by 20%. By arriving after the winter holidays, you
can also take advantage of post-Christmas sales, which these days start on December
26 or 27. There's usually another major sales period in stores in mid-summer.
Calendar of Events
JANUARY
London's
New Year's Day Parade
crowns
the capital's festive season with 3 hours of
pomp and frivolity. More than 10,000 danc-
ers, acrobats, cheerleaders, musicians, and
performers assemble in the heart of the
city every year for a “celebration of
nations.” Over 400,000 people regularly
descend on central London to admire the
floats and entertainers that appear in the
parade—be sure to arrive early to secure a
good space. www.londonparade.co.uk.
London's large Chinese community wel-
comes the
Chinese New Year
with a colorful
bang. Discover cultural events throughout
the city center and catch splendid lion
dances and performances in Trafalgar
Square and Leicester Square. The New Year
celebrations are one of the biggest in the
world outside of China and as dusk sets on
2
the day the crowds descend on Chinatown
to continue the celebrations into the night.
www.londonchinatown.org.
FEBRUARY
York, most often associated historically
with the Romans, was in fact ruled by
Viking kings as Jorvik between
A
.
D
. 866 and
A
.
D
. 952. These age-old leaders are remem-
bered each year during the
Jorvik Viking
Festival.
Would-be adventurers and wan-
nabe Vikings from all over the world gather
in the city to watch Norse warriors fight to
the (mock) death with their enemies, the
Saxons, as well as to enjoy dozens of spe-
cially organized arts, music, drama, and
action events throughout the city. www.
jorvik-viking-centre.co.uk.
As a preview to its annual
Food and Drink
Festival,
Chester hosts its famous
Cheese
