Regular readers will know that we touched down in the UK yesterday after 6 months in steamy Asia and 6 years of tropical living in Port Douglas, Queensland. It’s December, it’s cold. What on earth were we thinking!
Most people visit the UK in summer. It gives visitors a fighting chance of not getting soaked or frozen solid. We’re not really known for our weather here!
Well I think the UK in winter is great, it’s probably my favourite time of year, here’s why.
We Do Christmas, Cold and Winter Well
We had some fabulous tropical Christmases in Australia, enjoying hotel luxury and swimming pools, but it’s good to be home for a “real” Christmas.
Lights are twinkling everywhere in the cold, dark afternoons. Log fires are blazing atmospherically in cozy country pubs. There is the promise of an amazing Christmas lunch to come. UK Christmas lunch, with turkey and all the trimmings, we haven’t had that in years. Prawns and smoked salmon from the buffet are great, but nothing says Christmas to me like a roast followed by a flaming Christmas pudding.
Outdoor ice rinks and Christmas markets are pretty common in the UK these days. We’ll be visiting our local one in Cardiff this week. London has some fantastic Christmas events and displays every year.
You never know, we may just get that white Christmas we’re all dreaming of!
The UK is a Great Travel Base
It’s so easy to hop on a plane or train and head to Europe or further afield from the UK. That was something we really missed in Australia.
We used to enjoy winter sun holidays to India or Sri Lanka that didn’t break the bank or weekend breaks in the European Christmas markets. Our favourite trip in winter was always skiing.
I’ve never skied in Scotland, it’s something I must do one day. We would always book a ski holiday further afield Andorra was our budget ski destination choice but there is a whole world of more unusual ski destinations out there.
You Can Enjoy Cold Weather
That’s the coldest D ever remembers being, in Ella, Sri Lanka of all places.
Leaving Heathrow yesterday my boys were in woolly hats and fleeces borrowed from Mum and Dad.
They loved it!
Particularly when I showed Boo (7) how you could see your breath in the cold night air. A totally new experience for him and quite a good unschooling moment.
The great thing about the cold is, you can dress for it and be comfortable. You can’t always say the same about tropical heat.
We’ll be hitting the shops hard today, kitting them out with ski suites or similar, ready for the worst the UK can throw at them and snowy NYC in January. That’s doubly exciting, great British shopping and the promise of new adventures to come.
Enjoy the weather wherever you are!
If you'd like to hire a car during your stay, use this car rental comparison tool to find the best deal!
We also suggest you take a look at this company to get a quote for all kinds of the more tricky adventure or extended travel insurance.
Try Stayz / VRBO for an alternative way to find rentals on homes/apartments/condos in any country!
I’m wondering how cold you guys will be on the trans-Atlantic cruise in the middle of winter. 🙂 Looking forward to seeing THOSE pics. 🙂
We bought Boo a ski jacket yesterday in a sale and D has a big fleece. I think we’ll just stay indoors a lot!
I moved a few months ago back to Spain and I miss UK so much. It is a great country.
Oh my, I agree with absolutely everything!!! Love, love LOVE the UK in winter, and especially at Christmas. Christmas doesn’t make sense until you’ve spent it in the northern hemisphere! Enjoy every moment!