JulTravels

I am planning to take my kids, 16 and 18, to London in March. We love to walk around and see the sights. Although we will definitely visit a couple museums, we will not be able to spend all our days in the museums. Is the weather in London in late March condusive to being out and about? or would be be confined to indoors all the time?

librarychica85

London weather can always be unpredictable, but you should definitely be able to spend some of the day outdoors. Obviously be prepared with an umbrella and rain coat as well as dressing in layers in case it is warmer.

When I visited in January a few years ago, it was extremely blustery but highs were still in the mid-50s. I spent time walking in Hyde Park (searching out the Peter Pan statue), I also headed out to Greenwich to view the Prime Meridian. With a lightweight winter coat, the weather was fine, nothing too cold.

I'd say prior to going, check out the 10 day forecast and then keep monitoring it as your departure date gets nearer.

Good luck!

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(My travel writing blog!)

janisj

"<i>Is the weather in London in late March condusive to being out and about?</i>"

Definitely -- if you have appropriate clothing. There is no way to tell though what the actual weather will be (even w/ a 10 day forecast).

The main thing is to bring layers - so you can add or take away clothing to fit the weather. March can have nice days and really wet/cool/cold days. Honestly - if you think it is cold or mild partly depends on what you are used to.

walkabout

I was in London last April, and the weather was colder and windier than I expected it would be when I made my travel plans. I had a lined jacket and was dressed in layers, but ended up buying a scarf and gloves to keep warm.

Nonetheless, I still spent a considerable time outdoors walking around. I just bundled up and kept on trekking. The only activity I curtailed was sitting on a bench by the Thames in the evening,which I generally like to do; a couple of days it was simply too cold.

However, I still sat outside at Trafalgar Square, took two London Walks tours, went to Kew Gardens, shopped along Portobello Road, and did a lot of wandering around in general (South Bank, Piccadilly,Fulham Road, etc). I had an umbrella, but to me the rain wasn't heavy enough to use it--more mist than rain.

Check the extended forecast at accuweather.com prior to leaving to get an idea of what kind of weather to expect. It's not perfect, but I find it helpful before taking a trip.

jamikins

Weather in London is unpredictable all year round I find. But we spend a lot of time outdoors all year round - especially since we dont have a car and have to walk everywhere and use public transit. I find that it very rarely rains all day. More usually it will shower here and there, so you can just duck into a pub or cafe or museum to get out of the showers and then head out again.

Definitely agree with the above, always carry an umbrella and use layers.

Enjoy London - its a great city!

di2315

We were in London last March, and yes, to us the weather was extremely cold!

But with gloves, hat, scarf, wind-proof jacket and warm layers we spent most of our time in the out-of-doors.

I had planned a number of museum visits for the days when the weather was just unbearable, but didn't do any of them.

Our Oyster cards gave great flexibility with transport; often we walked long distances between stations (mostly tracing family history), but this also meant we got to see so much more detail in our surroundings.

Make sure you have comfortable walking shoes - twelve months later my toe nails are finally regrown after the severe bruising they suffered one day!

Enjoy exploring this wonderful city! Di

isabel

Two different years (03 and 05) I've been in London in March and it was mostly beautiful. Last year was different but it was much colder all over Europe. There was snow in beach towns in norther Spain and the south of France! Barcelona had snow for the first time in 25 years ( according to some locals we talked to). My daughter is living in England again this year and says so far it's been much colder than usual, but reported that just yesterday (it's still January) they did a walk and the birds were singing, grass was green and "you could smell the mud" (not sure what she meant by that) . That was in Warwickshire which is north of London.

So in an average year April in London would be wonderful.

TaniaP

As others have said, it depends where you come from and what you're used to. I always go to London in April, and for me, that's right at the end of a Canadian winter. I am usually the person walking around in a t-shirt, while my London friends are in scarves and gloves!

The main thing I notice is the damp air; again, this is because I live in Canada where the air is dry.

Layers are key. A fleece jacket usually works for me in April, and even when I've been there in Jan/Feb, I have never needed more than a leather jacket (mine has a warm lining that zips out).

I think March is a great time to go!

Mimar

Be sure to bring a wind-proof rain-proof coat or jacket for your outer layer. That damp wind whistling between buildings is really chilling.

JulTravels

Thank you very much to all that replied! Your insights are very helpful. I posted a couple more London related questions, about accommodations and theater. If you have a minute to reply, I would appreciate your thoughts.

Thank you!