Delta’s New Direct Route to London Starts at the Best Time to Visit the UK

The Orlando-to-London direct flight is the third direct route from Delta between Orlando and major cities in Europe, as the airline also flies to Amsterdam from both Orlando and Tampa.

The new route opens up not just London, but all of Europe. Heathrow is a destination for a handful of budget airlines that connect London with the rest of Europe, including EuroWings and Iberia Air. Both are no-frills airlines that offer flights to cities throughout Europe with rates often starting under 99 euros each way. If you’re willing to take the shuttle from Heathrow Airport to Gatwick Airport, you can find flights across Europe on airlines like RyanAir or EasyJet, often priced under 50 euros each way.

It’s ideal timing for visiting London and beyond

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Summer is the busy tourist season in London, which means top attractions like the Tower of London are expensive and crowded. But come fall, once children are back in school and family vacations are over, London gets less busy. That gives travelers a chance to feel more like locals, making it easy to find a table at a pub or browse antique markets and walk through parks without hoards of camera-waving tourists blocking your path.

Visit in November, and you’ll have the best Christmas markets in the world nearby. London has its own excellent Christmas markets, or you can fly to Munich or Berlin and make an entire trip out of exploring the country’s famous Christkindlmarkets and mulled wines. Visit in January and February, London can be your gateway to a ski trip. Many of the best ski resorts in Europe are connected via the EuroRail system, and you can also fly to cities like Zurich or Salzburg, which have ski resorts nearby. Skiing in Europe is much cheaper than skiing in the US, even taking into account the cost of an international flight.

Read more about London:

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• 12 British Airbnbs That Will Make You Feel Like You’re in an Episode of Bridgerton
  
• 6 Luxury Hotels Just Steps Away From Big Ben
  
• How to Plan the Perfect Family Vacation to Orlando and Kissimmee
• Why Your London Dry Gin Probably Isn’t From London

For Londoners, Orlando is unique warm-weather getaway

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If you live in near London and are looking for a mid-winter change of pace, heading to Orlando and the surrounding area can be an excellent way to beat the winter blues without breaking the bank. Orlando’s theme parks see only a fraction of the crowds in winter as they do in summer (provided you avoid holidays), making it the perfect time to check out Disney World parks. If that’s not your vibe, you can also catch an underwater mermaid show, go manatee-watching, or explore outdoors in winter weather warm enough for shorts, but not so hot that you’re sweating buckets.

If you rent a car in Orlando, it’s easy to get to other cities around Florida, too. You can reach beaches along the Gulf of Mexico in about 90 minutes, take day trips to Gilded Age mansions and museums, or kayak with bioluminescent plankton at the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, roughly 45 minutes from Orlando. You can even get to Miami by high-speed train in three hours.

Read more about Orlando:

• 7 One-of-a-Kind Museums Not to Miss in Orlando, FL
• 17 of the Coolest Airbnbs Near Disney World in Orlando
• The Top Orlando Airbnbs With a Pool for the Ultimate Florida Getaway
• How to Plan the Perfect Family Vacation to Orlando and Kissimmee
• 10 Great Hotels on International Drive in Orlando Near Theme Parks