Shoes in Uk?

[Neodymium]

we are coming to the Uk in December (from Australia) and just wondering what are the best shoes to bring? I know it’s quite cold and rainy. We have got boots which are waterproof but we need to bring some joggers or something too. Dh said he’s just going to bring Dunlop volleys (which are made from canvas) but I think they aren’t suitable for there in winter. The kids and I have got converse (leather ones).

Don’t forget thermal socks.

Goose down is for Alaska surely 😂 layers much better for the tube etc.

I live in Cornwall and it's usually much milder than the rest of the country in winter. It's usually wet though, the watery type, not the cold snowy type. Your Merrells will be fine if you intend to do coastal/moorland type walks, otherwise leather trainers will be fine for towns etc.

Currently it's 13° with mizzle. Standard autumn day.

In merrell shoes right now, have waterproof membrane. Merrels plus a smarter leather shoe/boot is perfect

December could be cold but it's just as likely to be 10 degrees

It's 14 right now in the sw and I'm in a hoody with an umbrella. No coat required

For @Neodymium this would be cold tho! I agree it’s very mild just now.

Please OP will you come back on in December and tell us how it's going?! It sounds as if everything here will be new for you. Hope you have a lovely time.

You sound like my Aussie sister in law who packs for the UK as of she's going on an Arctic expedition - and she is permanently cold here ( strangely until she gets to Scotland. Then she goes all hardy and tough on us!)

I agree that Cornwall might be a bit damp and grey in January. You could be lucky and get sun or you might be in for squelchy/blustery walks and lots of board games in front of a log fire in the evenings. If it's too damp you might like to head to Bristol and Bath for a couple of nights. There's plenty to see and do there without getting soaked through . . .

If you're doing touristy things in London and hopping on and off the tube and in and out of shops you will be sweltering in thermals and down coats!

@Notquitegrownup2 thanks I will!

we packed for Melbourne in winter like we were going on an attic expedition 😂. we are all very excited. But it’s going to be a huge change for us. We are used to hot decembers. I’m abit stressed too about accommodation. We haven’t booked all the accommodation as we want to just see where we end up and don’t want to be locked in. But at the same time I like stuff planned to it’s worrying me that it’s not all planned!

Layers. Wear lots of layers.

So you might wear a pair of tights, plus socks under your trousers.

Denim gets wet and doesn't dry quickly so don't pack just jeans to wear.

On top have a t shirt and a shirt and a jumper and a coat.

Don't forget gloves or mittens.

YOu will not believe how cold you can get if your feet get cold.

I wouldn't drive London to Cornwall, I'd get the train and hire a car there. There is no motorway in Cornwall so it can take ages to get anywhere.

By train it is about 5 hours (the same as driving if the weather is good). If you are travelling in first class you can pre book a meal in 'Pullman dining' this is proper silver service nice food, if you are in standard you can ask as you board the train and if there is room you can eat there.

There is also the option of a sleeper train, you get on in Paddington, go to your cabin (or you can just have a seat but that is no fun) and you will be waken up in the morning with breakfast brought to you.

Obviously you can just use the standard class seats and buy a sandwich.

Thanks, we have got all the uniglo tights to wear. We have already hired the car. The first night we are driving to some little town near the Downton abbey house. I know it’s not open but I want to drive past it and see it.

5 hours driving in Australia is nothing - we drive 3 for day trips.

Do you mean Newbury? ( if it’s HighClere).

I have no idea what traffic is like in Australia, but I go to Newbury quite often. The roads around there are very busy in the morning when people are going to work and taking kids to school, and again in the evening 15.30 - 18.30. Thé A 34 is terrible at the moment because it is being dug up in several places.

Traffic in the Uk in any sort of conurbation is frankly a nightmare if you are not used to it. At least you are used to driving on the same side of the road as us!

With all due respect driving in Australia is nothing like driving in the UK. Most of the A34 route to the West country is single lane rather than duel carriageway punctuated by traffic lights and roundabouts. Once you get to the end of the M5 the route to Cornwall is grim at times although not as bad as it one was . Quite a lot of your 5 hours will be spent stationary in traffic or nose to tail.

5 hours driving in Australia is nothing - we drive 3 for day trips

What are those three hours like? Two roads, both dual carriageway?

Or 17 roads, 12 roundabouts, single carriage, steep hills and stuck behind farm vehicles?

We have an Australian friend who stays with us in Yorkshire, northern England every so often and would think nothing of talking himself off all over the place to see the sights.

One day he went out at about 7 am, arrived back at 11 pm with the tale that he'd been to see Loch Ness and Ben Nevis for the day (a 14 hour round trip plus stops but not accounting for him viewing speed limits as optional).

A tall tale you might think, but he had photographic evidence and a toy Loch Ness monster for his DM that proved him to be telling the truth.

if you use booking.com you can often cancel right up until the day before with no penalty. This is also true with Premier inn and Holiday Inn express both good basic chains

It rains more in Sydney than it does London!
Book the Eden project for Cornwall.

Sounds like the pacific motorway between Brisbane and Sydney while they have spent the last 20 year upgrading it 😂.

we drove to Rockhampton last year from
brisbane which is 6.5 hours, and most of the way was roadworks single lane and stuck behind trucks. I do lots of driving. I drive Brisbane to Sydney on my own in one night towing our camper with the 3 kids. (Bris to Sydney is about 1000km). Plus we have driven loads in the outback which is single carriage way with road trains. Driving in the Uk doesn’t worry me in the slightest. Europe on the other hand 😬 now that I am worried about.

Ok point taken, one thing though remember in December we only have about 7 hours of daylight , it will be dark by 4.30pm so plan your days accordingly .

5 hours driving in Australia is nothing - we drive 3 for day trips.

It is not the same. We are not likely to get snow in December, although it does sometimes happen but fog and ice are fairly common. And with the storms we have been having Cornwall has seen its fare share of flooding.

The tamar bridge has to close in high winds.

It is rare, but people do sometimes get stuck in their car overnight, so do have supplies with you. If you get stuck then only run the heater for an hour on an hour off and make sure the exhaust is clear to stop toxic fumes building up.

The A 38 can be completely blocked by an accident or a lorry stuck under a bridge.

My brother lives in Cornwall, from my house it should be about 4 hours to his home, my parents used to do the trip almost every Christmas. Sometimes it was 4 hours but one year it was about 8 and it was mostly 5-6.

I sincerely hope you have a fabulous time and no problems on the road.

Or for cheaper upgrades, download the SeatFrog app and bid. Whenever I travel from Cornwall to London or vice versa, I can generally get a first class upgrade for less than £20 each way per head. Last time I think I paid £13.

OP you’ll be fine. Driving in the UK is remarkably easy if you’re used to Queensland drivers, once you get the measure of single track roads. People are so considerate on the road to the point it drives me a bit nuts (why are you letting me turn out when there’s no traffic behind you?)

You will find it cold, my Dad was a bit miserable here in November. He finds Melbourne really cold too. Tights under jeans, a thermal base top, some good gloves and a beanie are my best tips. If anyone has them, RM Williams type boots with fleecy insoles are really good for the wet, chilly weather.

We'll need more waterproof shoes. It's wet quite a lot and it's no fun with wet feet.

Thank you. We have driven on plenty of single track roads in the outback, so I’m not worried at all. I’m a very confident driver (dh not so much!) but like I said driving in Europe is stressing me on the wrong side of the road 😬.

@sashh we plan to drive halfway to Cornwall in the morning. We don’t have particular destinations in mind so it won’t matter about trying to get to a certain place. So if the weather is bad or whatever we can just stop. We do have plenty of bad roads over here too, we have driven on a lot of single track dirt roads with unfenced lifestock either side that can charge on the road at any moment. Not to mention the kangaroos that can bound out in front of the car in the afternoons. Not quite the same challenges, but need to be careful.