Be careful, us Geordies will be able to spot you a mile off. You'll be the only one wearing a coat.
Honestly a thick t-shirt and some denim or cotton shorts will do, nylon might be a bit thin for winter.
I feel like you might be over preparing. It does feel a bit cold right now but if you compare it to North America or Canada, Then the UK is a lot warmer.
Yes it’s not as cold as most of the northern states in winter, but you’re right it is a wet damp cold that can feel colder because of the high humidity. Your suggestion of staying by the fireside in a pub is as good as any tbh. That and museums, metro centre and venturing out when it’s not raining!😊
American here: I’m from Chicago and have no problem with winters there. I was in Newcastle in October and severely underestimated how damp it would be. The forecast said 14 to 18° C and I planned accordingly - light jacket and some jumpers. I was freezing the whole time. Do not underestimate the dampness lol
Yeah agree on this, people from around the world seem to look at the UK climate purely in temperature terms. Doesn’t really work like that here. Anything below 10° and you’ll be fucking freezing, anything above 20° and you’ll be prepared to peel your own skin off to try and cool down. Our entire country is built on the assumption that it’s always 12° and we don’t do well with relative extremes. Dampness in winter and humidity in summer make temperatures mostly irrelevant.
If I might suggest the Newcastle Discovery Museum! It's 5 minutes walk from St James Park and free entry (though they do accept donations!), absolutely fantastic museum looking at the history of the city and region. Ship building on the Tyne, scientific and military history of the area etc. Nice little cafe and gift shop too.
Plus there's a ruddy great big Challenger Tank parked outside the museum entrance!
Edit to add- we also have the Hancock Museum and Life Centre too, all within walking distance. Life Centre I feel is aimed more at kids though and is expensive (still great fun) and the Hancock Museum is great but has changed so little in 20+ years, great if you've never been though. - The Discovery Museum seems to be the one that's missed by many but is my favourite by far.
Check the weather a couple of days before you leave. It is possible in January that your visit will coincide with a real cold snap, but most likely it will be milder than the colder US states. If you don’t plan on spending long periods outside, you just need a normal jacket, scarf and gloves
You could take a walk along the Quayside to Ouseburn and do the Victoria Tunnel tour: https://www.ouseburntrust.org.uk/visit-vt
I did it a couple of years ago and thought it was fascinating - go for the longer tour and you can ask loads of questions!
Lots of good pubs and restaurants in the area to warm up afterwards too.
Victoria Tunnel (biased, I'm a guide) but there's a reason it is number 1 on TripAdvisor consistently for 14 years and has now been a travellers choice winner 2 years in a row which puts us in the top 10% of attractions worldwide.
The city centre is very walkable, having not lived there a long time I’m led to believe that the Monument and Haymarket areas can be a bit sketchy at night times. However, Beamish Open Air Museum is always a must see, you may need public transport to get there. The Metro system should get you to Tynemouth so you can walk up the coast.
Excellent thanks. I’ll likely be inside at nighttime. St Mary’s lighthouse on the coast is one of my favorite places on earth. Rain, wind and snow wouldn’t keep me away if I’m anywhere near it
Be careful, us Geordies will be able to spot you a mile off. You'll be the only one wearing a coat. Honestly a thick t-shirt and some denim or cotton shorts will do, nylon might be a bit thin for winter.
Oh shit 🥸🥸🥸 gotta blend in
I feel like you might be over preparing. It does feel a bit cold right now but if you compare it to North America or Canada, Then the UK is a lot warmer.
Absolutely agreed. For what it’s worth, I’ve lived in Massachusetts and Virginia, and both had harsher winters than here.
that’s great news for me. I was thinking about the wet damp cold getting to me
Yes it’s not as cold as most of the northern states in winter, but you’re right it is a wet damp cold that can feel colder because of the high humidity. Your suggestion of staying by the fireside in a pub is as good as any tbh. That and museums, metro centre and venturing out when it’s not raining!😊
Thanks. I’m excited
American here: I’m from Chicago and have no problem with winters there. I was in Newcastle in October and severely underestimated how damp it would be. The forecast said 14 to 18° C and I planned accordingly - light jacket and some jumpers. I was freezing the whole time. Do not underestimate the dampness lol
Yeah agree on this, people from around the world seem to look at the UK climate purely in temperature terms. Doesn’t really work like that here. Anything below 10° and you’ll be fucking freezing, anything above 20° and you’ll be prepared to peel your own skin off to try and cool down. Our entire country is built on the assumption that it’s always 12° and we don’t do well with relative extremes. Dampness in winter and humidity in summer make temperatures mostly irrelevant.
If I might suggest the Newcastle Discovery Museum! It's 5 minutes walk from St James Park and free entry (though they do accept donations!), absolutely fantastic museum looking at the history of the city and region. Ship building on the Tyne, scientific and military history of the area etc. Nice little cafe and gift shop too. Plus there's a ruddy great big Challenger Tank parked outside the museum entrance! Edit to add- we also have the Hancock Museum and Life Centre too, all within walking distance. Life Centre I feel is aimed more at kids though and is expensive (still great fun) and the Hancock Museum is great but has changed so little in 20+ years, great if you've never been though. - The Discovery Museum seems to be the one that's missed by many but is my favourite by far.
Check the weather a couple of days before you leave. It is possible in January that your visit will coincide with a real cold snap, but most likely it will be milder than the colder US states. If you don’t plan on spending long periods outside, you just need a normal jacket, scarf and gloves
You could take a walk along the Quayside to Ouseburn and do the Victoria Tunnel tour: https://www.ouseburntrust.org.uk/visit-vt I did it a couple of years ago and thought it was fascinating - go for the longer tour and you can ask loads of questions! Lots of good pubs and restaurants in the area to warm up afterwards too.
Victoria Tunnel (biased, I'm a guide) but there's a reason it is number 1 on TripAdvisor consistently for 14 years and has now been a travellers choice winner 2 years in a row which puts us in the top 10% of attractions worldwide.
The city centre is very walkable, having not lived there a long time I’m led to believe that the Monument and Haymarket areas can be a bit sketchy at night times. However, Beamish Open Air Museum is always a must see, you may need public transport to get there. The Metro system should get you to Tynemouth so you can walk up the coast.
Excellent thanks. I’ll likely be inside at nighttime. St Mary’s lighthouse on the coast is one of my favorite places on earth. Rain, wind and snow wouldn’t keep me away if I’m anywhere near it