Get next year's London trips into one calendar before January

Two short trips a month apart often cost more than one longer stay, and they wear people out faster. That makes December the month for a PA or travel manager to put next year's London trips in one calendar, see which weeks crash into the city's busiest dates, and get the accommodation sorted before January.

Mark the busy weeks first

Some London weeks are expensive and hard to book whatever you do, and you want to know them before the meetings get fixed. Late May brings the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, which fills Chelsea and Belgravia, and Wimbledon takes a fortnight from late June into July. Mid-October has the Frieze art fairs in Regent's Park and the BFI London Film Festival, when Marylebone, Mayfair and the West End fill up, and December is busy right across the centre from the first week. If a trip can move by a week to dodge one of these, move it; if it can't, book the accommodation the moment the dates are confirmed rather than when the flights are.

January runs the other way. It's London's quietest month and often its cheapest for accommodation, which makes it a good time for longer projects and induction weeks, though it's also the coldest and greyest, with highs in single figures, frequent rain and dark afternoons to pack for.

Length of stay, budget and area

Look at the year as a whole. Three separate four-night trips a few weeks apart mean three sets of flights, three arrivals, three departures and three rounds of settling in, and if the work allows, one stay of two or three weeks is often cheaper and certainly less tiring. Longer stays also unlock rates that short bookings don't, since plenty of residences quote lower nightly prices for a month or more and a handful only take long stays. There's a people cost as well. A consultant who flies in on Monday and out on Thursday every other week spends a good chunk of the year in airports and taxis, while one base for a month, with a kitchen, a desk and the same bed every night, is easier on whoever's doing the work, and it tends to show in the work too.

In London, area and flat size move the price more than the season does. The typical starting rate across the residences we list is about £270 a night; a studio or one-bed on a side street will sit well below the top end, and a big flat in Mayfair or Knightsbridge in December will be up near it. Guests who book direct are sometimes offered early check-in, late check-out or an upgrade, which is worth asking about on anything over a week.

Central London's walkable, but the Tube still decides your mornings. Map the offices and client sites first, then look for a residence on a direct line to them, bearing in mind that almost every residence is a short walk from a station anyway. For the City and Canary Wharf, the Elizabeth and Jubilee lines matter most, and for Mayfair and St James's it's often quicker to walk.

What to ask before you book

A work trip asks different things of an apartment than a holiday does, so check these before booking.

• Wi-Fi speed, and whether there's a proper desk and chair
• Whether there's a 24-hour reception, or a key safe for late arrivals (not every residence has a desk)
• How often housekeeping comes, and whether it's in the rate
• Whether there's a washing machine in the flat or a laundry service
• Whether there's a gym on site or a partner gym nearby
• The cancellation terms, and whether dates can move without a penalty
• Who issues the invoice, and in whose name, for expenses

London weather by month

July is the warmest month, averaging 23°C by day. July has the fewest wet days (9) and October the most rain (80 mm). For sightseeing on foot, June scores best on our combined warmth-and-dryness measure.

Month	Avg high	Avg low	Rain	Wet days	Chance a 7-day stay sees a washout	Record high / low
January	8°C	2°C	74 mm	13	53%	16°C / -12°C
February	8°C	2°C	51 mm	10	43%	18°C / -8°C
March	11°C	4°C	45 mm	9	44%	23°C / -7°C
April	14°C	5°C	54 mm	10	44%	26°C / -3°C
May	17°C	8°C	54 mm	9	39%	30°C / -1°C
June	20°C	11°C	58 mm	9	35%	34°C / 2°C
July	23°C	13°C	52 mm	9	34%	34°C / 4°C
August	22°C	13°C	68 mm	9	37%	37°C / 4°C
September	19°C	11°C	62 mm	9	39%	29°C / 2°C
October	15°C	8°C	80 mm	11	47%	27°C / -2°C
November	11°C	5°C	76 mm	12	52%	18°C / -6°C
December	8°C	2°C	69 mm	12	50%	16°C / -8°C

Calculated NOAA GHCN-Daily observations at the Hampstead weather station, north London (records 1960–2015; averages from about 25 years per month). A wet day has 1 mm of rain or more.