Essential Tips for Visiting London at Christmas and New Year

London becomes a magical winter wonderland at Christmas, with sparkling lights, festive markets, and iconic decorations. But visiting during the holidays also means closures, no public transport on Christmas Day, and the need to book key experiences well in advance.

In this episode, Tracy shares practical tips on:

• What’s open and closed on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day & Boxing Day
• How to get around when public transport stops (and the National Express option)
• Where to book a Christmas Day meal — and why reservations are essential
• Stocking up on groceries before supermarkets close
• The best lights, markets & festive highlights to add to your itinerary
• How to plan for New Year’s Eve fireworks and the New Year’s Day Parade

Later, Tracy is joined by Ollie from Discover Real London to chat about their private Black Cab Christmas Lights Tours - a cosy, personalised way to experience the city’s festive sparkle.

Whether you’re exploring markets, strolling quiet streets on Christmas Day, or celebrating New Year’s in London, this episode has everything you need to plan your perfect holiday trip.

Visit London Travel Planning for articles on London's Christmas lights and festive activities. 

Consider supporting the podcast from just $3 per month to help us continue providing valuable UK travel planning information.

📝 Show Notes - Episode 170

🎧 Listen to next

• Episode #71 – Unveiling the Magic: London at Christmas [Top Things to Do and See]
• Episode #23 – Visiting London in December
• Episode #154 Winter Travel in London and the UK From Coastal Walks to Christmas Magic

For more information and to book a consult or video review, visit our website UK Travel Planning.

Chapters

• 0:00 Christmas in London: Essential Planning Tips
• 1:57 Closures and Transportation During Holidays
• 4:45 Dining and Shopping Over Christmas Period
• 7:00 Weather, Packing, and Festive Highlights
• 11:17 Christmas Eve, Day and New Year Plans
• 16:37 Christmas Lights Taxi Tours with Ollie
• 22:41 Tour Details, Booking and Driver Expertise
• 27:35 Episode Wrap-up and Thanks

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Thinking of Christmas in London from sparkling lights and festive markets to key tips on opening times, getting around and what to book ahead this episode has everything you need to plan your holiday visit smoothly.

Speaker 2: 0:12

Welcome to the UK Travel Planning Podcast. Your host is the founder of the UK Travel Planning website, tracey Collins. Each week, tracey shares destination guides, travel tips and itinerary ideas, as well as interviews with a variety of guests who share their knowledge and experience of UK travel to help you plan your perfect UK vacation. Join us as we explore the UK from cosmopolitan cities to quaint villages, from historic castles to beautiful islands, and from the picturesque countryside to seaside towns side to seaside towns.

Speaker 1: 0:52

Hi, it's Tracey here and welcome to episode 170 of the UK Travel Planet podcast. Today I'm going to share everything you need to know if you're planning a Christmas or New Year trip to London. It's such a magical time of year. It's one of my favourite times to visit London, as I'm sure if you've listened to early episodes you'll know. I just love the lights, the decorations, the atmosphere. It's just fabulous and so, so magical.

Speaker 1: 1:16

But obviously that also means it comes with some rather unique challenges. Some attractions are closed, public transport stops and even finding somewhere to eat on Christmas Day can take some forward planning. So in this episode I'm going to give you an idea about what's open and closed, how to get around, what to consider booking ahead, where you can eat on Christmas Day, what to pack and a few festive highlights to make your trip extra special. And I'm also joined later in the episode by Ollie from Discover Real London. He'll be here to tell you all about their Christmas lights, taxi tours. Anyway, all right, let's get started with the key things you need to know if you're planning a visit to London over Christmas and New Year.

Speaker 1: 1:57

Now let's start with closures. On Christmas Day, all the major museums and attractions are closed. That includes the British Museum, the Natural History Museum, the Science Museum my favourite, the V&A, tate Modern, tate Britain National Gallery, tower of London, london Eye and none of those are open on the 25th of December. On Christmas Eve, many places close early, often by mid-afternoon, so you need to keep that in mind. And on Boxing Day, some reopen but some also stay closed. For example, the British Museum is shut on the 24th, 25th and 26th. So the safest rule is don't plan any sightseeing for Christmas Day that involves you actually going into an attraction or a landmark because chances are, or a museum because chances are they're going to be shut, and always, always also check ahead for the 24th and the 26th. Don't assume that the places you might want to go and visit are actually going to be open. It's important to check. So once you've sorted your itinerary out or you've got an idea of the places that you want to go and visit, double check that they're open. Transportation Now, on Christmas Day there is no public transport in London no tube, no buses, no overground, no Docklands Light Railway, no trains and no airport express services like the Heathrow or Gatwick Express. That's really, really important. I can't stress that because I know quite a few of you may be flying in on Christmas Day Now. The one exception is that there are National Express coaches Now. They are privately run but open to the public. Obviously you could just book your seat. They operate a limited service. For example, you can get from Heath seat. They operate a limited service. For example, you can get from Heathrow into central London to Victoria coach station, but seats are limited and you must pre-book. I cannot stress enough that if you're flying in on Christmas day, you must, must, must sort out how you're going to get to your accommodation. Your only other option on the 25th is to pre-book a private transfer, a taxi or a minicab. I will put a link to Riz, the XFA Cars, who we partner with, so you can inquire with Riz for a quote for Christmas Day if he still has availability. I can't stress enough that you need to get on with this if you are planning to fly into London on the 25th. Now on Boxing Day, the Tube and the Overground do usually run on a reduced service, but long distance trains don't start early On New Year's Eve. There are extra late night services that are crowded, and on New Year's Day, services generally resume from mid-morning, so you need to be considerate, if you're traveling Also Boxing Day, new Year's Eve and on New Year's Day as well, to really plan how you're going to get around now.

Speaker 1: 4:45

Another question that we are asked all the time in the facebook group is about dining on christmas day. Now, finding someone eating christmas day requires planning ahead. Most restaurants are closed, but there are a handful of luxury hotels such as the ritz, claridge's, the savoy, waldorf, hilton they serve a set Christmas lunch and other popular options. There's the Savoy Grill, the Duck and Waffle, and you can find more festive dining choices on sites like Open Table. A few pubs will open too, though choices are limited. Now expect prices to start around about £100 to £200 or more per person, and you need to book in months in advance. So if you are listening to this podcast and you're planning to be in London on Christmas day, I would urge you now to look at booking a restaurant somewhere to eat if that's what you want to do. Don't do the mistake that I did. It wasn't in London last year, I was actually in Budapest, and I left it far too late to take my own advice and though I managed to book something, it all was very messed up in the end and a can of sport on Christmas day. So I don't want that to happen to you in London, so do prepare ahead Now if you're staying in an apartment or self catering. Here's an important tip Supermarkets and food shops also close early on Christmas Eve.

Speaker 1: 6:04

So many marks and expenses simply food branches close on Christmas Eve. So many Marks and Spencers simply food branches close by around 4. Most big supermarkets, such as Tesco's or Sainsbury's, close between 6 and 7 pm On Christmas Day. They're all shut. So stock up on groceries, drinks and snacks before then. Otherwise you're going to struggle to find anything open. More about shopping On Christmas Eve most shops will close by 4 or 5 pm. Everything is closed on Christmas Day. Then on Boxing Day, their big sales begin. So these are really really big sales. Really popular Places like Harrods, selfridges, oxford Street, regent Street and the Westfield Shopping Centre will be incredibly, incredibly busy. So if you want to shop, go early and be prepared for queues. As I've mentioned as well, on Christmas Eve supermarkets will close early, so make sure that you've stocked up well, and they don't reopen until the 26th, so you need to think ahead for your food Now. When it comes to weather and packing, london December is cold and damp.

Speaker 1: 7:02

Generally average temperatures are between three and nine degrees, that's, 37 to 48 Fahrenheit, so pretty chilly Rain is quite common. Snow, unfortunately, is rare. Even though we kind of wish for it every winter, it is pretty rare. In London around the Christmas season, make sure that you pack layers, a waterproof coat, sturdy shoes or boots, and don't forget your scarf, gloves and hat. I do have a brand new article about what to pack for London in winter and I will link to that in the show notes, so take a look at that if you're not sure about what to pack.

Speaker 1: 7:36

Now, one of the festive highlights, so I've mentioned that. London, honestly, is just fabulous. I love it. I genuinely love it. At Christmas, it does get really, really busy, so let me just say that. So these are some of the things that I'd suggest that you look at Maybe Evensong, westminster Abbey or St Paul's Cathedral Beautiful, atmospheric and it's free. I will just say I actually went to Evensong this year at St Paul's Cathedral it was in January, so after Christmas, yeah and I was shocked at the fact that I was stood next to somebody who was recording it and in fact, we're told at the beginning please, please, or requested, no, please, do not record or video any of it. And this lady stood next to me she was trying to be sneaky with it but recording on her phone, and I just felt in fact it ruined it for me because I was distracted by the fact that she was doing something she shouldn't have been doing and recording. So I'm just going to say that attend Evensong, have a wonderful time, but please, please, please, just be in the moment, just be in the moment and enjoy it.

Speaker 1: 8:41

Also, visit at least one Christmas market. Hyde Park Winter Wonderland is the big one. It runs from late November until early January. To be honest, I haven't been to it. I like South Bank Winter Market. That's very popular. Covent Garden Covent Garden is probably my favorite area to wander around. It just has a lovely festive feel. And, of course, don't miss the Christmas lights. They are stunning, honestly, and I've traveled all around lots of countries in Europe last December and to my mind, nobody beats London for the Christmas lights. So Regent Street, carnaby Street, covent Garden they're just all amazing. And of course, check out the Christmas tree, the very famous Christmas tree in the middle of Trafalgar Square. Now I will link to my articles on where to find the Christmas lights and festive things to do in the show notes. So if you want more details, do check those out.

Speaker 1: 9:34

Now a little bit about Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, just kind of what it's like. So on the 24th of December attractions and transport close down early, so plan to be back at your accommodation really by evening. Then on Christmas Day, with no traffic, it's actually one of the best days for walking around central London. It's so quiet. You can stroll past Buckingham Palace, westminster Tower Bridge, along the Thames almost really without the usual crowds. So I would, if you're in London Christmas Day, go and have a walk around because you'll find it's really really quiet.

Speaker 1: 10:08

Now New Year the official New Year's Eve fireworks if you're planning to be in London on New Year's really really quiet. Now New Year, the official New Year's Eve fireworks if you're planning to be in London on New Year's Eve. The fireworks take place on the South Bank by the London Eye and Big Ben in Westminster. It's a ticketed event with fenced viewing zones along the Thames. Now, as of recording this podcast, which is the 19th of September, tickets are not yet on sale. The Mayor's office says a release date will be announced soon. So potentially by the time this podcast is out. They have been released, so do go and check that out if you want to go and get some tickets. If you don't get tickets, good alternatives are rooftop bars, hotel terraces or take a river cruise, or you can just watch it live on the BBC One and iPlayer.

Speaker 1: 10:52

Don't miss the New Year's Parade either, on the 1st of January. It starts at 11am in Piccadilly and runs via Regent Street in Trafalgar Square and finishes near Parliament Square. It's free to watch and has a brilliant atmosphere. So now that I've covered the essential tips for planning Christmas in London, let's talk about one of the most magical experiences you can add to your trip a Christmas lights taxi tour. Now, discover Real London are great friends of UK Travel Planet, and their private black cab tours are always always so popular. Now, at Christmas, they can take you right through the city's best festive displays. So Ollie is here with me today to share what makes their Christmas lights taxi tours so special. So, hi, olly, for anyone new to the podcast, can you give us a quick snapshot of Discover Real London Black Cab Tours please?

Speaker 3: 11:38

Hi, gracie. So thanks so much for having me on again. It's really great to be here and to be speaking to all your wonderful listeners. So Discover Real London. We are a sightseeing company based in London and we specialize in private tours in iconic and panoramic black taxis. So all our drivers qualified guides and we whiz you around the city effortlessly, showing you all sorts of wonderful things, whether it's the big sites you're interested in, the secret back streets and hidden corners and specialist novelty tours like Ted Lasso, jack the Ripper, the Beatles, all that good stuff. And I think today we're going to be talking about one of our festive offerings, which is our Christmas lights tours.

Speaker 1: 12:22

Yeah, we are. I couldn't resist talking about London at Christmas and not including you on it. You had to be involved in it, and anybody who has taken one of your Black Cab tours has raved about it. We have so many amazing reviews in our Facebook group and I felt I could not leave out a Christmas episode without talking about your Christmas Lights taxi tour. So talk about it. What areas or displays do you make sure to include, and what are the real highlights of going out with you guys?

Speaker 3: 12:52

So great question, Tracy, with the Christmas Lights Tours we are absolutely spoilt for choice in London for festive decorations and lights. It's truly glorious to wander around and in our cabs you get the best of everything, because we can not only include the really show-stopping lights of places like Regent Street, fortnum and Mason, old Bond Street, Piccadilly, all the other great stuff, but we can take you to some more intimate places because if anyone's ever been to London at Christmas, it is a little bit a victim of his own success. It is very, very energetic. A lot of people want to come out and see these wonderful lights, for good reason, um. But if you just stick to the main main streets and big drags then you are going to encounter a lot of crowds. It's going to be very busy, but what we try and do is, of course we tick that off but we take you to some more intimate sort of side streets. That's going to show you some wonderful, intimate shop displays that you know you wouldn't find that are so wonderful.

Speaker 3: 13:55

Not only are they illuminated, they've often got decorations and moving bits and that sort of stuff inside and some other neighborhoods we try and get to as well. Obviously depends a little bit on your pick up and drop off specification, because one of the great things about our tours is that we do pick up a drop off anywhere in central London so you can combine a tour with maybe leaving your hotel at, say, half three and you want to arrive at dinner at quarter past six for a christmas light, so then we can do that. That's one of the good things. So exactly where the hidden stuff is changes a little bit, but typically it's places like the little lovely streets down in belgravia and some of even the private, you know, residential decorations that you might see on the way down. We'll go down to St James's and we're going to be hopping out the cab as well, so walking down some little alleyways, seeing some Christmas trees, really, really great photo opportunities, especially for families.

Speaker 1: 14:46

Yeah, I was going to mention that. I have to say I love London at Christmas and I love the Christmas lights. It really is just so magical. And the fact that when we go out with you guys is that you know all these places. I mean, I've done the Open Top Bus, which was great.

Speaker 1: 15:05

I did it last year, but I sat in traffic for a lot of that time and I know, when I go out with you guys, that you can kind of zip around and do things that a lot of other people can't, uh, in london. So it makes it just so much more special. And also the fact that you can park up and and people can hop out and go and take the photos is is fantastic. So when, if somebody's booking a tour and they want to do the festive lights tour like how long does that last for and how easy is it for them to just organise with you and say, look at this point, I want to hop out and I want to go take some photos, so do you drop them off and then pick them up? How does it work?

Speaker 3: 15:44

Great question, tracy. So when someone books on a Christmas lights tour quite often because of our lovely reviews and other referrals and you know great communities like yours uh, people sort of know a little bit what they're getting. They leave it to us. Generally they they say yep, we're going to sit back, we're going to hop in you guys, uh, we trust you where we're going to go, but obviously we can do requests as well. People have something.

Speaker 3: 16:05

But a typical tour we'll set off, we will, on our way around, tick off, as I say, the big sites, but we'll be hopping out to get those pictures. It's not just you jumping out and taking a picture of something that's wonderful and stimulating. Our drivers are really going to emphasize. They're not only to wrap their arms around you a bit, take you around, show you all the great stuff and give you a bit of info, but they're going to prompt you where there's really good photo opportunities. Oh, why don't you come and stand next to this red phone box? We're going to get all these lights behind. Come over here on our lovely Christmas tree where there's going to be no crowds nearby. Let's get a lovely family photo of you and the little ones next to this. So they're going to be a little bit like your personal photographer. They're going to be using your, your phone or camera, um, but, um, yeah, certainly we're going to be.

Speaker 3: 16:54

We're going to be hopping out december. Yeah, it is starting to get a bit cold in london, so the cab is going to be one of the great assets that you're going to be able to move around and you're going to you're going to be able to keep warm and toasty in between these stops as well. Um, occasionally people don't want to get out, they just want to zip around, tick stuff off, but normally, yeah, the beauty of it is you're going from site to site, hopping out, driving lots of fun. Along the way, the drivers often stick a few Christmas carols and stuff on to emphasize that festive spirit. So, yeah, it's lots of fun. And the duration that you mentioned, tracy, with the sweet spot that we found, is two and a half hours. That's enough to see different neighborhoods and different sites and take all the big stuff. But you know, a lot of the time it's family, so it's a perfect sort of time for the kids as well.

Speaker 1: 17:42

Oh, absolutely fantastic. So, obviously, what makes seeing the lights from a black cab such a special experience? And you've kind of covered a lot of that? But you, you know, I've done a lot of the walking around as well and I've done the kind of public transport trying to see the lights. And I must admit, uh, last year I went into, I went into central london about three times and still didn't manage to see everything. Um, because it's spread out, and I think that that's the other thing is like they're not. There are some that are close together, but actually if you want to go out to ball gravier you've got to get yourself out there, so it's a little bit more tricky. So I guess, um, what's the advantages of and what's so special, apart from the fact it's going to be lovely and warm and you've got a fantastic driver, but what makes it just that just more special, being with it, with you guys?

Speaker 3: 18:50

one of the big usps tracy, as you'll know about um jumping in out of cabs over the years is our wonderful glass roof. So, for example, we often do multi-generational trips. So it might be mom and dad, you know, they might be in their late 40s, whatever. They've got kids with them that are just super hyped and excited about all the lights and all the Christive spirit, but they're bringing their mom and dad as well. So nanny and granddad are there.

Speaker 3: 19:13

Yeah, not everyone might be mobile to get out and look at the lights and that sort of thing. So having the panoramic roof really brings the lights to you, even if you didn't want to get out on the stops often you're getting a three-dimensional view of our city. So you can sit back, relax and you can reach up and touch the lights. They're just above the cab. So that's one of the really, really big USPs that really make our tours jump out.

Speaker 3: 19:40

Apart from, you know all the great stuff that I covered about getting out and that sort of stuff. Also when I mentioned the footfall in the West End at Christmas, you know that is where these huge retailers make a lot of their money on the run up to Christmas, so no surprise there's people everywhere, but also there's a lot of traffic. Having a cab where you can pivot, do a U-turn you know you've done Regent Street, you've got your pictures you want to get out of there. You don't want to be queuing all the way back to the end. Getting out of the traffic is a really good asset as well, because it's going to whiz you around. You're going to pack as much as possible into that two and a half hours.

Speaker 1: 20:13

Absolutely perfect. Now tell us a little bit about your drivers. So are they going to share stories and a bit of festive history as they go around on the tour?

Speaker 3: 20:20

yeah, our drivers are the superstars. Our vehicles are iconic, you know, they're perfectly made for doing tours, but the real legends behind these tours are our drivers. They're all qualified guides, they're all super passionate. Um, they're hand-picked and trained by myself. So, uh, they they're truly wonderful and they're going to make, they make sure every tour is extra special.

Speaker 3: 20:40

But, yeah, they're going to be giving info about the areas that you're in little tidbits and stories about whether it's shot, history of shops and things like that. Um, and yeah, they I wouldn't sell the the lights as a history tour and a you know as in depth as we would do as a normal sightseeing tour, because they're not. They're a bit more fun, lighthearted, that sort of thing. But yeah, they'll be talking about the Norwegian spruce in Trafalgar Square, the relationship and support that we gave Norway during the war, and how they've been donating a tree since 1947. They'll be talking about the first ever Christmas lights that graced the streets of London back in 1954 in Regent Street. They'll be talking about the first ever Christmas card that was printed back in 1843 in Old Bond Street. So they'll be given little tidbits as well, but, yeah, it's not going to be to the historic depths that we do. Our normal tours are, but they are going to be giving stories and fun bits of trivia as they go around.

Speaker 1: 21:34

It sounds like so much fun and I just know that our listeners are thinking oh, I'm going to be in London over the festive period, I want to get this booked. So can you share any tips for booking, like, how far in advance do people need to be thinking about booking? This episode is out beginning of October. Should we be getting in contact with you and booking now?

Speaker 3: 21:53

Yeah. So to book our tours, simply go to our website, wwwdiscoverreallondoncom. You'll find all our tours on there, including our christmas lights tours. Um details logistically about um, your bookings. We do two settings okay. We do an earlier tour which kicks off at 3 45, so it's just dusk is coming then, um. So that's really great. If you're with maybe younger passengers and you want to have an early you know, early dinner at 6 30, that's going to be great. We're going to arrive at the um, at the restaurant, at four past six, so that fits in perfectly. Maybe you want to kick off a bit later? We do another time tour starting at seven o'clock, okay. So maybe if you have an early tea and you want to do that and then finish at the hotel, or you know if it's all adults, you're going out drinking or eating later, that's great for you as well.

Speaker 3: 22:42

The taxis fit up to six people um, in a conference. That's really nice and social. You've got three forward facing seats, three, three rear facing seats, so all the fun's really enjoyed together. When you're looking look at that dad, look at that mum you're all really amongst it enjoying it, um, enjoying it together. Um, the tours are 340 pounds and that is per taxi, not per person. So you think you divide about six, then you're getting a really really good deal. And yeah, I think from all the reviews that we get on your, your community and our website, I think people really, really realize the value that we bring once they've done the tour and they think, you know what, we could have never done that in this time on our own. Some people are traveling the whole of Europe and they might come to London for just a couple of nights. So, yeah, I think that the value we bring is that we make it so stress-free and easy and tick off so much in such an effortless way.

Speaker 3: 23:35

Regarding lead times, we've got lots of availability at the moment. We are actually sold out on boxing day already. So boxing day for your listeners, we refer to that that in england that's the 26th of december. We're not open on christmas day and we don't do tours um after midday on new year's eve. We'd love to, but the roads just shut down for the new year's eve parade, for the new year's eve fireworks and that sort of stuff. So it's logistically, even with our superpowers, it's not possible to do a tour in the afternoon, but at the moment all the other dates are open.

Speaker 3: 24:08

We get very, very busy between sort of the 21st of December and the 31st of New Year. So if you're coming in between Christmas and New Year, it's a really, really, really good idea for you to get on and get your tours booked now. We will often set out actually of most of our tours on the run up between that period because it is really, really busy in London. So that's my top tips for you guys. It's always best to book ahead anyway, but particularly if you're coming in between Christmas and New Year, then it's going to be super busy and you can get a full refund up until seven days before your tour, okay. So if you're you're pretty sure you want to commit maybe someone's still sorting out their travel arrangements and you want to make sure you've got that option if you book now, you can get a full refund up to seven days before the start of the tour brilliant ollie.

Speaker 1: 24:55

Well, I will link to discover real london on the notes, and we've also got actually an entire page now on the London Travel Planning dot com website so you can go and check out Ollie's tours and some of the fantastic reviews that you've received from members of our community. But it's been great to chat with you, ollie, and I can't wait to see some of the photos that I know are going to get shared in the Facebook group by people who book the tour.

Speaker 3: 25:20

Thanks so much, tracey. It's been a pleasure to jump on the podcast again and, yeah, we look forward to welcoming all of your wonderful listeners to London soon.

Speaker 1: 25:30

Thanks again to Ollie for joining me and sharing all the details about the Christmas Lights Taxi Tour. It really is such a brilliant way to experience London's festive sparkle. Now, before I finish today's episode, I just want to say a huge, huge thank you to our podcast sponsors. We really appreciate you People like Karen, lisa, shannon and Amy who are just four of our listeners helping to support the show. Each month we get so much lovely feedback from you saying how much this podcast has helped with your trip planning and please, if you found it useful, please, please, please, consider saying thank you by becoming a sponsor. It takes a considerable amount of time and money each month to create the show and your support really does make such a difference to us. It doesn't have to be much. You can support us from as little as $3 a month and you can find the link in the show notes. Really, thank you so much. If you do, we really appreciate it and we will give you a shout out in a future episode. Thanks so much for tuning in. I hope this episode has helped you feel confident about planning a Christmas or New Year trip to London. You'll find all the links and resources in the show notes, including my guides to Christmas lights and festive things to do, and I'd love to hear from you too.

Speaker 1: 26:46

Have you spent Christmas in London? Share your stories in our UK Travel Planning Facebook community or leave me a message on Speakpipe. But until next time, as usual, happy UK travel planning from me. Bye. Thank you for tuning in to this week's episode of the UK Travel Planning Podcast. As always, show notes can be found at uktravelplanningcom. If you've enjoyed the show, why not leave us feedback via text or a review on your favourite podcast app? We love to hear from you and you never know. You may receive a shout out in a future episode. But, as always, that just leaves me to say until next week. Happy UK travel planning.