too late for Christmas trip to England

[Anonymous]

Is it too late to manage a trip to England for a family of 4 (2 adults, 2 teens)? We'd love to see the countryside and don't want to be stuck doing the usual touristy stuff. We have no clue where to stay. I don't know if dh will be able to swing two weeks away from work but we're hoping. Advise away...

[Anonymous]

Yes, make sure not to see Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, Westmonster Abbey, St. Paul's, Harrod's, or the West End. Those ridiculous tourists! Baa!

Idiot.

[Anonymous]

*Westminster.

Westmonster. Ha.

[Anonymous]

I think it depends on how much you are willing to pay. Plane tickets for Xmas are quite expensive now.

In terms of the countryside, are you just looking for the Downton Abbey experience? It's possible to stay someplace in the countryside and do day trips to stately homes. You'll probably need to do a lot of driving in the rain for that; the train service to the rural areas is actually worse than it was in the 50's. Also, if it snows, you may get stuck, as the UK has had some trouble salting the roads in those rural areas during very snowy winters. You'll need to make reservations at a fancy hotel for your Christmas dinner.

You might try Wales on their northern coast, near Conwy or Llandudno. There are a lot of little resort towns with castles and train service. Alternatively, you might try Kent, which has lots of castles, stately homes, cathedrals etc in close proximity.

If you want hiking in the "green and pleasant land", go in the summer.

[Anonymous]

I don't think it makes much sense to go see the countryside in winter. As everywhere, it is quite bleak. Usually rainy rather than snow.

It is much more beautiful in the summer.

Having said that, it is perfectly doable. I am from England, and my childhood Christmases consisted largely of long walks in the countryside, often in the rain, followed by drying off by a fire in a nice pub. So there is that.

[Anonymous]

Back when I was single I would hop on a flight to London nearly every Christmas to see a football game or the lights on Oxford Street. The prices weren't that bad vs. normal prices, but there were some downsides:

a) Christmas parties made hotels in London hard to find (and taxis even worse).
b) The country shuts down for Christmas and Boxing Day. Sure you can get a curry or some Chinese here or there, but there is no public transit, no rail service, and very little else to do on the actual holidays.
c) It's quite cold. A damp wet cold. It may say it's only '40f' but it feels like 20f.
d) It gets dark at 4:00pm, which can be a tad confusing to your jet lag.

That said, there is still plenty to do. There are a few Christmas markets set up in London and other cities, and there are several kid-friendly shows to see in the West End, or even a more traditional Christmas Panto. Nearly every football team has at least one if not two home games between Christmas and New Years so its easier to get to a match. The lights on Oxford, Regent and Bond street put the US to shame. Ice Skating rinks around town, huge post-Christmas sales.

[Anonymous]

Np here. Does anyone have hotel/rental recommendations? I'm thinking of a trip.