London in December around Christmas week?

[Anonymous]

Is it a good time to visit London around the week of Christmas, or is it too cold? 25 and 26 are holidays to them so I guess stores are closed, but can we still walk around? Will there be public transportation?

[Anonymous]

There are massive Boxing Day sales starting Dec 26th, although shopping isn't my thing. Oxford St and Bond St will be crowded.

Hard to tell what the weather will be. It might be cold but above freezing is not cold cold like in Chicago. High possibility of rain. It gets dark pretty early because London is a much higher latitude than DC.

The underground and buses will be working.

Check out some London websites that can answer your questions.

[Anonymous]

Go! It will be amazing. It is never cold in London, not in the American sense anyway. Like sure, it will be far too cold to have a picnic in Hyde Park and you will be jackets and coats, but the cold won't restrict your mobility in any way.

[Anonymous]

It is pretty dead the week between Christmas and New Years, at least outside of all the non-touristy areas. All the major shopping areas will only be closed on Christmas and will be a hive of activity Boxing Day and beyond. The more local high streets will have many stores closed between Christmas and New Years. It will be less busy overall.

[Anonymous]

Friends went for Christmas last year and had a blast. They went to mass at Westminster.

[Anonymous]

Just be aware that just about everything shuts down on the 25th and most places are closed on the 26th too. No public transportation on the 25th either. But it's a lovely city to just wander around on foot.

London can get cold in December. I've been in London around Christmas when it was freezing cold and everything was covered with a layer of ice. But it is unusual and you're more likely to have the slightly moist and cool weather.

[Anonymous]

On the 26th there is very limited public transport in the UK, and the 25th there is basically none. I had to rent a car to get to Cambridge on Boxing Day. It's actually a pretty quiet time between Christmas and New Years.

Great time to go if you like soccer. Lots of matches that week. You can pop around and see a bunch of games.

[Anonymous]

We are not a fan of soccer and shopping so it's mostly sightseeing and walking around the area- stops at The Bath, Westminster Abbey, Tower of London, Stonehenge, Harry Potter Studios, and other typical landmarks. If this is what we want to do, is it still worth going? Thinking of going around the 23-29. Christmas dinner at the hotel, I suppose? I heard that the Christmas decorations are amazing, are decorations still up till new year? I don't understand what people mean when they say it's not as cold as winter here, I checked the temperatures and it seems comparable to our weather here in DC, so what am I missing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just be aware that just about everything shuts down on the 25th and most places are closed on the 26th too. No public transportation on the 25th either. But it's a lovely city to just wander around on foot.

London can get cold in December. I've been in London around Christmas when it was freezing cold and everything was covered with a layer of ice. But it is unusual and you're more likely to have the slightly moist and cool weather.

They don't run the subway on Christmas Day?

[Anonymous]

I went about 10 years ago to London for the 2 weeks around Christmas and New Years.

Christmas Day everything is absolutely closed and the streets are near dead. If do are there on Xmas Day you should lunch at All Hallows by the Tower church. It's a lovely little parish that has an open door lunch on Xmas. Getting a cab on Xmas is difficult too. I think we had dinner at a Kebab stand.

That being said, the weather than year wasn't that cold (40s F) and the fireworks on the Thames for NYE was fun (and the Tube was open and free that night).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Friends went for Christmas last year and had a blast. They went to mass at Westminster.

There is no mass at Westminster Abbey as it is Church of England. Westminster Cathedral is Catholic where they have Mass.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Friends went for Christmas last year and had a blast. They went to mass at Westminster.

There is no mass at Westminster Abbey as it is Church of England. Westminster Cathedral is Catholic where they have Mass.

Of course there are services - as there are in CoE Cathedrals all over England.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Friends went for Christmas last year and had a blast. They went to mass at Westminster.

There is no mass at Westminster Abbey as it is Church of England. Westminster Cathedral is Catholic where they have Mass.

Anglicans use the phrase mass even though it's a Protestant service as do some American Episcopalians.

[Anonymous]

Not a big deal, but just an FYI the sun sets around 3:30/4 this time of year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just be aware that just about everything shuts down on the 25th and most places are closed on the 26th too. No public transportation on the 25th either. But it's a lovely city to just wander around on foot.

London can get cold in December. I've been in London around Christmas when it was freezing cold and everything was covered with a layer of ice. But it is unusual and you're more likely to have the slightly moist and cool weather.

They don't run the subway on Christmas Day?

Nope