Christmas in London

We spent Christmas 09 in London, arrived on Christmas Eve and stayed in a flat so we were able to go food shopping & ate a nice dinner at home Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. On Christmas Day we walked all over, starting at our flat near Primrose Hill and going to Westminster Abbey and wandering a lot in between. There weren't a lot of people out which was nice, we got some fantastic photos of buildings and statues and the Thames. And, we saw quite a few open restaurants that were not super busy on Christmas Day. That was surprising because we'd heard otherwise. We had been planning on eating at one of them, Sofra, which is a local chain of Turkish restaurants, but we ended up eating there on the 26th (it was really quite good). As it gets closer to December you can start googling Christmas in London and will get more information about open places. I'd definitely go to London over Christmas again! Just be sure to double check what days places are closed. But there's so much to do you can just work around those closures. Yes, there was no public transportation, the tube closed early on Christmas Eve and was shut down on Christmas Day but, as I said, we were fine walking.

Having lived in London- London is very dead on Christmas. Unless you will be comfortable with an ethnic meal (and maybe not the best of the ethnics) be sure you have reservations and plans for lunch and dinner. Days leading up to Christmas also ase not easy, some restaurants are closed, some have limited "holiday" menus. Sightseeing on Christmas Day is dfferent, parks and walks (hoping the weather is good). There are however different events (out of town) on Boxing day- you may find some interesting tours. Also dont miss the Christmas lights on the main shopping streets and the carol singing at Trafalgar Square. i also make a point of buying Charity chistmas cards- a wonderful English tradition, and Christams eve church services (find a small suburban church for the best atmosphere). And also watching the Queens Speech on he telly or daio Daylight hours in december are quite short (approx 10am to 4pm) approx. So plan for that. we do a lot of theatre

Be sure and check out the Royal Albert Hall for their stunning Christmas musical offerings. You must book early as they sell out quite rapidly once available. You can get on their website and see the offerings by August or September. We attended the London Symphony sing-along for traditional carols and the Royal Trumpeteers accompanied the orchestra. One of the best live performances we've experienced.
We attended Christmas Eve services at Westminster Abbey and Christmas day services at St. Paul's. Both were quite moving and we are not church goers. We particularly enjoyed the nightly carol singing in Trafalgar Square with mince pies and hot mulled wine. We reserved a Christmas dinner at the Paddington Hilton, near our hotel, complete with all the traditional English Christmas dishes. As time grows nigh, you will find much more information on the net about Christmas markets, holiday displays, ice skating, etc. It was one of our most memorable Christmases ever.

Gail, I have spent several Christmas weeks in London. I found it very nice. There are lots of people around, lots of tours and of course there is the theatre. Sure maybe some restaurants are closed and the tube is not always running. But the nice thing about it is the fact that you're in London and that's good anytime of the year. I always stay in the theatre district and go to a show every day. Enjoy!!
Tony