London? At Christmas Time?

Question

Our wedding is December 20th, and we were hoping to leave for our honeymoon on the 21st or 22nd. We were hoping to stay in London from the 22 til the 29th.

How icy and nasty will it be?

Will anything be open?

Answer 1

London is great at Christmas ... the shops go full blast till Christmas Eve (24th)  when usually they close a bit early, then most of them do not open on Christmas Day (25th), but on Boxing Day (26th) it all goes back to booming with the sales ... there are parties galore both before and after Christmas ... there are many shows, pantomimes and other attractions (try the ice skating at Somerset House) ... you'll thoroughly enjoy it, just plan on having a rest on Christmas Day itself, why don't you go to a service at one of the many churches ... also on Christmas Day you would probably find it difficult to eat out, so make sure you include having your Christmas dinner at whatever hotel you're staying at or pre-book it somewhere

the weather shouldn't be all that cold, at least not icy (it rarely gets that cold in central London anyway) although it may well be a bit damp so make sure you bring your umbrella, a warm coat (a showerproof coat would be a good idea) and shoes that are suitable for wet pavements

I live in London and love the Christmas period ... the suburbs  are usually like a ghost town on 25th and 26th ... people start disappearing off out of London (probably to visit their families) on 23rd and 24th so by 25th there's hardly any cars parked down the road and if you drive anywhere there's hardly any traffic ... then usually on 27th they start trickling back ... none of this affects the centre of London though, as much as the suburbs empty, the centre fills up !!

Answer 2

First of all congratulations on your wedding!  London is a beautiful place to be around Christmas time.  Though there's always the chance for a storm, snow and ice are not common in London at this time of year, and while it will be quite cold and you'll want to bundle up, you'll likely avoid snow and ice.

The hours for shops and most attractions are the same.  You will still be able to visit shops, markets, museums and sites like the London Eye and Tower Bridge.  Additionally, at this time of year you can take a stroll down Oxford Street at night and admire the beautiful Christmas light displays and check out the gorgeous trees in Trafalgar Square and Covent Garden!  Christmas is one of my favorite times in London!  Congrats again and I hop you have a great trip!