skipashed08

I just purchased my plane tickets to London (Heathrow) over the Christmas holidays. We arrive on the 26th of December and fly out on the 1st of January. I will be traveling with my son who is 15 and neither one of us have a clue of what to do or where to go. Should I stay in London the whole time or travel out and about in Europe? What neighborhood area is best in London for experiencing culture, and close to everything, not too worried about price either? I need the perfect itinerary for the 6 nights that we are in London. How about New Years Eve, any fireworks? Thanks so much.

PatrickLondon

In the few days you have, London alone should keep you busy. Try the information under the "Destinations" tab above for starters.

As for New Year's Eve, I assume there will be a massive firework display from the river as in previous years, but the area is usually jam-packed with far too many people for my taste - getting there and back would be a time-consuming misery. You'd get a much better view on TV, in my view.

yk

I'd suggest you start with getting a guidebook to London, so that you have a better sense of the overall layout of the city, and also what YOU want to see while you're there.

We can't provide a "perfect itinerary" for you without knowing what you and your son enjoy, esp when you wrote neither one of us have a clue of what to do or where to go.

What does your 15 year-old son like? It's best to give him a guidebook and let him browse through it and pick a few attractions that he will enjoy.

I have compiled a thread where other posters have pasted their link to their London trip reports, so you can read them at your leisure:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...2&tid=35162023

What is your budget for hotel rooms? You might want to check out this deal for the Cavendish Hotel for just £99/night.
http://hotels.travelzoo.com/international-hotels/481188

If you want something cheaper, you can look into staying at the university dorms as they are rented out over the holidays. You can stay there for just £50/night.
http://www.lsevacations.co.uk/

daveesl

You will have 5+ days. The plus is the day you arrive, depending on the time.

If you aren't worried about price, then the Guoman Charing Cross is a nice hotel, pretty much in the middle of everything. A block from the Thames, block from Trafalgar, couple of blocks from Parliament. You are on top of a tube station, so other spots are easy.

There is a lot to do in London, but you could do a day trip out to Stonehenge. In five days, I wouldn't plan on trying far flung places, like Paris.

Most of all, have fun. If you are there on a Sunday, take him to Speakers Corner, it'll be fun.

Barbara_in_CT

You can't get a better location for seeing most of the sights than the Premier Inn County Hall. Since it is your first trip, I would suggest Rick Steves' London as a guidebook but if you have the time check several different ones out of your library.

Put your son to work doing some of the research.

skipashed08

Thanks to all with the quick replies. I'm headed out tonight after work to the bookstore to pick up literature on London. If someone could help with a hotel that would be wonderful. I typically stay at 4-5 star properties, and prefer to have choices of restaurants, pubs, and retail within walking distance.
I apologize for being so vague but this is our first time to London. I'm sure we will want to see Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's cathedral, and Buckingham Palace to name a few.
Thanks to all including fodors for such a wonderful tool.

janisj

after you read DESTINATIONS above and maybe a guide book - you'll have a lot better idea of what's what.

We can give you all sorts of help - but we need a bit of info from you.

Your budget? I know you said you aren't too worried about the price. But the rates at the best London hotels can cause heart failure. The Marriott County Hall would be great since most rooms have terrific views of the river, Big Ben and the London Eye which is right next door.

What sorts of things are you and your son interested in? Castles, theatre, museums, ice skating/skate boarding sorts of things, music, whatever . . .

Westminster Abbey and St Paul's are definitely recommended - but Buckingham Palace is simply a "walk by". Takes a few minutes at very most.

At that time of year - just plan on staying in London. Many tourist attractions will be closed on Dec 26 (Boxing Day) - but you'll be pretty jet lagged so you won't be doing much that day anyway.

Cholmondley_Warner

There is a lot to do in London, but you could do a day trip out to Stonehenge. In five days, I wouldn't plan on trying far flung places, like Paris.>>>

Stonehenge and paris will both take a shade over two hours. You pays yer money...you takes yer choice...

W9London

You might want to bear in mind that many rail companies conduct engineering works over the christmas period in the past few years. (This is only for mainline, shouldn't affect most of tubes and Eurostar).

You may want to mix indoor attractions (lots of free museums here) and outdoor attractions. Also take note it gets dark early--like 4:30 to 5pm.

texasbookworm

It will probably be obvious by the time you read very far in any sort of guidebook but--definitely put the Tower of London and the British Museum on your list. My daughter was 16 the first time I went to London and these were 2 of her favorite things. Literature fan? Don't forget the Globe. The Tower Bridge is a great walk and its Exhibition is pretty cool and lets you on a great viewing bridge to see the Thames.

DD's favorite thing not too far from London was Stonehenge, so you MIGHT look into a day trip there (and see Salisbury Cathedral, too) but you can barely scratch the surface of all to see in London if you stay there the whole time. It's true that your daylight hours will be very short and weather a bit iffy for outside. Also a day trip to Oxford is possible; via bus you'd still have several hours there.

Get a good map, too, so you can see where things in Londonare in "groups" or neighborhoods so you can plan your days, too. Remember it's a huge place with great public transport--but time-consuming transport.

Do check out the TfL sites--for much help in planning public transport and up-to-moment notices about closures and such.

valerie218

University of Westminster right near Victoria Station.

http://www.wmin.ac.uk/page-5198

KidsToLondon

Are you still taking suggestions for your trip?

Well, I agree with (most) of the other posters that you should concentrate on London during your relatively short time in there. The city will be less crowded--many businesses close between Christmas the New Years--and that can be a plus for visitors.

Holiday decorations, especially lighted streets, abound in central shopping districts during this period...You can ice skate at the Tower of London (and several other famous venues)...speaking of the Tower, Historic Royal Palaces runs special holiday programs there and at Hampton Court and other properties (www.hrp.org.uk)...the previously-mentioned fireworks display near the London Eye ferris wheel is a NYE highlight (yes, its is crowded, and the weather isn't usually great)...

There's usually a huge American-style parade through central London on New Years Day--probably too late if you have to get to the airport.

I'd stay in the most central London area that you can afford...for a mid-priced option, try the Holiday Inn Mayfair. The location can't be beat, and the hotel is good.

When planning your days, remember that it gets dark quite early in late December, so if your sightseeing involves *seeing* plan accordingly.

Hope this helps you. Have a great trip!

Dave
www.kidstolondon.com