cherikm

I didn't do my research first, and unfortunately booked a flight that arrives in Heathrow on Christmas Day, early in the morning. I've just read that the trains don't run that day. What are the options for the four of us to get into the city to our hotel? (Which has yet to be booked, looking for deals.) And once there, does anyone have some suggestions for how to spend the day? What's open? Any special events? Anything at all to do? I'm really getting worried, booked this trip with my husband and two adult children to celebrate a special birthday, and this could start very badly. thanks for any help and suggestions.

iowamom

Just read a post from pirouette about a company called Premier Airport Cars which she said has an office that is open 24/7 ... maybe Christmas too?
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35144480

iowamom

http://www.premierairportcars.com/

Their website says they operate 365 days a year, including holidays!

stfc

I don't want to put you off any further but you need to be aware that Dec 26 is a holiday as well here(Boxing Day). Some transport will begin to run then but on a more limited basis. The UK effectively shuts down for 10-14 days over Christmas and the New Year.

stfc

My last post sounds a bit too negative. Theatres and museums will be opening again from Dec 27. Traditionally shops and stores have post-Christmas sales then. Those of us that can treat the period as an extended holiday. If you're staying until the New Year, Trafalgar Square and the Embankment get quite lively.

janisj

Premier mentioned above or justairports.com car services are probably your best bets (they would be even if it wasn't a holiday). However one train does run on Christmas day - the Heathrow Express. It would <b>ONLY</b> be useful though if you are staying at or w/i walking distance of Paddington Station. (2 trains actually -- The Heathrow and Gatwick express trains both operate on Xmas)

For any other part of the city - a car service must be booked ahead - and there will likely be a premium for Christmas Day.

Before we can tell you what things you might be able to see, we will need to know which hotel. Nothing much will be open except a few ethnic restaurants and hotel dining rooms. But it is a great day for walking around a nearly traffic-free London.

More things will be open on Boxing Day - but some attractions will still be closed.

nytraveler

Both Dec 25 and 26 are major holidays and practically nothing is open - including many restaurants. Tourists often need to heave Christmas meals in their hotels - and there's no way I would go without definite meal reservations for those 2 days.

Obviously you can do a lot of walking around and looking at cute neighborhoods.

I have read posts before about walking tours taking place on the 26th - so you might google for those. But in the UK this is really a family holiday period (not stores opening at 7am on the 26th for sales and returns to pour in).

avalon

The Heathrow Express does run on Christmas day, though a car service would probably be cheaper for 4 , unless they charge a premium for holidays.

Earlier today a posted a listing of really nice hotels and B&amp;B under 100 GBP . Click on my name to find it

laurie_ann

For airport transportation I recommend www.justairports.com. I used them many times when I lived there last year. For 4 people it will likely be a savings over Heathrow Express train. And it is very easy to reserve in advance on line. It's cheapest if you pay cash. Last year I used them on Christmas Eve day and there was not any holiday premium.

You can have a great Christmas Day if you do a little planning, do have restaurant reservations in advance at least for that day. Quite a few restaurants are open though. We had a lovely Christmas day meal in Chelsea at Bluebird last year. On Christmas Day you could easily have a great walk and see the sights from outside, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Parliament and Big Ben, the South Bank with great views back to London, Pall Mall, the parks. Your hotel could help you with transportation if you would rather have a car service or black cab. And do look into www.walks.com for London walks. They have walks on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day but on a special schedule, many with Christmas themes. You could also go to church if you are of that persuasion. We went to the big church St. Lukes in Chelsea (you can walk between there and Bluebird). If you tell us where you are staying we might have some other suggestions that are walkable.

By Boxing Day at least some theaters are open if maybe not the big West End theaters. I know we went that day last year to a show at the Young Vic which is just a short walk from the Waterloo station on the South Bank.

Cholmondley_Warner

And do look into www.walks.com for London walks. They have walks on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day &gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;

Just remember that there is NO public transport on Christmas day. So you'll have to make your own way there and back.

The tube opens on boxing day with a sunday service.

I never understand why anyone would come here at Christmas. It's just awful before, during and after.

CW - Scrooge.

janisj

&quot;<i>Just remember that there is NO public transport on Christmas day. So you'll have to make your own way there and back.</i>&quot;

Yep. I wonder about recs for London Walks on Christmas (not just here, it comes up on just about every thread about London at Christmas).

Unless one is staying near Trafalgar Sq (the starting point for both LW's on the day) you'd have to walk a long ways just to get to the walk - then take the walk, then walk from the ending point back to the hotel. This could be miles.

Trafalgar Sq. is pretty central - but not if you are staying in Kensington or Earls Court or Chelsea. I'm not sure where the walks end - but they usually don't come back to the starting point.

W9London

Transportation from the airport: as others suggested, the best bet is to use a car service especially with four of you. Heathrow Express and Gatwick Express SHOULD be running, though we traditionally do railroad works around the holiday season so they can be replaced with (slower) bus service.

Meals: TimeOut usually has a listing of restaurants and pubs open on Christmas Day (though they tend to be somewhat expensive set-course and of course, you need to walk there). You can usually find some lebanese, chinese or indian restaurants open on 25 Dec.

London does NOT shutdown for the entire time during Christmas and New Year. It's only Christmas Day when nearly everything shuts down. As for activities, Christmas Day won't stop you from walking around town.

If you find M&amp;S Food or grocery store at the airport that's open on arrival lobby, I recommend you stock up on whatever snacks/drinks you'll need for the next 1-2 days.

Boxing Day is a bank holiday though no problem finding open restaurants or using public transportation. Even some shops on Oxford St starts sale.

yk

Wow, I learn something new here. So the Tube in London doesn't run on Christmas Day? Nor any public transport at all (ie buses, DLR)? I'm amazed such a huge city can just &quot;shut down&quot; like that.

I could be wrong, but if I have to bet on, I'd say you will find some restaurants in Chinatown open. At least here in the US, Chinese restaurants are always open, be it Thanksgiving or X'mas or New Year's.

RM67

'' I'm amazed such a huge city can just &quot;shut down&quot; like that''

It's this weird thing we do called 'letting people have a day off''.

Actually, because we don't have the stingy US holiday allowance, we can let shops shut and suspend transport on Christmas Day, yet still have time later in the week when everything's open again to do touristy or travelley things if we want....

yk

Well, not <i>everyone</i> gets a day off on Christmas. Hospital staff, emergency crew comes to mind. How do these people get to work on Christmas Day if they don't have a car?

I have nothing against shops and restos being closed for a holiday, if the owners choose to do so. However, shutting the public transportation completely down for a whole day (not just reduced service, but NO SERVICE with no alternatives) just seems a bit drastic.

alanRow

It's tradition

stfc

yk, they don't. One of the very few attractions of Christmas is that for just a few hours the country holds it's breath and lots of places go very quiet. The cars you do see will just be moving between bits of extended family. I often wonder what would happen if many were breath-tested.

Many that do work, and many will be volunteers, get paid over the odds for coming in.

yk

Is Christmas Day the only day that the London public transport shuts down?

It sure makes me wonder if certain scenes in the movie, &quot;28 weeks later&quot; was shot on Christmas Day. Ever since I saw it, I have been wondering how on earth they could film a London with no signs of life (no autos, no boats, no people). Of course, I suppose they could digitally remove every single bit.

Now, come to think of it, perhaps I SHOULD go visit London over Christmas. Just the thought of a completely still and quiet London (imagine neon lights flickering in Piccadilly Circus but no one is around) is very intriguing (or is eerie the word?)!

Cholmondley_Warner

Is Christmas Day the only day that the London public transport shuts down?&gt;&gt;&gt;

Yes.

It's not odd to us as we don't want to go anywhere on Christamas day. We just want to eat too much, get our aunties tiddly on gin and watch James Bond.

ps - There is no shortage of volunteers for emergency working on xmas day - not everyone has family to go to etc and it pays triple time and the employers pay for cabs.

alanRow

&lt;&lt;&lt; It's not odd to us as we don't want to go anywhere on Christamas day. We just want to eat too much, get our aunties tiddly on gin and watch James Bond. &gt;&gt;&gt;

Speak for yourself - last Christmas it was a 5 hour round trip on icy roads