London in January
 

I'm getting married in January and we are thinking of having our honeymoon in London right afterwards. Any pros/cons due to the month of travel?

Since you don't say what your concerns might be -

Basically pros = VERY low air fares, the Jan. sales are on, London doesn't really have an "off season" for museums/theatre/etc.

cons = REALLY iffy weather (but anywhere in Europe would be iffy in Jan. Cold - but not frigid, wet but not much if any snow) Short daylight - but that doesn't really affect museums/theatre.

What specifically do you want to know?

You answered most of my questions/concerns, one being an off season for museums and such and the weather. Any hotels that stand out? Ones that are in a reasonable price range..being $150-$350? Thanks! Also, are the crowds a bit thinner in Jan?

I just booked a great deal through American Airlines. They are offering air and hotels plus the hotel promotions are 2 for 1 dining. I am staying at the Royal Horseguards which gets rave review. Go online and try and see how much it would cost. Hope this helps.

I was in London in Jan 2002. The weather was dry, brisk and nice, assuming you have thermal underwear. Dress in layers, as central heating works really well!! I went on tours that were fantastic with really small groups, stayed in a nice hotel for a bargain price, and shopped at Harrods in their sales. It was awesome. I thoroughly recommend London at this time of year. Some attractions are closed, but this is irrelevant in the larger scheme of things.

We went in February this year and it snowed while we were on the London Eye! I like the weather.Didn't bother me one bit! It's a little nippy but there are no lines and the hotels and flights are cheaper. Still pretty and green just a little nippy!

I guess one issue over the weather is what you're used to - if you're from New England or Canada then you'll find January in London a breeze but if you're from Florida it could be a shock to the system.

Plus we keep hearing that we're going to have the coldest winter here in 10 years (although since we've had very mild winters with very little snow and temperatures no lower than the 30s) that's not necessarily saying it will be blizzard conditions.

None of this should spoil a trip to London all the tourist attractions remain open but the one negative is if we do have snow and ice above ground transit may be a bit of a bother

Hope if you do end up having your honeymoon here that you have a really special time. There will always be a warm pub or restaurant you can shelter in!!

Definitely come to London on January!! Lots of lovely warm pubs to shelter in, if necessary. I'm from Canada originally so find living in London a doddle weather wise. It will probably be dull and grey but who cares, most places in the northern hemisphere are like that. For hotels, my top London pick would be any from the Firmdale group: www.firmdale.com. These are truly special hotels, very sophisticated and original, with extra special touches that set them apart - they are usually located in wonderful locations around London. I stayed at the Charlotte Street Hotel last February so can vouch for its divineness! They aren't cheap, per se, but they do have lovely B&Bs in their range and may even have some deals in the larger hotels. If you specify that you are on your honeymoon, they will probably upgrade you. I booked a deluxe room and was upgraded to a duplex room which was really fun.

Re hotels: There are tons of places w/i your wide price range.

Before booking anywhere though - I'd check biddingfortravel.com to see which London hotels are being "won" on Priceline. London is one of the best cities for using PL. Now, for your honeymoon you might not want to use Priceline - but it is usually easy to get 4 or 5 star hotels for a fraction of the cost of booking directly. Like really decent 4 star places in the center of town for less than $100 - sometimes a lot less.

Again - for your honeymoon you might want to pick a specific property. But if that isn't an issue, definitely think about Priceline.

just one thought- the London Eye was
'closded for maintenance' last winter, if this is one of your 'must-do's', you may want to check whether it'll be open.
Otherwise- I can definitely recommend London in the winter- less tourists, and no 'pre-Christmas-madness'!

You should be able to find some great hotel deals and also good theater tickets. Check londontown.com

One thing to remember is that the days are short in January. The hours of daylight are effectively about 8am to 3.45pm, so you need to factor that in if you're planning to look at things that require daylight.

you might also want to have a look at
http://www.visitlondon.com/
and
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/everyones-...ndex_flash.asp
if you buy a Travelcard, some attractions have special discounts- it's always worth checking!