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-   -   LONDON - New Years Eve (https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/london-new-years-eve-1166470/)

Lilly2016 Dec 11th, 2016 05:16 AM

LONDON - New Years Eve
 
Hello all

This forum has been immensely helpful in planning my last min trip.. Does anyone have experience with NY eve events in London. My mom wants to see Fireworks,
We are not the type to want to go to a Bar or a dance club, but a nice memorable place to see the fireworks and possibly dinner would be great..
If not even just the fireworks.

Please LMK thank you so much

PatrickLondon Dec 11th, 2016 06:26 AM

Quite honestly, the best place to see the fireworks is in front of the TV, without having to get caught up in the crowds struggling too and from.

thursdaysd Dec 11th, 2016 06:55 AM

Good point Patrick. The only time I've seen them was from the Marriott County Hall, but we were staying in the hotel. (And I already checked that you can't get a dinner reservation there NYE.)

Rubicund Dec 12th, 2016 01:56 AM

You need a ticket to attend the fireworks display in London, but they have all sold out now.

https://www.london.gov.uk/events/201...urce=vanityurl

I'd guess that most hotels and restaurants that have a view of the fireworks will also be fully booked too, so TV may be your best bet. You have left it very late to attend

PatrickLondon Dec 12th, 2016 02:11 AM

And it's a madhouse: not joking, we're talking hundreds of thousands of people to be corralled into the viewing areas, and then to get out again and home.

There are some other suggestions here:
http://www.londontown.com/London/New...orks-in-London
http://www.standard.co.uk/goingout/a...-a3139321.html
https://theculturetrip.com/europe/un...rks-in-london/

But I would guess any bar or restaurant nearby is going to be booked out already, or only available at exorbitant prices:
https://www.designmynight.com/london...orks-in-london

(The one time I went with some of my friends on the regular boat service to get somewhere near the fireworks, we ended up not seeing a thing because of the smoke <i>from</i> the fireworks!)

Or you might try for a vantage point up a hill somewhere, which could well mean a difficult to impossible journey back to where you're staying - or a long slow trundle on a night bus.

Ackislander Dec 12th, 2016 02:27 AM

Ditto Edinburgh, which is a great place to celebrate the arrival of the New Year, though with seven hills, you could find somewhere to watch.

KyraS Dec 12th, 2016 05:51 PM

There have been questions about this topic over on Trip Advisor as well: https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopi...n_England.html

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopi...n_England.html

I would see if Aqua Shard has any dinner reservations left (no idea if that's likely) or perhaps if there are spaces left on one of the City Cruises dinner and fireworks viewing. That way you could see the fireworks, but not be subjected to the weather and crowds, which I think could be an issue for your mother. I imagine the NYE river cruises are expensive, however.

You do need to be aware of road closures/transport issues after the fireworks are over, depending on where you're going and where your accommodations are.

I don't know if anything here will be of help to you:

https://www.london.gov.uk/events/201...fireworks-2016

http://www.visitlondon.com/things-to...TuL2gpYcrSq.97

http://www.visitlondon.com/things-to...PJ4Z4sUaQaD.97

http://londonist.com/tags/new-years-eve

http://www.timeout.com/london/new-year

I don't know if you can see the fireworks from here or not (it does have views of the river and St Paul's), but the Swan at the Globe is having two sittings for dinner on New Year's Eve. I have eaten there a couple of times and can recommend it (and the bar downstairs).

I hope you're able to make plans that work.

Lilly2016 Dec 14th, 2016 10:17 AM

Thank you sooo much for this amazing info...

I'm looking through all the links..


Kyra S
We are very interested in one of the river cruises , do you recommend any particular one?


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