New Years Eve - London
Mar 8th, 2018 | 10:53 PM
#1
Original Poster
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 15
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New Years Eve - London
Hi
My partner and I plan to be in London on New Years Eve 2018.
We're looking to make some plans, we're not into clubbing but would be good to know what other things go on? Ideally I was thinking it would be nice to visit some pubs or bars along the river, enjoy some casual food and be around to watch the fireworks:
1. Is this even possible or are the areas cordoned off and ticketed?
2. I understand this would be a very busy area - would it be impossible to get drinks etc due to the lines/crowds?
3. Are we better to try and find a restaurant/rooftop bar to go to to enjoy it better?
Would really appreciate some ideas. Otherwise may look at a city break elsewhere. My partner is from London but hasn't lived there or been there for New Years for about 15 years, I've visited a lot but never at that time of year...
Thanks
My partner and I plan to be in London on New Years Eve 2018.
We're looking to make some plans, we're not into clubbing but would be good to know what other things go on? Ideally I was thinking it would be nice to visit some pubs or bars along the river, enjoy some casual food and be around to watch the fireworks:
1. Is this even possible or are the areas cordoned off and ticketed?
2. I understand this would be a very busy area - would it be impossible to get drinks etc due to the lines/crowds?
3. Are we better to try and find a restaurant/rooftop bar to go to to enjoy it better?
Would really appreciate some ideas. Otherwise may look at a city break elsewhere. My partner is from London but hasn't lived there or been there for New Years for about 15 years, I've visited a lot but never at that time of year...
Thanks
Mar 8th, 2018 | 11:17 PM
#2
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 6,374
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Hi Katrina, the area of the fireworks is ticketed, you need to get a ticket in advance if you want to be along the Thames. They tend to sell out.
Best would be to book somewhere with a view of the fireworks - but as you can imagine these places are expensive. I have no recommendations, since I haven't done this.
The Royal Festival Hall has had NYE celebrations in the past, you would have a good view from there. Some restaurants will have a view, but you may not hear the music (for example at The Shard).
Best would be to book somewhere with a view of the fireworks - but as you can imagine these places are expensive. I have no recommendations, since I haven't done this.
The Royal Festival Hall has had NYE celebrations in the past, you would have a good view from there. Some restaurants will have a view, but you may not hear the music (for example at The Shard).
Mar 9th, 2018 | 06:13 AM
#3
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 21,269
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You can get an idea of the crowds in the ticketed area in the cutaway shots from this year's show:
Imagine all those thousands trying to get to a bar or transport home (and bear in mind a lot of places in central London may have special door charges on for NYE as well)
But then, I'm of an age where the best view of almost any such event is ..... on the telly.
Imagine all those thousands trying to get to a bar or transport home (and bear in mind a lot of places in central London may have special door charges on for NYE as well)
But then, I'm of an age where the best view of almost any such event is ..... on the telly.
Mar 9th, 2018 | 07:20 AM
#5
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 75,042
Likes: 50
Any hotel/restaurant/pub with a view including the Marriott County Hall, the Shard, Royal HorseGuards, the London Hilton (Park Lane), OXO Tower, any of the many rooftop restaurants, etc will cost a fortune and will book up FAR in advance. I would not like to be in the ticketed area - not as bad as Times Square but really hectic.
This site is a couple of years old but gives an idea how much of central London is affected and how difficult transport will be https://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/news...-need-10662219
Just wandering around and popping into a riverside pub will be impossible. If your budget allows you could book in to one of the hotels with river views . . . but room rates will be sky high.
This site is a couple of years old but gives an idea how much of central London is affected and how difficult transport will be https://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/news...-need-10662219
Just wandering around and popping into a riverside pub will be impossible. If your budget allows you could book in to one of the hotels with river views . . . but room rates will be sky high.
Mar 9th, 2018 | 08:39 PM
#6
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Joined: Jan 2016
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Ok, coming from little old New Zealand I didn't even know fireworks like that existed. I'm not a massive fan of crowds that large but I can't help but feel I need to experience a New Years like in that video! That atmosphere must be worth the pain of getting home haha (well once anyway - maybe not every year haha) thanks for the advice guys!
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Mar 11th, 2018 | 11:39 PM
#8
Joined: Apr 2003
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One of the features of NYE in London that no-one ever seems to mention is the atmosphere on the Tube.
Unusually, pretty much the whole system runs all night - and though it really doesn't affect many people much these days, it's free. Virtually everyone's reasonably sozzled and no-one's under any pressure to get anywhere by a particular time. So from midnight onwards something extraordinarily un-London happens: strangers sort of talk to each other on the Tube. I imagine it must be similar on buses.
Not actually talk itself (though few people are really what you'd call British itself, almost everyone's from sort-of London and we don't actually talk itself to strangers), but there's loads of mumbled "nnnnynewyear" going on and a general atmosphere of what elsewhere would be neighbourly good cheer, if that didn't sound like something out of "It's a Wonderful Life".
It's not unique to NYE: you get it sometimes on tubes going to Wembley (for big football matches) or Twickenham, and we saw it a fair bit during the 2012 Olympics. But it's at least as infrequent as snow, so it's worth being in Central London just to be part of it. Like snow, it's nowhere near on the scale you'd find in less favoured cities - but intriguing nonetheless.
Unusually, pretty much the whole system runs all night - and though it really doesn't affect many people much these days, it's free. Virtually everyone's reasonably sozzled and no-one's under any pressure to get anywhere by a particular time. So from midnight onwards something extraordinarily un-London happens: strangers sort of talk to each other on the Tube. I imagine it must be similar on buses.
Not actually talk itself (though few people are really what you'd call British itself, almost everyone's from sort-of London and we don't actually talk itself to strangers), but there's loads of mumbled "nnnnynewyear" going on and a general atmosphere of what elsewhere would be neighbourly good cheer, if that didn't sound like something out of "It's a Wonderful Life".
It's not unique to NYE: you get it sometimes on tubes going to Wembley (for big football matches) or Twickenham, and we saw it a fair bit during the 2012 Olympics. But it's at least as infrequent as snow, so it's worth being in Central London just to be part of it. Like snow, it's nowhere near on the scale you'd find in less favoured cities - but intriguing nonetheless.
