London in a day

[Tiredandannoyed2023]

We were thinking of driving from the Midlands to London Saturday 20th. Our plan was to park and travel in on the tube. Are we mad? Will it be chaos?

What are you planning on doing exactly? Central London will be rammed if you’re trying to shop around Oxford St etc.

If you do decide to go, Have a plan of where you want to go. Places like Covent Garden will be packed. We walked around the Bank area last week. There was still lots to see, but it wasn’t crowded.

I thought I was being smart popping to Oxford Street mid-afternoon today to get something. It was not fun at all

Our daughter wants to see the Christmas lights but will also want to look in the shops. I think it’s probably going to be unrealistic.

I posted a reply to another person which you might find useful “the poster who wanted to come to London for a day”

Saturday is the 21st, Friday is the 20th. I think both will be busy, saturday probably worse on the roads. If you are intent on doing this I would aim to get to Oxford St around 6-7pm as the crowds will be diminishing, maybe get something to eat after wards, I think most of the shops will be open till 8 at the earliest.Othereise being there at 8:30am might work but not practical from the midlands.....

I live in Zone 3 London and I'm staying there (unless getting the Lizzy Line for work) until 2nd January. I find Zone 1 hell at Christmas unless you visit very very early in the morning.

Yes come it looks so beautiful. It will be busy but it's ok. The only area I would avoid is China Town and the part of Covent Garden from the tube down to the market. They seem real bottle necks.
Bond Street and Mayfair look amazing. Try to get here early. Maybe book somewhere for lunch or dinner if you can. If not there are loads of places you can grab food and go.
Yes it's busy but it's lovely.

We're going on Sunday. Early morning train from north east, potter, show, meal (restaurant booked) and late train home.

DD wanted to see a show for her birthday.

Slightly crazy but doable. DD and I have done it before and had a nice potter around covent garden and spent way too long in Foyles. Without a show there would be plenty of time for more.

I live in central London
it is untypically busy with tourists at the moment
I would expect it to be dropping off a bit by the Saturday. The friday is still term time here

We often go on one Saturday in December to a Christmas concert. It is busy and restaurants are often fully booked. We normally go to the late performance and don't have travel prior to 5pm.

I also work in Central London and will be glad that tomorrow is my last in-office day for the year, walking around St Pauls and also Charing Cross is really difficult.

I was there last weekend it was packed. Also beautiful and christmasy. If you don't mind crouds go.

Oxford Street/Regent St/Tottenham Court Road usually have pretty lights but as a place to wander about and look at things it's horrible.
Because the roads are open to traffic (as in they aren't pedestrianised) everyone is crammed in on the pavements, it's very unpleasant and easy to get separated from each other. There aren't even any particularly special shops unless you're a fan of Selfridges. That's pretty much the only unique one.
Where abouts in the Midlands are you? There must be somewhere else with pretty lights.

You will love it, central London is busy but that creates a really fun buzz! Make sure to visit Carnaby Street and the whole of Bond Street for amazing shop decorations!

Sorry to be negative but honestly I think you'd be mad to do this, especially on the weekend before Xmas. It's going to be so busy and stressful, not a good reflection of London. I'm worried about going to our local shops this weekend, never mind central.

Perhaps you could plan to go next year on an earlier weekend in December when it's not quite so mad.

We went on Saturday 30th November.
Arrived Covent Garden at 5pm where we had a table booked for dinner.
We then followed a walking route round the main areas to see the lights.

Yes it was busy- mad, mad busy.
But also amazing and so pretty.
Best plan was to not really have a plan. Meant there was no stress.
All the shops were open until 9pm.

We stayed overnight and got back to the hotel at 10:45pm.

I'd do it again definitely!
Next time I want to try and get to Battersea as well as that looks amazing from the photos I've seen.

Work commitments made an earlier weekend difficult. Looking at the weather forecast I think it may be a non starter this weekend anyway.

Thanks to those people with advice / suggestions.

Sorry wrong thread

I went to see the lights in the Piccadilly Circus/Regent Street area last week after seeing a recommendation on here when I had a couple of hours to kill and it was mental.

I did have a great time and found a lovely little free gallery (or it might have been a shop with a David Hockney exhibition, but my God, it was rammed.

And Liberty! Liberty is unique.

I think it will be fine. I was there on Tuesday with my elderly mum, we went to Liberty first at about 11.45, it was OK to move around (unlike last year when it was jammed), Carnaby Street, walked down Regent Street to Piccadilly, even Fortnum and Mason’s, although super busy, wasn’t as busy as last year when we had to queue to get in - it has a great display inside where the central lights go up and down and do a little dance. Will be there this afternoon/ evening as well, and going to Battersea on 23 for ice skating.

@TabloidFootprints oh yes there is Liberty and Fortnum and Masons - but I was thinking more Oxford Street because there's where many shoppers tend to go.

Oxford street is terrible for actual shopping, though. There's nothing there any more, just American candy and chain stores.

Covent garden is nicer (although as pp said it will be rammed) - the market part is very festive.

South Molton st might be nice for posh shops

Come to London but go to the City. It's full of lovely decorations but isn't busy at all.

Walk around Bond Street and all the small roads between Oxford street and Piccadilly, have a bit of a plan. Make your way over to Regent Street, have a look at Liberty's and then walk down Oxford Street to Selfridges... it will be packed but an experience and pretty. You can duck up St Christopher's Place and Marylebone which are very pretty .