London at Christmas?

[Potentialmadcatlady]

Thinking of taking kids ( 14+ years) to London over Christmas weekend...any suggestions on how/what to do to make it an extra special Christmas after a very horrible year?

Show looks great Northwest but unfortunately won't work with Christmas shut downs...I have booked Wicked- had no idea shows had got So expensive but it's a treat ( we don't get many!)
Sky Garden looks like it would be right up one of the teens street if I can get us some tickets!

Is the Thames Clipper running? I haven't checked. Also, how about a winter picnic in one of the big parks or Hampstead Heath.

Covent Garden is lovely, happily spend the evening there. Very Christmassy with mulled wine/warm apple juice stalls. Nice places to eat. Street entertainers. The rickshaw ride is good fun & better than walking back to the hotel if getting tired.

Will check about the clipper and the rickshaw sounds like a great idea for tired grumpy teens...Covent garden is defo on my list- I loved it there when I was younger and one of the teens will too..( other one will moan )

For Covent Garden with teens, look at www.coventgarden.london/cafes/le-pain-quotidien

Thanks for link Enrique

Macdonalds is open on Christmas Day and starbucks. Both companies publish a list of which stores nearer the time but central london

Going up the walkie talkie is free but not sure about christmas opening. Fabulous views - you need to book in advance.

skygarden.london/sky-garden

SKY GARDEN PUBLIC
OPENING TIMES

Monday - Friday
10am - 6pm
Weekends
11am - 9pm

Starbucks on Christmas Day could work, go for the festive drinks as part of a walk, then eat chocolate back at hotel. This all sounds great OP, I hope it all goes well.

Potential some ethnic restaurants will be open if you want to try an alternative Christmas dinner/lunch. Zayna (Pakistani/North Indian) restaurant opened previous Christmases. I've been a couple of times and it's good. There will probably be other options too.

Many of the churches will have carol services even if you don't want to stay for mass. Spanish Place Church in Marylebone have a carol service before midnight mass which is lovely.

I think it sounds like a fantastic trip.

McDonald's for Christmas Day lunch and Starbucks hot choc sounds right up my kids street and my budget! Who needs turkey! ( I eat it all year) ...am writing all your ideas down and will spend the next for weeks getting the teens to plan the trip out...wonder can we order snow instead of rain?

Thanks Mumatoo...I hope it will be and not a grumpy no talking teen disaster

This sounds lovely! I hope you have a wonderful time!

Thanks christmaszombie...we were dreading this Christmas, completely dreading it now it has turned into something to plan for and something that their Gran/Mum would appreciate. She hated the fuss of Christmas and the cooking and work- I won't have to do any of that this year which would have made her smile...just me and the kids doing what we like!

A mooch around Harrods is easy and no spend required!

Middle- I remember going there as a teenager and bringing my Mum a tiny bar of choc home- was all I could afford! It was kept in house for ages and Mum used the 'Harrods' plastic bag they gave me!

Oooh this has made me want to go!

Another Covent Garden recommendation - feels so very, very Christmassy.

Borough Market is also lovely - lots of Christmas smells, and plenty to taste. Skip lunch and just feast on freebie samples!

I'm going to have to sell a kidney but I keep thinking of all the things I won't have to spend money on for a Christmas at home..think I will get a money jar and put the money I would have spent on Christmas in jar instead ( I normally start a box in sept or so and start adding stuff to my normal shopping- won't have to do that this year!!!)

Don't do a rickshaw ride - they are unlicensed and a real menace.

Do use one of the hop-on/hop-off bus things - actually a really nice way to see London if walking is problematic, and with some of them you get a free Thames Clipper ticket.

If you want to bust the budget on something nice, I'd go for a nice tea at a hotel (the Dorchester is my favourite for Christmas) - book well in advance, and skip dinner, it's so filling!

Dickens Museum is lovely at Christmas.

And yes to Christmas church services - St Martin's in the Field, St Pauls, both lovely :)

That's so sweet, Potential

K ..no rickshaw ride but buses will be good..I will get us all travel cards...is it better to come in on zone 1-6 from airport or single in and then travel card for central London? Does the tube do carers access tickets? ( every little helps!)

Single in and Oystercard.

Don't think carers get access tickets, but I believe wheelchair users travel free on normal buses tfl.gov.uk/transport-accessibility/fares-and-tickets

Buses are also better for access/space etc . Use Citymapper to plan bus journeys and find timings.

There are a bunch of carol singing things that go on at Christmas around London - the tree in Trafalgar Square always seems to have some going on.

Christmas Day is a bit quiet in London - the Peter Pan race is good fun. Don't forget there's no public transport on Christmas Day, so that should be your walking day. So maybe try and fit in:

• Lazy start to the day (for a change at Christmas!)
• Peter Pan Race
• London Walks do some walks on Christmas Day that leave from Trafalgar Square
• Service at St Martin's in the Field
• Evensong at Westminster Abbey
• All the Christmas lights - streets will be empty

Perfect Queenjuggler..Thankyou... One of the kids can walk he just gets tired quickly because of his medical condition..he hates using the wheelchair and can manage without it at home I know how tiring the streets of London are so I may talk him into accepting it so we can go further and not miss anything..

No advice but this sounds amazing! Would love to do this one day