London 2 days before Christmas - would we be mad?

[JustACountryMusicGirlInCowboyBoots]

Travelling on the train from up north. Staying just for the day. Am I insane to even consider it? Me and 2 dc age 15 and 8.

It will be lovely! Just make sure you have seats booked on the trains. We are going with our 6 year old around the same time for 3 days and can’t wait.

Nope I have done this. Things actually quieten down a bit in the last few days before Christmas, or at least they used to

We went to London at Christmas last year (from Yorkshire but stayed overnight). I am the least Christmassy person in the world, couldn't really give a shit about it and don't usually bother but I surprised myself by how Christmassy it all felt. I felt very festive. That said, 2 days before xmas perhaps some of the stuff like christmas markets and ice skating will already have ended.

I've decided I'm not going so close to Christmas. Im sticking to my original plan of mid December. If Dd decides she doesn't want to come then so be it. Her loss.

I live in London and it's normally empty around the 23rd (I'm basing this on the 24th usually being the day I finish for Christmas). I would walk from Oxford St to Wapping via every supermarket to get yellow sticker bargains on the way home 🤣

It might be more crowded this time as it's a Saturday. But, saying that, I'm planning a Covent Garden trip that day, so not anticipating a scrum

As a northerner who lives in London and gets the train back north on the Saturday before Christmas each year - this is a really bad idea, especially with children. The train home will be absolutely rammed, it's my least favourite train of the year and you absolutely should avoid it.

Forgot to add, don't rely on having seats booked, that doesn't guarantee anything on that date. Not sure I've ever got a seat and have always had one booked.

It is magical and we have done it alot but I have to say one Christmas trying to walk through Covent Garden and keep hold of two small kids was really really stressful it was soooooooooooo busy.

I'm surprised at the posters saying it's dead after 23rd. We have been 3 times and stayed right up until 27th and even on Christmas day there were a lot of tourists around on Oxford Street and many shops/cafes around Paddington were open. I had visions of us taking a leisurely cycle around Hyde Park but all of the bikes had been taken!

I live in London and think you would be an absolutely madzer to voluntarily do this to yourself. It will be hellish.

London will be great - it's perfect just before Christmas, but I have many a memory of being in dreadful situations at Euston and King's cross trying to get North for Christmas. There are always too many people traveling and then one cancellation and it all goes to shit at the stations.