October 7, 2025 • 27 mins
London becomes a magical winter wonderland at Christmas, with sparkling lights, festive markets, and iconic decorations. But visiting during the holidays also means closures, no public transport on Christmas Day, and the need to book key experiences well in advance.
In this episode, Tracy shares practical tips on:
- What’s open and closed on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day & Boxing Day
- How to get around when public transport stops (and the National Express option)
- Where to book a Christmas Day meal — and why reservations are essential
- Stocking up on groceries before supermarkets close
- The best lights, markets & festive highlights to add to your itinerary
- How to plan for New Year’s Eve fireworks and the New Year’s Day Parade
Later, Tracy is joined by Ollie from Discover Real London to chat about their private Black Cab Christmas Lights Tours - a cosy, personalised way to experience the city’s festive sparkle.
Whether you’re exploring markets, strolling quiet streets on Christmas Day, or celebrating New Year’s in London, this episode has everything you need to plan your perfect holiday trip.
Visit London Travel Planning for articles on London's Christmas lights and festive activities.
Consider supporting the podcast from just $3 per month to help us continue providing valuable UK travel planning information.
📝 Show Notes - Episode 170
🎧 Listen to next
- Episode #71 – Unveiling the Magic: London at Christmas [Top Things to Do and See]
- Episode #23 – Visiting London in December
- Episode #154 Winter Travel in London and the UK From Coastal Walks to Christmas Magic
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thinking of Christmas in London from sparkling lights
and festive markets to key tipson opening times, getting
around and what to book aheadthis episode has everything you
need to plan your holiday visitsmoothly.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Welcome to the UK Travel Planning Podcast.
Your host is the founder of theUK Travel Planning website,
tracey Collins.
Each week, tracey sharesdestination guides, travel tips
and itinerary ideas, as well asinterviews with a variety of
guests who share their knowledgeand experience of UK travel to
help you plan your perfect UKvacation.
Join us as we explore the UKfrom cosmopolitan cities to
(00:35):
quaint villages, from historiccastles to beautiful islands,
and from the picturesquecountryside to seaside towns
side to seaside towns.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
Hi, it's Tracey here and welcome to episode 170 of
the UK Travel Planet podcast.
Today I'm going to shareeverything you need to know if
you're planning a Christmas orNew Year trip to London.
It's such a magical time ofyear.
It's one of my favourite timesto visit London, as I'm sure if
you've listened to earlyepisodes you'll know.
I just love the lights, thedecorations, the atmosphere.
It's just fabulous and so, somagical.
(01:16):
But obviously that also means itcomes with some rather unique
challenges.
Some attractions are closed,public transport stops and even
finding somewhere to eat onChristmas Day can take some
forward planning.
So in this episode I'm going togive you an idea about what's
open and closed, how to getaround, what to consider booking
ahead, where you can eat onChristmas Day, what to pack and
(01:37):
a few festive highlights to makeyour trip extra special.
And I'm also joined later inthe episode by Ollie from
Discover Real London.
He'll be here to tell you allabout their Christmas lights,
taxi tours.
Anyway, all right, let's getstarted with the key things you
need to know if you're planninga visit to London over Christmas
and New Year.
(01:57):
Now let's start with closures.
On Christmas Day, all the majormuseums and attractions are
closed.
That includes the BritishMuseum, the Natural History
Museum, the Science Museum myfavourite, the V&A, tate Modern,
tate Britain National Gallery,tower of London, london Eye and
none of those are open on the25th of December.
(02:18):
On Christmas Eve, many placesclose early, often by
mid-afternoon, so you need tokeep that in mind.
And on Boxing Day, some reopenbut some also stay closed.
For example, the British Museumis shut on the 24th, 25th and
26th.
(02:38):
So the safest rule is don'tplan any sightseeing for
Christmas Day that involves youactually going into an
attraction or a landmark becausechances are, or a museum
because chances are they'regoing to be shut, and always,
always also check ahead for the24th and the 26th.
Don't assume that the placesyou might want to go and visit
(03:00):
are actually going to be open.
It's important to check.
So once you've sorted youritinerary out or you've got an
idea of the places that you wantto go and visit, double check
that they're open.
Transportation Now, onChristmas Day there is no public
transport in London no tube, nobuses, no overground, no
(03:20):
Docklands Light Railway, notrains and no airport express
services like the Heathrow orGatwick Express.
That's really, really important.
I can't stress that because Iknow quite a few of you may be
flying in on Christmas Day Now.
The one exception is that thereare National Express coaches
Now.
They are privately run but opento the public.
Obviously you could just bookyour seat.
(03:41):
They operate a limited service.
For example, you can get fromHeath seat.
They operate a limited service.
For example, you can get fromHeathrow into central London to
Victoria coach station, butseats are limited and you must
pre-book.
I cannot stress enough that ifyou're flying in on Christmas
day, you must, must, must sortout how you're going to get to
your accommodation.
Your only other option on the25th is to pre-book a private
(04:03):
transfer, a taxi or a minicab.
I will put a link to Riz, theXFA Cars, who we partner with,
so you can inquire with Riz fora quote for Christmas Day if he
still has availability.
I can't stress enough that youneed to get on with this if you
are planning to fly into Londonon the 25th.
Now on Boxing Day, the Tube andthe Overground do usually run
(04:24):
on a reduced service, but longdistance trains don't start
early On New Year's Eve.
There are extra late nightservices that are crowded, and
on New Year's Day, servicesgenerally resume from
mid-morning, so you need to beconsiderate, if you're traveling
Also Boxing Day, new Year's Eveand on New Year's Day as well,
to really plan how you're goingto get around now.
(04:45):
Another question that we areasked all the time in the
facebook group is about diningon christmas day.
Now, finding someone eatingchristmas day requires planning
ahead.
Most restaurants are closed,but there are a handful of
luxury hotels such as the ritz,claridge's, the savoy, waldorf,
hilton they serve a setChristmas lunch and other
popular options.
(05:06):
There's the Savoy Grill, theDuck and Waffle, and you can
find more festive dining choiceson sites like Open Table.
A few pubs will open too,though choices are limited.
Now expect prices to startaround about £100 to £200 or
more per person, and you need tobook in months in advance.
So if you are listening to thispodcast and you're planning to
(05:28):
be in London on Christmas day, Iwould urge you now to look at
booking a restaurant somewhereto eat if that's what you want
to do.
Don't do the mistake that I did.
It wasn't in London last year,I was actually in Budapest, and
I left it far too late to takemy own advice and though I
managed to book something, itall was very messed up in the
(05:48):
end and a can of sport onChristmas day.
So I don't want that to happento you in London, so do prepare
ahead Now if you're staying inan apartment or self catering.
Here's an important tipSupermarkets and food shops also
close early on Christmas Eve.
So many marks and expensessimply food branches close on
Christmas Eve.
So many Marks and Spencerssimply food branches close by
around 4.
Most big supermarkets, such asTesco's or Sainsbury's, close
(06:11):
between 6 and 7 pm On ChristmasDay.
They're all shut.
So stock up on groceries,drinks and snacks before then.
Otherwise you're going tostruggle to find anything open.
More about shopping OnChristmas Eve most shops will
close by 4 or 5 pm.
Everything is closed onChristmas Day.
Then on Boxing Day, their bigsales begin.
So these are really really bigsales.
(06:33):
Really popular Places likeHarrods, selfridges, oxford
Street, regent Street and theWestfield Shopping Centre will
be incredibly, incredibly busy.
So if you want to shop, goearly and be prepared for queues
.
As I've mentioned as well, onChristmas Eve supermarkets will
close early, so make sure thatyou've stocked up well, and they
(06:54):
don't reopen until the 26th, soyou need to think ahead for
your food Now.
When it comes to weather andpacking, london December is cold
and damp.
Generally average temperaturesare between three and nine
degrees, that's, 37 to 48Fahrenheit, so pretty chilly
Rain is quite common.
Snow, unfortunately, is rare.
Even though we kind of wish forit every winter, it is pretty
(07:17):
rare.
In London around the Christmasseason, make sure that you pack
layers, a waterproof coat,sturdy shoes or boots, and don't
forget your scarf, gloves andhat.
I do have a brand new articleabout what to pack for London in
winter and I will link to thatin the show notes, so take a
look at that if you're not sureabout what to pack.
Now, one of the festivehighlights, so I've mentioned
(07:39):
that.
London, honestly, is justfabulous.
I love it.
I genuinely love it.
At Christmas, it does getreally, really busy, so let me
just say that.
So these are some of the thingsthat I'd suggest that you look
at Maybe Evensong, westminsterAbbey or St Paul's Cathedral
Beautiful, atmospheric and it'sfree.
I will just say I actually wentto Evensong this year at St
(08:02):
Paul's Cathedral it was inJanuary, so after Christmas,
yeah and I was shocked at thefact that I was stood next to
somebody who was recording itand in fact, we're told at the
beginning please, please, orrequested, no, please, do not
record or video any of it.
And this lady stood next to meshe was trying to be sneaky with
(08:24):
it but recording on her phone,and I just felt in fact it
ruined it for me because I wasdistracted by the fact that she
was doing something sheshouldn't have been doing and
recording.
So I'm just going to say thatattend Evensong, have a
wonderful time, but please,please, please, just be in the
moment, just be in the momentand enjoy it.
Also, visit at least oneChristmas market.
Hyde Park Winter Wonderland isthe big one.
(08:46):
It runs from late Novemberuntil early January.
To be honest, I haven't been toit.
I like South Bank Winter Market.
That's very popular.
Covent Garden Covent Garden isprobably my favorite area to
wander around.
It just has a lovely festivefeel.
And, of course, don't miss theChristmas lights.
They are stunning, honestly,and I've traveled all around
(09:08):
lots of countries in Europe lastDecember and to my mind, nobody
beats London for the Christmaslights.
So Regent Street, carnabyStreet, covent Garden they're
just all amazing.
And of course, check out theChristmas tree, the very famous
Christmas tree in the middle ofTrafalgar Square.
Now I will link to my articleson where to find the Christmas
lights and festive things to doin the show notes.
(09:29):
So if you want more details, docheck those out.
Now a little bit about ChristmasEve and Christmas Day, just
kind of what it's like.
So on the 24th of Decemberattractions and transport close
down early, so plan to be backat your accommodation really by
evening.
Then on Christmas Day, with notraffic, it's actually one of
the best days for walking aroundcentral London.
(09:50):
It's so quiet.
You can stroll past BuckinghamPalace, westminster Tower Bridge
, along the Thames almost reallywithout the usual crowds.
So I would, if you're in LondonChristmas Day, go and have a
walk around because you'll findit's really really quiet.
Now New Year the official NewYear's Eve fireworks if you're
planning to be in London on NewYear's really really quiet.
(10:11):
Now New Year, the official NewYear's Eve fireworks if you're
planning to be in London on NewYear's Eve.
The fireworks take place on theSouth Bank by the London Eye
and Big Ben in Westminster.
It's a ticketed event withfenced viewing zones along the
Thames.
Now, as of recording thispodcast, which is the 19th of
September, tickets are not yeton sale.
The Mayor's office says arelease date will be announced
(10:33):
soon.
So potentially by the time thispodcast is out.
They have been released, so dogo and check that out if you
want to go and get some tickets.
If you don't get tickets, goodalternatives are rooftop bars,
hotel terraces or take a rivercruise, or you can just watch it
live on the BBC One and iPlayer.
Don't miss the New Year's Paradeeither, on the 1st of January.
(10:55):
It starts at 11am in Piccadillyand runs via Regent Street in
Trafalgar Square and finishesnear Parliament Square.
It's free to watch and has abrilliant atmosphere.
So now that I've covered theessential tips for planning
Christmas in London, let's talkabout one of the most magical
experiences you can add to yourtrip a Christmas lights taxi
(11:17):
tour.
Now, discover Real London aregreat friends of UK Travel
Planet, and their private blackcab tours are always always so
popular.
Now, at Christmas, they cantake you right through the
city's best festive displays.
So Ollie is here with me todayto share what makes their
Christmas lights taxi tours sospecial.
So, hi, olly, for anyone new tothe podcast, can you give us a
quick snapshot of Discover RealLondon Black Cab Tours please?
Speaker 3 (11:38):
Hi, gracie.
So thanks so much for having meon again.
It's really great to be hereand to be speaking to all your
wonderful listeners.
So Discover Real London.
We are a sightseeing companybased in London and we
specialize in private tours iniconic and panoramic black taxis
.
So all our drivers qualifiedguides and we whiz you around
(12:00):
the city effortlessly, showingyou all sorts of wonderful
things, whether it's the bigsites you're interested in, the
secret back streets and hiddencorners and specialist novelty
tours like Ted Lasso, jack theRipper, the Beatles, all that
good stuff.
And I think today we're goingto be talking about one of our
festive offerings, which is ourChristmas lights tours.
Speaker 1 (12:22):
Yeah, we are.
I couldn't resist talking aboutLondon at Christmas and not
including you on it.
You had to be involved in it,and anybody who has taken one of
your Black Cab tours has ravedabout it.
We have so many amazing reviewsin our Facebook group and I
felt I could not leave out aChristmas episode without
(12:43):
talking about your ChristmasLights taxi tour.
So talk about it.
What areas or displays do youmake sure to include, and what
are the real highlights of goingout with you guys?
Speaker 3 (12:52):
So great question, Tracy, with the Christmas Lights
Tours we are absolutely spoiltfor choice in London for festive
decorations and lights.
It's truly glorious to wanderaround and in our cabs you get
the best of everything, becausewe can not only include the
really show-stopping lights ofplaces like Regent Street,
(13:15):
fortnum and Mason, old BondStreet, Piccadilly, all the
other great stuff, but we cantake you to some more intimate
places because if anyone's everbeen to London at Christmas, it
is a little bit a victim of hisown success.
It is very, very energetic.
A lot of people want to comeout and see these wonderful
lights, for good reason, um.
But if you just stick to themain main streets and big drags
(13:38):
then you are going to encountera lot of crowds.
It's going to be very busy, butwhat we try and do is, of
course we tick that off but wetake you to some more intimate
sort of side streets.
That's going to show you somewonderful, intimate shop
displays that you know youwouldn't find that are so
wonderful.
Not only are they illuminated,they've often got decorations
(13:59):
and moving bits and that sort ofstuff inside and some other
neighborhoods we try and get toas well.
Obviously depends a little biton your pick up and drop off
specification, because one ofthe great things about our tours
is that we do pick up a dropoff anywhere in central London
so you can combine a tour withmaybe leaving your hotel at, say
, half three and you want toarrive at dinner at quarter past
(14:19):
six for a christmas light, sothen we can do that.
That's one of the good things.
So exactly where the hiddenstuff is changes a little bit,
but typically it's places likethe little lovely streets down
in belgravia and some of eventhe private, you know,
residential decorations that youmight see on the way down.
We'll go down to St James's andwe're going to be hopping out
the cab as well, so walking downsome little alleyways, seeing
(14:41):
some Christmas trees, really,really great photo opportunities
, especially for families.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
Yeah, I was going to mention that.
I have to say I love London atChristmas and I love the
Christmas lights.
It really is just so magical.
And the fact that when we goout with you guys is that you
know all these places.
I mean, I've done the Open TopBus, which was great.
I did it last year, but I sat intraffic for a lot of that time
(15:09):
and I know, when I go out withyou guys, that you can kind of
zip around and do things that alot of other people can't, uh,
in london.
So it makes it just so muchmore special.
And also the fact that you canpark up and and people can hop
out and go and take the photosis is fantastic.
So when, if somebody's bookinga tour and they want to do the
(15:30):
festive lights tour like howlong does that last for and how
easy is it for them to justorganise with you and say, look
at this point, I want to hop outand I want to go take some
photos, so do you drop them offand then pick them up?
How does it work?
Speaker 3 (15:44):
Great question, tracy .
So when someone books on aChristmas lights tour quite
often because of our lovelyreviews and other referrals and
you know great communities likeyours uh, people sort of know a
little bit what they're getting.
They leave it to us.
Generally they they say yep,we're going to sit back, we're
going to hop in you guys, uh, wetrust you where we're going to
go, but obviously we can dorequests as well.
(16:04):
People have something.
But a typical tour we'll set off, we will, on our way around,
tick off, as I say, the bigsites, but we'll be hopping out
to get those pictures.
It's not just you jumping outand taking a picture of
something that's wonderful andstimulating.
Our drivers are really going toemphasize.
They're not only to wrap theirarms around you a bit, take you
(16:27):
around, show you all the greatstuff and give you a bit of info
, but they're going to promptyou where there's really good
photo opportunities.
Oh, why don't you come andstand next to this red phone box
?
We're going to get all theselights behind.
Come over here on our lovelyChristmas tree where there's
going to be no crowds nearby.
Let's get a lovely family photoof you and the little ones next
to this.
So they're going to be a littlebit like your personal
(16:48):
photographer.
They're going to be using your,your phone or camera, um, but,
um, yeah, certainly we're goingto be.
We're going to be hopping outdecember.
Yeah, it is starting to get abit cold in london, so the cab
is going to be one of the greatassets that you're going to be
able to move around and you'regoing to you're going to be able
to keep warm and toasty inbetween these stops as well.
Um, occasionally people don'twant to get out, they just want
(17:10):
to zip around, tick stuff off,but normally, yeah, the beauty
of it is you're going from siteto site, hopping out, driving
lots of fun.
Along the way, the driversoften stick a few Christmas
carols and stuff on to emphasizethat festive spirit.
So, yeah, it's lots of fun.
And the duration that youmentioned, tracy, with the sweet
spot that we found, is two anda half hours.
(17:31):
That's enough to see differentneighborhoods and different
sites and take all the big stuff.
But you know, a lot of the timeit's family, so it's a perfect
sort of time for the kids aswell.
Speaker 1 (17:42):
Oh, absolutely fantastic.
So, obviously, what makesseeing the lights from a black
cab such a special experience?
And you've kind of covered alot of that?
But you, you know, I've done alot of the walking around as
well and I've done the kind ofpublic transport trying to see
the lights.
And I must admit, uh, last yearI went into, I went into
central london about three timesand still didn't manage to see
everything.
Um, because it's spread out,and I think that that's the
(18:04):
other thing is like they're not.
There are some that are closetogether, but actually if you
want to go out to ball gravieryou've got to get yourself out
there, so it's a little bit moretricky.
So I guess, um, what's theadvantages of and what's so
special, apart from the factit's going to be lovely and warm
and you've got a fantasticdriver, but what makes it just
that just more special, beingwith it, with you guys?
Speaker 3 (18:24):
one of the big usps tracy, as you'll know about um
jumping in out of cabs over theyears is our wonderful glass
roof.
So, for example, we often domulti-generational trips.
So it might be mom and dad, youknow, they might be in their
late 40s, whatever.
They've got kids with them thatare just super hyped and
excited about all the lights andall the Christive spirit, but
(18:45):
they're bringing their mom anddad as well.
So nanny and granddad are there.
Yeah, not everyone might bemobile to get out and look at
the lights and that sort ofthing.
So having the panoramic roofreally brings the lights to you,
even if you didn't want to getout on the stops often you're
getting a three-dimensional viewof our city.
So you can sit back, relax andyou can reach up and touch the
(19:07):
lights.
They're just above the cab.
So that's one of the really,really big USPs that really make
our tours jump out.
Apart from, you know all thegreat stuff that I covered about
getting out and that sort ofstuff.
Also when I mentioned thefootfall in the West End at
Christmas, you know that iswhere these huge retailers make
a lot of their money on the runup to Christmas, so no surprise
(19:28):
there's people everywhere, butalso there's a lot of traffic.
Having a cab where you canpivot, do a U-turn you know
you've done Regent Street,you've got your pictures you
want to get out of there.
You don't want to be queuingall the way back to the end.
Getting out of the traffic is areally good asset as well,
because it's going to whiz youaround.
You're going to pack as much aspossible into that two and a
half hours.
Speaker 1 (19:47):
Absolutely perfect.
Now tell us a little bit aboutyour drivers.
So are they going to sharestories and a bit of festive
history as they go around on thetour?
Speaker 3 (19:55):
yeah, our drivers are the superstars.
Our vehicles are iconic, youknow, they're perfectly made for
doing tours, but the reallegends behind these tours are
our drivers.
They're all qualified guides,they're all super passionate.
Um, they're hand-picked andtrained by myself.
So, uh, they they're trulywonderful and they're going to
make, they make sure every touris extra special.
But, yeah, they're going to begiving info about the areas that
(20:17):
you're in little tidbits andstories about whether it's shot,
history of shops and thingslike that.
Um, and yeah, they I wouldn'tsell the the lights as a history
tour and a you know as in depthas we would do as a normal
sightseeing tour, becausethey're not.
They're a bit more fun,lighthearted, that sort of thing
.
But yeah, they'll be talkingabout the Norwegian spruce in
Trafalgar Square, therelationship and support that we
(20:41):
gave Norway during the war, andhow they've been donating a
tree since 1947.
They'll be talking about thefirst ever Christmas lights that
graced the streets of Londonback in 1954 in Regent Street.
They'll be talking about thefirst ever Christmas card that
was printed back in 1843 in OldBond Street.
So they'll be given littletidbits as well, but, yeah, it's
not going to be to the historicdepths that we do.
(21:04):
Our normal tours are, but theyare going to be giving stories
and fun bits of trivia as theygo around.
Speaker 1 (21:09):
It sounds like so much fun and I just know that
our listeners are thinking oh,I'm going to be in London over
the festive period, I want toget this booked.
So can you share any tips forbooking, like, how far in
advance do people need to bethinking about booking?
This episode is out beginningof October.
Should we be getting in contactwith you and booking now?
Speaker 3 (21:27):
Yeah.
So to book our tours, simply goto our website,
wwwdiscoverreallondoncom.
You'll find all our tours onthere, including our christmas
lights tours.
Um details logistically aboutum, your bookings.
We do two settings okay.
We do an earlier tour whichkicks off at 3 45, so it's just
dusk is coming then, um.
(21:49):
So that's really great.
If you're with maybe youngerpassengers and you want to have
an early you know, early dinnerat 6 30, that's going to be
great.
We're going to arrive at the um, at the restaurant, at four
past six, so that fits inperfectly.
Maybe you want to kick off abit later?
We do another time tourstarting at seven o'clock, okay.
So maybe if you have an earlytea and you want to do that and
(22:10):
then finish at the hotel, or youknow if it's all adults, you're
going out drinking or eatinglater, that's great for you as
well.
The taxis fit up to six peopleum, in a conference.
That's really nice and social.
You've got three forward facingseats, three, three rear facing
seats, so all the fun's reallyenjoyed together.
When you're looking look atthat dad, look at that mum
you're all really amongst itenjoying it, um, enjoying it
(22:33):
together.
Um, the tours are 340 poundsand that is per taxi, not per
person.
So you think you divide aboutsix, then you're getting a
really really good deal.
And yeah, I think from all thereviews that we get on your,
your community and our website,I think people really, really
realize the value that we bringonce they've done the tour and
they think, you know what, wecould have never done that in
(22:54):
this time on our own.
Some people are traveling thewhole of Europe and they might
come to London for just a coupleof nights.
So, yeah, I think that thevalue we bring is that we make
it so stress-free and easy andtick off so much in such an
effortless way.
Regarding lead times, we've gotlots of availability at the
moment.
We are actually sold out onboxing day already.
(23:17):
So boxing day for yourlisteners, we refer to that that
in england that's the 26th ofdecember.
We're not open on christmas dayand we don't do tours um after
midday on new year's eve.
We'd love to, but the roadsjust shut down for the new
year's eve parade, for the newyear's eve fireworks and that
sort of stuff.
So it's logistically, even withour superpowers, it's not
(23:37):
possible to do a tour in theafternoon, but at the moment all
the other dates are open.
We get very, very busy betweensort of the 21st of December and
the 31st of New Year.
So if you're coming in betweenChristmas and New Year, it's a
really, really, really good ideafor you to get on and get your
tours booked now.
We will often set out actuallyof most of our tours on the run
(23:59):
up between that period becauseit is really, really busy in
London.
So that's my top tips for youguys.
It's always best to book aheadanyway, but particularly if
you're coming in betweenChristmas and New Year, then
it's going to be super busy andyou can get a full refund up
until seven days before yourtour, okay.
So if you're you're pretty sureyou want to commit maybe
someone's still sorting outtheir travel arrangements and
(24:21):
you want to make sure you've gotthat option if you book now,
you can get a full refund up toseven days before the start of
the tour brilliant ollie.
Speaker 1 (24:29):
Well, I will link to discover real london on the
notes, and we've also gotactually an entire page now on
the London Travel Planning dotcom website so you can go and
check out Ollie's tours and someof the fantastic reviews that
you've received from members ofour community.
But it's been great to chatwith you, ollie, and I can't
wait to see some of the photosthat I know are going to get
(24:51):
shared in the Facebook group bypeople who book the tour.
Speaker 3 (24:55):
Thanks so much, tracey.
It's been a pleasure to jump onthe podcast again and, yeah, we
look forward to welcoming allof your wonderful listeners to
London soon.
Speaker 1 (25:04):
Thanks again to Ollie for joining me and sharing all
the details about the ChristmasLights Taxi Tour.
It really is such a brilliantway to experience London's
festive sparkle.
Now, before I finish today'sepisode, I just want to say a
huge, huge thank you to ourpodcast sponsors.
We really appreciate you Peoplelike Karen, lisa, shannon and
(25:26):
Amy who are just four of ourlisteners helping to support the
show.
Each month we get so muchlovely feedback from you saying
how much this podcast has helpedwith your trip planning and
please, if you found it useful,please, please, please, consider
saying thank you by becoming asponsor.
It takes a considerable amountof time and money each month to
(25:46):
create the show and your supportreally does make such a
difference to us.
It doesn't have to be much.
You can support us from aslittle as $3 a month and you can
find the link in the show notes.
Really, thank you so much.
If you do, we really appreciateit and we will give you a shout
out in a future episode.
Thanks so much for tuning in.
(26:07):
I hope this episode has helpedyou feel confident about
planning a Christmas or New Yeartrip to London.
You'll find all the links andresources in the show notes,
including my guides to Christmaslights and festive things to do
, and I'd love to hear from youtoo.
Have you spent Christmas inLondon?
Share your stories in our UKTravel Planning Facebook
community or leave me a messageon Speakpipe.
But until next time, as usual,happy UK travel planning from me
(26:32):
.
Bye.
Thank you for tuning in to thisweek's episode of the UK Travel
Planning Podcast.
As always, show notes can befound at uktravelplanningcom.
If you've enjoyed the show, whynot leave us feedback via text
or a review on your favouritepodcast app?
We love to hear from you andyou never know.
You may receive a shout out ina future episode.
(26:55):
But, as always, that justleaves me to say until next week
.
Happy UK travel planning.
Thinking of Christmas in London from sparkling lights
and festive markets to key tipson opening times, getting
around and what to book aheadthis episode has everything you
need to plan your holiday visitsmoothly.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Welcome to the UK Travel Planning Podcast.
Your host is the founder of theUK Travel Planning website,
tracey Collins.
Each week, tracey sharesdestination guides, travel tips
and itinerary ideas, as well asinterviews with a variety of
guests who share their knowledgeand experience of UK travel to
help you plan your perfect UKvacation.
Join us as we explore the UKfrom cosmopolitan cities to
(00:35):
quaint villages, from historiccastles to beautiful islands,
and from the picturesquecountryside to seaside towns
side to seaside towns.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
Hi, it's Tracey here and welcome to episode 170 of
the UK Travel Planet podcast.
Today I'm going to shareeverything you need to know if
you're planning a Christmas orNew Year trip to London.
It's such a magical time ofyear.
It's one of my favourite timesto visit London, as I'm sure if
you've listened to earlyepisodes you'll know.
I just love the lights, thedecorations, the atmosphere.
It's just fabulous and so, somagical.
(01:16):
But obviously that also means itcomes with some rather unique
challenges.
Some attractions are closed,public transport stops and even
finding somewhere to eat onChristmas Day can take some
forward planning.
So in this episode I'm going togive you an idea about what's
open and closed, how to getaround, what to consider booking
ahead, where you can eat onChristmas Day, what to pack and
(01:37):
a few festive highlights to makeyour trip extra special.
And I'm also joined later inthe episode by Ollie from
Discover Real London.
He'll be here to tell you allabout their Christmas lights,
taxi tours.
Anyway, all right, let's getstarted with the key things you
need to know if you're planninga visit to London over Christmas
and New Year.
(01:57):
Now let's start with closures.
On Christmas Day, all the majormuseums and attractions are
closed.
That includes the BritishMuseum, the Natural History
Museum, the Science Museum myfavourite, the V&A, tate Modern,
tate Britain National Gallery,tower of London, london Eye and
none of those are open on the25th of December.
(02:18):
On Christmas Eve, many placesclose early, often by
mid-afternoon, so you need tokeep that in mind.
And on Boxing Day, some reopenbut some also stay closed.
For example, the British Museumis shut on the 24th, 25th and
26th.
(02:38):
So the safest rule is don'tplan any sightseeing for
Christmas Day that involves youactually going into an
attraction or a landmark becausechances are, or a museum
because chances are they'regoing to be shut, and always,
always also check ahead for the24th and the 26th.
Don't assume that the placesyou might want to go and visit
(03:00):
are actually going to be open.
It's important to check.
So once you've sorted youritinerary out or you've got an
idea of the places that you wantto go and visit, double check
that they're open.
Transportation Now, onChristmas Day there is no public
transport in London no tube, nobuses, no overground, no
(03:20):
Docklands Light Railway, notrains and no airport express
services like the Heathrow orGatwick Express.
That's really, really important.
I can't stress that because Iknow quite a few of you may be
flying in on Christmas Day Now.
The one exception is that thereare National Express coaches
Now.
They are privately run but opento the public.
Obviously you could just bookyour seat.
(03:41):
They operate a limited service.
For example, you can get fromHeath seat.
They operate a limited service.
For example, you can get fromHeathrow into central London to
Victoria coach station, butseats are limited and you must
pre-book.
I cannot stress enough that ifyou're flying in on Christmas
day, you must, must, must sortout how you're going to get to
your accommodation.
Your only other option on the25th is to pre-book a private
(04:03):
transfer, a taxi or a minicab.
I will put a link to Riz, theXFA Cars, who we partner with,
so you can inquire with Riz fora quote for Christmas Day if he
still has availability.
I can't stress enough that youneed to get on with this if you
are planning to fly into Londonon the 25th.
Now on Boxing Day, the Tube andthe Overground do usually run
(04:24):
on a reduced service, but longdistance trains don't start
early On New Year's Eve.
There are extra late nightservices that are crowded, and
on New Year's Day, servicesgenerally resume from
mid-morning, so you need to beconsiderate, if you're traveling
Also Boxing Day, new Year's Eveand on New Year's Day as well,
to really plan how you're goingto get around now.
(04:45):
Another question that we areasked all the time in the
facebook group is about diningon christmas day.
Now, finding someone eatingchristmas day requires planning
ahead.
Most restaurants are closed,but there are a handful of
luxury hotels such as the ritz,claridge's, the savoy, waldorf,
hilton they serve a setChristmas lunch and other
popular options.
(05:06):
There's the Savoy Grill, theDuck and Waffle, and you can
find more festive dining choiceson sites like Open Table.
A few pubs will open too,though choices are limited.
Now expect prices to startaround about £100 to £200 or
more per person, and you need tobook in months in advance.
So if you are listening to thispodcast and you're planning to
(05:28):
be in London on Christmas day, Iwould urge you now to look at
booking a restaurant somewhereto eat if that's what you want
to do.
Don't do the mistake that I did.
It wasn't in London last year,I was actually in Budapest, and
I left it far too late to takemy own advice and though I
managed to book something, itall was very messed up in the
(05:48):
end and a can of sport onChristmas day.
So I don't want that to happento you in London, so do prepare
ahead Now if you're staying inan apartment or self catering.
Here's an important tipSupermarkets and food shops also
close early on Christmas Eve.
So many marks and expensessimply food branches close on
Christmas Eve.
So many Marks and Spencerssimply food branches close by
around 4.
Most big supermarkets, such asTesco's or Sainsbury's, close
(06:11):
between 6 and 7 pm On ChristmasDay.
They're all shut.
So stock up on groceries,drinks and snacks before then.
Otherwise you're going tostruggle to find anything open.
More about shopping OnChristmas Eve most shops will
close by 4 or 5 pm.
Everything is closed onChristmas Day.
Then on Boxing Day, their bigsales begin.
So these are really really bigsales.
(06:33):
Really popular Places likeHarrods, selfridges, oxford
Street, regent Street and theWestfield Shopping Centre will
be incredibly, incredibly busy.
So if you want to shop, goearly and be prepared for queues
.
As I've mentioned as well, onChristmas Eve supermarkets will
close early, so make sure thatyou've stocked up well, and they
(06:54):
don't reopen until the 26th, soyou need to think ahead for
your food Now.
When it comes to weather andpacking, london December is cold
and damp.
Generally average temperaturesare between three and nine
degrees, that's, 37 to 48Fahrenheit, so pretty chilly
Rain is quite common.
Snow, unfortunately, is rare.
Even though we kind of wish forit every winter, it is pretty
(07:17):
rare.
In London around the Christmasseason, make sure that you pack
layers, a waterproof coat,sturdy shoes or boots, and don't
forget your scarf, gloves andhat.
I do have a brand new articleabout what to pack for London in
winter and I will link to thatin the show notes, so take a
look at that if you're not sureabout what to pack.
Now, one of the festivehighlights, so I've mentioned
(07:39):
that.
London, honestly, is justfabulous.
I love it.
I genuinely love it.
At Christmas, it does getreally, really busy, so let me
just say that.
So these are some of the thingsthat I'd suggest that you look
at Maybe Evensong, westminsterAbbey or St Paul's Cathedral
Beautiful, atmospheric and it'sfree.
I will just say I actually wentto Evensong this year at St
(08:02):
Paul's Cathedral it was inJanuary, so after Christmas,
yeah and I was shocked at thefact that I was stood next to
somebody who was recording itand in fact, we're told at the
beginning please, please, orrequested, no, please, do not
record or video any of it.
And this lady stood next to meshe was trying to be sneaky with
(08:24):
it but recording on her phone,and I just felt in fact it
ruined it for me because I wasdistracted by the fact that she
was doing something sheshouldn't have been doing and
recording.
So I'm just going to say thatattend Evensong, have a
wonderful time, but please,please, please, just be in the
moment, just be in the momentand enjoy it.
Also, visit at least oneChristmas market.
Hyde Park Winter Wonderland isthe big one.
(08:46):
It runs from late Novemberuntil early January.
To be honest, I haven't been toit.
I like South Bank Winter Market.
That's very popular.
Covent Garden Covent Garden isprobably my favorite area to
wander around.
It just has a lovely festivefeel.
And, of course, don't miss theChristmas lights.
They are stunning, honestly,and I've traveled all around
(09:08):
lots of countries in Europe lastDecember and to my mind, nobody
beats London for the Christmaslights.
So Regent Street, carnabyStreet, covent Garden they're
just all amazing.
And of course, check out theChristmas tree, the very famous
Christmas tree in the middle ofTrafalgar Square.
Now I will link to my articleson where to find the Christmas
lights and festive things to doin the show notes.
(09:29):
So if you want more details, docheck those out.
Now a little bit about ChristmasEve and Christmas Day, just
kind of what it's like.
So on the 24th of Decemberattractions and transport close
down early, so plan to be backat your accommodation really by
evening.
Then on Christmas Day, with notraffic, it's actually one of
the best days for walking aroundcentral London.
(09:50):
It's so quiet.
You can stroll past BuckinghamPalace, westminster Tower Bridge
, along the Thames almost reallywithout the usual crowds.
So I would, if you're in LondonChristmas Day, go and have a
walk around because you'll findit's really really quiet.
Now New Year the official NewYear's Eve fireworks if you're
planning to be in London on NewYear's really really quiet.
(10:11):
Now New Year, the official NewYear's Eve fireworks if you're
planning to be in London on NewYear's Eve.
The fireworks take place on theSouth Bank by the London Eye
and Big Ben in Westminster.
It's a ticketed event withfenced viewing zones along the
Thames.
Now, as of recording thispodcast, which is the 19th of
September, tickets are not yeton sale.
The Mayor's office says arelease date will be announced
(10:33):
soon.
So potentially by the time thispodcast is out.
They have been released, so dogo and check that out if you
want to go and get some tickets.
If you don't get tickets, goodalternatives are rooftop bars,
hotel terraces or take a rivercruise, or you can just watch it
live on the BBC One and iPlayer.
Don't miss the New Year's Paradeeither, on the 1st of January.
(10:55):
It starts at 11am in Piccadillyand runs via Regent Street in
Trafalgar Square and finishesnear Parliament Square.
It's free to watch and has abrilliant atmosphere.
So now that I've covered theessential tips for planning
Christmas in London, let's talkabout one of the most magical
experiences you can add to yourtrip a Christmas lights taxi
(11:17):
tour.
Now, discover Real London aregreat friends of UK Travel
Planet, and their private blackcab tours are always always so
popular.
Now, at Christmas, they cantake you right through the
city's best festive displays.
So Ollie is here with me todayto share what makes their
Christmas lights taxi tours sospecial.
So, hi, olly, for anyone new tothe podcast, can you give us a
quick snapshot of Discover RealLondon Black Cab Tours please?
Speaker 3 (11:38):
Hi, gracie.
So thanks so much for having meon again.
It's really great to be hereand to be speaking to all your
wonderful listeners.
So Discover Real London.
We are a sightseeing companybased in London and we
specialize in private tours iniconic and panoramic black taxis
.
So all our drivers qualifiedguides and we whiz you around
(12:00):
the city effortlessly, showingyou all sorts of wonderful
things, whether it's the bigsites you're interested in, the
secret back streets and hiddencorners and specialist novelty
tours like Ted Lasso, jack theRipper, the Beatles, all that
good stuff.
And I think today we're goingto be talking about one of our
festive offerings, which is ourChristmas lights tours.
Speaker 1 (12:22):
Yeah, we are.
I couldn't resist talking aboutLondon at Christmas and not
including you on it.
You had to be involved in it,and anybody who has taken one of
your Black Cab tours has ravedabout it.
We have so many amazing reviewsin our Facebook group and I
felt I could not leave out aChristmas episode without
(12:43):
talking about your ChristmasLights taxi tour.
So talk about it.
What areas or displays do youmake sure to include, and what
are the real highlights of goingout with you guys?
Speaker 3 (12:52):
So great question, Tracy, with the Christmas Lights
Tours we are absolutely spoiltfor choice in London for festive
decorations and lights.
It's truly glorious to wanderaround and in our cabs you get
the best of everything, becausewe can not only include the
really show-stopping lights ofplaces like Regent Street,
(13:15):
fortnum and Mason, old BondStreet, Piccadilly, all the
other great stuff, but we cantake you to some more intimate
places because if anyone's everbeen to London at Christmas, it
is a little bit a victim of hisown success.
It is very, very energetic.
A lot of people want to comeout and see these wonderful
lights, for good reason, um.
But if you just stick to themain main streets and big drags
(13:38):
then you are going to encountera lot of crowds.
It's going to be very busy, butwhat we try and do is, of
course we tick that off but wetake you to some more intimate
sort of side streets.
That's going to show you somewonderful, intimate shop
displays that you know youwouldn't find that are so
wonderful.
Not only are they illuminated,they've often got decorations
(13:59):
and moving bits and that sort ofstuff inside and some other
neighborhoods we try and get toas well.
Obviously depends a little biton your pick up and drop off
specification, because one ofthe great things about our tours
is that we do pick up a dropoff anywhere in central London
so you can combine a tour withmaybe leaving your hotel at, say
, half three and you want toarrive at dinner at quarter past
(14:19):
six for a christmas light, sothen we can do that.
That's one of the good things.
So exactly where the hiddenstuff is changes a little bit,
but typically it's places likethe little lovely streets down
in belgravia and some of eventhe private, you know,
residential decorations that youmight see on the way down.
We'll go down to St James's andwe're going to be hopping out
the cab as well, so walking downsome little alleyways, seeing
(14:41):
some Christmas trees, really,really great photo opportunities
, especially for families.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
Yeah, I was going to mention that.
I have to say I love London atChristmas and I love the
Christmas lights.
It really is just so magical.
And the fact that when we goout with you guys is that you
know all these places.
I mean, I've done the Open TopBus, which was great.
I did it last year, but I sat intraffic for a lot of that time
(15:09):
and I know, when I go out withyou guys, that you can kind of
zip around and do things that alot of other people can't, uh,
in london.
So it makes it just so muchmore special.
And also the fact that you canpark up and and people can hop
out and go and take the photosis is fantastic.
So when, if somebody's bookinga tour and they want to do the
(15:30):
festive lights tour like howlong does that last for and how
easy is it for them to justorganise with you and say, look
at this point, I want to hop outand I want to go take some
photos, so do you drop them offand then pick them up?
How does it work?
Speaker 3 (15:44):
Great question, tracy .
So when someone books on aChristmas lights tour quite
often because of our lovelyreviews and other referrals and
you know great communities likeyours uh, people sort of know a
little bit what they're getting.
They leave it to us.
Generally they they say yep,we're going to sit back, we're
going to hop in you guys, uh, wetrust you where we're going to
go, but obviously we can dorequests as well.
(16:04):
People have something.
But a typical tour we'll set off, we will, on our way around,
tick off, as I say, the bigsites, but we'll be hopping out
to get those pictures.
It's not just you jumping outand taking a picture of
something that's wonderful andstimulating.
Our drivers are really going toemphasize.
They're not only to wrap theirarms around you a bit, take you
(16:27):
around, show you all the greatstuff and give you a bit of info
, but they're going to promptyou where there's really good
photo opportunities.
Oh, why don't you come andstand next to this red phone box
?
We're going to get all theselights behind.
Come over here on our lovelyChristmas tree where there's
going to be no crowds nearby.
Let's get a lovely family photoof you and the little ones next
to this.
So they're going to be a littlebit like your personal
(16:48):
photographer.
They're going to be using your,your phone or camera, um, but,
um, yeah, certainly we're goingto be.
We're going to be hopping outdecember.
Yeah, it is starting to get abit cold in london, so the cab
is going to be one of the greatassets that you're going to be
able to move around and you'regoing to you're going to be able
to keep warm and toasty inbetween these stops as well.
Um, occasionally people don'twant to get out, they just want
(17:10):
to zip around, tick stuff off,but normally, yeah, the beauty
of it is you're going from siteto site, hopping out, driving
lots of fun.
Along the way, the driversoften stick a few Christmas
carols and stuff on to emphasizethat festive spirit.
So, yeah, it's lots of fun.
And the duration that youmentioned, tracy, with the sweet
spot that we found, is two anda half hours.
(17:31):
That's enough to see differentneighborhoods and different
sites and take all the big stuff.
But you know, a lot of the timeit's family, so it's a perfect
sort of time for the kids aswell.
Speaker 1 (17:42):
Oh, absolutely fantastic.
So, obviously, what makesseeing the lights from a black
cab such a special experience?
And you've kind of covered alot of that?
But you, you know, I've done alot of the walking around as
well and I've done the kind ofpublic transport trying to see
the lights.
And I must admit, uh, last yearI went into, I went into
central london about three timesand still didn't manage to see
everything.
Um, because it's spread out,and I think that that's the
(18:04):
other thing is like they're not.
There are some that are closetogether, but actually if you
want to go out to ball gravieryou've got to get yourself out
there, so it's a little bit moretricky.
So I guess, um, what's theadvantages of and what's so
special, apart from the factit's going to be lovely and warm
and you've got a fantasticdriver, but what makes it just
that just more special, beingwith it, with you guys?
Speaker 3 (18:24):
one of the big usps tracy, as you'll know about um
jumping in out of cabs over theyears is our wonderful glass
roof.
So, for example, we often domulti-generational trips.
So it might be mom and dad, youknow, they might be in their
late 40s, whatever.
They've got kids with them thatare just super hyped and
excited about all the lights andall the Christive spirit, but
(18:45):
they're bringing their mom anddad as well.
So nanny and granddad are there.
Yeah, not everyone might bemobile to get out and look at
the lights and that sort ofthing.
So having the panoramic roofreally brings the lights to you,
even if you didn't want to getout on the stops often you're
getting a three-dimensional viewof our city.
So you can sit back, relax andyou can reach up and touch the
(19:07):
lights.
They're just above the cab.
So that's one of the really,really big USPs that really make
our tours jump out.
Apart from, you know all thegreat stuff that I covered about
getting out and that sort ofstuff.
Also when I mentioned thefootfall in the West End at
Christmas, you know that iswhere these huge retailers make
a lot of their money on the runup to Christmas, so no surprise
(19:28):
there's people everywhere, butalso there's a lot of traffic.
Having a cab where you canpivot, do a U-turn you know
you've done Regent Street,you've got your pictures you
want to get out of there.
You don't want to be queuingall the way back to the end.
Getting out of the traffic is areally good asset as well,
because it's going to whiz youaround.
You're going to pack as much aspossible into that two and a
half hours.
Speaker 1 (19:47):
Absolutely perfect.
Now tell us a little bit aboutyour drivers.
So are they going to sharestories and a bit of festive
history as they go around on thetour?
Speaker 3 (19:55):
yeah, our drivers are the superstars.
Our vehicles are iconic, youknow, they're perfectly made for
doing tours, but the reallegends behind these tours are
our drivers.
They're all qualified guides,they're all super passionate.
Um, they're hand-picked andtrained by myself.
So, uh, they they're trulywonderful and they're going to
make, they make sure every touris extra special.
But, yeah, they're going to begiving info about the areas that
(20:17):
you're in little tidbits andstories about whether it's shot,
history of shops and thingslike that.
Um, and yeah, they I wouldn'tsell the the lights as a history
tour and a you know as in depthas we would do as a normal
sightseeing tour, becausethey're not.
They're a bit more fun,lighthearted, that sort of thing
.
But yeah, they'll be talkingabout the Norwegian spruce in
Trafalgar Square, therelationship and support that we
(20:41):
gave Norway during the war, andhow they've been donating a
tree since 1947.
They'll be talking about thefirst ever Christmas lights that
graced the streets of Londonback in 1954 in Regent Street.
They'll be talking about thefirst ever Christmas card that
was printed back in 1843 in OldBond Street.
So they'll be given littletidbits as well, but, yeah, it's
not going to be to the historicdepths that we do.
(21:04):
Our normal tours are, but theyare going to be giving stories
and fun bits of trivia as theygo around.
Speaker 1 (21:09):
It sounds like so much fun and I just know that
our listeners are thinking oh,I'm going to be in London over
the festive period, I want toget this booked.
So can you share any tips forbooking, like, how far in
advance do people need to bethinking about booking?
This episode is out beginningof October.
Should we be getting in contactwith you and booking now?
Speaker 3 (21:27):
Yeah.
So to book our tours, simply goto our website,
wwwdiscoverreallondoncom.
You'll find all our tours onthere, including our christmas
lights tours.
Um details logistically aboutum, your bookings.
We do two settings okay.
We do an earlier tour whichkicks off at 3 45, so it's just
dusk is coming then, um.
(21:49):
So that's really great.
If you're with maybe youngerpassengers and you want to have
an early you know, early dinnerat 6 30, that's going to be
great.
We're going to arrive at the um, at the restaurant, at four
past six, so that fits inperfectly.
Maybe you want to kick off abit later?
We do another time tourstarting at seven o'clock, okay.
So maybe if you have an earlytea and you want to do that and
(22:10):
then finish at the hotel, or youknow if it's all adults, you're
going out drinking or eatinglater, that's great for you as
well.
The taxis fit up to six peopleum, in a conference.
That's really nice and social.
You've got three forward facingseats, three, three rear facing
seats, so all the fun's reallyenjoyed together.
When you're looking look atthat dad, look at that mum
you're all really amongst itenjoying it, um, enjoying it
(22:33):
together.
Um, the tours are 340 poundsand that is per taxi, not per
person.
So you think you divide aboutsix, then you're getting a
really really good deal.
And yeah, I think from all thereviews that we get on your,
your community and our website,I think people really, really
realize the value that we bringonce they've done the tour and
they think, you know what, wecould have never done that in
(22:54):
this time on our own.
Some people are traveling thewhole of Europe and they might
come to London for just a coupleof nights.
So, yeah, I think that thevalue we bring is that we make
it so stress-free and easy andtick off so much in such an
effortless way.
Regarding lead times, we've gotlots of availability at the
moment.
We are actually sold out onboxing day already.
(23:17):
So boxing day for yourlisteners, we refer to that that
in england that's the 26th ofdecember.
We're not open on christmas dayand we don't do tours um after
midday on new year's eve.
We'd love to, but the roadsjust shut down for the new
year's eve parade, for the newyear's eve fireworks and that
sort of stuff.
So it's logistically, even withour superpowers, it's not
(23:37):
possible to do a tour in theafternoon, but at the moment all
the other dates are open.
We get very, very busy betweensort of the 21st of December and
the 31st of New Year.
So if you're coming in betweenChristmas and New Year, it's a
really, really, really good ideafor you to get on and get your
tours booked now.
We will often set out actuallyof most of our tours on the run
(23:59):
up between that period becauseit is really, really busy in
London.
So that's my top tips for youguys.
It's always best to book aheadanyway, but particularly if
you're coming in betweenChristmas and New Year, then
it's going to be super busy andyou can get a full refund up
until seven days before yourtour, okay.
So if you're you're pretty sureyou want to commit maybe
someone's still sorting outtheir travel arrangements and
(24:21):
you want to make sure you've gotthat option if you book now,
you can get a full refund up toseven days before the start of
the tour brilliant ollie.
Speaker 1 (24:29):
Well, I will link to discover real london on the
notes, and we've also gotactually an entire page now on
the London Travel Planning dotcom website so you can go and
check out Ollie's tours and someof the fantastic reviews that
you've received from members ofour community.
But it's been great to chatwith you, ollie, and I can't
wait to see some of the photosthat I know are going to get
(24:51):
shared in the Facebook group bypeople who book the tour.
Speaker 3 (24:55):
Thanks so much, tracey.
It's been a pleasure to jump onthe podcast again and, yeah, we
look forward to welcoming allof your wonderful listeners to
London soon.
Speaker 1 (25:04):
Thanks again to Ollie for joining me and sharing all
the details about the ChristmasLights Taxi Tour.
It really is such a brilliantway to experience London's
festive sparkle.
Now, before I finish today'sepisode, I just want to say a
huge, huge thank you to ourpodcast sponsors.
We really appreciate you Peoplelike Karen, lisa, shannon and
(25:26):
Amy who are just four of ourlisteners helping to support the
show.
Each month we get so muchlovely feedback from you saying
how much this podcast has helpedwith your trip planning and
please, if you found it useful,please, please, please, consider
saying thank you by becoming asponsor.
It takes a considerable amountof time and money each month to
(25:46):
create the show and your supportreally does make such a
difference to us.
It doesn't have to be much.
You can support us from aslittle as $3 a month and you can
find the link in the show notes.
Really, thank you so much.
If you do, we really appreciateit and we will give you a shout
out in a future episode.
Thanks so much for tuning in.
(26:07):
I hope this episode has helpedyou feel confident about
planning a Christmas or New Yeartrip to London.
You'll find all the links andresources in the show notes,
including my guides to Christmaslights and festive things to do
, and I'd love to hear from youtoo.
Have you spent Christmas inLondon?
Share your stories in our UKTravel Planning Facebook
community or leave me a messageon Speakpipe.
But until next time, as usual,happy UK travel planning from me
(26:32):
.
Bye.
Thank you for tuning in to thisweek's episode of the UK Travel
Planning Podcast.
As always, show notes can befound at uktravelplanningcom.
If you've enjoyed the show, whynot leave us feedback via text
or a review on your favouritepodcast app?
We love to hear from you andyou never know.
You may receive a shout out ina future episode.
(26:55):
But, as always, that justleaves me to say until next week
.
Happy UK travel planning.
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