Celebrating the New Year 2020 in London: hotel prices, how to spend New Year's Eve and how much dinner at a restaurant costs, where to go and what to see, as well as reviews and travel tips about the holiday in the capital of Great Britain.
Festive New Year's illumination is already decorating London in November. In the last month of the outgoing year, Christmas markets begin their work throughout the capital, people are entertained with free concerts, and the whole city is filled with joyful anticipation of the holiday.
How is New Years celebrated in England?
On New Year's Eve in London, the center of celebrations becomes Trafalgar Square... Since 1841, by order of the Queen, the country's main Christmas tree has been established here. Around the same time, a tradition arose to congratulate each other with postcards.
The Chelsea Fair is famous for its handicrafts; here you can buy pastries, souvenirs, postcards, and a hand-knitted sweater. Shop windows are full of festive promotions and offers; winter traditional sales start here right after Christmas.
On New Year's Eve, large numbers of people gather in Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Circus. Before midnight, the countdown begins, the numbers are shown on huge screens, everyone who has gathered in chorus counts. At midnight, Big Ben's solemn battle heralds the New Year, and with the final blow, the sky over the Thames flares up with thousands of fireworks. Usually the fireworks last about 40 minutes, then the people begin to disperse slowly: young people tend to nightclubs and pubs, older people - to restaurants.
Some restaurants in the capital practice themed parties; medieval banquets are very popular. Romantically inclined people prefer to take a cruise on the Thames, admiring the beautiful views of the city at night and enjoying a royal dinner aboard the yacht. This is a great opportunity to "walk" a new evening dress, and a ticket can be booked in advance through online services.
Weather in London in December
Usually at this time there is a plus temperature of +5 ... + 7 ° С, sometimes even higher, it can rain. Strong humidity intensifies the feeling of cold, but this does not prevent the British and guests of the country from celebrating the holiday cheerfully and enthusiastically. According to tourists, the capital is pretty cool, so they advise you to dress warmer (jacket, scarf, warm shoes) and grab an umbrella just in case.
What to do during your winter holidays?
In Hyde Park, a real kingdom opens with fairs, ice rinks and attractions, admission is free, all entertainment is paid locally. There is also an ice rink near the Natural History Museum, here you can always warm up with hot coffee or mulled wine.
During the day, you can stroll through the Tower and the Royal Botanic Gardens, visit Westminster Palace, Kensington Palace, Greenwich, Buckingham Palace and the famous Tower Bridge, Covent Garden, listen to opera or watch ballet at the Royal Opera House.
After the New Year celebrations in London on January 1, a parade is held in which several thousand people participate: musicians, acrobats, dancers, clowns. The parade starts at noon and lasts 3 hours and runs from Parliament Square to Baker Street via Piccadilly. Fireworks show is held in Chinatown.
Look for author's interesting excursions on the Sputnik and Tripster websites. Individual and group, no crowds of tourists and in Russian.
Prices for entrance tickets to various museums bite, so it is worthwhile to study the list of free attractions in the capital in advance. London Museum, British Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, National Gallery, National Maritime Museum - admission is free here. On January 1, most museums will be closed, and from the second day they work as usual.
You can look at the city from a height from many places, but one of the highest points is the London Eye - the Ferris wheel. Its height is almost 135 m. There is also a 4D cinema, which offers viewers a flight over the city with birds. The ticket costs about 19 pounds. The Oceanarium is located not far from the Ferris wheel.
For gifts and new things, you can go to Harrods or Selfridge. The beginning of sales causes constant excitement: it is difficult to refrain from shopping here, even if shopping was not planned, the general atmosphere is so captivating, and the assortment is wide.
Restaurants and pubs
If you decide to celebrate New Years in London, we recommend choosing a place for dinner in advance. If this is a very popular establishment, then even 2-3 months before the date. In addition, please note that not all establishments are open on New Year's Eve.
Popular restaurant with bar Oxo Tower Restaurant Southbank boasts the best view of the river and St. Paul's Cathedral, because it is located on the 8th floor of the tower of the same name. Seats here are booked in advance, the cost is high, the average check per person is 80-100 pounds (120-150 $), cocktails in the bar from 10 pounds (15 $).
Fans of exquisite French cuisine will be able to appreciate the skill of the chefs in the restaurant of the Dorchester hotel. Alain ducasse at the dorchesterwith 3 Michelin stars. Noble interior in snow-beige and golden tones, artistic presentation of dishes (foie gras, lobsters and white truffles), a special wine is recommended for each dish, which sets off and complements the taste of the dish. The prices are very high, as one of the visitors quipped - three stars dictate a three-digit price tag.
Another panoramic restaurant Babylon - this time on Kensington High Street. Live music and fine British cuisine: scallops, lamb, good wine selection. The average bill is £ 50 ($ 77).
Among the inexpensive establishments, there is a small pub on Fleet Street. Ye olde cheshire cheese... Prices are surprisingly modest - £ 3 ($ 4.6) costs a pint of beer, beer only from a local brewery. The institution is old, according to legend, Arthur Conan Doyle and Charles Dickens have been here. Low arches, wooden tables and benches with chairs, a small cozy room with a fireplace - here you can feel the spirit of old England.
Another atmospheric place that is extremely popular with tourists and bohemians is "French House" on Dean Street in Soho. This pub also has a rich history: among its regulars, Charles de Gaulle himself, probably for this reason, the institution was called French. The prices are affordable, the average check is 25 pounds (38 $).
Prices in London for the New Year - 2020
London is one of the most expensive cities, so if you are planning to celebrate the main holiday of the year there, get ready to fork out. On winter holidays, you should not go to the capital of Great Britain without prior reservation, it is better to worry about the hotel in advance (much in advance, it is advisable to book in early autumn or late summer). Hotels in the center are expensive, but you can take part in festivities, watch fireworks over the Thames and a bright parade.
On average, the price range for hotels with a rating of 1 * - $ 46-123, 2 * - $ 57-230, 3 stars - $ 70-407, 4 * - $ 118-713, 5 stars - $ 244-950. Impressive, right? Directly on New Year 2020 in central London, the cost of housing is as follows (note: the indicated cost is current at the time of this writing and may change):
- bed in a hostel - from $ 44;
- the most modest room in a two-star hotel costs from $ 68 (The Continental Hotel);
- in a 3 * hotel, a double room when booking 2-3 months in advance will cost from $ 88 per night (Olympia Hotel London);
- in a 4-star hotel - from $ 169 (The Gainsborough Hotel);
- in 5 * - from $ 269 (Gore Hotel London).
There are also ultra-expensive rooms - for example, as in the luxurious Haymarket Hotel London 5 *, where you can spend New Year's Eve for $ 2335.
If you take care of housing in advance and live outside the center of the capital, prices will be lower. Choose accommodation near metro stations - this will make it easier to get to the city's attractions. We advise you to search for good deals on the Roomguru.ru service - it will help you find inexpensive hotels and rooms with discounts.
According to reviews, you will have to pay $ 46-80 to enter the trendy nightclub, the cost of a night cruise on the river on December 31 is $ 230-300. New Year's Eve dinner at a restaurant will cost around $ 100-300, drinks are paid separately.
Food is not cheap here either. However, if you move away from the tourist areas, where your check is unlikely to be less than $ 30-50, then you can eat well at reasonable prices. Pop into the Bayswater area (north of Hyde Park) and you'll find authentic pubs, small cafes and fast food places serving locals. There are also inexpensive cafes near Edgware Road.
A budget breakfast will cost $ 5-9, lunch - $ 9-15, dinner - $ 12-22. A cup of coffee - $ 1.5-3. You can eat inexpensively in Indian or Chinese restaurants.
Reviews of tourists about New Year's holidays in London
In London, there is always where to go and what to see, the choice of a place depends on the personal preferences of travelers. To make the vacation a success, you just need to take into account a few points:
- Access to the bridges in the center of the capital may be limited at about eight o'clock in the evening for security reasons. Therefore, it is better to come to the center in advance, otherwise you will have to watch the festive fireworks on the TV screen.
- New Year's Eve dinner in restaurants takes place in three shifts (sitting). Usually, the price of dinner includes 3 dishes and a glass of champagne, for other drinks you need to pay extra separately. Each shift lasts approximately 1.5 hours: shift 1 starts at 19:30. You need to dress smartly, and after the end of the paid "shift" the seat at the table will have to be vacated, but you can go to the bar and listen to music there.
- Romantic cruises on the Thames usually start around 8pm (departure) and end at 1am. In Great Britain it is not customary to celebrate until the morning, with the exception of dance parties in clubs, tickets for which must be purchased in advance.
Winter London is unlikely to please travelers with good weather, but its austere features acquire a special charm on New Year's Eve, so admiring the sights of the British capital and going to museums during this period is especially pleasant.
