Christmas vacations in the UK
If you live somewhere hot and tropical, taking a cool winter December holiday in the UK might be your idea of paradise. Here are a few things worth knowing (and thinking about) before you finalize your arrangements.
Where to stay
Many people like staying in hotels or self-catering accommodation for the period between Christmas and New Year (from December 24 or 25 to at least January 1). As a result, accommodation is often more expensive during the festive season than at any other time of year. You will need to book well in advance to stay in the best places and you can expect them to be expensive. You may find great, last-minute deals on websites like Laterooms.com, but bear in mind that many hotels now use the tired old sales trick of inflating their "normal" daily rates (which they never actually charge) to make their actual rates look better. And consider carefully: do you really want to leave your Christmas break to chance? It could be fun to do that—to pick a destination almost completely at random at the very last minute. But it could also be an incredibly stressful disaster!
Another option is to consider some sort of home-swap/exchange. If you're Australian, for example, you'll find plenty of English people would jump at the chance of spending December on the beach! That kind of ambitious plan really needs to be organized from several months to a year in advance, though the Internet makes impulsive travel much more practical than it used to be.
Apart from all the usual stuff you take on holiday, don't forget a map of the local area (so you can go for a decent walk on Boxing Day, 26 December).
Snow
If you're looking for a white Christmas, prepare to be disappointed. Winters are much milder in the UK than they've been for years and snow at Christmas is now quite a rare thing. This is one reason why many people head to Scotland for the festive season. It's colder up there and it snows more often. But Scotland is also noted for its famous New Year's Eve Hogmanay celebrations (the strange name is believed to come from the northern French word hoginane, which referred to gifts given at this time). Scottish castles and hunting lodges are always a popular destination for festive fun.
If you're searching for "Hogmanay" on the Web, be sure to spell it right. Don't spell it "Hogmunny", "Hogmoney", "Hogmannay", "Hogmunnae", or in any of the other weird variations we've seen.
Transportation
Trains
The UK's railroad operators, Network Rail, often pick the festive season to carry out one or more major engineering projects. It's not unusual to find major disruption in one or more parts of the network between Christmas and New Year. Fortunately, engineering works are usually publicized well in advance so you can make alternative arrangements. Trains tend to become extremely full in the period from about 21-24 December, especially long-distance InterCity trains heading north from the south-east and London (because large numbers of Londoners leave the city to rejoin their families elsewhere). There's a parallel problem at the end of the festive season around the beginning of January when everyone goes back. Between Christmas and New Year, on 27, 28, and 29 December, the trains are often surprisingly empty and this can be the perfect time to move around the country. Alternatively, book your journey well in advance and reserve yourself a seat for free at the same time.
One thing worth noting is that Britain's trains have become much more crowded in the last decade as passenger numbers have risen; it's hard to carry lots of bulky parcels and presents and you're wise to travel with as little luggage as you can manage. One option worth considering is to buy some of your bulkier presents online and have them delivered in advance to the addresses where you're heading by a reliable company like Amazon.
One good thing is that, unlike festive accommodation, travelling by train at Christmas is no more expensive than it is at any other time of year.
Roads
Motorways and main roads are always busier on Christmas Eve and just
before New Year. There's a much higher chance of being stopped by
police and breath-tested during the festive season, but if you're
foolish and selfish enough to drink and drive, expect no sympathy. If
you're visiting the UK from overseas, make yourself familiar with the drink drive regulations
and other UK motoring laws by reading The Highway Code.
Christmas shopping
British retailers make a significant part of their annual income in the month leading up to Christmas. Many towns have special Christmas shopping nights when the stores stay open until perhaps 8pm or later. Most stores also open until the end of Christmas Eve. Shopping on Sundays, once prohibited by law, is now much the same as shopping on any other day of the week.
Package deals and going it alone
Many hotels do special Christmas package deals that make the whole festive season simple. But remember that the hotel is doing its best to make money out of you and packages are likely to include things you may not want (such as pre-Christmas drinks in the lounge). Read between the lines! If the hotel says something like "Why not relax in the hot tub and swimming pool after you arrive on Christmas Eve", bear in mind that there could be 200 other people arriving the same day with the same idea!
The Internet makes it much easier to organize your own "package". Once you've established where you want to stay (which town, that is), go to Google Maps and click on "Find businesses" to look for restaurants, entertainments, and other facilities nearby. Or phone the local tourist information centre and ask them to send you a brochure. Even if you're a hotel-package addict, it doesn't hurt (or cost anything) to look! You may find a fabulous restaurant, much better than the one in your hotel, that provides a better, cheaper Christmas lunch or dinner. Keeping your options open is often a good plan. If your hotel serves excellent dinners, fantastic. But if your first dinner there is a crushing disappointment and they never change the unimaginative menu, you'll be very glad of an opportunity to escape.
Whatever you do, wherever you go, have a great time!
A handy tip
If you're looking for accommodation, it really helps to spell it correctly. Lots of people come to this page looking for things like acomodation and accomodation.
At least no-one searches for accomadashun!
