Did you know that Black Friday can be an excellent time for finding a great price on travel? I have long advised that the best way to save money on travel is to be flexible. If you have set dates you MUST travel on, you will nearly always end up paying more than you would if you can leave your plans open, and jump on a great deal when you see it, for the least expensive dates available. That was exactly what we were able to do, and managed to book a trip, as a package, for both airfare and hotel space, over Christmas, for comparable rates to February. Last minute booking can create a panic, if you are a planner, like I am. Christmas also creates unique challenges in London, and there is no bus or train service on Christmas Day, and many sites and restaurants are closed Dec 24-26. I dived into planning and now have a reasonably fleshed out itinerary, that schedules around the holiday, and allows for some volunteer time on Christmas Day.
Let’s talk blending in. People ask me about safety while traveling, all the time. The number one thing you can do, is to not look like a tourist. If you blend in with the locals, in both your dress and your manners, you generally get ignored. London is one of the most recorded cities in the world. Video surveillance is everywhere, but that may not help you in the moment. You definitely want to avoid things that scream, “Hey, I’m an American tourist!” Don’t be loud, rude, or flashy. Europeans often identify Americans by how loud they are. Pack away your shiny Harrod’s shopping bag, and cary your items in a messenger bag or reusable shopping bags instead. One of the idiotic things I keep seeing on travel sites, is that you must have knee high Wellie boots. Don’t do that. They don’t do that. Wellies are for country life, with mud, horses, and dogs. You won’t usually see them on city dwellers. You’ll see them mostly in leather calf height, or ankle boots. You can wear trainers (sneakers) if you like, but you are going to get your feet wet! I have my planned wardrobe carefully curated, in dark colors and earth tones, nothing with logos, and pieces that are well made but not flashy. My thought is that if people look at me and think I am a lady in from the countryside, come up to Town for Christmas shopping, they are less likely to bother me than they would if I was blatantly an American tourist. My accessories include a proper hat for a lady, a wool cloche, not a stocking cap, and good leather gloves.
For heaven’s sake, do not make a fuss about the rain. If you squeal and fumble with an umbrella at the first drop of rain, you may as well wear a neon sign that says you don’t belong there. The English are impervious to rain. Light drizzle is not considered rain, it’s just the weather. If you have a waterproof outer layer, and a good hat with a brim, it’s fine. Here is where those ankle boots come in handy, because chances are that it will rain at least once every day you are there. You won’t see Londoners with umbrellas deployed until the rain picks up a bit. I have become devoted to the clear, dome style umbrella, like the ones carried by the Queen. They wrap around you, helping block both rain and wind, they are less likely to be turned inside out by that wind, and you can still see where you are going, all while taking up less space on a crowded sidewalk.
Transportation is paramount, and needs to be taken into consideration when planning your itinerary. London is enormously spread out, and is separated into zones, for trains and buses. You can purchase your travel cards early, and have them shipped to your home. We had ours within three days. We did the expanded card, that covers all six zones, and is unlimited for seven days. It doesn’t cover all of our stay, but gets close at least. Christmas planning was challenging, though it is easier now that at least taxis and Uber do run, though at a premium price, and Uber may be going away in London. We have a history of finding way off the beaten path experiences, and friends always ask how we find them. I often say I think they find me, and that is definitely partially true. My searches typically include words like secret, hidden, off beat, and local. I love a unique performance event, a really old restaurant or street, am a sucker for visible bits of antiquity, and would rather hang out with true locals, rather than other tourists. We have several very unique things in the travel plans this time, and I can’t wait!
London in winter, in the rain, may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but we are going to make it ours. I’ll have a scone to go with it, please.
Vagabond.Belle 