Where to go for the holidays: a British Christmas

In England for the holidays, you can still do my favorites:

• sleep in an Oxford dorm
• get "Inside the Stones" at Stonehenge
• get tickets to the storied Keys ceremony
• trace the lives of the Beatles, or Jack the Ripper!
• cheer at a Chelsea game!
• pub crawl along the Mayflower and other historic pubs of the Thames

But there is a certain buzz to the streets.  AND there are special events offered around the Holidays that are particularly fun:

Christmas with Charles Dickens

On December 7th, there's a Dicken's Christmas Festival in Rochester.  The entire street is transformed into a 1820's Victorian wonderland with in-character Scrooge (and even Marley the Ghost), roasting chestnuts, and bell ringers.  At the end of the day, there's even a candlelit carol singalong.

But on the 25th, you can meet at the Christmas tree at Trafalgar Square at 2pm and enjoy London's car-free streets to celebrate a Christmas before Cola turned Santa red (that's a London Walks quote!)   You'll hear all about Charles Dickens' life and books,  and the Christmas traditions of these alleyways off The Strand.

Both of these events are hosted by London Walks, who specialize in a little bit of old fashioned specialness. 

Skate under the holiday lights...
Starting at Hyde Park, the city hosts several outdoor (and free!) skating venues! 

Reserve a Mad Hatter's Tea Party

On December 4th, the Great Hall of Christ Church college will be all spruced up to welcome Alice in Wonderland fans for special finger sandwiches and cakes at a festive High Tea around the Wonderland-inspired Christmas tree.

Prefer tea with Scrooge?   An exclusive High Tea honoring the Christmas Carol will served on December 1st.

See the decorations!

Why go all the way to London when San Fran and NY have some of the most elaborate decorations around?  Well, where else can you see the lion in a snowfall?

 In fact, if you want the whole decorated shebang, join London Architecture Walks for their highly-acclaimed Xmas Lights Walking Tour.  You'll learn wonderful tidbits with an interesting perspective about the light displays, the surrounding architecture, and the history.

To get your holiday trip off the ground, call Melanie Tucker, owner and chief designer at Tough Love Travel (soon to debut as Rare Finds Travel Design). 

She'll custom-design a holiday that you'll talk about for decades to come!

(609)923-0304

melanie@toughlovetravel.com