The Popular European City Rick Steves Says Is A Delight To Visit Just Before Christmas

While many Londoners would agree that summer is the best time to visit England when temperatures hit an average high of around 72 degrees Fahrenheit, there are many benefits to visiting the capital city during the winter. Veteran travel broadcaster Rick Steves believes London is best visited right before Christmas.

Steves notes that London is a city with year-round appeal. There is plenty of indoor entertainment to negate the season's short, gloomy winter days, from galleries and museums to pubs, concerts, and West End shows. Visiting London during Christmas also offers special holiday delights, including mulled wine in Covent Garden, the market in Leicester Square, and the Winter Wonderland carnival in Hyde Park. Steves admits on his website that the latter activity is a "kitschy fun" experience, but there are plenty of ways to balance the commercial with the authentic during your Christmas break in London.

Steves also notes that you can save money while traveling outside the peak summer tourist season. Hotels are generally less expensive, and although December's Christmas rush causes transatlantic flight prices to be higher than in November, January, and February, the rates are still lower than in July.

London embraces Christmas in big and small ways. Mulled wine flows liberally in and around Covent Garden's Market Building, which is decked with 40 large bells, 12 huge ornaments, and eight disco balls lighting the building. The wider area is lit up and festive, with twinkling lights and pretty displays adorning the neighborhood's many boutiques, especially around Seven Dials. Staying around here won't break the bank, either, as the nearby Royal National Hotel is London's largest hotel and a very affordable place to stay right in the heart of the city.

Ice rinks pop up around the capital, including Steve's favorite at Somerset House, inviting visitors to glide in warm ambient light under the building's imposing 18th-century architecture. For a more artisanal experience, head to Borough Market, near London Bridge Station. Mulled wine, Christmas pudding, and mince pies join the market's usual offerings of meat, fish, cheese, chocolate, and many other goods.

For families, Hyde Park's Winter Wonderland offers a sprawling holiday attraction filled with rides, games, and market stalls. Prices are high, crowds are thick, and you may leave feeling like a customer, but the attraction will likely appeal to children and those who enjoy a Hallmark-inspired Christmas.

With wood paneling, cushioned booths, and crackling fires, London's pubs are very well suited to the Christmas season. Steves' favorite London pub is the Anglesea Arms in South Kensington, and while this establishment is a decent example of a British pub, there are older, cozier, and more characterful pubs in the capital.

For example, Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese is one of London's most historic pubs, famously frequented by Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, and Dr. Samuel Johnson, the author of the first English dictionary. This iconic local on Fleet Street has several establishments spread across multiple floors, including the ground-level Snug Bar with centuries-old wood paneling.

The George Inn in Southwark is another gem, especially during winter. As London's last remaining galleried coaching inn, the George offers cozy, low 17th-century ceilings that typify British interiors. It is very close to Borough Market, which sells some of the city's finest seasonal produce.