Rick Steves’ Europe: London shines bright in winter

London dazzles year-round, so consider visiting in winter, when the city dresses up to the nines and bursts with festivities. Despite the season's drearier weather and shorter days, London's museums, theaters, and pubs always offer a warm, cozy welcome. And come January, tourist crowds are at a minimum, and airfare and hotel rates are generally cheaper.

London is especially appealing (though crowded) in the weeks leading up to Christmas. In mid-November, ye olde Christmas markets spring up all over the city. The market on Leicester Square is perhaps the most central, but the Southbank Centre Winter Market (between the London Eye and the Royal Festival Hall), is one of the biggest. Other major markets include one in London Bridge City (also on the Thames' southern bank, between London Bridge and Tower Bridge) and in the center of maritime Greenwich.

Many other squares are specially outfitted for the season. Covent Garden's spectacular transformation includes a festival of mulled wine, impressive decorations, and maybe even a bit of snowfall. Nearby Trafalgar Square always sports a giant twinkling tree, given to London every year from the people of Norway in appreciation for British support during World War II. Free carol concerts are held beneath the tree, and a new poem is commissioned every year to be displayed at its base. The year-round gourmet extravaganza of Borough Market becomes a wonderful place to sample mulled wine, Christmas pudding, mince pie, and other traditional and seasonal favorites.

The city's biggest to-do is Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, a giant Christmassy carnival that takes over a good share of the park through the end of the year. It boasts enough rows of old-time market stalls to rival the Southbank Centre's market, as well as the UK's biggest outdoor ice rink – plus roller coasters, a Ferris wheel, circus show, a "magical ice kingdom," and all kinds of kitschy fun.

Elaborate light displays and store windows sparkle along major shopping streets, including Oxford Street, Bond Street, Regent Street, and Carnaby Street. Christmas concerts and sing-alongs bring carols and hymns to Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's Cathedral, St. Martin-in-the-Fields, and Royal Albert Hall. (Check the local entertainment guides to make the most of your visit.)

Ice skating is easily London's coolest outdoor offering in winter (at least in a literal sense). Somerset House has the Rockefeller Center of London ice rinks, where you can glide alongside the facade of a grand Neoclassical building. Other ice rinks sprawl in front of Hampton Court Palace, in Greenwich, and in Canary Wharf. Most are open for skating from mid-November until mid-January. (The rink in Canary Wharf runs a few weeks longer.)

"Pantomime" plays are a curious holiday treat. These wacky, beloved slapstick shows, while primarily aimed at kids, are so delightfully English that it'd be a shame to miss a chance to see one in London, no matter your age. Most performances are put on prior to Christmas, but shows go into the new year. Two London theaters that usually stage pantos are the Hackney Empire and the London Palladium.

New Year's Eve in London is usually busiest in the South Bank district, as the midnight fireworks are set off from the London Eye and nearby river barges. Shows attract upwards of 400,000 revelers to Trafalgar Square – the traditional hub of the partying – and the nearby riverbank. The biggest street party takes place within earshot of Big Ben, whose midnight chimes are broadcast nationwide. On New Year's Day, a parade featuring 10,000 performers snakes through Soho. (Be aware that tickets are required for the fireworks, parade, and many events around the city – buy in advance.)

January brings out the best shopping deals, with many big sales kicking off immediately after Christmas. And while most Yuletide events wrap up within a week of New Year's Day, mid-January can be an ideal time for sightseeing, as it's easily the city's least-crowded time of year.

February is also relatively uncrowded, though London is a major destination for families during the week-long "half-term" break most British schools take in mid-February. Colorful Chinese New Year celebrations– which some claim are the largest outside Asia – liven up the West End in February (or late January, depending on when the lunar new year falls.)

London's theater season is in high gear all winter. The plays rival New York's in quality and range of options, and usually beat them in price. Whether Shakespeare, musicals, comedies, thrillers, cutting-edge experimentation, London does it all…and does it well.

London's a super one-week getaway, with sights that can keep the thoughtful traveler well entertained. Whether you visit during the busy winter holidays or take advantage of less-crowded post-holiday time, as long as you’re dressed for the weather, London is sure to delight.

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(Rick Steves (www.ricksteves.com) writes European guidebooks, hosts travel shows on public TV and radio, and organizes European tours. This column revisits some of Rick's favorite places over the past two decades. You can email Rick at rick@ricksteves.com and follow his blog on Facebook.)