Happ
y 2013! On my third New Years Eve celebration in London, I finally managed to bite the bullet and attempt braving central London.
And if you live in London, there are horror stories of central London on New Years. Think elbow-to-elbow crowds, freezing fingers, and waiting patiently for hours and hours in the icy cold to see the fireworks. Once the fireworks finish, think hours of queuing to get onto the street from the bridge you chose, queuing to get into the tube stations (which promptly close from overcrowding), and then queuing to get onto the tube platform, and then jamming yourself quietly into the corner of a tube train to make it home.
But it turns out all the queuing is simply not worth it. Those people are confused and lost.
Because the fact of it is, you can see London’s fireworks without all that. You just need to get to a bridge that’s a bit further up the river. Instead of crowding onto Westminster bridge or winding your way through the heaving crowds under the London Eye – head to a different part of the river.
If you make it to Vauxhall Bridge or even Chelsea Bridge, you’ll have a fine view of the fireworks. And even be able to move spread out your arms and not touch anyone else! Now that’s the definition of personal space in London.
If you had to one of these bridges, all you have to do is stroll up ten minutes before the fireworks go off. There’s no jockeying for position, or shoving your way through. Just easy viewing (provided you get the angle right – make sure that you have a good view of the London Eye where they shoot the fireworks off).
Then, it’s as simple as just making sure not to take any public transport for at least another 60 minutes – everything will be busy and horrible.
Instead, after watching the fireworks, slip into a nice local pub for a crowning glass of champagne to welcome in the new year (try The Warwick or Cask pubs – just double check they’re open past midnight).
Easy, right?
Now the hard part is just remembering all this when 2014 starts peeking its little face out.
After living in America and New Zealand, Emma Wells moved to London where she began to cover life, work and travel in and around London on her blog On London Time. She shares advice for newcomers, travelers, and visitors alike. Beyond London, she writes about traveling on the cheap across Europe and around the world as well as food, books and tea.
