The Traveller's Magazine
Money’s tight around Christmas time, especially after you’ve trimmed the tree and filled it with gifts. While it’s nice to ring in the new year in one of Europe’s top capitals, there are plenty of exciting options at home in the UK too from cosy cottage, festive pubs and wild nights out on the town.
Get out your party dresses, firecrackers and back your best Yorkshire pudding… it’s New Year’s time in the UK! If you’re still looking for something new and exciting to do this year for the new year, then look for further. You’d be surprised that you don’t have to travel far to find it!
Edinburgh
One word: HOGMANAY. It’s one of the best street parties in Europe and it takes place in Edinburgh. Think noise, think colour, music and theatre (in true Fringe fashion), song and dance, drinking, fireworks. What more could you ever dream of on New Year’s Eve? Edinburgh packs in 100,000+ people in to the city streets for this thing which means that hotels in Edinburgh near the Royal Mile are in high demand and are going quick!
Cumbria
This wild region near Scotland is the perfect setting for a cosy, close and intimate celebration with your bestest BFFs around an open fire with a fridge full of classy champagne and a cupboard stacked with boardgames. Why not rent a winterized cottage for the weekend with a bunch of your friends? By day, hike through the Forest of Nichol. With no mobile phone reception in many areas, it will be a truly unplugged experience.
Jurassic Coast
We know exactly what you’re thinking. New Year’s in Dorset?? The town of Bridport actually puts on an impressive end of the year shin-dig if you can believe it! Dress up for the retro bash at the Electric Palace Cinema or just hit the streets in your fanciest dress for the Bridport street party. Enjoy mulled wine at a pub to warm up before heading back out to celebrate with the rest of the town.
London
You could always keep it capital! There’s no hiding it that London is where the party’s at when the clock strikes midnight. Trafalgar Square is all fun and games but when it comes close to midnight, head down to Westminster Bridge to catch the Thames riverside explode in a colourful display of fireworks. With room rates sky-high during the holidays, why not try alternative accommodations like Couchsurfing or AirBnb?
Wales
Want some along time with your special someone? Wales is the cosiest and most romantic place to be on New Year’s. Rent a “built-for-two” cabin near Cenarth Falls and snuggle up for the countdown. There are miles of beaches along the Cardigan coast where you can watch the awkwardly blubbery seals flop about. If you want to go out for New Year’s there’s a festive pub near Cenarth worth visiting at the White Hart Inn.
Where are you ringing in the New Year in the UK?
