We always go to Italy when we vacation, but we are going away the days between Christmas and New Year's Day. My (several) questions are: Are the theaters in the West End open during this time period? Are the museums, sights, etc open? I would hate to get there and have nothing to do.

I'm sure someone will know this info Darren, but I felt the need to share with you my only Christmas experience in greater London:

Two years ago I spent 14 hours of Christmas Day at Heathrow .

I am sure others on this board know more than me but I have been researching this due to the fact that we will likely be in London at that time. Most things are closed Christmas Day including the tube and the train service and Boxing Day likely not fully operational in tems of sites etc.However I think most things are open aside from that and we are looking forward to less crowds, wondeful lights and lot of other interesting things to do.

We make a special trip to London every year the day after Boxing Day just because everything is open, but there are far fewer people around as many offices remain closed until New Year. The sales will have started so Oxford Street etc will be very busy. However all the attractions, galleries and museums will be open as will all the theatres and resturants. You may find public transport running a slightly restricted timetable if it is a Bank Holiday, but other than Christmas Day and Boxing day you shouldn't experience any problems.

As a family we have had some amazing day after Boxing Day trips. We catch the train from Cambridge, bus or tube around London, do at least two 'sights' and eat out, often in China town. Queues for popular attractions such as the Tower of London are often shorter than normal. We had the crown jewels to ourselves one year. The only thing we have planned to do and found closed was a boat rip down the Thames.

I hope you have a fantastic few days in our capital city.

Christmas Day itself presents a bit of a challenge--especially for those arriving on that day. There is virtually no public transportation (no Tube, very little rail, few buses, limited taxis). An airport car service is about the only option for airport-to-city connections that day.

On Boxing Day--Tuesday, this year--things ease up quite a bit, especially transportation. Most stores are open, a fair number of sights, theatre, etc. And of course, if you are a boxing fan, the matches are great fun (I'm kidding).

During our last such visit, many offices were closed the whole week between Christmas and New Years. The resultant lessening of traffic was a real bonus. Only downside was that a number of sandwich shops/coffee places in the city were closed (due to lack of office-worker customers).

Christmas lights in London are terrific, albeit usually with a commerical theme (promoting a movie or something similar).

We too always go up to London between Xmas and New year, it is quiet but all of the main sights are open and of course the sales start earlier each year! Harrods sale is not be missed and the theatres are quiet too. An ideal time to visit.

Over the last few years I am almost certain the trains have not been running on boxing day. December 26th is usually a big sporting day, with a full program of football (soccer) matches, and it always seems impossible to get to away games because of lack of trains.

That would be the longer distance national rail services in and out of London. London underground would normally be operating a reduced service on Boxing Day.