{"id":33148,"date":"2021-11-22T15:35:22","date_gmt":"2021-11-22T15:35:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.travelodge.co.uk\/blog\/?p=33148"},"modified":"2023-10-13T11:10:46","modified_gmt":"2023-10-13T10:10:46","slug":"15-free-things-across-uk-christmas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.travelodge.co.uk\/blog\/things-to-do\/15-free-things-across-uk-christmas\/","title":{"rendered":"15 free things to do across the UK this Christmas"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s once again the beginning of the best time of year. The festivities are in full force with Christmassy and winter-themed reminders left, right, and centre. There is always something enjoyable to do at Christmas time, no matter the budget.<\/h3>\n

With Christmas food shopping to do and family to buy for, make your Christmas time a little easier on the purse with our top 15 free activities to do with the family.<\/h3>\n
\n

1. Visit Festive Storefronts<\/strong>
\nOxford Street, London<\/h4>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

If there\u2019s something that is quintessentially Christmassy, it\u2019s the decorative storefronts in Oxford Street. Every year millions are spent on the decoration of shop displays, so spend the day browsing and enjoying the sights of the retail capital.<\/span><\/h5>

Stay Nearby in London<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\n

2. Meet Santa at a Grotto<\/a><\/strong>
\nTransport Museum, Covent Garden<\/h4>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

What better way to spend an evening than meeting the merry man himself? Entertain the little ones by hearing their Christmas wishes with a free trip to the Santa Claus in the Transport Museum<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/h5>

Stay Nearby in London<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\n

3. Browse around a Christmas Market<\/a><\/strong>
\nBristol City Centre, Bristol<\/h4>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Browse and enjoy hundreds of gift, food and refreshment stalls at the annual Bristol market. Notorious for handing out freebies to keep the whole family happy!<\/span><\/h5>

Stay Nearby in Bristol<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\n

4. Go to a Christmas light switch on<\/a><\/strong>
\nManchester Cathedral, Manchester<\/h4>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The illumination of a street brings crowds of people together at one of the UK\u2019s most festive traditions. Visit the Manchester Cathedral switch on for one of the best winter events of the year.<\/span><\/h5>

Stay Nearby in Manchester<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\n

5. Winterfest<\/span><\/a> at Wembley Park<\/strong>
\nWembley, London<\/h4>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The illumination of a street brings crowds of people together at one of the UK\u2019s most festive traditions. Visit the Manchester Cathedral switch on for one of the best winter events of the year.<\/span><\/h5>

Stay Nearby in London<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\n

6. Go for a Winter walk<\/strong>
\nTramway Trail, Cornwall<\/h4>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Take a stroll and catch a breath in this beautiful winter air to fill yourself with festivities. Tramway Trail, Cornwall this time of year is rumoured to be one of the best places for a Christmas themed walk with many sighs to behold.<\/span><\/h5>

Stay Nearby in Cornwall<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\n

7. Meet Santa’s Reindeer<\/strong>
\nRichmond Park<\/span><\/a>, London<\/h4>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

If your little ones want to see father Christmas early, then who better to meet than his trusty sleigh drivers? Take a walk through Richmond Park and catch a glimpse of their wild Reindeer.<\/span><\/h5>

Stay Nearby in
\nLondon<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\n

8. Visit a Christmas Tree farm<\/strong>
\nHull Christmas Trees<\/span><\/a>, Kingston upon Hull<\/h4>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Let the smell of pine and sap fill your nostrils at one of the UK\u2019s esteemed Christmas tree farms. Just have a gander, or pick up your own at Hull Christmas Trees.<\/span><\/h5>

Stay Nearby in Hull<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\n

9. Go to a local Museum\u2019s Christmas event<\/strong>
\nAston Hall<\/span><\/a>, Birmingham<\/h4>\n

\"\"<\/p>

The shift of a museum grounds into a Christmas miracle is truly a reminder of the upcoming festive season. This year, Visit Aston Hall for a round of festive events and activities finished off with light refreshments.<\/span><\/h5>

Stay Nearby in Birmingham<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\n

10. Attend a Carolling Concert<\/strong>
\nSt Paul’s Cathedral<\/span><\/a>, London<\/h4>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Attend the annual Britten\u2019s Ceremony of Carols this year in London for some angelic tunes. With free entry, there is also the promise of refreshments and gift stalls for this year\u2019s event held at St Paul\u2019s Cathedral.<\/span><\/h5>

Stay Nearby in London<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\n

11. Visit a Festive Garden Centre<\/strong>
\nDobbies Garden Centre<\/span><\/a>, Edinburgh<\/h4>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

With thousands of Christmas decorations and fairy lights lining shopping centres and buildings alike, there are also plenty of beautiful displays at local garden centres. Providing affordable activities for the family, Dobbie\u2019s Garden Centre in Edinburgh promises a magical night.<\/span><\/h5>

Stay Nearby in Edinburgh<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\n

12. Attend a Christmas light show<\/strong>
\nAnglesey Abbey<\/span><\/a>, Cambridgeshire<\/h4>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

If your neighbourhood is looking particularly sparse of lights this year, then where better to visit than one of the Christmas light shows across the UK. Historical buildings adorned in lights, across all corners of the UK to provide entertainment for all.<\/span><\/h5>

Stay Nearby in Cambridgeshire<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\n

13. Attend a Christmas Gift Fair<\/strong>
\nAylesbury Market Square<\/span><\/a>, Buckinghamshire<\/h4>\n

\"\"<\/p>

If you\u2019re wondering what Christmas decorations you need this year, then how about some homemade by your favourite local small businesses? This Christmas Gift Fair held in Aylesbury City Centre is guaranteed to have the whole family leaving with some amazing gifts.<\/span><\/h5>

Stay Nearby in Buckinghamshire<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\n

14. Visit Harrods<\/strong>
\nHarrods, Knightsbridge, London<\/h4>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

As the top destination for Christmas shopping, this magical superstore is the perfect place for a festive day out, and free to enter. Spend your day browsing the festively decorated shelves for potential gifts for your little ones.<\/span><\/h5>

Stay Nearby in London<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\n

15. Enjoy the free samples at a Christmas Food Market<\/strong>
\nCardiff Christmas Food Market, Cardiff<\/h4>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Grab a sample of the food on offer at one of the Christmas festivals dotted across the UK. In Cardiff Christmas Market, they offer countless food and refreshment samples as well as light entertainment.<\/span><\/h5>

Stay Nearby in Cardiff<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It\u2019s once again the beginning of the best time of year. The festivities are in full force with Christmassy and winter-themed reminders left, right, and centre. There is always something enjoyable to do at Christmas time, no matter the budget. With Christmas food shopping to do and family to buy for, make your Christmas time […]","protected":false},"author":114,"featured_media":33177,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1361],"tags":[1812,1814],"class_list":["post-33148","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-things-to-do","tag-archived","tag-christmas"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelodge.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33148","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelodge.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelodge.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelodge.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/114"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelodge.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33148"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelodge.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33148\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelodge.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/33177"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelodge.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33148"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelodge.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33148"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelodge.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33148"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}