New Year's Eve in London

My husband and I are blowing through London for New Year's Eve.  I was just curious to see if anyone tips/tricks for the evening, or - at the very least - some stories!

I must admit, I'm pretty excited. (:

The fireworks down on the river are a hoot. They set them off from/in front of the London Eye. If you are going to view them from north of the river, get there really early to get a good spot. They funnel everyone east by foot down into the city and then fill up embankment.

One year we came in from the south by Waterloo and just perched on Waterloo Bridge. It was fantastic. Everyone brought and shared champagne. Good fun and free train home!

If you like huge crowds and lots of merriment (!), the sights in Trafalgar Square at midnight are a hoot.

I was originally planning on going to see the fireworks... But if what happens at Trafalgar Square is any fun then that might be worth a stop! What goes on there? Music and drinks, that kinda thing?

Im guessing NYE in London is one of those things I'll have to do for multiple years in order to get the full experience.

Dels - how early would you recommend getting to the river for the fireworks? I'd read somewhere that 9 or 10 is good... Does that sound about right? Whereabouts do people gather for it? How busy was it at the Waterloo bridge when you went?

Sorry for all the questions... Just trying to figure out the best ways to go about this, as I'm sure it's a madhouse! I really appreciate the replies!

The year we went to Waterloo Bridge we exited Waterloo station close to 10. I was surprised there weren't many people on it when we got there, but it filled up really quick. We actually got a spot along the railing. If I were to do it this year, I'd get there closer to 9.

Same coming from the north. Unless you get there super early you'll get rerouted, and all the best viewing areas will be full up by 9pm. We got there close to 10 and were rerouted east to Temple and then back, filling up Embankment.

But overall the atmosphere is amazing. Everyone is bundled up, happy and a little buzzed so walking didn't seem to bother anyone. Just wear comfortable shoes and don't forget your bubbly!

Hmm... ok, so even arriving a bit before 9 might be a good call.  I guess Embankment or Westminster would get you pretty close - is it pretty obvious from there?  Only been to London once myself, so I just want to make sure I have an idea of where to go before actually getting there.

As for the drinks...  bring your own?  How exactly does that work?  Any specific rules/regulations I should be aware of?

You may want to do a river party cruise, lots of information is on City Cruises website - http://www.citycruises.com/city-cruises-experiences-special-events-new-years-eve.aspx . It's supposed to be a really good experience 

Also be careful as there will be so many people there.

Hmm... ok, so even arriving a bit before 9 might be a good call.  I guess Embankment or Westminster would get you pretty close - is it pretty obvious from there?  Only been to London once myself, so I just want to make sure I have an idea of where to go before actually getting there.

As for the drinks...  bring your own?  How exactly does that work?  Any specific rules/regulations I should be aware of?

RE viewing locations, this will help you out:
http://www.london.gov.uk/events/nye

And re drinks, you can drink outdoors, so just bring your bubbly and yourselves, and yeah, be responsible. Here's a quote from the above website:

"If bringing alcohol, bring plastic bottles or cans and drink responsibly. No glass!"

I've always brought bottles, as most other people do. It's not really enforced, like they aren't checking your backpacks and tossing out your champers. You cannot drink on public transport, so keep that in mind. As ricksgirl mentioned, it is really packed, so a picnic set is *not* a good idea. 

Ricksgirl - thanks for the cruise idea! Looks like a lot of fun! Might have to go for that another year, as the hotel has already bled us pretty dry this time around. Will def keep that in mind though!

Dels - thanks so much for that link! I remember seeing the blurb about free transport after 11:45 but don't know how I never managed to find the rest of that information. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction. (: