The cost for your transit can be found here (you will want a 7 day travel pass): http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/14416.aspx

Zone 4-5 is certainly not considered central London and I would strongly recommend staying in Zone 1, especially for your first time. Unless your hotel is on a main busy street, there are lots of residentially areas to stay in central London. I would start by doing a search here, or checking out www.londontown.com for hotel ideas.

The time and money you waste staying farther out is not worth it in my opinion.

The cost is higher outside of Zones 1 and 2 and I see no benefit to staying in the outer zones. There a nice quiet areas of London. I prefer to stay in South Kensington area lots of attractions aand services nearby . There are several hotels located in quiet areas. Astor House and Number Sixteen comes to minduiet streetsm but close to conver=niences'Chelsea has many quiet and definitly nice areas

I just used the TFL site I gave you above to check transit times and it is about 45mins on the tube from Southgate to Piccadilly. This is a great resource for transit in London.

I would never use Southgate as a base to explore London.

The train (every 20 mins offpeak) from Southgate (which has no tube station) is 23 mins to Moorgate in the City or 9 minutes to Finsbury Park, an almost inner city tube, train and bus hub that's a lot nearer most of what makes London worthwhile than the tourist ghettoes of Earls Court.

About 1.5 million people commute daily into London from suburbs like Southgate. Most of the audience at London's operas, concerts and theatres is made up of these people, who happily and effortlessly do a day's work, go to a play, eat a meal and get a train home at the end of it all. Only provincial-minded North Americans think there's anything odd or difficult about this.

It's certainly true that a great deal of central London is a far quieter than many foreign visitors expect, and that many small central hotels are in tree-lined, lightly trafficked, streets or garden squares. It's also true that many hotels in outer suburbs are really rather unpleasant, and a considerable distance from the railway station (often in fact, designed for easy access to the motorway system, and requiring a seriously nasty walk to get to a train). But many aren't.

Generalisations for or against the tourist ghettoes, the posh inner suburbs like Islington or the outer reaches of our excellent suburban railway system are all worthless. You need to look at the real convenience of a location, what you're really concerned about and the cost, time and ambience of specific alternatives.

I had good experience with B & B. What is the rate for B & B in central London and any recommendation?? Which London area should I search for my accomodation?

There is of course a tube station at Southgate. It's just that its trains take forever to get into London

Hi Avalon2

Do you mean Aster House?

Yes It is Aster . We stayed many time We love the room that opnes onto the garden and has a sitting area outside.

http://www.asterhouse.com/

If you give us your budget in ££ we can suggest some options...

6 of us, 3 rooms, around GBP 120 - 150 per room per night?

Another option may be to look for an apartment/flat. It would give you more space. I live in London so dont have any suggestions, but if you do a search here you should be able to find some agencies etc.

If you plug your dates into the londontown website I gave aboce it could give you an idea.

Also check out Premier Inn or Holiday Inn for budget hotels - just be sure the locations are in Central London. There is an excellently located Premier Inn in Southbank and Holiday Inn Blackfriars is also a good option.

Look into Millenium Bailey's or Mill,. Gloucester> Both very nice hotels and well located.Londontown.com has Rates within your price range.You can even get a club room at the Gloucester for that price They include full breakfast all day club access for tea or coffee and evening hors d'ouveres and wine and internet access

<< I prefer to stay at a nice and quiet area however this would mean far from the attractions.>>

This statement is arrant nonsense - there are plenty of nice and quiet areas in central London from Bloomsbury to South Kens to Pimlico. You should also be able to find apartments aplenty for 120-150 quid per night - that's a reasonable range. There are ton(ne)s of London apartment rental sites available.

As a tourist from North America there's nothing wrong with desiring convenience and a swift route to the main attractions because there's no reason you need to live like a suburban Londoner during your stay, regardless of what flanneruk rambles on about in a typical anti-American swipe.

I'd stay in Zone 1 or 2, there are plenty of good deals on hotels or flats if you look early enough and the ease of not riding public transport for an hour to and from your hotel offsets the costs. And yes, there are thousands of people who commute into London each day from the suburbs, however, just like in my hometown of DC, I would recommend any tourists to waste their time commuting an hour by train just for a cheaper hotel room. It's all about time and convenience. I've stayed twice at this flat in Bloomsbury which was quiet, cheap and close to attractions. www.vrbo.com/103088

London is large, spread out and sights are everywhere.

I think it's a big mistake to set yourself up for 1.5 to 2 hours of traveling every day on top of all the getting from one sight to another.

We always stay right in the center - so we can walk to at least some sights and have short trips to others.

Can't comment on quiet - we never notice a little normal city noise. It's those chirping birds in the countryside that drive me nuts.

Most folks, especially first timers, want to stay right in central London.

I have been staying my past several visits however in a typical British B&B in Eltham, just a 20-minute Overground train ride from the heart of London - heck you could take as long on the Tube from a place in central London to reach the tourist heart of London - best of all I pay about 25 pounds with unlimited breakfast - that is p.p. however - Eltham is a very very quiet area east of central London and yes considered I believe to be a part of London itself - that is if Greenwich, the borough Eltham is in is a part of London and I believe it is.

"6 of us, 3 rooms, around GBP 120 - 150 per room per night?"

For that sort of money there is absolutely no reason you have to stay out of the center unless you simply want to. You are talking £360-£450 a night. That is a massive amount for an apartment. For around £300 a night you can get a 3bdrm/2bath flat in most any posh area.

After reading these helpful comments I would like to download a London map with area's name and toursit attractions. Please suggest a website.

In addition please show me a weblink to London short term service apartment rental. Looks like this is another option.

Thanks

I don't recommend the London Pass but here is a map that might be helpful
http://www.londonpass.com/london-tourist-map/index.php

Some others
http://www.tripomatic.com/United-Kingdom/London/

http://www.visitlondon.com/traveller-information/getting-around-london/london-maps-and-guides/free-london-travel-maps

http://24x7stansted.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/londonmap.pdf

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/gettingaround/15101.aspx

I will be in London in March and after MUCH debate decided to book with http://www.rentals.chslondon.com/
but there are many many out there!!! I also use www.londontown.com for great information!!