OffTogether

Hello,
My husband and I will be in London for four nights with our 2 children (age 11 and 9) June 2-6. We arrive at Gatwick airport from Nantes, France.

I am looking for advice as to where to stay, as I not familiar with London, and suggestions on things to do. I have narrowed down to 2 flats thru airbnb. One in Pimlico and another in Camden. Are these far from the main city?

Also, we want to go to the London Eye, a Harry Potter Tour of some sort, a boat tour, and a visit to the London Science Museum, the British Museum and the Natural History Museum. My 9yr old son wants to see a soccer/football game or at least visit a stadium. I need some help with this one.

Any help or advice is much appreciated.
Thank you!!

BigRuss

<< I have narrowed down to 2 flats thru airbnb. One in Pimlico and another in Camden. Are these far from the main city? >>

Without specific addresses or post codes, who knows? Perhaps linking the flats here would help. There are tons of London short term apartment rentals so airbnb should not be your sole inquiry.

London is the largest city in Western Europe with no other in its class (~8 million residents in the city, no city in Europe west of Istanbul even has 4 million in city limits). You're not going to be able to walk everywhere.

<<My 9yr old son wants to see a soccer/football game>>

Good luck with that, season ends later this month.

<<or at least visit a stadium>>

Fish in a barrel. London has like 10 teams in the top 3 levels of football in the area (Millwall, QPR, Crystal Palace, W Ham, Fulham, Tottenham, Chelsea, Arsenal, Charlton, [those were off the cuff] and others that don't register for me because I'm American).

<<we want to go to the London Eye, a Harry Potter Tour of some sort, a boat tour, and a visit to the London Science Museum, the British Museum and the Natural History Museum.>>

And the Tower is not on your list with a 9 y.o. boy and a hubby because . . . ?

Not sure how good the Science Museum is.

If you cannot find suggestions on things to do, or don't have any yet, you're just not looking. Seriously, much of what you ask for is google-able in a matter of seconds.

europeannovice

The Harry Potter studio tour requires pre-booking of tickets. There are plenty of walking tours around London focused on Harry Potter themes but most of the real filming was done outside of London. So they take you to Leadenhall market and say look up this door post--this is Diagon Alley or look at the outside of the Australian embassy and this represents the gringots bank.

With only four days in London there are plenty of better things to do--like Tower of London, British Museum, Imperial War Museum, Churchill War Rooms, climbing to the top of St Paul.

janisj

Some airbnb owners play fast and loose w/ locations - so do post the links and we can help.

But if it is really in Pimlico is one of my very favorite neighborhoods. Close to Victoria station for all sorts of transport, close to the river, close to Buckingham Palace and Big Ben . . . and a nice residential area.

nytraveler

Definitely post specific info. London neighborhoods can be extremely flexible based on hopeful descriptions - and the most important thing is to be close to a tube station since you will be taking it almost everywhere.

And with the huge number of apt rentals in London why stick with Air BnB - unless they guarantee you can pay by credit card (I ?wuoldn't do it any other way in London)?

OffTogether

Thank you to everyone for your help.

I have included here the two links for the airbnb flats.

https://www.airbnb.ca/rooms/2379987

https://www.airbnb.ca/rooms/442140

I will definitely add the Tower of London to our list. We are still researching the Harry Potter tour and don't have our hearts set on that - I think a double decker bus tour our bus tour may be a good trade off.

thanks again,

janisj

Of those two -- I'd take the one on Sutherland Street in Pimlico. (even though the garden/patio of the Camden one would be very nice). The Camden one seems a bit larger but it is very sparsely furnished w/ just the one sofa and dining chairs. The Pimlico one is a bit smaller but has more seating (two love seats rather than one sofa), is quite a bit cheaper, and it has <u>2.5 bathrooms<u>. (Camden only has one bath)

Since it is towards the end of Lupus Street, it is about equidistant from both Pimlico and Victoria about a 7 or 8 minute walk from either. The very useful #24 bus runs along Lupus street.

BigRuss

<<And with the huge number of apt rentals in London why stick with Air BnB - unless they guarantee you can pay by credit card>>

Yep. At least you can challenge a credit card payment if someone tries to screw you or the apt is a dump; you can't do that if you wire the money . . .

bilboburgler

The science museum is not up to the very high standards of say the Paris one, however it does have a few wonders such as the first calculating engine, klein bottles, the original glooper (Terry Pratchett if he is a reader and if he is not then he should be) and a bunch of other stuff, though the kids section is considered fine by many. But it is free.

janisj

Sorry about the extra ________ in my post . . . forgot to 'turn off'

janisj

another oops - didn't mean to click submit.

>>Sorry about the extra ________ in my post . . . forgot to 'turn off'<< the underline. Only meant

>><u> 2.5 bathrooms</u>. (Camden only has one bath) . . . << for emphasis.

Tulips

There's also www.onefinestay.com; very good service, generally more expensive flats than Airbnb. More of a hotel service in a private flat, you do not deal with the owners at all.

The Pimlico area is good. Camden not bad either, but I would prefer the Pimlico location.

I agree that you should add the Tower of London, with boys that age.
They may also enjoy the London Duck Tour;
http://www.londonducktours.co.uk/