Greetings,

We are in the beginning stages of a trip to London. It will be our first- we have only been to Europe twice- and not since 2009.

It will be myself (45 year old woman), my husband and our 16 year old daughter. The trip is for her 16 b-day. Her sister had a big party & trip to San Francisco ... This daughter is not a"party" girl - so she picked a trip to London.

We don't have too much time - 2 travel days and 6 or 7 days in London.

Two things that are high on her list:

Theater & Harry potter (don't laugh!) She adoresHarry potter and has going to the Harry potter placecoutsidecof London as a bucket list.

We are flying from Dfw will leave on a Thursday night and return Thursday or Friday the following week.

I am really confused on where to stay- I am thinking apartment? Confused on the areas... We have a ton of Marriott points, but with the three of us that might not be the best idea...
I have to have reliable Internet due to work and school .

Would like a two bedroom ... I admit, I like a little more than sparse... We usually stay at Marriott so very middle of the road - budget is a consideration...

Thinking first or second week of October of 2013..

H e l p

An apartment is great -- but points are great too. Before you decide on a flat - check how far your points go at the County Hall Marriott. It is a wonderful hotel w/ large rooms and is right on the river w/ amazing views of Big Ben/Parliament from just about every room. It isn't 'middle of the road'

If you can't get a room for 3 or a suite w/ your points, then we can help you find a flat. There are several good to great neighborhoods to search. What is your budget if you end up renting a flat?

"<i>We are flying from Dfw will leave on a Thursday night and return Thursday or Friday the following week</i>"

That really doesn't give you 7 days on the ground. If you leave Thurs you arrive sometime Friday morning and most of that day will be filled w/ logistics/jet lag. And the following Thurs is entirely eaten up w/ getting to the airport and flying home.

A Thurs to Thurs trip will = 5 and a skosh days to do things. Thurs to Fri will = 6+ days on the ground.

You might be interested in this:
http://www.thecelebrityplanet.com/lo...ns-london.html

Half price offers are currently running through the website and as Time Out Offers

If you can come home on a Friday, could you come home on a Saturday? The plane is likely to be less full (Friday usually has business travelers trying to get home) and you get an extra day.

janisj's suggestion of the County Hall Marriott is excellent if you do not decide on a flat. I have not stayed in the hotel, but you are within easy walking distance of the Museum of Garden History, the Eye, the South Bank theaters etc, Waterloo Station (major scenes in Bourne III, the Globe Theatre, the Tate Modern, and Borough Market , and that is just on the South Side of the river! Imperial War museum is nearby by bus for your husband if the ladies wish to shop.

harry potter?

I do have enough points for the county hall Marriott. We also get free continental breakfast so that is nice -
Free is helpful and if it was just two of us (my daughter and I or my husband and I ) it is 100 percent the route I would go. I have some concerns about us all being in one room for 6/7 nights.... Oh the joy of family travel! So with that in mind I would love recommendations for areas/apartments. .. Depending on air fare /mileage etc - I will see ..

Re: travel days - I can stretch it to leave on Friday - one full day will be spent at Harry potter ... While that might not be my choice it is for her birthday and if we do a flat Friday to Friday would be good - I work on Sundays and only get 2 weeks paid vacation a year (80 hours) so I need to be back at work Sunday by 7:15 am.. A little worried if I stretch till Saturday - I tend to have horrible jet lag..

http://www.wbstudiotour.co.uk/ yup.. Harry potter.. She is a huge fan -

So you want a 2-bedroom apartment in a central location with reliable Internet. How much per night? Middle of the road can mean $150/night or $450/night. London is an expensive city. Here is one link to get you started: www.rentals.chslondon.com/properties.htm. Also look at www.slowtrav.com for reviews of individual rentals and rental agencies.

Re: reliable Internet. I would be more trusting of Internet in a hotel than in an apartment. Hotels have to service business travelers.

Here are a few of my blog posts for London that might help, including our Harry Potter studio visit. For our week long stay, we had an apartment in Fitzrovia for around &pound;150/nt (3br) that worked our very well. That's bigger than you need, but gives you an idea.

http://ukfrey.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08...l-day-out.html

http://ukfrey.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11...ndparents.html

http://ukfrey.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/london.html

Good luck.

In europe hotel standards are different and Marriott is not really "middle of the road" - more upscale than that. (I always figure hotel * in europe are one less than in the US).

That Marriott is in a great location - but I wouldn;t want to be stuffed in one room/one bath for a whole week. Have you looked at suite options - and what you points would cover? Or getting one double room and one single (we always got our tween/teen daughters their own room - too much togetherness can occur quickly - and there is no way I would share a bath with two girls that age.)

OK - for a flat - what is your budget?

But do check nytraveler's suggestion. Do you have enough points for adjoining rooms? A neat b'day present - "I had my own room at this posh London hotel!"

I almost <u>always</u> recommend renting flats is one in in London more than 4 or 5 days. The kitchen, the extra space, the washer, etc. But if I had the chance to stay at County Hall for a week free -- that would trump a flat most any time.

Property rentals for a week often run Friday to Friday - so this might be a good alternative to consider. There are plenty of firms that do this - one I've used for visiting family and friends is http://rentals.chslondon.com/ though it is one of many such services.

In addition to visiting Warner Bros studios, there are plenty of sights in London that a Harry Potter fan would enjoy just seeing / recognizing - see just as an example:
http://wp.me/p2r6no-d7
http://www.visitbritainsuperblog.com...ons-in-london/

Mom, I have stayed in that hotel the last two times I was in London and I really really like it. The views are just perfect and it's a good location for so many things. For what you can't walk to, it's an easy walk to public transportation.

The rooms are very spacious and the bathrooms great. If your continental breakfast is in the exec. lounge, that's a good way to start your day.

Grasshopper, yes, that is where the continental Breakfast is. While it is very hard on our family to have my husband travel 50% of the time - one of the perks is "platinum' status at the Marriott and a lot of points...

The more I think about it, and thinking of the $$$ I think staying there *might be the best option... I am just exploring the options at this point.

janisj that is my deal.. I LOVE apartments - we stayed in both in Europe - once about 10 days in Paris and it was lovely... the other trip we had both apartment and hotels and the apartments are just so nice to spread out in and to save on $$$. I think the breakfast being included and the fact I honestly have to have reliable internet makes a hotel a better choice (like was said up thread a hotel is more reliable)....but I am still really on the fence... I like apartment travel for that long... I think my max budget would be 200-225.00 per night so not sure that will go far...

I will call the Marriott myself and see what I can work out about connecting rooms etc. - I know some Marriotts are super nice... I just usually am a point hoard and stay at a courtyard so that is what I meant by MOR.

I JUST have enough points currently for the 7 night stay - but with my husband's travel schedule - should rack up enough by time of travel to cover another room - even if I have to pay out of pocket for a few nights for the ad

I will look at the links to the TR - thank you! My daughter is such a harry potter fan..we got all the movies today at walmart on sale for 2.00 each

Another question - I have the option to go at the end of August or the end of October. I thought it was going to be the first week in October but for work reasons that won't work - so it would be the last week of October or the last week of august... thoughts?

Oct definitely. August will be totally packed with tourists. Granted Oct will be cooler - but London has a moderate climate - and I would enjoy touring much more in Oct.

Thanks NY that is what we were thinking but I just wanted to be sure...cooler is okay - my boss just returned - he was there the last week in Oct and it was pretty damp and rainy... but not as crowded and I think for the theater and other things we want to do that will work well. I better make sure HP world (not the name I know) is open...

I went ahead and reserved the room with points - just in case that option become unavailable... and will go from there...That extra 1,400 - 1,700 USD will go a long way on the trip..and you all have me convinced the hotel will be great! I will keep my fingers crossed that we can get upgraded (with dh's status it is a 50/50 shot) ...and will move forward with other research.

"<i>Property rentals for a week often run Friday to Friday</i>"

Not that it matters for you since you would be renting Fri/Fri - but the above statement is not true. (It would be true if you were asking about a cottage in the country -they often DO rent Fri/Fri or Sat/Sat) In London - having rented more than 20 flats over the years, not one has had a set start day of the week.

Is that 200-225 a night $$ or ££? If you mean $200 - that is about £865 a week. You'd really be talking a nice studio or one bedroom flat for that. Most 1bdrm places sleep 3 or 4 w/ a sofa sleeper in the living room. But you won't get 2bdrm or 2 baths for less than about £1000/£1100 a week (or around $250+ a night)

As for late Aug or late Oct - me personally would take August unless airfares are an issue. Flying will cost less in Oct than in Aug. Sure there will be larger crowds but not that much larger and London absorbs the hordes easily.

Advantages to August? The gardens are still in major bloom, the weather will likely be nicer/warmer (though no guarantees), Buckingham Palace is open for tours if that interests you, The open air theatres will be going full force (including the Globe), picnic weather, etc.

hummmm..... I would love gardens in bloom.......

I meant dollars... so 200.00 - 250.00 (max) .. really leaning towards the hotel... as the FREE is appealing... that money will go far on the trip...

Like I said -- I would almost always recommend a flat -- but free is nothing to sneeze at

Especially at the County Hall . . .