In London during big wedding - help!
 

Hey all - I will be in London the weekend of the royal wedding. this was planned long ago - I connect on to Cape Town on Friday evening. (The 29th). My options are:

1. fly in the day before and just spend Friday in London and head back for my evening flight - then I could extend my stay on my return and see the city then
2. fly in a couple days prior, see the city and be a part of all the activity (I'm not a royals watcher or anything but it IS history in the making.)

My questions: Will it be a huge mess and difficult to get from Heathrow to the city during this time? (I'd come in on Wed.) Where would you stay? I actually saw this cute place near Hampstead heath - La Gaffe? that looks like it's quaint, and I could take the tube into the city from there?

As you can see, I'm headed to Africa but would like to see a bit of London and even a village while I'm there. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. I'd like to keep the hotel budget under $200 USD - As long as it's safe, clean and in a good location for the tube, that's good. Thanks!

I'd stick to the west side of London - South Kensington, Earls Court. Knightsbridge so that you are on the right side of London for LHR. If you have to take any route to LHR that goes through central London you may get caught in the crowds from the wedding - on the other hand the commuters won't be around so their traffic will be a lot less.

Thank you, alanRow. Any suggestions on hotels?

"Will it be a huge mess and difficult to get from Heathrow to the city during this time? (I'd come in on Wed.)"

No, of course not.

London will be EMPTIER than usual, public transport (probably) working normally, and even the few (by the standards of a normal London working day) people gawping at the tiny processional route confined to a minuscule bit of the town.

London's organised to handle real crowds. A million or so looking at a procession is a minor challenge to a few stations on the tube system for a couple of hours - not a real crowd. And the day before the wedding isn't even a challenge

The fact that hotel rooms are difficult to find is neither here nor there: the several million normally on the streeets of central London (scarcely any of whom will bother coming in for the wedding) train, tube and bus in from their homes. People staying in hotels make up a tiny proportion of central London's daytime population - even on days when the town is carrying out its role as the world's commercial capital. Which it won't for the wedding day.

" it IS history in the making"

Don't be silly. Mandela getting released was history. This isn't.

British princes get married all the time. And usually these days: more than once in their lifetime.

If you can't find someplace to stay in your budget or you're still having second thoughts about staying in London itself during that time, an alternative would be to stay at the Travelodge in Windsor. Rooms are under $100 a night.
http://www.travelodge.co.uk/search_a...p?hotel_id=329

You could spend a day in London, then spend another day exploring Windsor and Eton. Take the train from the Windsor & Eton riverside station as that's direct is overall, a more pleasant train experience than from Windsor Central, connecting at Slough (the local trains from Slough to London, can be a bit...rowdy).
Near your hotel is the Windsor Royal Shopping arcade. In or around it are several modestly priced restaurants (Wagamama, GBK, Carluccio's etc). You're also close to the Crooked House tea salon http://www.crooked-house.com/
http://www.travelodge.co.uk/search_a...=329&default=1

Thanks everyone. Any thoughts on the Hampstead option? I haven't looked at rooms yet - so it's not like I can't find one, just that I've only spent one day in London previously, and I'd like to be well located for the London-Heathrow tube, etc. Thanks again!

Hampstead is a lovely village - but not within walking distance of most of the sites you are likely to want to see. Most tourists stay within the circle line on the tube. Its a long way to travel in and out for just one or two nights and not that convenient to get to and from Heathrow.

With your budget you can find way better located hotels in central London. I live in London so dont really know hotels, but if you do a search here or on tripadvisor you will get a much better location for your purposes.

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...m#last-comment

Here is a good thread to start looking...

Thanks, jamikins - I'll look at that thread and do some thinking! Given I'd have the time, would Hampstead be a good option for a day trip out of London? (I'll do a search on here as well for that...)

Thanks again

Hampstead is in London, but has a villagey feel to it (London is really a lot of small village-like areas linked together.

Is it worth a visit - sure, but I cant imagine it being a priority for a first time visit with only a couple of days. Its a nice area with coffee shops, pubs, and restaurants on a hill with a huge heath - open space- that has a nice view to central London. But if this is your first time to London I wouldnt spend my time seeing that.

I would spend 1/2 day at the Tower of London and go from there depending on your interests.

Here's a good start, but I recommend you review some London guidebooks (I like Michelin's Green Guide) to see what interests you then come back with questions about what/how you can fit in what you want to see.

http://www.fodors.com/world/europe/england/london/

Hampstead is lovely -- I try to get to Hampstead Heath every time I'm in London. BUT it would not be a must on any first time visit -- especially a short one.

And while Hampstead would be a wonderful place to live -- not that convenient for a short stay focused on seeing the sites. Some areas that are central and have a fair amount of budget accommodations would include South Kensington, Bloomsbury/Russell Square, Victoria (though being so close to the wedding/Palace, Victoria hotels may be the first to fill up), Bayswater (not my favorite but not bad), plus several others. Londontown.com is a good site for searching deals/availability.