We will visit London in early September for 4 nights/3 days. We are a couple with a 5 year old child who (quite literally) enjoys nearly everything. He LOVES to go/see/do. We have already made numerous trips with him both domestically and overseas.
That said, we may not get another trip overseas for some time. We are flying to NIce and will make a 4 night stopover in London. We'd like to get the "biggest bang for our buck" timewise/sightseeing speaking.
We are looking for (reasonably) affordable 2-star-plus housing [either a hotel w/breakfast or a B&B (self catering is fine)}. We don't want to spend $500/night but also don't want to spend all our time commuting ot the main attractions via the Tube.
Thanks in advance for any advice!
That said, we may not get another trip overseas for some time. We are flying to NIce and will make a 4 night stopover in London. We'd like to get the "biggest bang for our buck" timewise/sightseeing speaking.
We are looking for (reasonably) affordable 2-star-plus housing [either a hotel w/breakfast or a B&B (self catering is fine)}. We don't want to spend $500/night but also don't want to spend all our time commuting ot the main attractions via the Tube.
Thanks in advance for any advice!
The tavistock hotel. Reasonable for London. Yet close to tube and within walking distance of most attractions. Not fancy but clean and decent.
Stars don't really mean much. There is a lot of leeway under $500 a night, so what is your actual budget?
For the most part no area of central London is inconvenient. But also - no area is near more than a very few of the major sites (London is HUGE and quite spread out so you will need to take the tube and/or buses to get to most sites.
Two budget chains to check out are travelodge and Premier Inn - both of which allow children in their parent's room for free.
For the most part no area of central London is inconvenient. But also - no area is near more than a very few of the major sites (London is HUGE and quite spread out so you will need to take the tube and/or buses to get to most sites.
Two budget chains to check out are travelodge and Premier Inn - both of which allow children in their parent's room for free.
Didn't see justwishin's post. The tavistock is in a convenient area but is definitely NOT. Walking distance to 'most' attractions. The British museum for sure, but not much of anything else - especially w/ a 5 yo.
we stayed at the celtic hotel a year ago and are going back next month on our way to switzerland. if you look at trip advisor, i think that the posted pictures of room 19 are pix of the room we had last time... it had a full and a twin and had a little window out to the back.
when we were there, they had just moved from their previous location a year or so before... the back was just dirt. now i see from pictures that it's really pretty and your child could probably play there. it's family run, so i would just write to them and ask them. they are super sweet and we found them really warm and helpful.
also, breakfast is classic english and filled us up until early dinner.
it is literally 1 minute walk from the tube... and there is a park right by the tube which might be handy. we loved being so close to the tube after a long day of walking. i think the price is still around british 100... maybe a little more for 3. a bargain by london standards. it is very basic with older furnishings etc, but very clean. we loved it.
when we were there, they had just moved from their previous location a year or so before... the back was just dirt. now i see from pictures that it's really pretty and your child could probably play there. it's family run, so i would just write to them and ask them. they are super sweet and we found them really warm and helpful.
also, breakfast is classic english and filled us up until early dinner.
it is literally 1 minute walk from the tube... and there is a park right by the tube which might be handy. we loved being so close to the tube after a long day of walking. i think the price is still around british 100... maybe a little more for 3. a bargain by london standards. it is very basic with older furnishings etc, but very clean. we loved it.
Check out Citadines http://www.citadines.com/en/specials...FZDKtAod-TsAOA they have places in Trafalgar Square and Holborn, both great locations
I second the recommendation for Citadines. I stayed at the Citadines in Trafalqar Square in January and it was really convenient location. Everything is near - tube, bus stops, grogery shops, restaurants + easy walking distance to many sights. 
I've stayed at the Travelodge near Waterloo and am staying there again this summer. Pretty convenient (for London), reasonably priced (for London) and the rooms are quite large. I've also stayed at the Comfort Inn near Victoria Station which was a decent location. I don't generally stay in chain hotels in Europe but at the lower price range (and I don't even mean the very lowest) I've found London hotels to be worse than just about any where else in Europe. So for my last several trips I went with chain hotels and they've been better. Last year I even tried the EasyHotel but that room was just ridiculously small - not one single surface to put things on and you couldn't lie the suitcase open except on the bed. And once you spring for the slightly larger rooms you are in the same price range as the others.
Premier inns are good value and have great locations along the river. http://www.premierinn.com
Just don't make the mistake of staying far out of centre to save a few ££s...you will spend more time and money commuting than it's worth!
Just don't make the mistake of staying far out of centre to save a few ££s...you will spend more time and money commuting than it's worth!
Thanks for all the recommendations, Fodorites! We have since decided to stay 4 nights instead of 3 to give us 3 full days of sightseeing. I appreciate your input!
We have booked the Hampton by Hilton Waterloo after several recommendations.
Now, for the sightseeing and transportation!
We are looking at the London Pass, Oyster Card and TravelCard options. We also want to do the London Eye, but the ticket options are just overwhelming! Will you please share your experiences using these passes? I value your feedback in making a decision as to which combination pass/travel card we should purchase. Thanks!
Now, for the sightseeing and transportation!
We are looking at the London Pass, Oyster Card and TravelCard options. We also want to do the London Eye, but the ticket options are just overwhelming! Will you please share your experiences using these passes? I value your feedback in making a decision as to which combination pass/travel card we should purchase. Thanks!
DO NOT buy the London Pass!
(Assuming you are arriving by plane) . . . You will want Oyster cards (now this part may be confusing) and a couple of one-day paper travel cards.
The Oysters will get you in from the airport and back and around central London. The paper travel cards will also get you around central London but they also qualify you for some major 2for1 discounts to places like the Eye, Tower of London, etc. you don't want to pre buy any of theses tickets. You can buy the oysters at heathrow and the paper travelcards at Waterloo.
http://m.daysoutguide.co.uk/2for1-london
(Assuming you are arriving by plane) . . . You will want Oyster cards (now this part may be confusing) and a couple of one-day paper travel cards.
The Oysters will get you in from the airport and back and around central London. The paper travel cards will also get you around central London but they also qualify you for some major 2for1 discounts to places like the Eye, Tower of London, etc. you don't want to pre buy any of theses tickets. You can buy the oysters at heathrow and the paper travelcards at Waterloo.
http://m.daysoutguide.co.uk/2for1-london
Yes, janisj, we are arriving by plane. We were thinking a 3 day London Pass until we came across the 2-for-1 deal with the TravelCards. That part is confusing. Since we will only be in London 3 full days, I will have to read more on these cards. Thanks for the tip.
>>don't want to spend all our time commuting ot the main attractions via the Tube.<<
From what you say about your five-year old, I'd imagine he'd like riding in the upstairs front seat of a double-decker bus or two. Your hotel is by The Old Vic bus stop Q:
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/maps/bus?Input...48%2C51.501335
and there will be plenty of buses on other routes up at Waterloo Station:
http://origin.tfl.gov.uk/gettingarou...loo-310314.pdf
(If you want to use the paper travelcards in order to get 2for1 deals, you will need to go to the mainline National Rail ticket office upstairs at Waterloo, NOT the Underground/Tube station: this is a promotion run by the national rail companies. For four days, it might well be simplest and best value to get a seven-day paper travelcard. Otherwise you'd need to get one-day cards for each day you want to use the 2for1s - on other days, you might just as well use pay-as-you-go money on Oyster, which you could top up at loads of convenience stores as well as tube stations. Your five-year old travels free.).
From what you say about your five-year old, I'd imagine he'd like riding in the upstairs front seat of a double-decker bus or two. Your hotel is by The Old Vic bus stop Q:
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/maps/bus?Input...48%2C51.501335
and there will be plenty of buses on other routes up at Waterloo Station:
http://origin.tfl.gov.uk/gettingarou...loo-310314.pdf
(If you want to use the paper travelcards in order to get 2for1 deals, you will need to go to the mainline National Rail ticket office upstairs at Waterloo, NOT the Underground/Tube station: this is a promotion run by the national rail companies. For four days, it might well be simplest and best value to get a seven-day paper travelcard. Otherwise you'd need to get one-day cards for each day you want to use the 2for1s - on other days, you might just as well use pay-as-you-go money on Oyster, which you could top up at loads of convenience stores as well as tube stations. Your five-year old travels free.).
Thanks for the tips. We will likely go for the paper travel cards in lieu of the London Pass. I don't suppose the latter allows for "skipping the lines" as does the former?
jackiebowyer1, thanks for the airbnb tip. I am already a member, but since I'm unfamiliar with the London neighborhoods I didn't feel comfortable booking with them. Most places I found which looked suitable were a 10+ minute walk to the Tube. I had much greater success with airbnb in Nice (with which I'm quite familiar), and booked a lovely place in Old Town.
jackiebowyer1, thanks for the airbnb tip. I am already a member, but since I'm unfamiliar with the London neighborhoods I didn't feel comfortable booking with them. Most places I found which looked suitable were a 10+ minute walk to the Tube. I had much greater success with airbnb in Nice (with which I'm quite familiar), and booked a lovely place in Old Town.
>>I don't suppose the latter allows for "skipping the lines" as does the former?<<
The only place the London Pass is helpful 'jumping the queue' a bit is at the Tower of London . . . and that is not at all worth the exorbitant cost of the London Pass. You won't run into huge queues almost anywhere else. And even LP holders still have to wait in security lines.
The way to avoid long queues at the Tower - get there just before opening.
The only place the London Pass is helpful 'jumping the queue' a bit is at the Tower of London . . . and that is not at all worth the exorbitant cost of the London Pass. You won't run into huge queues almost anywhere else. And even LP holders still have to wait in security lines.
The way to avoid long queues at the Tower - get there just before opening.
