quick question on london center
 

I've been wading through threads looking for a very simple answer to something and can't find it. Forgive me if I've missed it, but I need to know what neighborhood(s) the main attractions in London are in. I'm looking for a hotel that will give us walking access to Big Ben, Tower, Parliament, Buckingham, Harrods, etc. I know they're not all in the same area, but is there a central area I can search? I plan to take the hop-on/hop-off bus some, but would like to walk some as well (trying to avoid the tube - just not an underground person). I had read good things about Travel Inn County Hall but their rates have gone up considerably. Do I need to be searching Trafalgar, Kings Cross, what? I can't find a decent map of London that lists the neighborhoods.

First thing - get to a good bookstore and buy an "Eyewitness" Travel Guide.
It will have everything you want to know about areas in London.
Second thing - Most of the attractions you want to walk to are near enough to the Royal Horseguards Thistle, 2 Whitehall Court, SW1. Fax: 071-9252263.
It has 376 rooms and overlooks the Thames not far from the houses of Parliament. It may be in your price range?
You must get a Travel Guide - forget the map.

That does look like a nice hotel. But I'll be traveling with my mother and 2 children which means I need a family room. It doesn't appear that the Thistle offers family rooms.

You'll not do better than Travel Inn County Hall for location. The Marriott, which is located in the same building will be about 3 times as much. Because it is so centrally located, you'll save considerably on Tube and Bus fares. You can really walk to most attractions from there although some people will find St. Paul's and the City a little far.

Fanily rooms at the Travel Inn County Hall get booked up very quickly so don't wait too long. Rates are around 90 GBP per night. Great location though, for somewhat basic accommodation. Right next to the London Eye on the river and opposite Houses of Parliament.

http://www.premiertravelinn.com/pti/dropdownSearch.do

The reason the Travel Inn can charge more for County Hall than its other properties -- is because it can. It is VERY popular in a great location for families.

South Kensington is good for families too because it is near all the Museums (V&A, Nat'l History, Science), Hyde Park and even Harrods.

But no single hotel is walking distance to more than a handful of the major sites.

Your best bet is to just pick the best hotel for your budget and near a good tube station - then you can get anywhere easily. My choices for a family would be Victoria, S. Kens, County Hall, or maybe Russell Square.

DO NOT stay in/near Kings Cross . . .

Also - have you considered renting a flat? A 1 or 2 bedroomed flat will cost less than most family sized hotel rooms and you will have a lot more space and a full kitchen - which is always a benefit w/ kids along.

Let me give you some advice but it requires a little bit of homework..

I can understand your reluctance to use the tube but the buses in London go everywhere and they are exceptionally easy to use.

Too many tmes I have seen people so enamored of the hop on and hop off buses that they use them for things other than, if necessary, a quick orientation. I can name lines such as the 15, the 11 that follow virtually the same route (without the commentary of course) and cost simply the price of a one day travelcard.

Speaking of one day travelcards, while I don't know if you're going before the new year or after, currently the prices for family travelcards, and 2 adults and 2 children (junder 16?) certainly qualify incljudes 85p/day during the week and free on weekends for the kids (kids are free on the buses at all times I believe)....

Once you include the tower, walking is probably out but Westminster, Buckingham Palace, Trafalger Square, Picadailly Circus are all in relatively close walking distance from one another but you know something, it really doesn't matter because public transportation in London is excellent.

Children 14 and under are free on buses, andI bought a day (bus) travelcard for less than 4 GBP.

The buses are easy to use, Robespierre posted some helpful links about bus routes which I cannot find now. However, from the printout I did, the websites are

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/buses/spiders/borough.asp

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/buses/pdfdocs/centlond.pdf

http://map.tfl.gov.uk/map.asp

The first site is bus maps showing the routes, they are in every bus shelter too, but this will help if you like to plan in advance.




The second site shows the bus map and the relevant numbers and shows the tube stations as well.

The third site is most useful as it is interactive and when you click on the name of a tube station you get several options, and then go to 'local area map' and you get a detailed street plan with places to eat, sleep and shop close by the station. I found this quite a useful tool, and printed out several maps.

Also, get the 'Eyewitness' guide by Dorling Kindersley. This is about the most useful guide to London you can get, and it is full of good maps.

Great info! Thanks - any suggestions on sites for renting a flat in London? We'll be there 4 nights later this month - will they rent for less than a week. Again, am I just looking for areas of town reference above - something near County Hall, Mayfair, etc.?

County Hall is over the river, it's off centre. Mayfair is central to all the attractions you list, it's a perfect location. That's why I live there. What sort of budget do you have in mind? Some people here have managed to get the Holiday Inn Mayfair pretty cheaply.

Try the Ruebens at the Palace. It is near Victoria Sta. and across the street from Buckingham Palace.

I've stayed in Victoria Station area both times I've been to London. It's a relatively affordable neighborhood within walking distance to Buck Palace, and a little longer walk to Westminster, where Big Ben, Parliament and Westminster Abbey area.

The Tower of London is not far away, but not in the same neighborhood -- a quick Tube ride away.

I'd buy a "Streetwise London" map available on Amazon.com and in a lot of travel sections of bookstores. It does list the major sites, including neighborhoods, and has a Tube map as well.

Happy travels,

Jules

If you're not a tube person because of the enclosed spaces, then staying somewhere on the district line between south kensington and temple would be a compromise - the circle and district lines are near the surface and feel less underground than others, and all the attractions you mention are easily reached either by foot or with a tube journey of 10-15 minutes or less.

County Hall, Victoria or South Ken would all fit this criterion.

And as someone already mentioned - don't stay in Kings Cross!

My first trip to London was with my two kids and mom also, and we didn't have any luck getting a family room. But we stayed at the hotel just above the Victoria tube and train station (Thistle Victoria), in two rooms (each adult had one kid) next to each other. That worked fine. American-type hotels with two double beds don't seem to be as common in Europe. And that way we also got two bathrooms. We loved the location, and a few years later when we went back with my husband, we stayed there again. It was not only right at a tube and train station, Victoria coach station was right around the corner, and we walked to Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey and Big Ben,etc. But there are many great neighborhoods and as mentioned before, London has a wonderful transportation system. Enjoy!

Why on earth would you not stay near Kings Cross?

Granted, the traffic's a bit tricky at present. But, since it's the best connected tube station of all (with direct tube or train links to LHR, LGW and LTN), what does that matter? The builders in the construction going on are so well trained you never hear a peep out of them. Hotels like the Novotel and the Travellers' Doodah offer excellent value.

Surely posters churning out the old cliche about The Vice can't be so out of touch they've avoided the area for the past five years? Because that's at least how long it's been since anyone last murmured "Business, love?" as I walked into the tube station.

It's a great area, and it's doolally avoiding it because there were hookers there back in the days of John Major. And if the rumours about one Tory leadership candidate are to be believed, it's easier finding the Big C at Notting Hill dinner parties these days.

My reason for not staying near Kings Cross isn't due to the "ladies" and drugs of old.

But it is just not a good area for a family wanting to walk to places. Really bad traffic and not walking distance to much of anything besides the British Library.

If you want to look into falts here are a few to get you started.

Here are some to get you started:

E&E Apartments http://eandeapartments.co.uk/ Moderately priced studio, 1 and 2 bedroom flats in Pimlico and Victoria. Near the Thames, Tate Britain, Chelsea, Buckingham Palace and Victoria Station. 3-night minimum.

Hamlet (UK) Ltd. www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~hamlet_uk/ 1 and 2 bedroom flats at St Katherine’s Dock next to the Tower of London. These are a bit out of the center and you wouldn't be walking distance to much besides the Tower, Tower Bridge and the south bank.

Scala House www.scala-house.co.uk An Apartment bldg with 2-bedroom flats near Tottenham Court Rd and Oxford Street in central London. 2 night minimum

Price Apartments www.priceapts.co.uk
Studios thru 4-bedroom flats throughout London.

Chelsea Cloisters www.chelsea-cloisters.co.uk

Oops - that should read &quot; . . .into <i>flats</i> here are a few . . &quot;

Citadines have several 1 bedroom and studio apartment apartohotels. They tend to be much cheaper than full apartments and are in general better located.
One may suit your purpose in particular, the Trafalagar Square site on Northumberland Avenue. Its just south of Charing Cross station, Westminster, Covent Garden and Leicester Square are all within 5-10 minutes walk.
You should get cheaper prices at weekends than midweek nights

I have stayed at the travel inn at County Hall and it was nice and it didn't seem very far from most sites. We just booked for 3 nights in june. I like it since it is right near the parliment,aquarium,millenium wheel etc. We are able to walk just about everywhere. I booked for 89.95 gbp. Worth every penny.