zedlanier

We will have two nights in London the first week of June 2014. Coming from Lisbon, leaving for Iceland, in and out of Gatwick. This is the query: Stay at Gatwick north terminal hotel for 49 pounds per night and take transportation to the city or stay at Beckton walking distance to tube for 90 pounds per night. The rooms are virtually identical.

We are a couple with two kids (13, 11). Will it end up being more expensive to stay at Gatwick or at Beckton, calculating in transportation costs? We plan to take a London walk the first evening. The second day we will attend a matinee and do another London walk. We fly in around noon and fly out two days later at 1pm. We could substitute the first day's London walk with a tour out of Gatwick, if that makes more sense.

As we see it, staying at Gatwick has the advantage of easy travel on the day flying out as well as lower cost for the lodgings. However, we are unsure if transportation costs with four people will more than wipe out our savings on the room.

What do you think is the better option?

alanRow

Neither seem especially appealing options, though Beckton will work out cheaper in terms of transport (not that that is a recommendation).

Personally I would look at somewhere in the Victoria, London Bridge or St Pancras areas all of which have direct trains to Gatwick & are central

janisj

I 100% agree with alanRow ... I would not stay in either place. And ESPECIALLY not at LGW. A one night layover maybe if there is an very early AM flight out.

But in your situation - no.

Look for a places near Victoria or London bridge . . . Or even Kings Cross/St Pancras - which all have direct trains right to LGW.

jamikins

Oh goodness!!! Absolutely neither!!! The cost and time wasted in transit from either makes the cheap hotel false economy!! Find a family room at ibis or premier inn somewhere in Central London!!'

janisj

Or even a travelodge . . .

RoamEurope

Please, please, please look for something in city. Investigate all options!

Ibis and premier are good recommendations from jamikins and I know they have quad / family rooms.... I've used both.

Check other areas of town, including very good suggestions from alan and janisj. Other areas to check: Paddington or even Earl's Court.

www.4inEurope.com has a listing of hotels with family accomodations. Again, I have used them.

There are hostels that have family rooms.

Some booking sites such as Expedia will give you flight and room combos that can make the room very inexpensive.

Good luck! Keep us posted and happy to help further.

zedlanier

Hello all,

I am just not finding reasonable hotels in the areas that you mention. My current reservations are both at Premier Inns. I am finding that most hostels will not take an 11 year old. What about Kew? (Cannot combine flight and room. Flight is booked by my employer.) Based on your recommendations, I will keep looking.

janisj

Re RoamEurope's post - good advice -- except I wouldn't look in Paddington since you are flying out of LGW.

zedlanier

Is the Ruskin Hotel near East Ham tube a better bet?

janisj

I didn't see your previous post - who knows what is 'reasonable' to you. What is your budget?

>>Is the Ruskin Hotel near East Ham tube a better bet?<<

No - that is an awful area for your situation.

W/o knowing your budget we can't help much - except you do not want Beckton, Kew or East Ham . . .

janisj

Oh - I see the £49 and £90 mentioned in your OP. Is £90 your upper limit? If so - try one of the travelodges in central London. Their rates are VERY date specific so w/o your dates I can't tell for sure what the rates will be . . . But this far out you can usually get very good deals. Sometimes less than £45 or £50 for a family room.

http://www.travelodge.co.uk/hotels/book/london-hotels

try one of these:

Southwark
Tower Bridge
Covent Garden
Kings Cross Royal Scot
Kings Cross
Euston
Vauxhall

RoamEurope

Ok, I've taken it as a personal challenge to find it for you! JanisJ almost certainly has one of the best options in Travelodge. Check tripadvisor though because the ratings and price vary significantly. It looks like Kings Cross gets horrible reviews but the similarly priced Tower Bridge and Covent Garden (great location!) are better.

In your budget, I've also found the following on booking.com (with quad rooms, first week of June rooms, tolerable trip advisor reviews and good location):

Sky Apartments £139 (Kings Cross)
Howard Winchester £110 (Kings Cross)

St. Athans- shared bath £95 (Kings Cross)

Gower Hotel £140 Paddington
Kingsway Park £121 Paddington


Good luck!!!!

jamikins

Honestly those are probably two of the worst places to stay to visit London. The cheap hotel rooms are a false economy.

It will cost you £22 each a day and about an hour each way to get in and out of London. The 11 year old may get a discount but just using that as a guide you could add approx £50+ to your hotel budget and stay somewhere central where you can easily stop off during the day and maybe even have more charm. Plus save that horrible commute!

You will likely need a triple or family room as rooms in London are small and hotels won't allow older children to stay free.

London is pricey so you may have to up your hotel budget but please trust us that it will be worth it!

zedlanier

Taking your suggestions very seriously. Travelogue has Liverpool street for 210 pounds for two nights. Or London central city road for 202 pounds for two nights. Much different? Worth 50 pounds plus more a night? I must have cancellation options available at this point.

jamikins

Either of those are a zillion times better!!!

Just a few blocks difference, but the Liverpool street one is closer to manat more tube lines through Liverpool street station and aldgate so that would be my choice.

jamikins

Closer to more tube lines...don't know why that came out wrong above!

janisj

Of those two - the Liverpool Street property is better located. It is close to the Aldgate Tube station, and not far from the Tower of London

Have you tried other travelodges more in the center?

zedlanier

Found one at Vaudhall. Which location is better?

janisj

I'm pretty sure you mean Vauxhall.

Depending on exactly where it is (some fib - is this the travelodge?) If it is the travelodge it is practically on top of the tube station so not bad at all. You would have two ways to get to Gatwick.

1) Train from Vauxhall train station to Clapham Junction, change trains and on to Gatwick. 40-45 mins total

2) Tube from Vauxhall Underground station to Victoria station, then train to Gatwick - approx 45-48 mins.

The tube/train option is probably easier since Clapham Junction is a very large and confusing station.

zedlanier

Thank you so much! It is the Travelodge at Vauxhall. Feel much more prepared. Traveling with children really limits options beyond what I had imagined. As a sole business traveler, I do not face the family room issue regularly and am not usually paying for lodgings. This is an education.