London stay before cruise

[RedSox68]

We did a pre-stay in London before our Princess cruise last year. But we booked the hotel through the cruise line because the price was unbeatable. It was the Grange Tower Bridge Hotel near the Tower of London. We really liked the area, but not sure what that hotel would cost without a group discount.

 

[Ofinn]

We are staying at the Premier Inn/St Pancras. We'll be taking the train from ST pancreas to Dover the morning of the cruise.

 

[clareyfairymouse]

The site seeing red bus tours are a great way of seeing a lot of London and allow you to hop on and off across the city, allowing you to see more of some places. There's also the duck tour which is part on land and part in the River Thames which is fun & could be quite magical!
If there are certain attractions you want to visit then booking in advance is definitely the way to go. You don't want to spend loads of time queuing for tickets when you could be having fun(especially with a little one).
The underground is pretty simple & if you go he wrong way, you hop off & jump on the next one going the other way. Avoid rush hour (8-9am) and around 5 as its really busy with commuters.
Do some hotel research would be my advice, pick somewhere near where you want to be within easy access of a major tube stop.

 

[VFG]

Thank you! You all have been very helpful!

 

[CB Ace]

I agree. We rented twice last year in London. In June of 2015, we rented a cute little Mews house, it was 3 stories, 3 bedrooms and 2.5 baths in the South Kensington area. A quick walk to the Earls Court tube station. It was perfect for my family of 5 and less expensive than multiple hotel rooms would have been. With 3 DDs the 2.5 baths were a necessity. In October, my mom and I were in London before a TA cruise out of Southampton. We rented a small flat for the both of us. It was close to the South Kensington tube station. Made getting around with my elderly mom very easy. We used a very reputable company based in the U.S. who own and manage properties in London. They were fantastic from booking thru checking out of the rental.

http://www.londonconnection.com

Do you remember the name of this listing? Sounds great!

 

[ctnurse]

Those with older kids or teens, try an East End Tasting tour. We took our girls who were 19, 14 and 12 last summer and they absolutely loved it. It's a easy paced walking tour that starts at Old Spitalfields Market, with stops for different food tasting as well as a drink in a pub. It also included viewing of some fantastic street art. Our guide was informative and fun. IIRC our tastings included a bacon sandwich, bread and butter pudding, cheeses, fish and chips, a variety of curries and naan, hot salt beef and bagels and ended with tea and cake. The portions are a good size so go hungry. We got to see a part of London that we probably wouldn't have went to on our own. We ended up going back to one of the curry houses in the Brick Lane area later that week for dinner.

http://www.eatinglondontours.co.uk/east-end-food-tour/

We love eating tours and this is the company we used in Amsterdam this past weekend and in Rome last year! We had so much fun on both and would recommend it for kids of all ages. Our daughter is almost three and she was did fine.


As far as the hotel we stayed in the Travelodge in Waterloo last year and I can not recommend them. ( I wish we would have stayed at the Premier Inn instead.) The hotel was fine but there wasn't a safe in the room. I am going this weekend to London for a girl's trip and we are staying at the Doubletree. I can report back when I return if you would like.

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

We are from the UK and live very near London. I would def recommend Premier Inn. Clean, cheap and comfortable. Any of the locations the pp have mentioned. May I recommend the hop on hop off red double decker bus. Good for seeing most sights and take the weight of your feet and your small DD. The tube is ok but can be crowded and a little dirty at times. Some stations and lines are cleaner than others.
There is a hop on hop off at Green Park. Here you will find The beautiful Ritz hotel ( if you can book afternoon tea please do the Palm court will delight you ) The store Fortnum and Mason is just down the road this is a very quaint old fashioned English store. The Park itself and of course the glorious Buckingham Palace.

Other places not to be missed

National History Museem.
Convert Garden
Harry Potter Studios ( book early it gets booked it this is near Watford outside London , either book a tour or stay in Watford overnight )
London Dungeons
London eye
Oxford Street


Hope this helps! Book afternoon tea, hotel and HP soon as you can!

Any questions about our capital let me know!

Paula

 

[kaseyC]

Do you remember the name of this listing? Sounds great!

It was 3-31 Redfield Lane. It was fantastic and located in a gated courtyard. It looks like they may have added one of the other houses in the courtyard too.

https://londonconnection.com/property/3-31-redfield-lane/

 

[kaseyC]

We love eating tours and this is the company we used in Amsterdam this past weekend and in Rome last year! We had so much fun on both and would recommend it for kids of all ages. Our daughter is almost three and she was did fine.

Good to know. We have one booked in Rome this summer. Great to hear it was just as fun as our London tour.