Planning trip from US to UK

[nemofans]

Hi! I am planning our family's 1st European trip & our 1st city will be London. I was wondering I could get some advice on which areas to look for a hotel that would be nice & not far from the main sights. Any other suggestions are welcome too!
Thanks!

 

[disneyholic family]

trip advisor is a good source of hotel information..

personally, i prefer to stay in mayfair or st james, but it depends on your price point as well as what you most want to be near...i just most prefer staying in that area...but there are many wonderful hotels in different areas of the city...

there are many online guides that can be very helpful - e.g fodors...(www.fodors.com)

read as much as you can to get a lay of the land so to speak...

 

[lolainkent]

I used to live in Bloomsbury and hotels around there can be decent compared to some of the more 'posh' areas. Lovely neighbourhood - it's near the British Museum, Kings Cross/St Pancras, the British Library, tube stations. It does depend on your price point - I was looking for a hotel recently for our family of 5 for November and £200 for one night near Tower Bridge was the best I was seeing (based on what we want). Time of year will be factor as well.

My best London suggestions:
- The Churchill War Rooms is fantastic, the no 1 museum I suggest to everyone. My boys (6 and 7) loved it recently. It's close to Westminster Abbey, The London Eye, Downing Street and Big Ben. (also, the London Eye is costly but well worth...especially if you have good weather!)
- Covent Garden is VERY touristy, but there's a reason as it's lovely - lots of shops, street performers, restaurants, the Transport Museum and the Royal Opera House (my favourite place in all of London) are right there.
- Don'y buy one-way or return underground travel cards. Either figure out the Oyster Card system, or buy day zone 1-2 passes. The day cards cost I think the same (or maybe a few pence more) as a return so if you want to make 3 trips, you'll spend more on 3 tickets than an entire day card.
- Go to a West End show. Leicester Square as a TCKTS booth that sells discounted tickets on the day, much the same as Broadway in NYC.
- I've started taking friends and family visiting for afternoon tea. Skip the posh hotels (Ritz, Savoy) and either go high class (Claridges) or trendy (I loved the Mad Hatter themed tea at the Sanderson, also had great service recently at One Aldwych).

Sorry, that's a lot to take in! I love London, lived up there for 3 years and visit a fair bit now we live down 'in the country.'

 

[Groovee]

Last year we stayed in the premier inn at Tower Bridge (was actually across the bridge). It was lovely and quiet. Cost for 3 nights including breakfast £78 per person as there were 6 of us. We really liked it and would return.

We would get the tube to tower hill and walk across the bridge. Plenty eating places nearby too. But you could get the bus if you wished to the hotel.

 

[Sencybil]

Unless you have quite a small list of things you want to see, there's no one area that will be close to 'everything'. So you're going to have to use the transport system wherever you stay.... and from that point of view finding a hotel you like the look of at the right price is maybe more of a concern than where it is - as long as you're reasonably central. Also, London has changed a lot, so areas that were traditionally a bit down at heel are now vibrant and trendy

All central (Zone 1) areas are pretty safe, and easily accessible even late at night.

Definitely second the recommendation to get an Oyster card. If you need any help with that, come back and ask!

Come back and tell us where you choose, and I hope you have a wonderful time!

Sencybil x

 

[disneyholic family]

i completely forgot to mention walking tours - there are wonderful walking tours in london..

i'll find the link for you..

probably what i've most enjoyed during my visits...

and of course, the very touristy, but very good, double decker hop on/hop off bus tours.....
they are touristy, but they give you a very good overall view of the city....
and they include some walking tours as well (the best one being the changing of the guard)..
i'll find the link of the company i used....i was very pleased with it overall...
i did it when i was there on my own for business meetings....i stayed the weekend after the meetings were over...switched hotels to my beloved mayfair, so i was in walking distance of where they start and actually used the buses for transportation (hopping on and off as necessary)....
i went on two of their walking tours - the changing of the guard and a wonderful ghost pub crawl....historic pubs, each with some sort of ghost story.....we all had a fantastic time with an outstanding tour guide...i wonder if he's still doing it - one of the best tour guides i've ever had the pleasure of meeting!!!

 

[MichelinMan]

I would recommend the Premier Inn at County Hall, right next to the London Eye and Westminster. Very centrally located.

I would recommend an open top bus tour, from the Official London Sightseeing Tours (think that's what they are called) as you also get a free Thames boat ride to Greenwich from Westminster thrown in.

 

[Samaya]

Check out these sites and depending on when you're visiting you might be able to tour Royal Palaces and Homes including Buckingham Palace which is well worth a visit.

http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/visit
http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/visit/buckinghampalace/what-to-see-and-do
https://www.rceltickets.com/profile.asp
https://www.rceltickets.com/eventlist.asp?VenueID=1

A Royal Day Out at Buckingham Palace 27 July - 29 September 2013

This flexible discounted ticket gives admission to all three sites at Buckingham Palace - the State Rooms, the Royal Mews and The Queen’s Gallery. A visit this year includes the special exhibition The Queen’s Coronation 1953.

 

[nemofans]

Wow, lots of great info!! Thanks! This gives me more direction with my planning.

 

[mrslur]

You might want to look into getting a chip and pin card at the airport exchange kiosk. We had trouble several times trying to use a regular visa. Someday maybe the US will catch up to this technology...

 

[scoobydooby]

I really suggest you choose your accommodation based on what you like and what you can afford first, then work out the tube system for where you want to go. Assuming you are not completely on the outskirts that will work fine.

I do not and have never lived in London but I regularly have to go there for work.

Here are just some suggestions for visits.

Covent Garden.
British Museum.
Tower of London.
London Eye.
St. Paul's Cathedral.
Buckingham Palace to include the Changing of the Guard.
Harrods.
Trafalgar Square.
A West End Show.
Westminster Abbey.
Houses of Parliament.
Soho.
The Natural History Museum.
Oxford Street shopping.
London Zoo.

Have fun. London is a fab city.

 

[epcot.girl]

Natural History Museum, Science Museum and the V&A are all nestled together, so if you visit one you may as well visit all three. I love them all!

I agree with what a lot of previous posters have said regarding accommodation. In London there's no escaping having to use public transport really, so staying somewhere you can afford and are comfortable with should be the priority. Everywhere I've stayed in London has always been within very short walking distance of a tube station anyway.

 

[southernsam]

we stayed at the Charing Cross hotel which is in a good location for a lot of tourist stuff www.guoman.com another website to take a look at is www.theo2.co.uk

 

[southernsam]

two more ideas, just outside of London www.wbstudiotour.co.uk (you need to pre book this but it is a great day out) also if you like theme parks www.thorpepark.com

 

[nemofans]

Yes! Harry Potter tour may have to be on our list with my boys. Isn't there something at King's Cross Station for platform 9 3/4 too?

 

[Dimplenose]

There's a tiny shop at Kings Cross and a luggage trolley halfway through a random piece of wall (nearish but not on platform 9) for photos. I don't think there's a charge for this but there is often a queue. (Don't have a picture of trolley as queue was too long that day and we had a train to catch!)



If you are nearby it is a bit of fun but not worth making a big effort to see, especially if you are going to the Studio Tour which is amazing.

(St Pancras station, which is just across the road from Kings Cross, will be more familiar from the Harry Potter films.)

 

[southernsam]

you could also go up The Shard, I havent been there yet myself but have friends that have & they enjoyed it. www.theviewfromtheshard.com there is also the cable car which takes you across the Thames which is good, great views of the o2 arena www.emiratesairline.co.uk

 

[lolainkent]

you could also go up The Shard, I havent been there yet myself but have friends that have & they enjoyed it. www.theviewfromtheshard.com there is also the cable car which takes you across the Thames which is good, great views of the o2 arena www.emiratesairline.co.uk

I've heard great things about the Shard as well. I think you must prebook or you're looking at £100 per person!

 

[southernsam]

Hi Lolainkent yes Shard prices do seem expensive but I think you mean £100 per family?! Anyway totally agree with London suggestions in your previous post, especially The Churchill War Rooms, my boys enjoyed that too! So much to do in London, OP could also go to Madame Tussauds, Ripleys Believe it or Not, HMS Belfast, London Dungeons (which have recently relocated near to the London Eye) and one thing we havent done but keep meaning to do is a Duck Tour, www.londonducktours.co.uk

 

[lolainkent]

Hi Lolainkent yes Shard prices do seem expensive but I think you mean £100 per family?! Anyway totally agree with London suggestions in your previous post, especially The Churchill War Rooms, my boys enjoyed that too! So much to do in London, OP could also go to Madame Tussauds, Ripleys Believe it or Not, HMS Belfast, London Dungeons (which have recently relocated near to the London Eye) and one thing we havent done but keep meaning to do is a Duck Tour, www.londonducktours.co.uk

I just googled it because I had heard about expensive tickets at the door but maybe that was the first couple weeks it was open? It's £25/adult (£19/child, I think) so not as horrible as I thought, but still a lot for a view!

We keep meaning to do the Duck Tour as well, I always hear great things about it.