We're taking the whole family to London over Thanksgiving. I've been looking at places to stay, and I'm wondering if anyone can offer some advice on which neighborhood would be safe and within walking distance of a lot of the main points of interest. Currently I'm overwhelmed! Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Carly:

I think that there are a number of different parts of London in which it is nice to stay. London has an excellent Tube -- Underground -- Subway system and you can get from one part of the city to another quite easily and efficiently and safely by using it.

Do you have a good map of London? If you want to be centrally located, perhaps you should look in the neighborhood near Covent Garden or the area near Leicester Square. Personally I like to stay a little bit west of there near South Kensington or Chelsea -- I find it quieter and more desirable to be in a neighborhood like one of those. Roughly in between those two areas would be Mayfair, which is full of upscale hotels. There are way too many choices.

What I would do is, if you haven't already, get a good guidebook, and decide whether you really want to be in the center of things or in a more residential neighborhood. How important is the quality of your lodging pricewise? Do you want to walk a lot? Will you mind taking the Underground?

Read, read, read. Hope this helps.

David, usually in New York

Hi David,

Thanks for the reply. I do have a couple of books (Frommers & Rick Steves) and they make everything sound pretty good. Personally I would like to be in a little quieter location than in the hustle/bustle of everything. I'm ok with the tube, I just didn't know how convenient it really was. On the other hand, I like to be able to walk to a lot of places when I'm traveling. I get a better feel for the city, and it is usually more relaxing.

I'll look in the locations that you suggested.

Thanks for the help!

Carly,

I don't know what other European cities you know, but both Paris and Rome, for instance, are a lot more compact as far as the central sights are concerned. I share your enthusiasm for walking around a city, but a lot of London's attractions are just too spread out for even the energetic walker! The underground ("the tube") is expensive, but convenient, and safe.

When you find a possible location, post it on the board, and those of us who live in/used to live in London (the latter, in my case) might be able to advise.

Jonathan

South Kensington is where we like to stay when the kids are with us. It's easy to get to the tube and there are plenty of local restaurants that are good, family-type places (i.e., not fancy, not pubs, and with food kids enjoy). And it's very safe, IMO.

Thanks for all of your helpful information! I have a lot of emails out, just waiting for responses. When I am able to narrow down the choices, I will be sure to come back to run them by you for your opinions.

Kit

(Carly is one of the pups, Mia is the other!! I was really glad to see that a lot of you are just as nuts about your pets as I am.)

Kit, how long will you be in London? Is it long enough to think about a "flat" rather than a hotel? You'll certainly get a lot more for your $$$ that way, esp. in a city with notoriously expensive hotels.

quote:

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The underground ("the tube") is expensive, but convenient, and safe.

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The last time I was in London (12 years ago! ) I purchased a daily 'off peak' travel pass for the tube. As I recall, the only restriction was that I couldn't use it before 10am. (There was likely also a late afternoon time limit, but I have no idea what it was!) This pass made the Underground affordable and allowed more flexibility in my sightseeing plans.

Kit, I hope it's still available!

Carly
There are lots of ticket options available for London Transport - really depends on the size of your group, duration, where you want to go etc. Some are not available in the UK and need to be purchased before you leave. Here is a link to London Transport's web site- check out the fares options.
"... when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life;
for there is in London all that life can afford"
GB

I'd vote for the South Kensington area, too,and would encourage you to check options for an apartment...you can find many that will rent for 5 days or some even for 3. MUCH more comfortable for a family than hotel rooms. The London tube is enormously convenient, and as long as you are in the central part of London, you'll be fine on getting around.

SALLY WATKINS, Certified Travel Counselor
sally@century-tvl.com
www.sallywatkins.com
My business depends on referrals - please tell someone today!

Hi to everyone,

I heard back from a couple of agencies that I had contacted in London - here are the available locations. (if you wish to comment)
In SW3 - Markham St, Tedworth Square, Ovington St,
In SW1 - Pont St. Mews
In SW7 - Sydney mews
In W8 - De Vere Gardens, Farley Court, Bullingham mansions (Cannot locate the last two on the map)

All of the above are private flats/houses. We have done this in the past in other locations with generally good results (the exception being the really dirty house in Kona that wasn't checked prior to our arrival). With three kids, eating out becomes prohibitively expensive and stressful (nothing like paying for a dinner they won't eat), so staying in a apartment/house is a must, IMO.

I can't tell you how much I appreciate all of your helpful comments and suggestions. This is our first trip abroad, I'm embarrassed to say, and I'd really like it to be a good experience for the whole family! On the other hand, I've been to quite a few campgrounds in the western US, so if you ever need any info on that, I'll be glad to help! (husband doesn't usually "do" cities so this trip ought to be interesting!

Kit

Kit,

Sydney Mews is off the Fulham Rd, opposite the Royal Marsden Hospital. It's actually just in SW3. Looks about a 10 minute walk to South Ken tube.

De Vere Gdns runs south from Kensington Road/Gore, one (small) block west from Palace Gate/Gloucester Rd. Very close to Hyde Park. I'd say about 5/10 mins from Gloucester Rd tube; about the same to High St Kensington.

Pont St Mews (very expensive address!) is very close to Harrods & Knightsbridge tube.

Hope that's given you enough info to find the places on your map. I was using the AZ Inner London - good if you want really large scale (9" to 1 mile), but rather too large-scale to see how anything relates to each other.

Jonathan

Thanks Jonathan,

I appreciate an insider's advice. Can't wait for the trip!

Kit

Carly,

Tube location information should be one of the main factors you look at in deciding. Tube in London seemed very safe and efficient to me. On my many trips to London, I always stayed at a flat in Mayfair (friends have a flat there). In my travels around London, I used the tube and the double decker buses quite often and found I could easily get anywhere I wanted to go and fairly quickly. I love the Chelsea area but also love Covent Garden and South Kensington. If you like antiques or flea markets - try to get to Portobello Road and Camden Passage.(I forget exact days of week) I don't remember if you said how old the kids are, but a great break from London museums, etc. for children is Madame T's (can's spell it) Wax Museum which will have alot of personalities/celebrities they will recognize. And have an "English Breakfast" for me.... I used to have the same scrambled eggs (steamed - not fried), bacon, broiled tomato, mushrooms and toast at Emilio's in Shepherds Market every morning of my visit, year after year... sheesh, I'm depressing myself. LOL!

Debbie

Greece, Italy and Switzerland for Two Months!

It's true that the tube is convenient and when it is running properly you can make efficient use of your time. However, London Transport has suffered decades of neglect and for those of us who use the tube to commute daily, it long ago ceased to be enjoyable.

You will undoubtedly use the tube while you are here and will probably have no problems with it, but there is a new conjestion charging system in operation in central London in an attempt to reduce the amount of traffic. The aim is to encourage greater traffic flow so that bus journeys can be quicker. It's a bit early to tell, but the indications are that the system may be working. There are certainly many more buses in evidence.

I am a great fan of London buses and if you can stay near one of the old Routemaster bus routes you can hop on and off those buses easily. It's a great way to see London, from the top of a Routemaster. You can get daily passes that will allow you unlimited travel within specified zones on either the bus only or the bus and tube.

Beebee

Great idea to check the location of bus stops as well as the tube stops. A co-worker of mine who is from London had suggested the bus as well. I appreciate the tip about the unlimited pass as well. I'll be sure to look that up on the web. We still haven't made a final decision on where to stay, but I need to do it soon so that I don't have to think about it again. (At least for awhile!)


And Debbie - can't wait to try the breakfast, but I'm curious about the eggs - steamed rather than fried? Sounds interesting, but I'm always up for new things. I'll make sure to report back on the experience.

Kit

Kit-

One source for the visitors' passes for transportation in London is www.ticketsto.com

Maureen

Carly,

The scrambled eggs are unbelievable! At the little place I go to, they actually put the whipped eggs in a metal container (like restaurants make milkshakes), and then they place this long metal rod that emits hot hot steam into it and it scrambles up the eggs -(anyone else experience this? or maybe it was just this places way of doing it?) and the bacon is much leaner there, the sausages are great, their toast is tastier as it has less "air" (more condensed) if that makes any sense.... oh, I'm getting depressed again. LOL
In England, breakfast definitely my favorite meal..

Greece, Italy and Switzerland for Two Months!

Right, that's convinced me. I'm off to have breakfast at Emilio's tomorrow. Thanks for the tip. I've certainly not seen anyone else do their scrambled eggs that way, but I'll start looking.

Beebee

Okay - now I'm totally curious. Where do I find Emilio's? Sounds like something that I absolutely must do!

Kit

Well, I'm not sure he is still there - but it is a little spot right in Shepard's Market, in Mayfair off Curzon Street. Haven't been there for awhile - hopping he is still there when I go back next. I used to share a table with some local "blokes" who were doing construction work nearby and I remember a sweet kitty that used to be curled up on a nearby chair - Can you imagine that in a restaurant here in the U.S.?
LOL

Debbie

Greece, Italy and Switzerland for Two Months!

Ok, research report..

I had breakfast there this morning and it was delicious. I think the same construction workers were still having breakfast as well but I screwed up my order and got a fried egg rather than scrambled so I need to go back.

Sadly, Emilio is no longer there, but I was assured by the local florist and by the newsagent next door that the Express Cafe (No. 30 Shepherd Market) was indeed Emilio's.

It was great fun to do this because Shepherd's Market is not on my way to work so I don't normally pass that way, but it reminded me what a lovely place it is right in the centre of London. Make sure you stay friendly with any one who has a flat there.

Thanks for the tip.

Beebee

Beebee,

Thats great! Can't wait to get back there. Good luck with ordering the scrambled eggs next time. LOL

Debbie

Greece, Italy and Switzerland for Two Months!

Just got back from London this past Saturday. Lovely weather all week that I was there. We stayed at the Georgian House Hotel(35 St. George's Drive, www.georgianhousehotel.co.uk) which is a basic B&B. It is located about 10 minute walk from Victoria Station. The hotel is rather well run for being a budget hotel. They have rooms ranging from a large dorm to a quad. We stayed in a double with private en-suite for 59.50 pounds sterling per night (~$90). Bathroom was ridiculously small, but everything was clean. There is 24 hour front desk reception. Full breakfast is included in the price and was really good and a great start every morning. As expected there is no lift and those stairs can seem rather long. The neighborhood is really quite safe, if somewhat busy during rush hour. If you book here, request a room facing the interior. Our's faced the street and it was a little noisy in the early evening and morning. But we got use to it.
I would recommend getting the London Pass if you plan on visiting museums and historical buildings. It may seem pricey, but if you added up the entrance fees for these places, it's a bargain, plus you bypass the long lines most of the time. I would also suggest getting a London Transport pass for 3 or 7 days depending on the length of your stay. It's unlimited travel on the tube and on the buses. Just so much easier than having to wait in line and buy tickets for each destination. Get one for Zones 1-3 since this will cover almost all of the famous sites in London.

Hi Peipei -
Would you submit a review for SlowTrav of the Georgian House Hotel? You could easily just copy and paste the details from your post.
Thanks!
Submit a review HERE