topic Re: O/T ... need help with staying in London! in Beauty

O/T ... need help with staying in London!

joyko — Wed, 26 Aug 2015 01:50:55 GMT

I was hoping someone might be able to help me re where to stay in London! I'll be traveling the end of September - and am torn between staying in the Mayfair section of London - or in Westminster area. I'm leaning toward Mayfair - but don't want to be too far from the attractions (Big Ben, Abbey, etc). Any help is greatly appreciated!!!!

Re: O/T ... need help with staying in London!

Anita Bourbon — Wed, 26 Aug 2015 03:40:24 GMT

Mayfair is a lovely area, very expensive though. I used to stay there all the time and I never felt isolated. London is such a public transportation city that you're never terribly far from tourist attractions anyways.

Re: O/T ... need help with staying in London!

sandraskates — Wed, 26 Aug 2015 03:56:47 GMT

The Queensway and Bayswater area is good too. It's been many years since I've been to London but that area is very centrally located with great access to the Tube and buses.

Here's a map of the London tube that might help you decide on an area:

https://tfl.gov.uk/maps/track/tube

Re: O/T ... need help with staying in London!

birkin baby — Wed, 26 Aug 2015 04:11:08 GMT

I stayed at the Ashburn Hotel in Kensington this past March. It was a very enjoyable stay and I would definitely stay there again. London is my favorite city . I hope you enjoy your trip.

Re: O/T ... need help with staying in London!

flickerbulb — Wed, 26 Aug 2015 04:24:09 GMT

I stayed in several locations in London, and my favorite was near the Marble Arch. It is close to the Tube and lots of shopping and central to getting to attractions.

Look at the Tube map an figure out which attractions you want to be close to. As someone mentioned, the transportation is so good, it does not really matter because you will be able to get anywhere you want to go.

Re: O/T ... need help with staying in London!

lulu2 — Fri, 28 Aug 2015 00:53:31 GMT

@birkin baby wrote:
I stayed at the Ashburn Hotel in Kensington this past March. It was a very enjoyable stay and I would definitely stay there again. London is my favorite city . I hope you enjoy your trip.

London is one of my favorite cities too. We've stayed in many areas. If I were the OP I'd pick the hotel that gave me the most for my money. Public transportation is a breeze and it's easy to get almost anywhere. Last time we stayed near the Eye. I loved the area.

Re: O/T ... need help with staying in London!

Lipstickdiva — Fri, 28 Aug 2015 14:25:14 GMT

Jill Bauer was in London a few months ago and wrote a blog about it. She even posted the name of the hotel they stayed in. I remember it was really, really quaint looking. I have no idea where it was as I've never been to London. But it might be worth reading her blog.

Re: O/T ... need help with staying in London!

sharlee — Fri, 28 Aug 2015 15:54:04 GMT

OP, not sure what your budget is, or what you're looking for in the way of ambience, but on my last visit, my friend and I stayed in a hotel in Paddington. The train station there is the terminus for the Heathrow Express, which was wonderfully convenient for arriving and departing - we just came up out of the underground and trundled our suitcases a few short blocks to our hotel.

It's full of students and business people, very green and quite safe.

And, as others have pointed out, the transportation (underground and buses both) is so good and so reasonable, you're never more than a short ride away from the places you're probably interested in seeing.

Re: O/T ... need help with staying in London!

shoekitty — Sat, 29 Aug 2015 20:41:10 GMT

Mayfair is a little more upscale than some areas. But, as every poster has mentioned Kensington, Paddington and other areas are good too! It is true what every poster has said here, they have public transportation down to a science.

My best friends daughter went to London to study hair design under one of the masters. She loved it. Decided to stay a while, then longer. Although she was 28 at the time, she owned her own home, a Baxter Porshe and was top in her career. One day she came back to Oregon, sold her home, her car and moved back to England. That was 8 years ago. She never drove a day after that. She just married last month and her husband works for the transit. The tube is so extensive it is impossible not to be able to get around in a timely manner. Then there is the train. We would never rent a car there and drive, as we relish our life too much, LOL. But we loved the tube

Re: O/T ... need help with staying in London!

bebe777 — Sun, 30 Aug 2015 21:24:42 GMT

London is huge. The entire city sprawls and I think it's 50 miles (or maybe kms. in diameter). No that's the whole city, but even the very interesting center of London is huge.

I think the key is for you to make sure that you're 2-5 minutes away from one of the stops on the yellow circle line. I'm not sure of what the name of the line is but, if you look at the map below, you'll see a yellow line that "circles" the center of London. Actually it looks more like a wine bottle on it's side. -- I just googled "london" and "tube", clicked on google images and there were a lot of tube maps to choose from.

The stops on the yellow line circle the center of London and, more importantly, they intersect with most of the other lines. So this way, at the most, you are just two Tube rides away from where ever you are going. If you miss a yellow line train, there'll be another one around the bend in a few minutes.

While the tube map below makes it look as though everything is compact, there is a fair amount of distance between stops. It makes the most sense to travel by tube (rather than taxi because: 1) the tube is fast 2) car traffic is slow and expensive.

You should be able to purchase a weekly tube ticket that will allow you unlimited trips on the tube. Check out the details before you leave.

It's been a while since I've been in London, but I remember that the tube closes down sometime before midnight. Does anyone know when? you'll want to get back to your hotel before then because it can be difficult back otherwise.

London is a great place to go and there's so many fun things to do.

Enjoy!!

-- bebe

____

Re: O/T ... need help with staying in London!

wellergirl — Wed, 02 Sep 2015 18:14:13 GMT

We stayed in the Queensway and Bayswater area on our last visit. There were lots of pubs/restaurants and a Tesco's nearby, as well as two tube stations. We rented a flat from Home Away. I LOVE London. Safe journey and enjoy your trip!