Most convenient area of London to stay for sightseeing

Could some one please take a look at this map and point out a good area or two to stay in?

Very helpful, thank you!

Back looking at hotels again. :rolleyes:

There are studios to let in kings cross

http://www.studios2let.com

Best deals are in booking dot com which for some reason, in this case, beat booking direct.

Around Victoria station would also be good for access to national express bus to and from Southampton and the tube to and from Heathrow and the tube to Kings Cross for the Eurostar.

Tourist sites are scattered through London so either of these places are pretty close to quite a few sites but as long as you are close to the city circle line you are close to the majority of must see places.

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

We have decided to book a boutique hotel and try to get the best of both a hotel and apartment feel. It's the Montague on the Gardens in Bloomsbury Recommendations both here, CC, and on Tripadvisor for a true English experience. ;)

http://www.montaguehotel.com/

Thanks again for all the advice! :)

Very nice choice :) And definitely a whole different level to the Strand Palace.... I'm sure you'll have a great time.

One more thing to tick off the list:) Looks like a nice place to stay too.

I would recommend picking a hotel near the Gloucester Road underground station. Three lines stop there: Picadilly (which gets you to Heathrow in just under a half hour), Circle (which circles central London) and District. It is easy to get anywhere in London at low cost - and a short walk to the Natural History Museum. There are many hotels within two or three blocks of the station - generally along Cromwell Road. They range from top end: Millenium (about $475/nt), Ashburn (very good - about $200) Radisson Edwardian (probably best value about $140) and Cromwell (very cheap - price/quality - about $70) -- there are many others - Best Western, etc.

There are a number of inexpensive places to eat in the immediate area, as well as high end.

Very nice choice :) And definitely a whole different level to the Strand Palace.... I'm sure you'll have a great time.

One more thing to tick off the list:) Looks like a nice place to stay too.

Thank you! I am just so glad to have that booked and out of the way. ;)

Air - Check!

Hotel - Check!

Insurance - Will buy CSA Luxe at final payment.

Transportation 1- Plan to take taxi from Heathrow to hotel - Check!

Transportation 2 - Plan to take train from Waterloo Station to Southhampton - Check!

Cruise booked - Check!

Book Excursions - Fail! :rolleyes: Need to work on that. We have a weak Roll Call, so far.

Transportation 3 - Get from Southampton to Heathrow - Have names. :)

Thank you! I am just so glad to have that booked and out of the way. ;)

Air - Check!

Hotel - Check!

Insurance - Will buy CSA Luxe at final payment.

Transportation 1- Plan to take taxi from Heathrow to hotel - Check!

Transportation 2 - Plan to take train from Waterloo Station to Southhampton - Check!

Cruise booked - Check!

Book Excursions - Fail! :rolleyes: Need to work on that. We have a weak Roll Call, so far.

Transportation 3 - Get from Southampton to Heathrow - Have names. :)

Sounds good except for the taxi from the airport. Private transfers are much more reasonable.we use http://www.totallydriven.co.uk

Sounds good except for the taxi from the airport. Private transfers are much more reasonable.we use http://www.totallydriven.co.uk

If you are reasonably mobile and are not travelling too heavily, you might consider the Picadilly underground line to get to your hotel - it runs direct from Heathrow, getting to Russel Square in about 30 minutes - a short walk to the Montague - that would give you a bit more of the

London experience - and if you bought an Oyster card - good for however long your stay in London is, you would save a lot on the transfer from the airport and have very reasonable transport all over London for your visit

We will each have a large suitcase and a carry-on, plus large pocketbook and a backpack. DH does not want to try the train because of the luggage. I don't mind. We have taken the train from Rome to Venice with the same luggage. If the pathway from Russel Square to the hotel is uneven, that could be a long walk. :eek:

We do plan on buying an oyster card, however. ;)

Sounds good except for the taxi from the airport. Private transfers are much more reasonable.we use www.totallydriven.co.uk

TY for the transfer suggestion. I tried to do a mock booking, but the Montague is not listed. I used the Bloomsbury Hotel as a close match. The cost is around £100 for VIP service. The Montague offered the same service for $150 USD. I don't know who they use, but DH thought it a little high.

We will each have a large suitcase and a carry-on, plus large pocketbook and a backpack. DH does not want to try the train because of the luggage. I don't mind. We have taken the train from Rome to Venice with the same luggage. If the pathway from Russel Square to the hotel is uneven, that could be a long walk. :eek:

 

We do plan on buying an oyster card, however. ;)

 

 

 

TY for the transfer suggestion. I tried to do a mock booking, but the Montague is not listed. I used the Bloomsbury Hotel as a close match. The cost is around £100 for VIP service. The Montague offered the same service for $150 USD. I don't know who they use, but DH thought it a little high.

Those sound very high. Go on line - check Smiths for Airports , or Blacklane (both reliable) or any of many others: you can get a Mercedes or comparable sedan - plenty of room for two large suitcases plus carry-ons for about 55 to 65 GBP. ($80-$95) from Heathrow to the Montague.

When looking for taxi quotes - enter the postcode if you can - WC1B 5BJ

We will each have a large suitcase and a carry-on, plus large pocketbook and a backpack. DH does not want to try the train because of the luggage. I don't mind. We have taken the train from Rome to Venice with the same luggage. If the pathway from Russel Square to the hotel is uneven, that could be a long walk. :eek:

We do plan on buying an oyster card, however. ;)

TY for the transfer suggestion. I tried to do a mock booking, but the Montague is not listed. I used the Bloomsbury Hotel as a close match. The cost is around £100 for VIP service. The Montague offered the same service for $150 USD. I don't know who they use, but DH thought it a little high.

That is not a correct booking. You do not need VIP service unless you insist on a limo. The cost for the round trip in October was 75 £. To go to roughly the same area.smiths is always more expensive because they are not London based.

Those sound very high. Go on line - check Smiths for Airports , or Blacklane (both reliable) or any of many others: you can get a Mercedes or comparable sedan - plenty of room for two large suitcases plus carry-ons for about 55 to 65 GBP. ($80-$95) from Heathrow to the Montague.

We do like the VIP service with someone meeting us in the airport. ;)

Don't need round trip.

I will write and ask for a quote when we get a little closer to sailing. Thank you again for all the suggestions. ;)

We do like the VIP service with someone meeting us in the airport. ;)

 

Don't need round trip.

 

I will write and ask for a quote when we get a little closer to sailing. Thank you again for all the suggestions. ;)

With Totallydriven you are always met right in the arrivals hall no matter if you get the longest limo or the regular sedan. Go on their website and read the column on the right side of the page with all the services including free wait time if you feel you need more than the normal allotted time.

We always tell them that we fly business/first and will exit early and they have always been waiting.

One way should be somewhere around 40£.

Great! We will not need a limo since it is just the two of us. ;)

I wonder why they do not have our hotel listed, though. :(

We do like the VIP service with someone meeting us in the airport. ;)

 

Don't need round trip.

 

I will write and ask for a quote when we get a little closer to sailing. Thank you again for all the suggestions. ;)

Virtually all of the (very many) Heathrow car services will have your driver standing there holding a sign with your name - right where you come out of customs. I think "VIP" in that context just means a humongous car and a driver who wears a chauffeur's cap - the regular service is more than comfortable, convenient and fully adequate.

Great! We will not need a limo since it is just the two of us. ;)

 

I wonder why they do not have our hotel listed, though. :(

There are many thousands of hotels in London. The one you have chosen is very nice but also quite small (boutique) so there will not be a big demand for taxis.

Just a small clarification about taxis in London. The traditional black cabs (not always black these days, but still distinctive) are licenced taxis that you can hail on the street. The 'taxis' that you book in advance are 'private hire' cars - still licenced but with less stringent rules about the size and shape of the vehicles, knowing routes (the knowledge) and much cheaper prices. Any limo/luxury service will be the latter but the car will be more luxurious and the driver will wear a hat.

I'll just have to write the car service when we are ready to book. ;)

I just booked with them for our August transatlantic and airport to apartment in Mayfair was quoted at 69 pounds. Transfer to cruise portion Harwich quoted at 152 pounds. Smiths was almost double that.

We stayed at the DoubleTree in Westminster.

Nice place, and I got a reduced rate with my Hilton Honors points.

Walk to everything.

Neighborhood is very residential, so choice of eateries is somewhat limited, but OK.

:)

We spent 8 nights at Rubens At The Palace and really enjoyed being in that location. Very easy to get around and so much within walking distance.

 

http://www.rubenshotel.com/

Good to know since this is where will begin our four days!!!