suggestions hotels London UK

[Pet Nit Noy]

Hopefully the exchange rate will remain, or improve, as it is today. We keep saying maybe we won't go this year but wound up going twice the past 12 months.

Booked for six weeks 2017 and just waiting until all the dramas are announced. Sooo many musicals which we mostly avoid!

Plan your visit and enjoy!

 

We always bring back Euro and GPB from our trips -- generally in the 60-100 range -- on the assumption that we'll be back soon enough. Right now, there are some more-expensive-than-today's-rate GBP in our safe deposit box. I, too, hope the exchange rate holds through the early fall.

[Globaliser]

But, how do find this collective wisdom without having to read through hundreds of threads?

Not hundreds. Probably no more than a couple of dozen serious threads on the subject will be thrown up by a search. But by the time some of us have posted similar advice a couple of dozen times in response to identical questions from people who haven't even started to use the search function, the enthusiasm to help tends to wane.

[dbsb3233]

There are many hotels along Cromwell road within a block or two of the Gloucester Road underground station - about half an hour on a very inexpensive tube ride on Picadilly Line from Heathrow. Because District and Circle Line trains also stop there, it is an ideal location from which to get anywhere in London. We've stayed at Radisson Edwardian, a Best Western and one other - and enjoyed many of the restaurants in the immediate area.

That's the location we just booked for next May - Crowne Plaza Kensington, which is right next to the Gloucester Road tube station. Also a HOHO route right there too.

 

We're a group of guys traveling together, thus need 2 beds in each room (harder to find that you'd thing it should be). That hotel has double double rooms (2 double beds in the room rather than 2 tiny twins) which we like. Never stayed there before but it appears to be a nice place.

 

Even though we're right on the line to Heathrow, we're wavering on whether to drag our bags to the airport via the train. I hear it's quite a schlep from the train into Heathrow (T3). Anyone know about how long of a walk that is? Easy to drag rolling bags along the route?

[Deeliteful]

I recently stayed at the Corus hotel in London. It's a 4 star and very reasonably priced (for London), it's close to Hyde Park, great service, lovely rooms (though small but more than adequate) and great showers! Highly recommend

 

 

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[PNW Traveler]

I recently stayed at the Corus hotel in London. It's a 4 star and very reasonably priced (for London), it's close to Hyde Park, great service, lovely rooms (though small but more than adequate) and great showers! Highly recommend

 

 

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Thank you for posting. We stayed near Buckingham Palace at the Rubens on our last visit to London and have been looking for a hotel nearer to Hyde Park.

[navybankerteacher]

 

Even though we're right on the line to Heathrow, we're wavering on whether to drag our bags to the airport via the train. I hear it's quite a schlep from the train into Heathrow (T3). Anyone know about how long of a walk that is? Easy to drag rolling bags along the route?

 

It's an easy walk from the end of the Picadilly line at Heathrow to your terminal (less than 10 minutes as I recall), and in fact we have often found empty luggage carts left by passengers going from the terminal to the underground station.

[DisneyExpat]

If someone wants a cheap, safe, central place that will be used to just sleep (no luxury) London School of Economics has availability during the school breaks. It comes with a free breakfast and was perfect for our family.

[Globaliser]

Even though we're right on the line to Heathrow, we're wavering on whether to drag our bags to the airport via the train. I hear it's quite a schlep from the train into Heathrow (T3). Anyone know about how long of a walk that is? Easy to drag rolling bags along the route?

It's an easy walk from the end of the Picadilly line at Heathrow to your terminal (less than 10 minutes as I recall), and in fact we have often found empty luggage carts left by passengers going from the terminal to the underground station.

Much less than 10 minutes, and dead easy with good rolling luggage even without using trolleys as there are travelators covering most of the distance to T3. Make sure you follow the signs for T3 departures to get the easiest route to check-in, as T3 arrivals are in a different (although adjacent and conjoined) building.

 

I did this myself about a week ago when I had to stop in T3 on the way into town after arriving at T5.

 

Which reminds me: the station for T3 is not at the end of the line. There are trains that call at T123 and then T5; if this is the first train that comes that's the most efficient way. Other trains call at T4 first and then T123; often they wait at T4 for 7-8 minutes before continuing, so that you would actually have a faster journey if you get off at Hatton Cross and wait on the same platform for the next T123/T5 train.

[gfkcruiser]

My Dh and i booked our frst transatlantic cruise ending in Southampton end of April 2017. Having never been there i am been reading this thread with great interest. want to be close to undervround stop from cruise terminal area and then to Heathrow a few days later. any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

Gail

[Pet Nit Noy]

My Dh and i booked our frst transatlantic cruise ending in Southampton end of April 2017. Having never been there i am been reading this thread with great interest. want to be close to undervround stop from cruise terminal area and then to Heathrow a few days later. any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

Gail

 

Here's a link to a useful web site called London Toolkit.

 

https://www.londontoolkit.com/travel/southampton_train.htm

 

Some facts you'll need to consider: There is no underground from Southampton to London. Rail service from Southampton goes into Waterloo station, but no underground. The distance is approximately 80 miles.

 

The Picadilly line is the underground line that goes to Heathrow Airport. Unfortunately, Picadilly does not go through Waterloo Station. This suggests that there's no single hotel which is perfectly situated for both of your trips.

 

If you look at the map in the link you'll see the stations I've mentioned.

 

http://content.tfl.gov.uk/standard-tube-map.pdf

 

I'm hardly an expert, but it seems that for one of your trips to/from London, you'll be faced with a taxi ride or a change of underground lines within London.

Edited December 22, 2016 by Pet Nit Noy

[gfkcruiser]

Thanks much. Contains a lot of useful information. Just have to decide best location to stay in London.

 

 

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[lrockwitt]

Looking for a nice Hotel not to far from Port. Coming in 2 days early. I can either book through Princess and get transfers to and from airport and hotel. Trying to figure my best option? Is a cab cheaper? Never taken a cruise out of London.

 

 

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[fishywood]

"London hotel not too far from port" is a non-starter. Southampton is 80 miles from London.

 

The prices Princess gives for their pre-cruise hotels are per person. You have to double them to see what you actually pay. So you can do a lot better booking on your own once you have a budget in mind. For transport from London to Southampton the fast train from Waterloo Station takes only 1 hour 20 minutes (half the time of going by road) and costs about the same as a coach transfer and well less than a private car. Strongly recommended as long as you can handle your own luggage.

Edited December 24, 2016 by fishywood

[lrockwitt]

Is there a Hotel in Southampton that anyone recommends? Can you fly into Southampton?

 

 

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[fishywood]

To fly from the USA to Southampton you have to go via a European gateway (Amsterdam, Brussels et al) and then take a regional airline back to Southampton. A viable alternative that also avoids the airport taxes on transatlantic flights to Heathrow or Gatwick.

 

There are two hotels in Southampton overlooking the port (Holiday Inn and Grand Harbour Hotel) plus plenty of UK budget chains near the airport or city center.

[easyboy]

Looking for a nice Hotel not to far from Port. Coming in 2 days early. I can either book through Princess and get transfers to and from airport and hotel. Trying to figure my best option? Is a cab cheaper? Never taken a cruise out of London.

Premier Inn is in the category of Holiday Inn. If you want to explore Central London, you can check Premier Inn Waterloo. On cruise day, you can take the train on Waterloo station nearby to Southampton. If you want to stay in Southampton on your arrival 2 days early, you can check Premier Inn Winchester, where you can have an option to take a train to Central London. We stayed at Premier Inn Waterloo before.

[John Bull]

My Dh and i booked our frst transatlantic cruise ending in Southampton end of April 2017. Having never been there i am been reading this thread with great interest. want to be close to undervround stop from cruise terminal area and then to Heathrow a few days later. any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

Gail

 

Hi Gail

 

Your choices for transportation from Southampton to central London are.......

 

http://www.nationalexpress.com/home.aspx

By direct long-distance bus (think "Greyhound") from Southampton coach station to London Victoria coach station. Approx hourly departures, journey time about 2 hrs 30 minutes. By far the cheapest option - fares £5 to £10 pp. You need to pre-book because they often book-out

 

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/

By direct train from Southampton central station to London Waterloo station, 2 to 3 departures per hour, journey time 85 to 95 minutes, fares £41.20 pp. You can also use this service, with one change of train, to go to London Victoria station, same fare.

There is also just one train (8.35am - you can comfortably make that train with unassisted disembarkation) to Waterloo which involves two simple changes and a fare of just £17.20 but must be pre-booked.

There are also direct hourly trains from Southampton central to London Victoria - these are run by a different operator, on a cross-country route with a longer journey time of 2hrs 30 mins, but a pre-booked fare of only £18.10

 

For the above you'll need a taxi from your ship to the rail or coach station, maximum cost £10

 

Ship's transfer coaches. Direct from the ship, they usually drop at London Victoria coach station. Journey time up to 2.5 hours, fare anywhere between $60 and $110, depending which cruise line.

 

So if you travel by train or bus or ship's transfer, a hotel near Wateroo/Westminster Bridge or Victoria/Buckingham Palace is ideal.

 

https://www.londontoolkit.com/travel/southampton_london_transfers.htm

International Friends' transfer-tour bus, from ship to London hotel via a choice of stops. A very convenient door-to-door way of visiting sights en-route, but of course cuts down your time in central London. That London toolkit website is the cheapest place to book this coach.

https://www.londontoolkit.com/travel/southampton_london_transfers.htm

The ship-to-hotel shared van tours offered on the same page are simple & good value for singletons

 

http://www.smithsforairports.com or http://www.aquacars.co.uk or http://www.westquaycars.com or a number of other operators

Private transfer from ship to hotel, expect to pay about £110 to £140 for a sedan.

 

Since those options take you to your hotel .....

-consider a hotel near London Paddington station for convenient travel to Heathrow on the fast Heathrow Express train

https://www.heathrowexpress.com/

But book those Heathrow Express tickets months ahead at just £5 pp. That price increases closer to the date, all the way to over £20 walk-up fare.

- Or a hotel in Victoria for the National Express bus service to Heathrow.

- Or a hotel handy to a tube station on the Piccadilly line (dark blue line on the map). Tube fare £6 pp, but you do have to haul luggage. http://content.tfl.gov.uk/standard-tube-map.pdf

 

Central London to Heathrow by pre-booked private transfer will cost £35 to £45 depending on the location of your hotel. You might find it easier to choose & book once you are in London.

 

"Tourist London" is broadly Albert Memorial / Cromwell Road museums in the west to Tower of London / Tower Bridge in the east, north of the river as far as Marble Arch / St Paul's, and south of the river just along the narrow South Bank riverside between Westminster Bridge and London Bridge.

The yellow route on this ho-ho map gives an idea of that area

https://www.theoriginaltour.com/media/2001/original-tour-map-from-14th-nov-hr.jpg

 

There are cheaper hotels further out, but if the hotel is near a tube station the city sights are just a few minutes away. Some areas outside central London are good, others not-so-good. If you choose a hotel outside the area I've suggested you might want to come back here with details so we can advise.

 

JB :)

[John Bull]

Before choosing a hotel you need to decide whether that hotel is going to be in London or in Southampton. First-timers to the UK predominantly want to see London

 

London for its iconic sights - Big Ben, Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, etc ect etc ad-infinitum.

Then travel to Southampton on embarkation morning. Inexpensive by National Express bus (usually under £10pp) or by train (pre-booked Megatrain tickets for £1pp (not a typo ;)) to £10pp but walk-up fare £42pp, ship's transfer, or pre-booked private transfer around £120 to £130 for a sedan, or hotel-to-ship tour-transfer including a stop at Stonehenge £84 pp (incl. Stonehenge admission)https://www.londontoolkit.com/travel/southampton_london_transfers.htm

 

Southampton for a more laid-back and less-expensive pre-cruise. Only half a day's-worth of interesting but hardly iconic city sights, but also numerous laid-back places to visit cheaply & easily by train or rented car such as Salisbury / Stonehenge, Portsmouth (particularly the Historic Dockyard & Ships), Winchester, the New Forest, even places as far away as Bath, Arundel Castle, or Oxford.

The only sensible transportation from Heathrow is National Express bus (about £20 pp), or pre-booked private transfer (about £90 for a sedan)

 

Once you've decided between a London or a Southampton base we can suggest hotels, things to do, & other logistics.

Your cruise dates might make a difference, as will the number / make-up of your party, your budget, any special interests, and any limitations such as mobility.

 

JB :)

Edited December 24, 2016 by John Bull

[dallas16]

Looking for a nice Hotel not to far from Port. Coming in 2 days early. I can either book through Princess and get transfers to and from airport and hotel. Trying to figure my best option? Is a cab cheaper? Never taken a cruise out of London.

 

 

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There are some good hotels in Southampton which is where your cruise sails from, despite what Princess tells you, Southampton is not in London and is a couple of hours drive away. DeVere Grand Harbour and Holiday Inn are often recommended on here. There is a Hilton hotel outside of town and also a Marriott a short drive from the port. Train or National Express coach is the best way to get to Southampton unless you drive a car.

 

As others have said, hotels like Premier Inn offer a quiet clean and reliable hotel usually with great prices often below $50 a night in Southampton or Winchester and only slightly higher in London. SouthamptonAirport is easy to get to from the city centre and it may work out cheaper to fly via Europe and then get a flight with an airline like Flybe into Southampton

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Edited December 24, 2016 by dallas16

[gfkcruiser]

Thanks so much. Will have to determine which is best choice for us.

 

 

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[Twickenham]

You need to take a step back and consider what you want to do. Sailing from Southampton isn't like Fort Lauderdale, the distances are much greater and London has much more to offer in terms of sightseeing. However, the public transport is also much better, which gives you more options.

 

With 2 days pre-cruise, most people will want to maximize their time in London, so it makes sense to stay there rather than Southampton. Very easy to transfer to the port the morning of your cruise by train and taxi. It's all quite doable, it's just a different kettle of fish from what you're probably used to.

[lrockwitt]

How long is the train ride? Is it expensive and easy to do? We just don't want to hassle the morning of the cruise.

We are doing a back to back and can see London during our cruise.

 

 

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[John Bull]

How long is the train ride? Is it expensive and easy to do? We just don't want to hassle the morning of the cruise.

We are doing a back to back and can see London during our cruise.

 

 

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From London's Waterloo station it's about 90 minutes to Southampton. 2 to 3 direct trains per hour. You haul your own bags, but not difficult, some trains the floor is level with the platform, with some there's one easy step up.

 

Walk-up fare about £42 pp.

But, except for sundays, you can pre-book from about 6 weeks out for as little as £1 to £10 via https://uk.megabus.com/megatrain.aspx

This is a bucket-price website run by a consortium of travel operators, including that train operator, to promote travel on under-used trains. Only a dozen or so trains per day qualify for Megatrain tickets but there'll be 2 or 3 that suit a cruiser's schedule - run a dummy booking for a month's time to see details. You must pre-book, and specify which train time - no amendments, no refunds.

No megatrain tix for sundays. Or for morning trains in the Southampton to London direction, so not much use post-cruise.

 

Alternatively, by bus with http://www.nationalexpress.com/home.aspx

Direct from London's Victoria coach station to Southampton coach station. Hourly service, journey time about 2.5 hours, pre-booking strongly advised, fare £5 to £7.

 

Ships' transfer buses also operate out of Victoria coach station - direct to the ship but about ten times more expensive.

 

Transfer on sailing day is perfectly normal.

 

A taxi from Southampton central train station or coach station to any cruise terminal will cost no more than £10

 

A one-way pre-booked private transfer from central London will cost about £90 for a sedan & take 2 to 2.5 hours.

 

Between back-to-back Southampton cruises will give you one foreshortened day to visit London, and that's woefully inadequate.

A good day to instead check out Southampton or nearby sights.

 

JB :)

Edited December 24, 2016 by John Bull

[fabnfortysomething]

How long is the train ride? Is it expensive and easy to do? We just don't want to hassle the morning of the cruise.

We are doing a back to back and can see London during our cruise.

 

 

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see John Bulls comprehensive post number 6 in this thread

[denatravels]

To fly from the USA to Southampton you have to go via a European gateway (Amsterdam, Brussels et al)

 

 

Since I no longer take NORMAL people vacations, but rather stack several together at once, I am actually flying from Naples to London to get to Southampton (or planning to in 2018). I didn't realize you can do this (although not great cost or timing) but a good option to remember to check out once flights come out next summer.

 

 

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