Need some advice from Londoner's

[bookgirl]

I will be in London in September.

I plan to arrive on Sunday stay till Friday then grab a train to Paris and spend two nights (seeing Paris one day and DLP one day.

The Paris part I think I've got down (arriving at Gar Du Nord, hotel across the street and metro to the sights, then grab the Disneyland shuttle the next day at the train station for a day at the park)

Where I'm having trouble is my London stay.

I'm staying mid range so probably Ibis.

There are two.

Ibis Euston/St Pancres

Can get the tube (1 transfer) from Heathrow to Euston and then .10 km walk to the hotel.
When I go to catch the train to Paris it is just .50 km from St Pancres

It is on 3 bus lines as well

Not sure how easy it will be to access the touristy stuff from here.

Ibis Earl' Court

Is on the West Brompton train line
1 bus line

But it is right in the middle of all the central London attractions.
It is also about $20 less per night.

However I'm not sure how easy it will be to get to and from Heathrow or St Pancres from here.



I don't know enough about London to know if these are in decent areas and I'm not sure if it is better to have easy access to the trains/airports or better access to the daily stuff.

 

[SgtTibbs]

I've stayed at Ibis Euston/St Pancres
Great hotel (for the price)
We did all the tourist highlights, Tower of London, Eye, British Museum, with no problems.
Google maps does a great job of telling you what tube/bus to use. Makes it easy as can be to get around London.

 

[bookgirl]

I've stayed at Ibis Euston/St Pancres
Great hotel (for the price)
We did all the tourist highlights, Tower of London, Eye, British Museum, with no problems.
Google maps does a great job of telling you what tube/bus to use. Makes it easy as can be to get around London.

Thanks,

I don't mind paying more for the hotel or traveling a little for the daily stuff as long as it is not really difficult. The Euston location just seems to be really handy for the larger transportation needs.

 

[Ware Bears]

I'd go for the Euston/St Pancras location, less hassle for when you've got your luggage with you and it's very easy to get to all the major tourist attractions from there.

 

[BadPinkTink]

Another vote for Euston/St Pancras location I lived in London for 4 years. Once you are on the tube network, its very easy to get to places, even places which you think look far on the map.

Actually, I've just checked that on Google map, if you are getting the train to Paris you are better off staying near Kings Cross / St Pancras Station, not Euston Station. This would be a good hotel, very near the station http://www.premierinn.com/gb/en/hotels/england/greater-london/london/london-kings-cross.html

You can get the Picadilly Line tube direct from Heathrow to Kings Cross. You should get an Oyster Card. This is a credit card sized plastic travel card, which you can load up with money. It is valid for use on all tubes and buses. You just tap the card on the yellow reader as you enter a bus and on the yellow reader at the tube turnstiles when you enter and exit. It can be bought at Heathrow before you get the tube either at the ticket desk or at the ticket machines. You ask for an Oyster card which I think costs £3 then you tell the ticket person that you want to top up by x amount of money. For 2 days in London I would put £20 pay as you go on the Oyster Card. This will cover all transport, both bus and tube and include your travel from Heathrow. You can always check the balance at any ticket machine and if you are quick enough you can see the balance when you tag on / tag off on the tubes

Then just exit to Euston Road, turn left when you get to the street, walk down Euston Road to the junction, then turn left again onto York Way. The hotel is just down abit on York Way. Once you get to street level it should take about 15 minutes to get to the hotel.

The Picadilly Line is one of the main hub routes into whats know as The West End, ie the central part most people associate as London. This is the route map https://tfl.gov.uk/tube/route/piccadilly/

Your first stop on the day should be in Kings Cross Station itself, its where Platform 9 3/4 is

After that just get back on the Picadilly Line and you can get to anywhere you want
The area between Covent Garden, Leicester Square and Picadilly Circus is basically the main part of the West End. This area would be like Times Square in New York, its the heart of Theatre Land.

Hyde Park Corner is where you get off if you want to visit Hyde Park and Hard Rock Cafe

Knightsbridge is the upscale shopping district, Harrods and Harvey Nicolas, think Fifth Avenue in New York

Another main hub line is the Central Line https://tfl.gov.uk/tube/route/central/
You can change onto this line at Holborn station. Get the Picadilly Line from Kings Cross, go 2 stops to Holborn, get off the train and follow the signs for the Central Line. The area between Oxford Circus and Marble Arch is the main shopping district of Oxford Street.
One of the big main shopping malls (Westfieds) is at Shepherds Bush

In the other direction, St Pauls is the stop to get off to see St Pauls Cathedral. Five stops from St Pauls is Stratford station. This is the station to get off to go to the other Westfields Mall and The Olympic Park.

Thats just a basic overview, I know the bus routes too, so let me know if there is something particular you want to see.

 

[bookgirl]

I had heard about the Oyster Card and did plan on buying one.

I only plan to have one large rolling suitcase, one small carryon roller that is an underseat size so it can easily attach to my suitcase, and a small daypack that is about half the size of a standard backpack. Easily handled (I've trekked that much or more around California and Chicago (elevated trains gah) and Florida numerous times) so I should be able to maneuver fine.

I've been sticking to the IBIS line due to staying at an Ibis in Paris and the Sofitel T5 (Ibis and Sofitel both part of the Le Acord chain). Euston is the closet Ibis to St Pancres. I could practically walk from St Pancres/Kings Cross (two different stations just next to each other correct?) to the Ibis as it's just a third of a mile and if Kings Cross has a direct line with no transfers to Heathrow I might do that instead of the Euston Station because I'd prefer one tube and a little walk to 2 tubes and a shorter walk. I also plan to return from Paris then catch the train straight to Heathrow (where the Sofitel is so I can drop my bags and check in) so grabbing a direct would be great.

I plan to leave my large suitcase in the hold at St Pancres and just take the small bag to Paris.

So far I know I want to go to Buckingham Palace, British Museum, British Library, Big Ben, Thames/Bridge tour, maybe Albert Hall (isn't that by Hyde Park), one of the big formal churches. I do plan to do a day tour (Bath/Windsor/Stonehenge). Other things I thought about were Abby Road, Stratford upon Avon, Globe or Old Vic, and maybe one West End show on the fly (I know there is a same day discount ticket place but for the life of me can't remember the name at the moment).

So much to plan. It's still 6 months out and I have a DLR trip in April and I might be in Orlando in June for a conference so at least an overnight at WDW, but WDW and DLR are super easy by now and London just seems to need lots of extra attention since it's all new.

OOPS forgot The Eye and the Tower of London and maybe a day of shopping but not modern shopping more like eclectic, kitchy, old bookstore kind of shopping. My favorite movie is 84 Charing Cross Road and I might have to go look there even though the bookshop is no longer there.

 

[GAN]

Only piece of advice I could add is look up CityMapper app if using Public Transportation(which is fabulous). I can't say enough about how easy this app made getting around....

 

[chelynnah]

Have you considered doing one of the 24 hour hop on hope off open top bus tours (there are a few companies, I think the one I've done most is Big Bus Tours (check out their web page and app). I love those. So much information. They drive by all the things you want to see. You pop off, do the thing, and then grab the next bus. Depending on timing I often grab the last bus of the day, and travel round on it without getting off, then start fresh the next morning with an idea of where I want to visit.

You can also buy an app of map of the London Underground which is great if you're wanting to do a lot of it on your own.

 

[bookgirl]

I've heard about the app and will have to see if I'm going to have international cellular on my phone or whether I'm going to bring a strictly wifi device.

I have looked at the hopon/hopoff buses in Paris but had not thought of using that in London, as of now I was thinking of doing an Area plan. Hit an area scoot around it, hit up a different area in the afternoon scoot around it. I'll check them out.

I think I have my days/trains worked out in the big picture sense.

Now I'm looking at Oyster cards (refillable vs # of day cards) and trying to figure out the best one to get.

Then I have to do the same for Paris as I've decided to ditch the shuttle to DLP and I'm just going to grab the RER lines so that I can maximize my day there and stay later. So have to find out if there is a combined RER/Metro pass that is a better deal for Zones 1-5 or if buying separately will be more economical.

 

[Jon84]

Hit an area scoot around it, hit up a different area in the afternoon scoot around it. I'll check them out.

Bear in mind your time of day for travel, scooting will not be an option when traffic is heavy! Also, some Tour Buses have different routes, for different costs, so make sure you are paying for routes that have places you wanna go!

Now I'm looking at Oyster cards (refillable vs # of day cards) and trying to figure out the best one to get.

Pay as you go is a better option, it has a daily limit, so you never spend more than a certain amount, even if you make 20 journeys, you don't pay more than a full daily ticket.

Then I have to do the same for Paris as I've decided to ditch the shuttle to DLP and I'm just going to grab the RER lines so that I can maximize my day there and stay later. So have to find out if there is a combined RER/Metro pass that is a better deal for Zones 1-5 or if buying separately will be more economical.

Good luck! French travel is so expensive, it's a minefield to get the best value!!

 

[Dimplenose]

After over 30 years of living near to London, and a couple of years working there, I finally got around to doing a bus tour last year. It was such a disappointment because the traffic was so heavy and the tour guide we had so bored with her job. She obviously had a script so that when we sat in traffic for ages she wasn't able to "fill in" with any extra info on the many historic buildings that were surrounding us.

When we did "hop off" we certainly couldn't just "hop on" again with out up to 40 minute waits.

I think it is a good thing if you get half price tickets from somewhere as £20+ per person is a ridiculous amount to pay. (M,um and I had vouchers from my Tesco loyalty card.)

When you do get on, stay on for the whole loop and don't try to use it as a means of transport.

Some companies run daytime or evening tours that are just a tour and are therefore a little cheaper.

I've just posted a link to this site http://www.londonforfree.net/ on another thread, but I think you might find it interesting too.

 

[Jon84]

After over 30 years of living near to London, and a couple of years working there, I finally got around to doing a bus tour last year. It was such a disappointment because the traffic was so heavy and the tour guide we had so bored with her job. She obviously had a script so that when we sat in traffic for ages she wasn't able to "fill in" with any extra info on the many historic buildings that were surrounding us.

When we did "hop off" we certainly couldn't just "hop on" again with out up to 40 minute waits.

I think it is a good thing if you get half price tickets from somewhere as £20+ per person is a ridiculous amount to pay. (M,um and I had vouchers from my Tesco loyalty card.)

When you do get on, stay on for the whole loop and don't try to use it as a means of transport.

Some companies run daytime or evening tours that are just a tour and are therefore a little cheaper.

I've just posted a link to this site http://www.londonforfree.net/ on another thread, but I think you might find it interesting too.

Good post!

Never used a tour Bus in London, but have in other European Cities and found them really good.

I'd have just booked a London one without checking!!

 

[bookgirl]

After over 30 years of living near to London, and a couple of years working there, I finally got around to doing a bus tour last year. It was such a disappointment because the traffic was so heavy and the tour guide we had so bored with her job. She obviously had a script so that when we sat in traffic for ages she wasn't able to "fill in" with any extra info on the many historic buildings that were surrounding us.

When we did "hop off" we certainly couldn't just "hop on" again with out up to 40 minute waits.

I think it is a good thing if you get half price tickets from somewhere as £20+ per person is a ridiculous amount to pay. (M,um and I had vouchers from my Tesco loyalty card.)

When you do get on, stay on for the whole loop and don't try to use it as a means of transport.

Some companies run daytime or evening tours that are just a tour and are therefore a little cheaper.

I've just posted a link to this site http://www.londonforfree.net/ on another thread, but I think you might find it interesting too.

Those are some of the reasons I was thinking of just taking the Tube to an 'area' and wondering around it. I have a friend who is using the "Original" Bus Tour in June while she's there for Wimbledon. I figure I'd see what she thought before I bought any tickets.

 

[Dimplenose]

Good post!

Never used a tour Bus in London, but have in other European Cities and found them really good.

I'd have just booked a London one without checking!!

Those are some of the reasons I was thinking of just taking the Tube to an 'area' and wondering around it. I have a friend who is using the "Original" Bus Tour in June while she's there for Wimbledon. I figure I'd see what she thought before I bought any tickets.

I have also done a few European bus tours and really enjoyed them but the difference with London is its size. The tour I used (Original Bus Company) needed 3 separate buses to see all of the major sights and as we were only there for a day trip time was very limited. It was a memory lane trip for my mum who can't walk as far as she used to, so it served its purpose, we had a nice day and the tickets were free.

I also know London so knew when we were doubling back on ourselves or an interesting fact was glossed over or missed.

We were also frustrated that our Bus company seemed to have a lot less busses than the Big Bus Tour - but that may just have been my impression that day as I waited and waited. (and waited!)

You will get a lot more value if you can use the ticket one evening and then the next day. But it is still nearly impossible to use them for transport as they just do a loop so you can't change direction and go back to somewhere without doing the whole loop again.

 

[JonUK]

Definitely do the IBIS Euston - it's not a long walk to St. Pancras and it's walking distance to lost of things in Central London.

It sounds like you're considering a few tours and stuff, but if you need any help putting together a walking tour of some good sights, PM me and I can help you with detailed information