Visiting London
Accommodation
Hotels
We realizerealise people may be looking for different things
in a hotel and so have offered three choices. The first
two are located closest to central London and are in a
livelier area meaning they are naturally more
expensive. The third option is located slightly further
out, but is well connected and may be a more authentic
London experience (fewer tourists) and is the most
affordable. Prices include taxes, but are approximate
and could increase. Though price doesn’t
necessarily reflect satisfaction as Premier Inn
consistently gets some of the best reviews on TripAdvisor.
-
1a Lexham Gardens
Kensington, London
W8 5JJ
- $180£119/night and up
- Includes full English breakfast and WiFi
- Stylish, but small rooms
- 8 min walk from Earl’s Court station
- 25 min to central London
- Book by contacting
Christina
-
22-32 West Cromwell Rd
Kensington, London
SW5 9QJ
- $150£100/night
- First 30 mins WiFi is free or $5£3 for 24
hrs
- Large rooms
- 8 min walk from Earl’s Court station
- 25 min to central London
-
3 Putney Bridge Approach
Fulham, London
SW6 3JD
- $130£85/night
- First 30 mins WiFi is free or $5£3 for 24
hrs
- Large rooms, overlooking river
- 3 min walk from Putney Bridge station
- 35 min to central London
Getting Around
After landing at Heathrow Airport you’ll need to
purchase an
Oyster card to access London’s transportation
network. If you get a weekly pass you’ll likely
spend the vast majority of your time in zones 1 and 2
(for reference Heathrow Airport is in zone 6), but you
can also put a pre-paid amount on your card opposed to
a weekly pass.
Once you have a card you’ll want to get the Piccadilly line eastward toward Cockfosters (get off at Earl’s Court for the Kensington hotels and to transfer to the District line toward Wimbledon for the Putney Bridge hotel). The Tubesubway
closes at midnight, but some buses operate 24/7. You
can also hail a black cab, but they’re not cheap.
Ideas
It’s a cliché to say, but there are many
things to do and see in London. Here are a few ideas,
with more to come.
-
Hop on a Bus
The best way to see London is from the top deck of
a red double decker bus. Not the tourist ones, but
the ones Londoners frequent every day including
buses:
9 (through Kensington then down the Pall Mall
to Trafalgar Square),
10 (through Kensington by Marble Arch and along
Oxford Street) and
11 (through Chelsea then going by Westminster
Abbey, Parliament and St. Paul’s Cathedral).
-
Find a Good View
Greenwich Park (yes, as in Greenwich Mean Time)
is a favourite destination with sweeping views of
London. You can take a boat along the Thames River
to get there. Other great vantage points include
The Shard
(tallest building in Europe), London Eye,
Primrose Hill and
Parliament Hill.
-
Go for a Walk
St. James’s Park is a beautiful setting
in the heart of London. Other top choices include
Kensington Gardens,
Hyde Park or
Regent’s Park where you should consider
hiringrenting some bikes. Also consider walking along
Regent’s Canal to Camden
Lock and be sure to check out Camden High
Street for an alternative view of London. It almost
goes without saying, but wherever your walk takes
you be sure to track down a good pub.
-
Wander around a Museum
Some personal favourites include Churchill
War Rooms (bunker during the Battle of
BritainWorld War II), Tate
Modern (old power stationplant turned modern art
museum) and the British Museum
(artefactsartifacts ‘discovered’ from around the
world).
-
Hit the Town
You could always
take in a musical in the West End
before heading out for a late night in
SoHo or Covent Garden where late night clubs
are plentiful. Hip areas include Camden, Angel and
Shoreditch.
