Our Greater London Megathread

enda1

chancer12 wrote: »

Tnx, am more worried about him getting the train than the boat because the seat isn't confirmed.

Just get on the train anyway. You don't even need a seat if worse comes to worst.

pebbletroy

hi,
im thinking of going to london end of jan maybe start of feb to see a few plays & i was just wondering does anyone have any reccomendations or knowledge of a reasonably priced hotel for 1 person, i am going from shannon to heathrow, thanks!

Strumms

It all depends on your budget. I'd recommend the Premier Inn in Kings Cross. Very central with trains and the underground on your doorstep. Lovely new hotel two.

jjbrien

Id recommed Tune Hotels very good rooms hotels are in Paddington, Victoria, Kings Cross and Liverpool Street. Id stay in the Paddington one to be honest as its near most of the stuff you want to see and do.

Red Pepper

I am travelling to London Heathrow on Friday and then getting a tube to my hotel a few stops up the Piccadilly line. I want to also travel into London city that night. I am going back to Heathrow by tube on the Saturday.

What is the best travel card or ticket to get for the above scenario?
I thought about an oyster card but it seems expensive.

spurious

I would get an Oyster card, to be honest - they work out cheaper in the long run.

Without knowing exactly where your hotel is and what time of day you will be travelling, it's hard to work out whether for you it would work out cheaper.

It's 5 pounds for the actual card (plus whatever you top it up with).

Here's the fares:
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/tube-dlr-lo-adult-fares-jan-2014.pdf

Otherwise, you can buy your single (or day) tickets as normal at the ticket offices, but really an Oyster with 10 or 15 pounds credit might be best, plus you can keep it and use it the next time you or a friend or family member are in London.

coylemj

+1 for the Oyster card. On your next trip (after you get the card), you will reap the benefit the minute you arrive at the tube station in Heathrow as you can bypass the queue for the ticket desks as well as the hoards of tourists fumbling with coins at the machines.

The economics of an Oyster card are pretty simple if you're flying to Heathrow: the current cash fare from Heathrow to Zone 1 is £5.70, the Oyster off-peak (after 9:30 a.m.) fare is £3. That means that the savings on the round trip to the city centre alone (£5.40) more than covers the £5 charge for the card itself making it a complete no-brainer.

You can apply for an Oyster card online, click the link below and apply for a 'pay as you go' card.....

https://oyster.tfl.gov.uk/oyster/entry.do

anne burnell

was in london a few months ago and used the day ticket for the tube, which also allows you to use the bus... as it lasts for 24hours you could use it again to travel to Airport on Saturday and it only 6 pounds sterling.... We found it great value

anne burnell

was in london a few months ago and used the day ticket for the tube, which also allows you to use the bus... as it lasts for 24hours you could use it again to travel to Airport on Saturday and it only 6 pounds sterling.... We found it great value

Diairist

I'd be a leeetle more in favour of a day pass. If a station is closed on a line you want to use & you need to get two or three other lines, £5 or £6 can go very quickly.

Techno_Toaster

Hi all,

Heading to London for a week in May and looking for a hotel in Central London close to the tourist sites. We're flying into London of that makes a difference?! Our max budget would be €100 a night but ideally under this. Anyone have any recommendations?

Miaireland

I stayed in the Premier Inn at County Hall last year. It is just by the London Eye. The Hotel was central and near everything. Waterloo tube/train station was a two minute walk away. I booked the hotel directly with the premier inn site as I was getting a better price from them rather that booking.com etc for the dates I wanted.


I would suggest if you are booking a double room ask for a twin room at the front of the building as you get a large room with two double beds and much more space than the small double rooms on the side.

bungaro79

just a heads up for anyone going to london in february. there are two 48 hour strikes planned in the tube from noon on the 4th and 11th. lots of info on tripadvisor thread

http://www.tripadvisor.ie/ShowTopic-g186338-i17-k7101572-Tube_strikes_planned_Feb_4_5_and_11_12-London_England.html

Gal2011

Hi there,

Theres a group of 4 or 5 of us heading to London to for the rugby and we are flying into Stansted and getting the train direct to Liverpool Street. We are not sure where to stay as I have read Liverpool Street is a busienss district and we want to be based very close to Liverpool Street station but also near to pubs and Nightclubs and lively street for the weekend. Any ideas on a good street or area to stay close by and also the best streets for pubs and nightclubs near to this area please?

Muahahaha

All depends what you want, if it's super clubs to dance with 3,000 other people then check out Leicester Square. If it's live indie music you're after then head to Camden Town. London has too much choice so it's difficult to answer without knowing what kind of venues you're after.

Gal2011

Yes i thought about that after I had written the thread. Basically we would be looking for lively pubs and nighclubs in the area. we are going to the match on Sat afternoon out in Twickenham but were looking for a pub or area to head to when we arrive on liverpool street on friday night.

exiledelbows

Just head around Shoreditch/Hoxton and you'll be well looked after from a drinking point of view. Everyone complains it's a bit hipster-y but I've had some good nights out around there. I've been recommended this covered night market which isn't a million miles away. It's more food than drink-oriented but I'd say it's a good place to start and then see where the night takes you.

After Twickenham, Clapham is pretty handy to get to but is pretty far from Liverpool St. Also, if you end up with a spare ticket or two I'd love to hear from you.

enda1

Gal2011 wrote: »

Hi there,

Theres a group of 4 or 5 of us heading to London to for the rugby and we are flying into Stansted and getting the train direct to Liverpool Street. We are not sure where to stay as I have read Liverpool Street is a busienss district and we want to be based very close to Liverpool Street station but also near to pubs and Nightclubs and lively street for the weekend. Any ideas on a good street or area to stay close by and also the best streets for pubs and nightclubs near to this area please?

Tune Hotel Liverpool Street. €108 for a 2 person room for the night on travelrepublic.ie (Saturday 22nd).
Or £60 for a room without a window booking directly.

Then there's loads around the area from Spitalfields/Hoxton/Shoreditch etc. or more in to Soho.

HeidiHeidi

Has anyone been to the Greenwich Museum and all the other bits around it?

I'm heading to London for a weekend in March, and would love to see this - but have no idea if it would occupy an hour, half a day, or an entire weekend

There seems to be absolutely loads to see - and I'm an avid sailor and fan of all of things seafaring/maritime so I suspect I'd like to see it all - so anyone who's actually been there, I'd love to hear about it.

I'll really only have the Saturday to see it - will I fit it all into one day?

Sheldons Brain

Do go and see it. Take a boat from central London. I remember it being interesting, a day should do the area justice.

HeidiHeidi

Sheldons Brain wrote: »

Do go and see it. Take a boat from central London. I remember it being interesting, a day should do the area justice.

Oooh, a boat from central London???

More details please! That sounds great.

ETA - obviously I'll google it, but any inside info/previous experience very welcome!

coylemj

I did the Royal Observatory many years ago, got a boat from Westminster bridge, near Big Ben. I saw lots of boats there last year, if I recall correctly they are on the other side of the bridge (but the same side of the river) from Big Ben.

Think there's more than one company doing trips, I'd wait until I got there rather than book in advance......

http://www.thamesriverservices.co.uk/

ProudDUB

Oh that is a fabulous thing to do. I heartily reccomend it. I did it a couple of years ago. Greenwich is a great place for a wander around, whether you are into all things maritime or not. A day should definitely be enough.

Getting a boat down there is by far the best way to go. If you get the tube to Westminster, just follow the signs to the Westminster Pier exit and the boats will be right there. The boats that do river trips, stop and pick up passengers at a couple of other piers near the Tower of London and the South Bank Centre. Westminster Pier is where they start, and it is a much more spectacular embarkation point than the others imo.

The trip takes about an hour. They boats have a bar ( ) and the guides give great commentary on all the buildings and bridges that you pass on the way down to Greenwich. It is a fabulous way to see a part of London that you don't normally get to see.

I was there on a Saturday too & there was great open air market on in the towns main street, that is just behind all the official military buildings. There is also a great old pub on the waterfront, that has been there since Lord Nelson's time. He supposedly had his last pint in England there before he set out on whatever his last big battle was. It has tons of outdoor seating and its a brilliant place to sit and watch the world go by on the river. I was there in late April and it was quite chilly on & by the water, so deffo bring a good coat if you are going in March.

HeidiHeidi

ProudDUB wrote: »

Oh that is a fabulous thing to do. I heartily reccomend it. I did it a couple of years ago. Greenwich is a great place for a wander around, whether you are into all things maritime or not. A day should definitely be enough.

Getting a boat down there is by far the best way to go. If you get the tube to Westminster, just follow the signs to the Westminster Pier exit and the boats will be right there. The boats that do river trips, stop and pick up passenger at couple of other piers near the Tower of London and the South Bank Centre. Westminster Pier is where they start, and it is a much more spectacular embarkation point than the others imo.

The trip takes about an hour. They boats have a bar ( ) and the guides give great commentary on all the buildings and bridges that you pass on the way down to Greenwich. It is a fabulous way to see a part of London that you don't normally get to see.

I was there on a Saturday too & there was great open air market on in the towns main street, that is just behind all the official military buildings. There is also a great old pub on the waterfront, that has been there since Lord Nelson's time. He supposedly had his last pint in England there before he set out on whatever his last big battle was. It has tons of outdoor seating and its a brilliant place to sit and watch the world go by on the river. I was there in late April and it was quite chilly on & by the water, so deffo bring a good coat if you are going in March.

Thanks a million - this is exactly what I was after!

And thanks to everyone else as well - I think that's my plan made

ciaramc

Anyone have any hotel recommendations for a 3*/ 4* hotel in Central London for around €130 max a night for a twin room/double room. Thanks.

yiddo59

Diairist wrote: »

I'd be a leeetle more in favour of a day pass. If a station is closed on a line you want to use & you need to get two or three other lines, £5 or £6 can go very quickly.

But with Price Capping on Oyster you'll never pay more than the equivalent travelcard anyway. http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/14837.aspx

enda1

yiddo59 wrote: »

But with Price Capping on Oyster you'll never pay more than the equivalent travelcard anyway. http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/14837.aspx

There's a fiver deposit though for the oyster.

Plus you can get a travelcard tacked onto a nationalrail ticket if coming in from stansted for example. Then it's less than the oyster cap. Plus it get's you the 2-4-1 entry to museums etc. that the oyster doesn't (only if tacked onto a train ticket).

roundymac

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

Oooh, a boat from central London???

More details please! That sounds great.

ETA - obviously I'll google it, but any inside info/previous experience very welcome!

This is another way to do it.
http://www.greenwich-guide.org.uk/tunnel.htm

Dr. Nick

Can anyone recommend any good short-term holiday apartments in London, or any good sites to find them?
Looking to bring the family for 4/5 days in July or August.

tks.

johnington

I used this site before:

www.hoseasons.co.uk/

Stayed in a nice apartment in Stratford less than 5 minutes from the tube station for a week.

The apartment was well furnished with kitchen, TV and bed was comfortable.

It was about 20 minutes from central london but cheaper because of that.