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Our Greater London Megathread

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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 26,567 ✭✭✭✭Fratton Fred


    roxy81 wrote: »
    I am heading to London in 2 weeks with my mam for pure shopping. We have our flights booked to Heathrow. We have not booked the hotel yet...............thats another area we need help with as this break has crept up on us both.

    Basically we need some advice from somebody thats done this before. Between us our sense of direction would not be great so we need an idiots guide to getting around London.

    Any hotel suggestions would be great, preferably near the shops would be fantastic?
    Also are the shopping streets easily accessible by tube from the airport?

    All help thoroughly appreciated, thanx a mil.

    Rox

    london doesn't have a Grafton Street or a Shop Street as such, there are several different areas for shopping and it depends on what you want to get.

    Oxford Street (Oxford Circus tube Station) is probably the most common and has such delights as a massive Top Shop (Its on about four floors and has a cafe etc so you can stay all day if you like:eek:) and Nike Town (worth a visit if you like trainers, they have a Nike iD studio but you need to book).

    There is also Covent Garden (Covent Garden Tube) which is a smaller but a nice place for a girlie afternoon and there is Bond Street (Bond Street Tube) which is where the serious money goes. that is where you will find Tiffany Jewellers, Dolce and Gabbana etc. Lastly you have knightsbridge for Harrods (Knightsbridge Tube).

    Get your self a tube map and try and get somewhere handy for these locations.

    to get into town from Heathrow i suggest either the Heathrow Connect into Paddington or the Piccadily line, which takes a lot longer. the Stations are sign posted when you come out of arrivals.

    to find a hotel, try lastminute.com but look for hotel near one of the above locations as they sometimes have hotels out near the airport which can be a bit of drag getting and out of town (Imagine staying in a hotel at dublin Airport). I have seen one or two hotels recommended on here before, so someone may be able to be more specific than me.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,722 ✭✭✭anotherlostie


    Another option for shopping is the new Westfield White City. It is like Dundrum only miles bigger. Only thing is that a lot of the shops are familiar to Irish shoppers now, so if you are going for something diffferent (as opposed to cheaper sterling prices), then it might not suit. It's easy to get to on tube, and right across from the BBC.

    http://uk.westfield.com/london/




  • I am unsure as to whether or not this is the right place to post.

    My girlfriend and I are hoping to stay in London from the 8th-11th of May and we are hoping to find a relatively cheap hotel as central as possible. Either that or a B'n'B.

    Can anyone recommend any?


  • Registered Users Posts: 167 ✭✭marknoonan1974


    Hi,
    I'm going to London for a weekend soon, and I checked hotel prices in central London and they all seem very expensive, does anybody have any advice on how to find a hotel for cheap or some good websites for London hotels?

    Thanks


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5 will000


    try expidea.co.uk or else try hotels .co.uk


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  • Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 24,924 Mod ✭✭✭✭BuffyBot


    Don't forget to check the sites listed in the "Useful sites..." sticky at the top of the forum. You'll find lots of travel/hotel booking sites there that might come in useful to you.


  • Registered Users Posts: 11,692 ✭✭✭✭OPENROAD


    Hi,
    I'm going to London for a weekend soon, and I checked hotel prices in central London and they all seem very expensive, does anybody have any advice on how to find a hotel for cheap or some good websites for London hotels?

    Thanks


    How much sterling do you want to spend per night?


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,087 ✭✭✭BrianJD


    Hi,
    I'm going to London for a weekend soon, and I checked hotel prices in central London and they all seem very expensive, does anybody have any advice on how to find a hotel for cheap or some good websites for London hotels?

    Thanks

    Check out the Travelodge website www.travelodge.co.uk we stayed in their Tower Bridge property recently and found it great. We paid the princely sum of 39 GBP per night! The hotel is newly refurbished and was really clean and comfortable, the decor was actually really nice and the room was plenty big for two adults. Now it is pretty basic and doesn't have a lot of extras, but for that price we were more than happy. In fact, they are running a sale at the moment, they do rooms as cheap as 9 GBP so you might even get it cheaper than us.

    It is located in the city, beside the Tower Of London and Tower Bridge, there is a tube just around the corner about 2 mins walk that is served by 2 lines so you never have to wait for a tube. It is about 3 km from the west end, but the tube would have you there in 10 mins. There are a couple of pubs right beside the hotel and a Starbucks and Pret a Manger for a quick snack. I definitely would stay here again if we return to London. The have properties all over London, but this one seems to be particularly good value, maybe because it is their newest property.

    P.s. You should really try and see a show while you are there, they are a great night out. We went to Phantom of the Opera and it was amazing.


  • Registered Users Posts: 167 ✭✭marknoonan1974


    OPENROAD wrote: »
    How much sterling do you want to spend per night?

    We are going for 4 days, would be happy to pay about 300 euro, but would prefer less. Seems it not possible :(


  • Registered Users Posts: 15 miss dove


    Hi everyone. I'm hoping to book a few nights away in august for me and h2b and 2 friends for the pearl jam concert in the O2. As I've never been to London before, I'm hoping some of you may be able to help! Which hotel/area would be best/cheapish to stay in for ease of travel to O2 and into London centre itself. I know that is a bit vague as the area is huge but I'd want a hotel that isn't too far out of the way iykwim. Would we be aswell staying closer to the O2 for ease on concert night but then again, we might be staying for 3 nights so don't want it to be too difficult for going out on those nights. God, my heads spinning already. I hate arranging things! blink.gif Thanks in advance


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  • Registered Users Posts: 9,573 ✭✭✭lord lucan


    There's a holiday inn express a 10 minute walk from the 02. I've stayed there for a couple of metallica shows and it's handy to be able to avoid the crush for the tube after the gig. Greenwich north tube station is beside the 02,you can get the jubilee line into central london in 20 minutes.

    http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/ex/925/en/hd/longm?countryId=0925&cm_mmc=mdpr-_-googlemaps-_-ex-_-longm&_requestid=1420313


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4 dentgirl41


    Hey
    Maybe you could try a travelodge (travelodge.co.uk) they sometimes have deals from a little as 9pounds per room.
    Although the earlier you book the better. Make sure you're staying in zone 1 or you could be on trains for quite a while. Though they're cheaper in outer zones it wouldn't be worth your while if only going for 3 days.

    Enjoy:)


  • Registered Users Posts: 737 ✭✭✭christo82


    Going to London at the end of May and was wondering are there any places near London to visit for a half-day or full day? Is Brighton any good? Been to Oxford before.

    Thanks.

    PS I'm a guy mid-20's.


  • Registered Users Posts: 26,147 ✭✭✭✭Berty


    A lot of men in their mid 20's go to Brighton but for a certain persuasion. I personally loved Brighton for different reasons.

    Great social scene. Good pubs, cafe's and clubs. It also has a nice laid back feel with many bus's and trains heading to London.

    What are you looking for in a day out?

    Culture
    Atmosphere
    History
    Quiet corner with a book

    If you like Football you can certainly have a day of visiting the grounds.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,181 ✭✭✭Davidth88


    Going to London at the end of May and was wondering are there any places near London to visit for a half-day or full day? Is Brighton any good? Been to Oxford before.

    Thanks.

    PS I'm a guy mid-20's.

    You don't say what your interests are , or what sort of things you like but.

    Brighton is a great city , full of life .

    Oxford is more full of history than life . However again well worth a visit.

    There is a old saying ( Samuel Johnson ) , when a man is tired of London he is tired of life ....... why stray outside the M25 :)


  • Registered Users Posts: 737 ✭✭✭christo82


    I'm really looking for a cultural trip- museums, galleries etc but in a town with a bit of life. The reason I mentioned Brighton was because I saw you can get £2 return tickets to it on National Express.

    Thanks


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 26,567 ✭✭✭✭Fratton Fred


    Windsor is a great place, loads to see and do.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,181 ✭✭✭Davidth88


    Windsor , good thinking Fred !

    + 1 on that


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,875 ✭✭✭ShoulderChip


    Hello,
    I am going to London for 33 hours after final year exams with about 4 others just for 33 hours (one of us has to find a flat, the rest of us are going as flights were 22 euro return total price)

    One thing I want to do is go to les mis. I saw from their website that prices varied from 15pounds for restricted viewing to 35 pounds for average seats.
    How bad would the restricted viewing be? Id be happy if I had any kind of a view, as the others wouldn't be as interested as me.
    the real question is as its a monday night would I be able to find good seats going cheap in one of the shops that sell tickets in the city?

    Also are there any general suggestions for what we should take in, in such little time,

    Thank you.


  • Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 24,924 Mod ✭✭✭✭BuffyBot


    Well - all weather dependent, really but London has plenty of things to see and too. Try going to sites like the Tate Modern or take a walk along the south bank of the Thames. Go to Tower Bridge/Tower of London. Browse around Soho, or shop in Oxford Street. Go for lunch/dinner in one of the trendy places in Islington, then take the tube a few stops and go to Camden and it's famous market - there are so many choices in London, you're pretty truly spoiled!


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  • Registered Users Posts: 68 ✭✭zodiak


    deffo camden its on the northern line.. i go over to london a few times a year and always go camden town its mint.. has plenty of styles and not that expensive either.. only thing is if your in a hurry to get home/ airport be aware that they close the tube station for incomming traffic on the weekends between like 2 and 5 its really fustrating but still a great place... oxford street and marbal arch are great for shopping aswell




  • We ended up staying in the Westminster Days Hotel on Belgrave Road. Was pretty central, nice enough rooms.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,846 ✭✭✭discombobulate


    Hi theres a crowd of us travellin over to London on the 14th - 16th of June. We're flying through Heathrow and going to the O2 arena on the 15th. DOes anyone know what the best location for us would be to be handy enough for both and also for going out at night without having to get taxis etc...


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,372 ✭✭✭silverside


    somewhere around London Bridge would be ideal - Jubilee Line to O2 - south bank for sightseeing - walk to shoreditch for going out - about an hour from heathrow on the tube (everywhere is, more-or-less)

    having said that London is pretty well connected with night buses and tubes so should not take too long to get around

    journeyplanner.org is your friend ...


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,846 ✭✭✭discombobulate


    silverside wrote: »
    somewhere around London Bridge would be ideal - Jubilee Line to O2 - south bank for sightseeing - walk to shoreditch for going out - about an hour from heathrow on the tube (everywhere is, more-or-less)

    having said that London is pretty well connected with night buses and tubes so should not take too long to get around

    journeyplanner.org is your friend ...

    Thanks for that. Does this place look like its close enough. Not sure which bridge is London bridge!

    http://ireland.hotels.com/hotel/details.html?rooms[2].numberOfAdults=3&roomno=4&departureDate=16-05-2009&destinationId=549499&rooms[0].numberOfAdults=3&tab=description&arrivalDate=14-05-2009&rooms[3].numberOfAdults=3&hotelId=235563&rooms[1].numberOfAdults=3


  • Registered Users Posts: 7,588 ✭✭✭Bluetonic


    I'd recommend buying a 3 day travel card (off peak travel - after 9.30am on weekdays) for around £20 when you get to Heathrow. It'll allow you travel unlimited on all underground, buses and overland rail while there.

    http://www.londontoolkit.com/briefing/travelcard.htm


  • Registered Users Posts: 14,952 ✭✭✭✭Kintarō Hattori


    Hey Folks,

    Can anyone recommend a hotel/B+B or whatever to stay in London that is central and relatively cheap.

    Many thanks.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 26,567 ✭✭✭✭Fratton Fred


    Thanks for that. Does this place look like its close enough. Not sure which bridge is London bridge!

    http://ireland.hotels.com/hotel/details.html?rooms[2].numberOfAdults=3&roomno=4&departureDate=16-05-2009&destinationId=549499&rooms[0].numberOfAdults=3&tab=description&arrivalDate=14-05-2009&rooms[3].numberOfAdults=3&hotelId=235563&rooms[1].numberOfAdults=3

    The Link didn't work.

    London Bridge is obviously a bridge, but usually when people mention it they actually mean London Bridge station, which is quite a large train/tube station.

    That is a good location to stay, although somewhere around green Park Tube would be handy, but somewhat expensive I suspect. Waterloo would also be handy.

    Basically, you will need to get the Jubilee line to the O2 and the picadilly line from Heathrow joins it at Green Park, or you can go into Paddington from Heathrow and get the Bakerloo to Baker Street and change for the jubille there. Getting to Heathrow is easy from anywhere in London though, so i wouldn't worry too much where youstay, as long as you are fairly central.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,591 ✭✭✭RATM


    The words 'central and cheap' don't usually go into a sentence with London involved.
    OP whats 'relatively cheap'? £!5 a night? try hostelworld.com , they do budget hotels as well as hostels. £10 a night? Try the universities- they usually rent campus rooms in the summer.
    Or if your budget is more but you want a nice place maybe try lastminute.co.uk and their 'Secret Hotels'. These are 4 and 5 star properties with discounts- only thing is you don't know which hotel it is till you've paid, thats why they give you a discount. You can google the facilities/location details and figure it out before paying though.

    In any case no one can answer your question until we know what 'relatively cheap' means to you. ;)


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  • Registered Users Posts: 2,846 ✭✭✭discombobulate


    Thanks for the info guys. Went for a hostel near Picadilly Circus in the end. Easy access to and from Heathrow and in the middle of everything from what I can see


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