48 hours in London

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Seadawg33

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We are planning our trip to the Med for 2012 and will be in London during the Olympics. I was thinking of buying some tickets so the family and I can see the games but that opportunity is passed. We will be flying from Spain to London and leaving Heathrow Airport for the trip back to the States. The flight from London to NYC was done with frequent flyer miles and there is no way to change it. I figured we might as well do some sight seeing in London. I figure we will be there for 48 hours. Can anyone recommend an inexpensive hotel for a family of four to stay that is convenient to the airport? Also what tourist sites would be the best for two teenagers?

Thanks in advance.
 
My gut reaction is you do not want to stay at the airport. If you are doing sightseeing you need to be in town. As I have not been to London for I can not really make any reccomendations.

As you have a limited time you need to plan your sightseeing in advance to get full value, for example doing Greenwich with the National Maritime Museum, the Observatory with Harrisons worderful timepieces, and the Naval College with the painted hall (my dining room for 3 months) is a good day. Without knowing your interests it is dificult to really make suggestions, some would never mis doing Buck House, whilst others would say the Tower or the Imperial War Museum and so on and so on. Hence the serious need for research and planning that only you can do. Otherwise you will stand in the middle like a rabbit in the headlights
 
Thanks Peter:
I am just starting my research. With the Olympic games happening in London many of the hotels are booked. I just thought that people on this site might have some recommendations for accommodations.
Charlie
 
The Blitz Museum on the South Side of the Thames which is very near HMS Belfast and the London Eye, plus the London Dungeon and Covent Garden.

http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/archive/exhibits/blitz/index.html
http://hmsbelfast.iwm.org.uk/
http://www.the-dungeons.co.uk/londo...G=7366191994&gclid=CJvK08vixasCFcIKfAodCgMz1A

I always like a trip to Covent Garden where you can watch street entertainers and have some nice food as well. All done with 48 hours in London, with family, while staying at Heathrow.

We have been to the Blitz Museum twice now, thoroughly entertaining and educational, takes a couple of hours, then over to HMS Belfast after abit of lunch. All easy to get to on the Underground as well, IIRC.
 
It's only an hour on the tube (metro) to central London so I wouldn't worry too much about whether to stay near the airport or in central London, but afraid don't have any specific recommendations.

Hotels around Gloucester Road (which is on a direct train line to the airport) would be a good bet.

What I like to do with friends for whom it's a first time is start from the Tower of London in the East and walk along the river westwards. You'll walk past Tower bridge, London Bridge, Shakespeare's Globe theatre if you go to the South side of the river, St. Paul's cathedral, the Millenium Bridge, the Tate Modern (in which you could pop in if that's your thing), and then past Somerset House, the Royal Festival Hall, leave the river for a brief visit to Covent garden (good market!) and finish around the Houses of parliament. You get a nice 'walking historical' tour of the city and it's a great walk. Lots of places to eat and relax along the way.

The places mentioned by BlowingOldBoots are all along the same stretch of river so it's a case of walk along the river soaking up the atmosphere and visit whatever strikes your fancy on the day!

Avoid hiring a car to see London, there's no point. You'll spend most of your time getting angry at the traffic.

Sorry if you know this all anyway - don't know if you've been to London before or not!
 
I wouldn't be favouring a hotel near the airport either, I used to be a regular visitor to London, and would usually stay anywhere reasonably central

www.londontown.com has some useful info, they have hotel recommendations as well as list of shows etc on your visit dates

Inexpensive in London, at Olympics time, hmmm, I stayed in Ibis and Jurys Inn a few times which was very reasonable, all these will be full on Olympics time I would guess.
A web search for discount hotels london will likely yield many to browse.
 
Thanks for the advice everyone I know this isn't a travel site but I thought I'd get some good answers. I really like the walking ideas. Most websites are geared toward a particuilar place where you need to spend money. We'll look for places near transport which seems to be much better then here in the States. We'll be flying into London and directly out to see some friends in Yorkshire then we are off to The Italian Job(name of our boat) in Italy. We'll sail here from La Spezia down around Elba and then up the East Coast of Corsica and then to the French Riviera and leave he in Toulon for the winter. From there it is time to visit family in Spain and then back to London. Should be a nice vacation but it is goign to take a fair bit of planning.

I wish it were more like get on the boat and keep going but that isn't in the cards -- for a few years anyway. Need to get the kids thru school first.
 
zarathustra said:
I wouldn't be favouring a hotel near the airport either, I used to be a regular visitor to London, and would usually stay anywhere reasonably central

www.londontown.com has some useful info, they have hotel recommendations as well as list of shows etc on your visit dates

Inexpensive in London, at Olympics time, hmmm, I stayed in Ibis and Jurys Inn a few times which was very reasonable, all these will be full on Olympics time I would guess.
A web search for discount hotels london will likely yield many to browse.
Click to expand...

You have to remember that what we think is reasonable as a hotel price is extortion for some one from tother side of the pond.
 
maxi77 said:
You have to remember that what we think is reasonable as a hotel price is extortion for some one from tother side of the pond.
Click to expand...

Quite true, London hotels are expensive, but I think most people do expect it in any capital city these days.

I recall one occasion my wife booking a stay in fullers hotel in westminster, which was like a guest house over a pub, it was cosy and only a 2 minute walk to westminster abbey and houses of parliament, fabulous location, we walked into the centre from there on a sunday morning, she booked it through one of those hotels sites, I don't recall what we paid but it was very reasonable by any standards, I do recall being surprised at how little we paid.
 
London Sightseeing

From an Ozzie who has visited a few times. As said unless you have a flight departing early in the morning the tube is the way to access the airport. But it does not run v early in morning. Taxi is expensive.
We stayed in a cheap place called Hyde Park (Hotel?) near Hyde Park. The whole street was cvonverted to guest houses.
As an American you will be horrified at hotels in London that are reasonably priced. Expect very tiny rooms and not always ensuite bathrooms. (check)
The best sight seeing is to buy a day ticket on those topless double decker tourist buses. Youy see so much in a short period. Then it is a matter of what interests you. I love the imperial war museum. The Science museum (more natural science is a wonderful building as well as museum. Tower of London for old history. London is pretty amazing 24hrs is not enough.
As said don't even think of a car hire. Use tube and or buses. Better to walk. But you will get pretty tired.
good luck olewill
 
Surely teenagers would prefer the Windmill?

I can highly recommend the 39 Steps at the Criterion, and you're then in Picadilly Circus/Chinatown/Soho for food after it finishes.

Get an Oyster card from Transport for London, and register for a Boris bike.
 
maxi77 said:
My gut reaction is you do not want to stay at the airport. If you are doing sightseeing you need to be in town. As I have not been to London for I can not really make any reccomendations.

As you have a limited time you need to plan your sightseeing in advance to get full value, for example doing Greenwich with the National Maritime Museum, the Observatory with Harrisons worderful timepieces, and the Naval College with the painted hall (my dining room for 3 months) is a good day. Without knowing your interests it is dificult to really make suggestions, some would never mis doing Buck House, whilst others would say the Tower or the Imperial War Museum and so on and so on. Hence the serious need for research and planning that only you can do. Otherwise you will stand in the middle like a rabbit in the headlights
Click to expand...
Isn't Greenwich in use for the Games?
 
You'll probably get the best hotel deals around the Hyde Park area, which is conveniently on the Piccadilly line. There are some pretty cheap hotels in that area, as long you dont expect much from them. Get Oyster cards at the airport and only use public transport.

As for sightseeing for teenagers, the tower is always pretty good, along with the wheel, or depending on age just let them loose around covent garden/leceister squiare.
 
To make the most of your 48 hrs I'd deffinitely stay in the center of London.
There are loads of B&B's in fantastic old victorian houses for not a lot of money.

There's generally good value to be had around the Marylebone\Baker street and has already been said Hyde Park area's.

The royal parks are worth a visit and if the weather is fine hire some Boris bikes and tour around. Probably the best way to see the sights.
 
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