Family accommodation in London for a week

[MotherForkinShirtBalls]

We're considering going to that there London for a week later in the year and I'm trying to work out how much it'll cost. Two adults, two kids (8&10). Plan is to go to Harry Potter studio and Legoland so we're looking for somewhere reasonably easy for transport to from an airport (don't mind which, can get flight to/from Heathrow, Gatwick or city) and main attraction. I've never been to London so I'm totally clueless about where to start looking. Any suggestions for areas or even specific places to stay would be an amazing help.

Since neither of those things are actually in town, would you be better finding somewhere near Heathrow, or half way between the two?

Or do you plan to spend most of your time in town but want to go out to these from there?

Sorry, I didn't explain that well. We'll base ourselves in the city and go on day trips to Harry Potter and Legoland so I'm looking for some where that will be easy for city attractions and as a bonus, easy/direct train to the airport.

There are coaches to both those places from Victoria.

How about an Airbnb? www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/17747497?location=Victoria%2C%20Greater%20London%2C%20United%20Kingdom&adults=4&source_impression_id=p3_1582494371_6gGElcB%2BfAXrx6e8

Victoria area is v easy to South Kensington museums and for Trafalgar Square etc. Number 11 bus route goes from there via Parliament square last St Paul’s etc.

Also has plenty of restaurants and also a big supermarket on the Wilton road if you don’t want to eat out all the time

I'd get a two-bed Air B&B. I'd get the train from Euston to Watford Jct and then the shuttle to HP world, and the train out to windsor and then shuttle bus to legoland. And the other days do stuff in central London.

Looking on Airb&B it obv depends on your dates but it looks like between £180 and 220 a night for a 2 bed flat in zones 1-2 is not unreasonable for, say, the third week in Oct (to choose a random week later in the year). If you were in Pimlico or somewhere along the Victoria line, you could take the tube up to Euston for the train to Watford, and down to Vauxhall for the train to Windsor.

I didn't know there were direct shuttles to both from Victoria! Even better, do that OP. Means you can look to stay anywhere along the District and circle lines as well as the Victoria line to make it easier.

The Gatwick express gets into Victoria, the heathrow express gets into Paddington. I would go for Gatwick/ Victoria if I were you, although I don’t know how to get to legoland or Harry Potter world so not sure of the best option there.

If I had free choice o would probably stay in Bloomsbury - very central, very pleasant, you can walk to the British museum/ kings cross (some Harry Potter stiff there)/ Covent Garden / Trafalgar Square / Regent’s Park. Very central for travel too further out of town too.

Stay in zone 3.

Thanks all, those are some good starting points. I've been trawling Airbnb and found what looks like a great place near Emirates stadium. Seems to be good for transport links?

I'd fly into Heathrow and book something like a premier inn for one or two nights and do legoland and Windsor then head into London for 5/6 nights. I'd look for budget hotels with good connections in zones 2/3. Wandsworth, Clapham, Vauxhall. Probably equivalents in N London. Highly recimmend Premier Inn, Putney Bridge. 10 mins on tube to South Ken museums and v easy into the West End and City

I wouldn’t stay near emirates, it’s not very nice and it’s not very convenient. Second what others said - Bloomsbury, Victoria, Kensington, Marylebone but nothing near emirates

Ok thanks, have nixed the Emirates one. Found somewhere that looks good in Putney on the district line and won't break the bank.

Imperial College's Prince's Gardens accommodation is lovely and right by the Albert Hall/Hyde Park/V&A/Natural History Museum - google universityrooms. The Meininger (right by the Natural History Museum) is v family friendly with family rooms and discounts. Vancouver Studios in Bayswater does brilliant self-catering accommodation (it's my absolute fave place to stay in London). All are good vfm, central and close to good public transport.

I was hoping for max £200 per night but I may have to revise that. We really need two separate sleeping areas (ie minimum 1 bedroom) which is making it expensive. I've plenty of time to keep looking, thanks for the suggestion and info.

You could try universityrooms.com op, depending when you are coming.

Putney is not well out of the way BTW.

Compare the cost of two rooms in a Premier Inn. (Their breakfast is about £10 for an adult and kids eat free).

As an alternative look at flying into Heathrow, pick up a hire car and stay on the West/North West of London and drive to Windsor and Harry Potter Studios. There's a lovely Airbnb annex in Gerrard's cross for less than £50 per night for a week in August. Easy drive from Heathrow. Between Harry Potter World and Legoland. Short walk to the station with trains taking 20 minutes into Marlybone Station.

Also get on the trip advisor forums as they have lots of useful advice for this too.

Legoland in Windsor will be easy to get to from Putney.

South ken and museums also very close to Putney ( maybe 15 mins max on the district line) or an easy bus.

Also only about 30-40 mins max to most central London stuff on the tube. Plus you can get the train into Waterloo is you want to do the south bank.

I would definitely look at Airbnb. You can get an entire flat/apartment so will be able to self cater if you want to. Also you have much more space than a hotel room.

I don't know when you intend you going but I have had a quick search for the beginning of September and there are lots of places with 2 bedrooms for less than £200 a night.

This one close to London Bridge looks lovely:
www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/21791770?adults=2&children=2&check_in=2020-09-01&check_out=2020-09-08&source_impression_id=p3_1582545011_Y8vGs%2BltSgYt4twN

I would plan to go to Legoland and Harry Potter World at the beginning or end of the trip. If you hire a car for 2 days and stay near the attractions, it will be a lot cheaper than staying in town and getting trains and transfer buses to the attractions. It will also be cheaper to drive to/from the airport to than 4 train tickets. A Premier Inn/Travelodge type place on the outskirts of Watford can be as cheap as £30. It's also only 30 minutes drive from Windsor, much faster than the train out of London. If you transfer to/from central London for the rest of the trip, you can get a train from Watford that takes 20 mins.

Heathrow is close to Windsor, it also has the fastest transfer to London (15 mins on the Heathrow Express) and the cheap option of the tube (Piccadilly line). Luton and Stanstead would also be ok.

In London, Paddington is the station for Windsor and Heathrow, Euston for Watford. They aren't too far from each other. Paddington is convenient for Oxford St, a walk across Hyde Park to the museums in South Ken and Buckingham Palace, a few tube stops to places like Covent Garden, Westminster and the Southbank. You can also take a canal boat to the zoo from there. I always recommend this place, right by Marble Arch/Oxford St (10 mins walk from Paddington):
www.griffinhousehotel.co.uk/

The Premier Inn at the Globe, on the river, is a pretty good cheap option in a picturesque area: www.premierinn.com/gb/en/hotels/england/greater-london/london/london-southwark-bankside.html?cid=GLBC_SOUANC

Prices are twice as expensive if you book months in advance though.