Affordable parking anywhere near Natural History Museum

[Avelandra]

Looking to book a few days in London. I wanted to go by train, but from our local station, the cheapest price is £120pp for a return and there is no way I'm paying that. We were hoping to go to the museum, but can't seem to find anywhere to park that costs less than £50 for 24 hours. Is this just the standard sort of price we will have to pay? The hotel we are staying at offers parking, but again it's £64 for 24 hours

Coach from Bristol? It only takes about 2.5 hours to Victoria

Thanks for the suggestions everyone, it's sorted now. I've booked a hotel further out and we'll get a tube in

Have a look at the two together rail card. Its for 2 adults travelling together. Cost £30, but lasts 12mths and gives you 1/3 of train tickets. I think you can't travel during peak time, but worth looking into. I'd never drive in Kensington or try finding parking/sights in London. I've lived here 18yrs and do drive, but not around there!

www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/pr83ccf28cfc400abe711a40cc6dd9d4.aspx

Congestion charge for driving in London

@Avelandra sounds like a good solution. Have a great time.

@PiccalilliChilli

really not worth it which us why people tend not to use a car unless absolutely necessary. (Or they are rich/in the diplomatic service)

^^ or they cant afford travel cards either which can come to 30/40 for two adults etc and now they cant access their own capital on top of entrance fee money - by sadiq kahn. I get the emissions stuff but why on a Sunday - London was always gloriously relaxed and quiet on a Sunday

You'll be fine at Park Royal it's all been done up recently and has a Tesco metro too 😀

Tube is easy it's all well sign posted and easy to find the museum.

Have a great time South Kensington is lovely!

@EmmaStone

You could drive to Reading and get a train from there? Or you could drive to Westfield in White City, and parking there is about £7 a day, then Tube the rest (from White City/Shepherd's Bush etc), changing lines is no problem at all, and it's worth looking at a proper map too - sometimes one station over another is better. Goodness you could probably even walk to NHM from there (but I wouldn't particularly want to!!).

I was going to say park at Westfield. Just under an hour’s walk, or the 49 bus goes from either of the two bus stations at Westfield to South Ken station.

During lockdown, I would park there and walk to Westminster for work - it’s a long old walk, but very pleasant!

@Avelandra

I think staying further out and getting the tube in looks like our best option. I didn't realise parking was so much cheaper a little further out, and the tube is a lot cheaper than I expected too

Just a point to note on this, be wary of parking in residential areas near tube stations in some of the zones further out. Many have restrictions to prevent commuter parking.

@itcouldhave I've managed to get 24h parking for £12 at the car park next to the hotel

I really wouldn't advise driving given that you plan to arrive on a Fri and leave on Sat. Traffic levels are increasing back towards pre-Covid levels and it can be utterly miserable. Two weeks ago, I drove on Fri morning from Dorset to London and it took me 5 hours.

Central London (where I live) is also becoming grim again for driving. On a recent Sat afternoon, it took me 30 mins to drive 400 metres! I could have literally hopped backwards more quickly.

@Brown76

Stay and park in outer london and get the tube in.

We stayed in Wembley and paid £8 per day to park. Relatively simple journey to the NHM from there too.

If you're there for less than 72 hours you can park at the Westfield shopping centre car parks for £15 for each 24 hour period. We always do this because I like that they're open and lit all day and night with cameras etc and I can nip to the loo in the centre before we set off!