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Original poster

A visit to London taking in Harry Potter World tour... Help please !

44 replies

Rosiem2808 · 19/08/2023 12:20

Can anyone who has done this give me some advice on where to stay overnight. I think that is it really.
I'm looking to come on the train, visit the studios, stay the night and return next day. Two adults and two children. Not made of money !
Obviously I am looking online at options but experience counts for a great deal and can't afford to make a mistake financially or mentally :)

OP posts:
LIZS · 19/08/2023 12:30

Where are you coming from?

SirSamVimesCityWatch · 19/08/2023 12:31

We stayed at a nearby Travelodge (or possibly a premier inn, can't remember) last time. It was fine.

BelovedLucy · 19/08/2023 12:33

Do you actually want to stay in London or are you just interested in HP? It would be a lot cheaper to stay in Watford.

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CassandraClassic · 19/08/2023 12:33

I last went with my parents as a teenager over ten years ago, but I'm fairly confident when we did this we stayed in Watford Central Premier Inn. It's very close to the train station.

SadlyACupOfTeaDoesNotSolveEverything · 19/08/2023 12:33

Are you actually wanting to do much in London itself or just visit the studios?

Blueroses99 · 19/08/2023 12:35

Harry Potter World is in Watford so if you’re coming from the North, it makes sense to stay in the area and avoid central London. If you are coming through London anyway, then it’d be good to stay somewhere central and do some other activities eg visit platform 9 3/4 at Kings Cross or a Harry Potter walking tour.

Original poster
Rosiem2808 · 19/08/2023 13:01

Thank you for the replies. We are coming from Leeds. Doing the tour and then perhaps eating out later in central London, staying over and maybe do the London eye before returning home

OP posts:
hdbs17 · 19/08/2023 13:09

Rosiem2808 · 19/08/2023 13:01

Thank you for the replies. We are coming from Leeds. Doing the tour and then perhaps eating out later in central London, staying over and maybe do the London eye before returning home

Just pointing out that Watford is quite far out of London - around half hour train journey so you would need to check train times if you're planning on being in London in the evening.

We stayed at the Holiday Inn Watford when we did the tour.

RachelsHere · 19/08/2023 13:11

You would be better off staying for two nights if you want to go to Harry Potter and go to London as well.

CharlotteFlax · 19/08/2023 13:24

We were so tired out after the Harry Potter studios that there's no way we'd have been able to schlep into London for a meal!

We stayed at Premier Inn Watford North, which has a Maccas and a TGI Fridays next door (dinner at Maccas and breakfast at TGIs the next day).

Are you driving or getting the train?

CharlotteFlax · 19/08/2023 13:25

CharlotteFlax · 19/08/2023 13:24

We were so tired out after the Harry Potter studios that there's no way we'd have been able to schlep into London for a meal!

We stayed at Premier Inn Watford North, which has a Maccas and a TGI Fridays next door (dinner at Maccas and breakfast at TGIs the next day).

Are you driving or getting the train?

Sorry, I see you're getting the train. We drove so my advice is based on that.

Catsonskis · 19/08/2023 13:28

The studios to the London eye would take about 2 hours to get to including a train a bus and the tube I would imagine.

coming from Leeds you would come into King’s Cross, walk to Euston, get a 20 min train to Watford and then a bus. So I’d book a tour for maybe 1ish? Then do the tour and do the reverse back into town and find somewhere for dinner and stay centrally.

ive heard good things about some of the Easy hotels. You could just look at booking.com though for best deals?

Wouldlovetobeinthesun · 19/08/2023 13:49

You can get a main line train from Watford to Waterloo station that will take around an hour. The London Eye is a few minutes walk from the station. Easily doable for an overnight stay. It would be far cheaper however for you to stay in Watford overnight and then get the train to visit the LE in the morning.

OhYetAnotherBrickInTheWall · 19/08/2023 13:55

hdbs17 · 19/08/2023 13:09

Just pointing out that Watford is quite far out of London - around half hour train journey so you would need to check train times if you're planning on being in London in the evening.

We stayed at the Holiday Inn Watford when we did the tour.

Show quote history

There are trains to and from Watford / Euston that take under 20 mins and they run from Euston till around 2am (currently a bus that late due to works).

AdditionalCharacter · 19/08/2023 14:01

My family and I have just done a London visit/HP studio tour. We drove down from the north, stopped in Watford central Premier Inn. It's very close to the studio, and only 20ish minutes to London on an intercity train. You could park your car at the Premier Inn while you go in to London for the day. You do need to pay for parking at the hotel though.

Floralnomad · 19/08/2023 14:04

I wouldn’t go into London just to do the Eye , it’s boring as hell .

BacktoBeginnersFran · 19/08/2023 14:06

We stayed at Holiday Inn in Watford Junction, right by the station for the HP bus to the studio tour. Was perfect!

grass321 · 19/08/2023 14:07

I live locally to HP Studios. The tour is great, the Watford area is not. Personally I'd stay nearish Euston and go back into London after the tour.

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 19/08/2023 14:14

OP, just checking - as others have said - that you realise that Warmer Bros Studiis aren't actually in London?

GoodChat · 19/08/2023 14:16

grass321 · 19/08/2023 14:07

I live locally to HP Studios. The tour is great, the Watford area is not. Personally I'd stay nearish Euston and go back into London after the tour.

When I went, although I didn't get the train, there was an option for a coach from Kings Cross that took you to the studios and back again

OakleyStreetisnotinChelsea · 19/08/2023 14:22

We are up north and went to the studio tours recently. I wouldn't be planning on going in to London after, it is tiring! Also look fascinating and lists to do and talk about. The staff are brilliant and knowledgeable so you can think you'll pass through and area quickly but get chatting to one and take ages so I wouldn't want to be constrained by time thinking I needed to be done in time to go to dinner etc.

We booked an early entry and stayed over the night before then did the tour and went home after. We were driving which admittedly gave some extra flexibility.

Merapi · 19/08/2023 14:39

This reminds me of threads where people think that London Luton Airport is in London. Why they tacked 'London' onto its name is a mystery to me.

LlynTegid · 19/08/2023 14:59

Visiting platform 9 3/4 is not a five or ten minute thing, make sure you allow enough time before your train goes back to Leeds.

grass321 · 19/08/2023 15:38

Merapi · 19/08/2023 14:39

This reminds me of threads where people think that London Luton Airport is in London. Why they tacked 'London' onto its name is a mystery to me.

So people fly in to Luton, thinking it's near London. In fairness, it's not that much further out than Gatwick.

SadlyACupOfTeaDoesNotSolveEverything · 19/08/2023 15:39

If you can only do one night and want to do the eye, eat in London and the tour plus King’s Cross I would;

Train into London (King’s Cross?) then travel to dump bags at premier inn near Euston station. There’s a bus nearby that takes you to the London eye. Explore London for the day and eat out. The following morning leave your luggage with the hotel, take the train to Watford and shuttle to Studio tour in the morning. Back into Euston, grab luggage, bite to eat then train from King’s Cross home.