AIBU Staying the night in London, help :(

[WineOclock2019]

Evening all,

Sorry to post here just after advice/recommendations. I booked tickets for the DC to see a charity football match for their favourite YouTubers (Sidemen), at Charlton. Before booking I didn't think of the logistics of getting to Charlton from London, travel, and now maybe accommodation as there was a massive queue for tickets and wanted to surprise the DC.

Anyway, we were planning on going down for the day, seeing a few attractions as youngest DS's have never visited the capital as well as them wanting to lay flowers for our beloved Queen. But with timings of the match starting at 3pm train timetable not available atm (from where we are in the midlands they are listed few days before weekend) would not be able to fit much in.

I suggested to DH we maybe stop overnight, to travel down either the Fri (can get off work) and return Sat evening or travel Sat and return Sunday. Looking at prices though and 😞I looked at Premier Inn but just says 2 adults and 2 children, also laterooms ect. The prices are very high all over the city, I expected it with being the capital, but not that high. Especially after £150+ travel, not including oyster cards (no idea on these either). Luckily have quite a few Tesco Clubcard points saved for extra activities.

If anyone could point me in the direction of cheaper accommodation I would be very grateful.

I know I should check logistics before booking but it was a spur of the moment.

Thank you all in advance xxx

If there’s nothing on at the excel the hotels there always seem cheap. No need for oyster use contactless card. Enjoy!

Try air bnb but also just look at zone 3/4/5 rather than in the centre. I think you’ll find something

Oooh will look into the excel now thank you so much xx Sorry to be a pain but is contactless cheaper than pre booking? 2 adults and 3 children. And thank you its been mine oldest dream watch a sidemen charity match xxx

Depending on where you are travelling from, I'd look as far out as Milton Keynes. Family deal via booking on trainline app and surely cheaper than London outskirts. It's about 40 minutes to Euston.

Hope you get something sorted!

Oh - do try the imperial group of hotels, owned by Inperial college - several of them around Russell Square. The beds are hard and it slightly has the feel of a women’s college in 1975 but the location is great.

you could also check family rooms in youth hostels.

Thank you will have a look now xxx

Thank you will look into it xxx

Excel has a jurassic world exhibition so might be more expensive, what about travelling in? I live in Surbiton and it's a 20 minute train to Waterloo.

Another idea is pet sitting? People advertise on Facebook or pet sitter website.

Can’t help with that area but several years ago Ds had a great time at the Wembley Cup.

Thank you will look now xxx

I second what a previous poster said regarding Lewisham Travel Lodge - it’s literally right next to the station, with direct trains into Victoria (20 min journey), so easy to get to Buckingham Palace from there.
there’s a great Turkish restaurant seconds along the road called Payiz, and across the road is a local legend greasy spoon cafe called Maggie’s, with the best brunch and breakfasts.
From Lewisham, Charlton is a quick Uber ride.

Sorry, meant the Premier Inn in my previous post. This is the one next to the station.

My DS absolutely loves dinosaurs so definitely will be looking into to thank you . Thanks for advice but pet sitting with 3 children I don't think would be allowed. Thank you though for the suggestion xxxx

Thank you so much! This sounds perfect! Got to love a lovely Turkish restaurant and greasy spoon :) Will call/email them tomorrow. Thank you again xxx

No problem.
www.premierinn.com/gb/en/hotels/england/greater-london/london/london-lewisham.html?INNID=LONLEW&ARRdd=23&ARRmm=09&ARRyyyy=2022&NIGHTS=1&ROOMS=1&ADULT1=2&CHILD1=0&COT1=0&INTTYP1=DB&SID=4&ISH=true&BRAND=PI&CID=GHF3_GB_GoogleSearch_mobile_selected+LONLEW

hope you get sorted and have a great time!

Accomodation might still be pricey, but you might be able to reduce your travel costs.

How are you travelling to London? There might be a family of 4 travel deal, or there is the two together deal on the train for you and DH. I used this several years ago. At that time, it cost £30 to buy, but lasted a year and DH and myself got the train to Edinburgh from London, and even with the cost, still saved £60. We used it several times after and saved each time. If you rarely use the train together, and only coming from the midlands, its may not be worth it though.
www.twotogether-railcard.co.uk/

There is the megabus. I caught it from London to Birmingham return about 5yrs ago. It was about £4 each way!!!!
uk.megabus.com/

For the tube in London, you can swipe a contactless card. You don't need to get a visitor oyster card.

It's move in time for many London uni's so lots of parents could also have booked accommodation that weekend adding to the general busyness and pushing up prices.

Posting to get spam off front page.

London hotel prices have been insane since the pandemic recovery. They’d be sky high even if there wasn’t a massive event on.

Airbnb’s in Zone 5/6 probably your best bet.

Contactless is the same price as Oyster. You can’t book the tube ahead of time. Local trains around London don’t generally have advance train tickets but you can use Oyster. If you’re planning to travel around I’d assume you’ll hit the daily max for whatever zone you’re in and peak/off peak whenever you’re traveling. Ie, adult daily cap if you travel zone 1-3 is £9. 11-15yo £4.50.

I don't agree with some of the advice to find accommodation in zones 5+ - South East London can be weirdly hard to get around and not connected (although very easy to get to central) so I'd look around Woolwich and Woolwich Dockyard if you want to get to Charlton. It'll be cheaper, close, good transport links and easy to get to central.

At short notice it will be difficult. The LSE rent rooms out over the summer and these can be reasonable (but are not en suite). Have a google for LSE vacations.

Agree look around woolwich, royal docks and excel.
Canary Wharf hotels sometimes have cheap weekend deals too. And transport both to the football and into central is good.

Hi OP!

Check hotels alone the train route from Charlton and look further out - the Premier Inn by Woolwich for example? You could get an overground South Eastern train to Charlton and also use Crossrail to get into the city - takes 10-15 minutes to Central London.

You won't find anywhere much under £100 a night between now and the funeral I'm afraid.
Depending on how far away you live, I'd commute in and out. The new Elizabeth Line "tube" runs as far out as Reading these days, which is only about 30 mins away.

Personally though... I'm not sure I'd want this week to be my young child's first introduction to London in any significant "seeing the landmarks" sort of way. It will be RAMMED, and if your child isn't used to that sort of noise and bustle when out and about, it could be massively overwhelming and not a very gentle introduction.

If they are keen to lay flowers, I'd be more tempted to take them somewhere local, like a scenic rural churchyard, and lay their flowers at the war memorial. Or set them a little challenge to find the grave they think is the oldest, or the prettiest, and lay them there. Talk about how the queen already has lots of flowers, and how she would like it if we also remembered other people who have passed, who don't have any flowers. You could even have a little tea party at home to celebrate her life? For many children, this is their first opportunity to explore death in a safe "not my family" way, and I personally think, crowding into the city and throwing some flowers into the scrum might not be the nice moment your children (or you) are thinking it might be.