To ask for travel advice (preferably from Londoners) here?

[Badabadaboom]

I know I am but posting for traffic!

I currently live as an expat but I’m travelling back to the UK in either July or August as a family of five and want to stay somewhere in or close to London . I know it’s going to cost a fortune so hoping to find somewhere that can accommodate all of us for as cheaply as possible without being in a dodgy area. I will be looking at air bnb (reluctantly as I’m not a fan).

I was wondering if you had any other suggestions of sites I could use - and also any areas that might be on the outskirts (preferably with park or two) where we could travel into London easily.

Any advice or tips would be very welcome! Thank you in advance.

The Elizabeth line is great. You can stay out to the west and get into Paddington very easily.

Reading is only 30 mins from Paddington

Thank you! I hadn’t even thought of Reading!

Is a Premier Inn going to be much more than an Air BnB?

How long are you staying for?

About a week. I thought about a Premier inn but it’s a little limiting unfortunately with regards to food and having access to a kitchen .

Bu the time you pay travel back and forth to London each day (depending on ages of DC) you may well find the saving in accommodation isn't worth the hassle of the travel. That said I do second anywhere on the Elizabeth line, I would stay on to Bond Street for Oxford St Selfridges or Tottenham Court Road for Soho, theatres, Trafalgar Square and Westminster.

Maybe try looking up aparthotels and see if you can find something a lot closer to central london that way.

Thank you. I know of booking.com but are there any other sites you have used that specialise in aparthotels?

I wouldn’t stay in Reading if I wanted to be in London every day. I’d look at Greenwich, Stratford or Richmond if you want close but interesting in their own right with great parks.

Not in the UK - but have used aparthotel in France and liked the arrangement of fridge etc. There is usually someone to talk to on the front desk if you have a problem, and it feels quite secure. Adagio seems to be a big brand.

You could look at booking.com or Vrbo. What about Crystal Palace, as has lovely park and high street, and on both Southern rail and Overground lines.

Have you considered a serviced apartment? I've stayed here before and really liked it... landing.dolphinsquare.co.uk/corporate-apartments?_ga=2.118281167.773591690.1674820266-1588649868.1674820266

i just googled short term apartment holiday lets London.
there are lots but NOT cheap. Very central though.
(Shoreditch, Old Street etc)

www.thehomelike.com/search/GB/London,%20UK?country=GB&east=0.1482710335611201&gclid=Cj0KCQiAic6eBhCoARIsANlox87boapY8lDNFdHd7ReSDcJ-eqO68i9WfbWg_YtqDXJpyWilP4tbE0IaAk0WEALw_wcB&lang=en&lat=51.5073509&lng=-0.1277583&locality=London&north=51.67234324898703&om_cmpgn=12241831583&om_creative=555705026577&om_device=c&om_grp=118089523195&om_loc=1005445&om_medium=cpc&om_mt=e&om_network=g&om_src=adwords&om_trg=kwd-4962851589&page=1&placeType=locality&south=51.38494012429096&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&west=-0.3514683384218145

Croydon.

Stay near East Croydon station. Loads of lovely parks, 15 minutes from Central London. Cheaper than anywhere in the same travel time radius

Also Wallington, currently served by a half hourly 26 minute train London bridge.

Basically one big park

Do bear in mind that there have been train strikes recently so ideally choose somewhere with tube or bus routes so you have something to fall back on with strikes. You need to look at zone3 onwards for more cheaper accommodation.

July / August would mean you could look at uni accommodation as think some do summer let's eg www.imperial.ac.uk/visit/summer-accommodation/

There's a reason it's cheaper!! OP please don't spend a precious week in the U.K. staying in Croydon 😂

Ealing - Elizabeth line, Piccadilly and Central lines.

Lots of lovely parks, easy access to Kew and nice local restaurants, bars and coffee shops.

Have a look at the YHA options - you'd get a private room, not a dorm. Some (not all) have kitchens. The Lea Valley one is pretty tho further out.

OP, please don’t do this. There’s a reason that anyone who can avoid Croydon does.

They have family rooms in the travel lodge in Covent Garden which is a popular and cheap choice

Kingston? 30 minutes to Waterloo, right next to Richmond Park and some nice walks along The Thames. Not quite touristy and obvious enough for the accommodation to justify London touristy rates.