Cheap accommodation / travel arrangements for short break in London

[Paulacarl]

We'd love to take our 3 and 5 yo's down to London to see the Natural History Museum, Planetarium and anything else we can fit in. We're on a pretty tight budget so I'm wondering if anyone has recommendations for London on a budget. I'm assuming perhaps a chain hotel away from the city centre + using the tube is going to work out cheapest but haven't been down to London in years so feel a bit clueless. Thanks

I normally use the Travel lodge in Souhwark for a cheap weekend away. I can normally get a family room for about £170 for two nights. If I want to be more central I go to the Covent Garden one, but it's normally over £200

Getting anywhere to stay in town for a family can be pretty pricey. I'd rather pay the extra and be in walking distance/couple of tube stops away rather than travelling 40 mins in

Thanks. How long would it take us to get in from Southwark TurnOver? I guess a tube journey with lots of changes might prove a little stressful with 2 lo's!

Try the youth hostel at St Pancras. They have family rooms but get booked up in advance. Have stayed there with friends many times. Get an Oyster card for underground. Automatically works out cheapest underground fare for the day.

We got a 1 bed self catering place with a sofa bed in the living area for something like £110 per night last year. It was small but clean, and in Bayswater so really convenient for Hyde Park and the museums.

Ds1&2 had the bedroom and dh & I had the sofa bed so we didn't have to creep about when they boys were in bed.

I think I got it through booking.com but airbnb might also be worth a look.

We went to London for the w/e recently with the DC (6 and 3). We stayed at the Premier Inn at Putney Bridge. There is a bus (14 I think) that goes practically door-to-door to the South Ken museums in about 20 mins. We loved it. Also handy for District Line tube, and loads of eating places on Putney High Street, 5 mins away. It was £170 for a family room for the night, but that was a Saturday and we only booked about 3 weeks in advance.

Well you can walk to borough market/south bank/London eye from there, not far at all. If you want museums you're looking to go to South Ken, it's about 5/6 stops with one change at Green Park, so nothing too bad.

Try LSE halls of residence.

(Assuming your trip is in summer hols)

The new Premier Inns are fab, but always seem to be at least £70/80 a night more

You could go further out
There is a yha in cheshunt which is 2 mins walk from the station but in the middle of the lea valley country park. The station takes oyster cards and is 20 mins from liverpool street or 30 mins from the West End

If you're happy with basic, the Tune hotel in Kings Cross is good value

Fab, thanks for all the suggestions.

I've just come across this thread. Marvellous cheapish ( at weekends) accommodation here royal college of surgeons i think a family room is about ?130 at weekends ( more in the week) and it is in a b;eautiful central location. you don't have to be a surgeion to stay there, but I think you get a discount if you are.

You don't even have to be able to type properly! apologies

We've used our tesco vouchers to pay for a London hotel, we'll be saving them up to do it again!

Family room at the Meininger hotel- fairly basic but right opposite the natural history museum and five minutes walk from the tube- use Gloucester Road rather than South Kensington to avoid the crowds.

Easy hotel earls court. Short busride along. Signals not very good in basement rooms if you need internet to entertain kids. Very basic and small but clean and well placed. Windowless rooms are cheapest.