Travelling to London for hospital appointment - hotel recommendations

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My DS has been given a long awaited appointment at St Thomas and Guys hospital regarding a health issue he’s had since birth.

It’s a morning appointment so I plan to travel the day before and stay in a hotel as we live 4 hours away. I’m planning on driving as I’m apprehensive of travelling by train given the recent attack on the Doncaster to Kings Cross line.

The hotels close to the hospital are really expensive. Does anyone have any suggestions on where to book in London that is reasonably priced and in a reasonable distance to travel by tube to the hospital.

Chorley Wood, cab to Rickmansworth and Waterloo is less than an hour on the tube. The tube is safe.

The tube is as safe as trains. That is, it's almost always safe. Though just under a week ago passengers were alarmed by a man with a machete running through Balham tube station.

That's really not helpful. DH travels on the tube regularly and has never encountered a problem. He's 64.

My DH is 87, we live in Southwest London, he’s just been to visit his daughter in Essex. He travelled using bus, tube and train. Today I’ve used trains and buses, would much rather travel this way than drive in London, I’m 78.

And I use trains regularly and haven't had any problems in years.

That's my point - all forms of public transport are equally safe.

You are vastly more likely to be in a car accident in London than ever be attacked on the tube. Bearing in mind traffic in central London moves at walking that is quite something.

OP: if the hospital has no accommodation left then look at the outer ends of a tube line in suburbia. You should find a cheaper B&B type option. As suggested, the Met line is a good option - then take the tub into Baker St and switch to the Bakerloo for Waterloo or Lambeth North. South end of the Northern line could also work.

Either way, if you are confused by the road directions in the vicinity of St Thomas’s just ask for directions to the hospital entrance - locals and commuters will be used to it. The London hospitals have a lot of non local outpatients struggling to find the entrance!

Thank you all for your suggestions, they’ve been really helpful.
im going to give the hospital accommodation team a call tomorrow to see if I can book there. Failing that I’ll have a look at some of the suggestions you’ve all made in terms of hotels on the outskirts of London. I’ll also reassess catching the train down as opposed to driving.

I live in Peterborough, where the attacker is from, and I’ve used that train route lots. It’s so rare for an attack to happen.

There is an Easy hotel on Belgrave Road, SW1. Closest tube Victoria. Street parking post 8.30 am, up to 4 hours. Easy take the bus to st Thomas, or walk…..

there is also a Holiday Inn on that road and a premier inn just off that road. Super close to St Thomas.

There’s a youth hostel near St Paul’s that might work. Otherwise I’ve managed to get the Z hotel City for about £100. The rooms are tiny but fine for one night. Both these options are an easy bus ride to Waterloo.

Tried to edit post…but couldn’t figure it out. Bus from Victoria station to hospital is super easy, so is walking. If you did this option, just print out a little map - don’t be walking around Central London with your phone out!

To echo what others have stated, train probably easier, depending on appt time it may remove stress to be in London the night before in any event!

Lewisham Premier Inn is around £150/night and is a 2-minute walk from Lewisham station; it also has parking. Get a Charing Cross train, which will stop at Waterloo East (which is connected to the main Waterloo Station). Before 0900, those trains go about every 10 minutes, and it's a 15-minute journey. It is worth noting that if you are travelling during commuter times, you won't get a seat as the trains are pretty crowded. I hope that helps

Ok, I am presuming you are coming from north of London.

Id really strongly recommend not driving, unless the train is prohibitvely expensive at this stage which it might be.

The trouble with driving and then staying in a commuter place is that sometimes the key mode of transport fails in the rush hour. Driving across London is fine but is incredibly slow and inefficient.

Given this. I think I’d stay somewhere with mutimodal transport like Finsbury Park (tube, train) or just bite the bullet abd stay centrally sucking up the cost of congestion charge and parking. There are cheaper hotels but they aren’t going to be lovely! If you’re more north east/east/ East Yorkshire/ Sheffield/ Nottingham then you could also look at driving to Stratford. There are cheap hotels there and a reliable tube line right to Waterloo.

I posted upthread with the links to the hospital accommodation. To echo others, I would strongly suggest getting the train then tube or potentially driving somewhere with a long term parking option on the outskirts then the tube into London.

I can appreciate the worry about the recent train attack, but statistically you are more likely to have a traffic incident than something awful on a train. FWIW- I lived in central London for 20yrs and at 1 time used to get the LNER back and forth to Manchester at least once a month. I also had to get the train all over the South East and in 20yrs, never had an issue.

Another random option would be the mega bus. Obviously depends how far and where you are coming from? It goes to London Victoria bus stop which would only be a 12min taxi to St Thomas'. It means no parking fees, no worry about driving into the congestion zone and ULEZ. Have you checked your car can drive into ULEZ without a fee? The area is quite large now.

https://www.megabus.co.uk/
tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/check-your-vehicle/

It’s very easy to get into waterloo from the south on the mainline trains. Somewhere like https://www.travelodge.co.uk/hotels/592/London-Raynes-Park-hotel?utm_source=google&utm_medium=GHA_Organic&utm_campaign=GHA_London%20Raynes%20Park&WT.tsrc=GHA_Organic
is right by a station with regular direct trains into waterloo

Have a look at Z hotels - they’re pretty good value for central London as long as you don’t mind tiny rooms

The Premier Inn on The Cut in Southwark (right by tube) is nice and I have never paid more than £149 a night.

Anywhere which relies on street parking for a max of 4 hours is a non starter.

Is the appointment at Guy’s (by London Bridge) or St Thomas (by Waterloo)?

If you drive you will need to use the tube or a train within London, so you might as well get a train all the way! Millions of us use trains every day, before and since that one-off event. People are killed on the road all too frequently.

I hope the appointment goes well OP, and is of help for your Dc.

Premier Inn at County Hall, or if you are dead set on driving, you could stay at the Bull’s Head in Chislehurst. If you are driving down as a couple you can add a child bed for £15, I think parking is free and direct train into London Bridge.

Good luck with the hospital tomorrow. I’d also strongly advise the train. I know the attack was horrifying, but the odds are so slim, compared to so much else we do in everyday life, that I’d try and take it if you can.

PP have made good suggestions for the tube lines which head to Waterloo from north London. The trains into waterloo all come from the SW. So you’d have to head round the M25, but you could stay further out and probably get cheaper accommodation and parking. The two which spring to mind are Staines (about 40mins into Waterloo) and Woking (further SW, but very quick trains).

Was going to suggest this - there is all day parking adjacent and another car park in walking distance for about £20/day - then you are in the stunning Hampstead area for a wander around the beautiful lanes or a romp across the Heath if you are up for it.

How did you get on OP? What did you decide to do in the end?

Just wanted to come back to this thread with an update. We stayed in the hospital accommodation which was significantly cheaper than a hotel. I also opted for the train which was so much easier. I was on guard but it all went smoothly.

thank you to everyone for your helpful suggestions, it made it all less daunting and hopefully it will help someone else if they’re heading to London for health appointments 😊

Thanks for the update OP. I'm glad it all went well xxx