Going to London wwyd?

[Lemondrizzle13]

I’ve started another thread about this.

We are planning a short trip to London next week, we’ve left it a bit late planning and booking. Anyone experienced in visiting London wwyd?

Plan A was to drive from Birmingham to a hotel in Wimbledon south. There is free parking at the hotel, the hotel is £150 for two nights and it’s a 10 minute walk to Colliers Wood tube station. We would then buy underground passes and travel into central London.

Plan B is book a hotel in central London. There are hotels still available, Southwark, Waterloo, which are walking distance from some of the main attractions. We would get the train from Bham which is £115 for a return but the hotel is around £300 for the two nights.

We are trying to keep costs down and want to fit in as much as we can. Driving seemed the easy option just because of quickness and faffing about with bags on the train. We did it that way several years ago but lots of people seem to say it’s easier to get the train and stay more centrally.

Wwyd?

Both of those hotels are in good spots. The Tate Modern PI would edge it for me. Unless the Imperial War Museum is top on your list…if so, go for Waterloo Lambeth Road.

Ah I’ve found it now, is that ticket returning the same day though? It’s saying +£21 to return within one month.

I’m fretting a bit now as it’s saying it will be busy and expect to stand. They are operating queuing systems at Moor Street.

I don’t think I can stand for the two hours.

I know when my parents came to visit me in Central London they used to drive most of the way, park somewhere outside & then catch a tube or train in. Is that an option if you can find somewhere you can leave the car for the duration of your trip?

I wouldn't book an open return as you want to make sure you have seats. Remember to tick the seat reservation box on trainline

It’s a balance, because there’s also the flexibility of being able to catch a different train if you’re running late.

You can't book seats on Chiltern.

Ah that's a risk then, if make sure I'm the first on the platform near the doors!

Commenting again in response to your ticket booking updates OP.
On Chiltern when you buy a ticket in advance online it asks you to choose a timed train, but you don’t have to travel on that exact train (unless you are going peak time). So when it says busy/limited seats available, that’s because a lot of people have picked that train for booking but won’t necessarily be on it.
There are no seat reservations on Chiltern, first come first seated.
You say you don’t have a railcard, and I’m not sure who/how many you are, but Chiltern also have a fare where two people travelling together get 25% discount. I often team up with a friend to benefit from this.
Hope that’s helpful!

Can I throw Covent Garden Travelodge into the mix? Really central, recently refurbished and not crazy money.

We drove to Stratford and parked there, about £12 a day I think, then Tube to Holborn (5min walk to hotel).

Best of both worlds maybe?