3 days in London for first-timers

London is too big for any one neighbourhood to be near all the sights. Get a Tube Map and look at the Circle line (the yellow one) and within that is where you want to be.

There's a description here of the various areas of central London https://www.londontoolkit.com/mnu/london_hotel_accom.htm#district

More important, is to define your budget and what sort of hotel you want.

Joe,

My first choice is Kensington/Earl's Court. It's still convenient to Paddington Station (Heathrow Connect/Express services) but close enough to walk to Hyde Park, Museums, etc. There are several affordable hotel options in the area... I stayed at the Holiday Inn Kensigton which is OK for a "Big Box" hotel. Its best attribute is location - on a major bus line (#7) and halfway between Gloucester Rd and Earl's Court tube stations. A taxi from the hotel to Paddington was about GBP10.

I also like Paddington/Bayswater for the convenience of being close to Paddington Station. Look at the Darlington Hyde Park for nice, basic and affordable rooms.

Whatever you do, don't fall into the trap of staying in an outer area to save a few bucks... It just isn't worth it, especially if you only have 3 days.

I like the Bayswater area as well. I stayed in a hotel called Vancouver Studios, whose rooms include kitchenettes. The hotel is in a good location with regard to public transit. It's near 3 Tube lines, which is important to me because often the Underground will close stations or parts of lines for ongoing maintenance. The hotel is near the Bayswater Tube stop (served by the Circle and District lines) and the Queensway stop (served by the Central line).

Anywhere local to the Strand Palace Hotel is a really good, central, lively (in a good way) area. Bang in the middle of all the tourist hot spots, close to the Thames and Covent Garden.

We like to stay in the Victoria Station area or in the Covent Garden/Neal's Yard areas. Both are very convenient to Tube stations (or bus lines) and are close enough to several major sites to walk. But that's OUR preference. We would love to give ideas that will fit YOU.

It would help us make better suggestions (tailored to your trip and your likes and dislikes) if you'd let us know when (time of day), how and where you are arriving and departing and which sites are on your 'top priority' list AND (very important) your budget and preference for type of lodging. There is every kind of lodging from excessively expensive 5 star hotels, and apartments/flats to air b&b, and cheap hostels, etc. in most areas of central London. I agree with the suggestion that you NOT think about staying on the outskirts of London to 'save' money. You'll wind up spending more in time (and maybe in cash) than you will want to. If you tell us your interests, we could also suggest some sites you might not have heard of or thought about.

Broadly I would look to be within a 10 minute walk to the Thames, between Lambeth Br and Blackfriars Br.
London tends to have similar hotel 'types' grouped together in the one location.
Russell Square, Victoria and Kensington are big tourist hotel locations.
I think for a first visit, and with limited time, you might like to be within 15 mins walk of Piccadilly Circus.

We have maybe a dozen trips to London. One place for you to consider would be Sanctuary House Hotel, which is over a Fuller pub. The rooms are very comfortable, the staff is lovely, we were NEVER bothered by noise and it was cool to be over a pub. I picked the place because we were traveling with 2 other couples who had not been to London. Sanctuary House is located under a 2 minute walk from the St James Park Tube. And if you walk down the street it is on, one block to the end....right in front of you just across the street is Westminster Abbey and just off to your left are the Houses of Parliament, with Big Ben (I know, I know, the Elizabeth Tower) and the river. A 15 minute walk from the hotel will take you past the Abbey and Big Ben, across the river on Westminster Bridge and to the London Eye. It is a great location for the things I consider the heart of London.

reviewed here: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g186338-d214658-Reviews-The_Sanctuary_House_Hotel-London_England.html

Another vote for Bayswater area but as another poster said there is no one area that will be close to all the sites you want to see. Reason I like Bayswaters: close to Paddington for connections back to Heathrow, close to Hyde Park (I like to go jogging in the morning), good connections to Circle, Central and District tube lines, good selection of casual restaurants in the area.

If you could let us know what you are interested in seeing during your brief visit we can give more specific advice.

DJ

Thanks for all of your feedback, we would like to see the following, if it is possible.

Westminster Abbey
Buckingham Palace
British Museum
St. Paul's
Churchill War Rooms
Trafalgar Sq
Piccadilly Circus

and maybe
Abbey Road
Greenwich
Little Venice

Thanks Again

Thanks for the clarification. Then I would recommend somewhere near Waterloo Station. You can walk to or take a direct tube or boat to almost every location you mention plus more.

This thread highly recommends Premier Inn and Travel Lodge and there is a location very near Waterloo station for a reasonable price:
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/england/london-hotels-d9669299-4c5a-4140-9a9a-a8065148c4dd

DJ

Before it became a Doubletree by Hilton I enjoyed a stay at this hotel very close to the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey. Unfortunately rates seem to have jumped since the change.
http://doubletree3.hilton.com/en/hotels/united-kingdom/doubletree-by-hilton-hotel-london-westminster-LONWMDI/index.html

Wandered past Little Venice a few months ago and there was nothing there. Not sure what was supposed to be there, maybe i missed it. Was litteraly a few boats in a large and not particularly pretty canal basin.

Thx emma :o)

Add another +1 for the Bayswater area. A decent hotel north of Hyde Park is the Thistle Kensington Gardens (http://www.thistle.com/en/hotels/united_kingdom/london/thistle_kensington_gardens/index.html) Its right around the corner from the Queensway Tube station on the Central Line, and bus stops are just across the street with routes 390 and 94 (94 takes you right through Piccadilly Circus). Youre also quite close (.7 mile, I believe) to Paddington. Add to that, the Leinster Arms and The Mitre are within a stumble away. Going the other direction towards Notting Hill, about a mile away from the hotel is the excellent Uxbridge Arms. Roughly the same distance as the Uxbridge is the Churchill Arms, consistently rated as one of the better pubs in London with a nice Thai restaurant in the rear.

The 390 bus will take you to within one block of the British Museum. Once the bus turns left, get off at the first stop, cross the street, retrace your route for a few steps and turn left onto Great Russel Street - walk straight ahead you'll walk right by the museum. The 94 again will take you through Piccadilly Circus. If you get off the 94 at Pall Mall (next to last stop), you are a short walk away from The Mall and Buckingham Palace, Whitehall with Westminster and the Churchill War Rooms, and Trafalgar Square.

EDIT: I should add - you can do the above via Tube. But if it is your first time to London, getting on the bus (on the upper floor too) is a great way to see the city.

Thank you all so much