Accommodations in London for active senior couple in our 60's, car rental

If this is your first time experience with right hand drive, I would take max insurance. Braver sole than I. When in London we stay in the Victoria Station Best Western annex. It is decent, close to everything around VS, nice restaurants, couple of local pubs, a self laundry, and generally the price is right. However, it is not homey but we don't spend much time there so it works for us.

Are you OK with stairs and no elevator? If so you might consider The Lime Tree Hotel on Ebury Street. It might be a little above your budget (best to start thinking in GBP's when you are talking hotel prices in England) BUT it's within walking distance of the Chelsea Flower Show/Royal Hospital Chelsea so that is a plus. Your budget may also be a bit low for London.

I've not been to the flower show but understand it is wonderful. Do your research on getting advance tickets.

We always stay in the same vicinity when we visit London--around Kensington and the north end of Hyde Park. The Bayswater metro station is close by, and we're comfortable getting all over town from there. Also, the Paddington Station is the end of the 15 minute Heathrow Express train service from the airport.
Our last hotel was the Comfort Inn Hyde Park, just 2 blocks from Queensway Station. Rates run anywhere from $100 to $150--far under your budget, and it was satisfactory.

If you will be returning home from Heathrow I would suggest spending your last night in Windsor, only a 15 minute cab to Heathrow.

Or doend last night at LHR Sofitel, wonderful hotel.

Don't rent the car in London. Get to where you will begin your tour in the south and rent it, and return it there. Probably cheaper and avoids the annoyance of driving in London (especially if this will be your first time driving in the UK).

Spending the last night at a departure airport hotel adds convenience and cuts worry about getting there on time. If you can find a way to get from the car rental drop off directly to the airport without going into London you'll be happier.

Check with a prospective car rental franchise about their insurance/damage waiver requirements. If they don't post enough info on their web site, give them a call. Know what your own auto insurance and your credit card will and will not cover in the UK. I've been asked before to show written documentation of coverage at the rental franchise. If your credit card provides primary insurance -- most do not -- you might skip the damage waiver supplement fees. The secondary insurance most cards offer means , in practical terms, you get billed for damage and then try to get reimbursed.

We flew into Heathrow and took public transport into London- buying Oyster Cards- stayed in London for a few days- then went back to Heathrow to pick up a rental car from Enterprise which I recommend for a rental- its easier to do that then rent a car in London- I do not recommend driving in the city as there is no parking and heavy fines for driving in restricted areas - it was very easy to go from Heathrow to the countryside- and then we spent our last night in Windsor- which is really convenient since its so close to Heathrow and a lovely little town- there are many nice B&B’s in Windsor- we stayed at Rainworth House which I recommend as it was clean and lovely , with a very nice host.

Why burden yourself with renting a car when the rail system and buses are ubiquitous?

You will have to drive on the opposite side of the road and accustom yourself to using a stick shift with your left hand.

We have enjoyed our stays at the Luna and Simone Hotel in London, about a ten minute walk to either Victoria Station or the Pimlico tube stop. Our most recent stay was this past May. Friendly folks, and a Rick Steves discount. Our double was well under $225 a night. No elevator and potential for many stairs, but they have always honored our request for a room with as few stairs as possible (we have booked well in advance). The Chelsea show is fantastic!! We have gone twice. The first few days are open only to RHS members and we plebs get in at the end. Tickets can be ordered in advance online. We have rented from Autoeurope and have been happy every time. You can easily see prices based on insurance levels on the website but best call to speak with the friendly and helpful staff. We get the max coverage because that’s what we want and an automatic. Not wanting to drive in London, we took ourselves to Gatwick to get the car when we drove southern England and returned to Heathrow but there may be better strategies as noted. I also like Autoeurope because I keep an eye on pricing, and whenever it changed, a quIck phone call got us the new, cheaper rate...but you must contact them. On our May visit, I questioned a charge...after we arrived back home...and they followed up and got it right within 48 hours. I was impressed.
Depending on what you plan, you might consider the National Trust or other such organizations for reduced entries after paying the fee. We joined Historic Houses Association this last visit and saved a bundle but we concentrated on stately homes and gardens. Have a wonderful trip and safe travels

MB,

Last fall, I stayed in the London House Hotel. The price averages $151 a night, with some nights being cheaper.

It’s in a quiet square which is about a 5 minute walk from the Bayswater Tube station and 7 to the Queensway station. Most of the places you mentioned and the theater district are an 18 – 28 minute Tube ride.

Kensington Gardens are a 7 minute walk away. One day, I bought a sandwich, walked through the Gardens, enjoyed a picnic lunch, then made my way to the Victoria Palace Theatre for a matinee performance of Hamiltion.

There are several local shops around and small eateries and restaurants. I didn’t explore the nearby area too much, but it’s a pleasant and safe area to walk around, even after late return from the Tube. I didn’t see any traditional pubs.

All the best,

Raymond

I PM’d you about where to stay.

Get the rental at Heathrow after you visited London. Yes on the insurance question. Better safe than sorry.

I go with Hertz merely because I’m a gold card member. Find a price you like. All the rental offices are away from Heathrow but their shuttles are easy to get and fairly frequent. Think I waited 10 minutes for mine my last trip.

I’ve going to London since the 70’s ( alas never the flower show ). PM if you need guidance on things to see that aren’t on the tourist track. Or with general questions about London.

Happy travels!

hey hey mjbower
check out cross-pollinate.com they have BnB's and apartments, if something interests you.
walks.com
aladyinlondon.com she has blog with lots of info.
jasons.co.uk a canal boat ride on the canal. we walked some on "little venice" with people living in houseboats, i really like it.
freetoursbyfoot.com
stmartin-in-the-fields.org
streetsensations.com london's markets map
afternoonteaonline.co.uk list of places that has tea or b-bakery.com
shortlist.com search food and drink/ meeting men who turned their garden sheds into pubs (archives december 4 2018) or (readersheds.co.uk) check areas you plan to be and if there is a "pub" there.
we did a gin tour with shake rattle and stir in london, so fun and had a "chaffeur" drive us to diiferent pubs, made a specialty gin drink of that place along with the history, then on to next pub.
enjoy your time is england.
aloha

The week of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show is big business for lodging (and everything else) in London. So you’re wise to start researching now, particularly if you are wanting a B&B style.

I’ve been to the Show a few times, and I did go on Member Days (the first two days). Anyone can join the RHS and buy a member ticket. But these days sell out quickly.

Whichever day you go, prepare for a crush in the morning. But a superbly organized and polite British crush. Some attendees head to the Marquee exhibits first, but it’s hard to resist seeing the gardens right away. If you book a half day afternoon ticket, things will subside a bit. But then you may feel rushed.

The Show has restaurants, but it’s very convivial at the tables by the food trucks. (Oh, that hog roast sandwich). Enjoy!

Recently, we stayed at the Ashburn by the Gloucester tube stop. It was fine. Easy to get into town or to go visit Kew Gardens. We always rent an automatic from Avis. We don’t always get the high coverage. It’s really a personal choice on the amount of risk you’re willing to take.

Picking up a car at Heathrow when you're ready to go rural is a good idea because it's roughly three simple roundabouts from the main rental car lot to a nice fat motorway towards the countryside where you can get used to being on the other side of the road while planted in the slow lane. We usually go with the $15-$20 per rental (varies based on state of residence) American Express Premium Supplemental insurance rather than the rental company's CDW/Super Cover that can cost more than that per day.

There are some nice videos on YouTube made by UK Driving schools that explain roundabout and other UK road navigation rules and traffic laws. We find that they can make it easier to understand the rules than a more static pamphlet of PDF of the same thing.

We haven't traveled in the UK for at least 35 years, but in the 70s & 80s, we did several driving trips. So don't take this as gospel, but rather something to check out. It was way cheaper to rent form a local agency in the city than at the airports. We beat city traffic by waiting until 12:30 - 1:00 pm to exit the city (counter traffic lunch hour flow).

check with you credit cards for what insurance coverage they provide.

Several comments on driving on the wrong side of the road are noted. Also note that unless you spend mega bucks, your backward car will be a backward straight shift (never bothered me much).

I see you have driven in Ireland, so you must be comfortable driving on the left. I will not comment further on that.

Can you give some feed back on the hotel suggestions so far? Have you found something you like, or do you need more ideas?