Best hotel choice for a subway-timid traveler?

Save the money, go with Vancouver Studios...Bayswater is very convenient for getting around central London, great food scene there, too...

Also, since you are "subway timid", upon arrival at Heathrow take the pressure off yourself trying to figure out the Tube with bags in tow and jet lagged, and take a taxi to your hotel...get sorted on using the Tube after you are refreshed, google for instructions now on how to use it, etc...

I am subject to claustrophobia and detest riding the Tube. My motto for London is “ any day above ground is a good one”. My husband humors me and we manage to go all over London by walking ( sometimes 10 miles a day) and using the bus.

Take a look at this schematic map of the bus routes that serve the popular tourist sites:

https://content.tfl.gov.uk/bus-route-maps/key-bus-routes-in-central-london.pdf

The 148 runs along Bayswater Rd ( past Vancouver Studios) right to the Westminster Abbey/ Big Ben area. From there you can walk up to Trafalgar Square, a major hub for buses.

But our favorite walking routes use the pedestrian path along the Thames. The hotel choices you mention are RS recommendations, I believe. I suggest you go beyond those to get a better location. Your mention of London City Airport leads me to recommend an apartment hotel right on the river, an easy walk from Bank Station, where you can catch the Docklands Light Rail right into London City Airport.

We stayed here on our most recent trip to London and loved the location. It is close to St. Paul’s @and within walking distance of Tower of London in one direction and Covent Garden in the other. Or you can hop on the #15 bus at any point along the way to reduce the walking. Cross the nearby Millennium Bridge ( pedestrians only) to reach the Tate Modern, Globe Theatre, Borough Market, and more on the South Bank.

https://www.lockeliving.com/en/london/locke-at-broken-wharf

Our modern apartment was compact but very comfortable, and we had a view of the Thames and Millennium Bridge from the windows. The coffee bar in the lobby serves excellent cappuccino, which suited my husband very well. And when it was time to depart it was a 10- minute walk to Bank Station for the train to London City Airport.

You can easily reach this hotel from Heathrow by taking the Elizabeth Line to Liverpool Street Station. A taxi from the taxi rank in front of the station was under £10.

Bayswater station is on the District and Circle Line. Victoria is also on the district and Circle line plus the Victoria line.
It's been a while but I don't recall a DIRECT subway line from Heathrow to Victoria. I always had to change lines at some point.

So, if it were me, I would stay at the cheaper place near Bayswater and learn how to transfer to other lines if those lines were going near where I wanted to visit.

Frankly, I would make a list of all the places you want to visit and see how to get there on the tube from the hotel you are considering. Both Google Maps and Apple Maps can do this.

Since you are in the SF Bay Area, you might want to get some experience on public transit riding BART. While it's not the same as riding the Tube, you will learn how to figure out when you station is coming up, experience how not to dally when the train pulls into your station and immediately get off.
There are lots of Youtube videos on how to buy tickets and ride the London Underground. So you might want to view those also.
good luck and have a wonderful trip!

Somehow you are going to have to work yourself through your anxiety with London public transit. It's so user friendly, and it's all in English! Buy or download a subway/underground map now. Get some apps. Watch you tube videos. It's not complicated, and the joy of being in London is worth overcoming your fears. I can't vouch for those hotels, but I definitely wouldn't stay in a hotel simply because it's next to the train station and that it feels like an easy/safe decision for you, as it reads like Victoria is simply your place of arrival from Heathrow. But Vancouver Studios is close to the Bayswater subway/underground stop, and while exploring the city, you'll use that more often.

But mistakes happen. One time we went to Windsor Castle, and didn't realize the train departing back to London was our train. We thought it was the next one, so we ended up taking a train that took a bit longer to get back into the city. My point being, nothing is a permanent mistake when it comes to transportation there. Another subway or train will come along. There's also buses and cabs, and your feet will do a lot of walking. Anyway, our wrong train ended up being a memorable ride, as our teen sons mixed in with the teen Londoners riding, and they all got to laughing and playfully arguing over who actually had an accent and who didn't! It's all perspective, and a great adventure. Clearly we made it back to the US, and are jealous that it's you and not us going to London! Have fun!

Also, the Heathrow Express is the quickest easiest way to get from Heathrow into the city, but do not stay in Paddington.

PS. SoCal has less public transport than the Bay Area. At least you have BART. We have 0 public transit experience except for when we are in Europe, and always manage.

I wouldn't try to avoid public transport. Its pretty much inevitable you'll end up taking the tube, a bus of a train while you're visiting- it is more often than not the fastest and easiest way to get around. It is also very easy to navigate - just follow the signs.

I stay very centrally in St James', and actually don't take the tube that often, as a lot of places are walkable- ie Buckingham Palace, Houses ot Parliament/Westminster, Trafalgar Square, National Gallery, St James Palace, Westminster Abbey etc. So if you pick somewhere like that you won't take the tube as much. Other very central areas nearby include Mayfair, Covent Garden, Soho etc. But you can't walk everywhere, so be prepared for the tube at some stage.

Incidentally I would respectfully disagree with KD on the Heathrow Express being the "quickest and easiest way into the city" from Heathrow - depending of where you're heading, the Elizabeth Line can be quicker and easier as it doesn't just terminate at Paddington.

I've stayed at the Lime Tree for the last 10 or so years but with their recent reno (during covid) their prices have really shot up. It's very cute, staff is nice and mostly remembers you when you come in in the afternoons. I can easily walk most places from there. I've walked from the British Museum back "home" although it was a fairly long way. Probably can't walk to the Tower Of London...that's about 4 miles.

IF you choose to stay at the Lime Tree, from Heathrow, I'd suggest you take the National Express coach into town. The Arrivals Hall is literally around the corner from the Lime Tree.

If you want something less expensive, many forum members particularly like Premier Inn and there is one near Victoria Station. I like the Lime Tree neighborhood.

City Mapper App on your phone really helps.

Also, go to you tube. They have many , many how to videos about riding buses and trains in London. Sometimes, just seeing it in advance can calm a lot of nerves.

That's a great map of the bus lines. I'll print that for sure! We've never really used the public transit system either. I've been watching a lot of youtube videos about this. There are plenty and they are really good. I know we will probably miss a connection somewhere, I just hope it doesn't take much time to get back to where we need to be. And you're right about the language barrier. Being an English speaking country, will help a lot. We were in France a couple of years ago and checking out of the hotel that early morning, the lady there didn't speak English. We had to drive 30 miles to Caen to catch the train to Paris. She must have thought we were so funny trying to explain we were in a hurry lol! Luckily, another lady came in and helped us.

So, OP, you will be fine. If you have a question while there, ask someone. That's what we will do also. Have a great trip.

Note: they don't call it the subway there - it's the Underground or the Tube. A subway is a passageway under the tracks or a road, so you might see signs for that, but it will confuse people if you ask about the subway.

We liked the Lime Tree too, but with no lift and 65 stairs to our room, we would find our charm elsewhere. Love the neighborhood, however.

We stayed at Vancouver Studios last summer and it's not only close to the Bayswater station, but also pretty close to Queensway station, so you have more than one possible starting point. Plus Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park are within reasonable walking distance.

We took the Heathrow Express from Heathrow to Paddington and walked from there to the hotel--maybe 20 minutes or so? Looking at the tfl.gov.uk website journey planner for a fictional trip tomorrow at 10:45 a.m., they show that as the fastest way to Vancouver Studios. The Elizabeth Line will do that journey also, probably for less money and a little more time. Both trains board from the same station at Heathrow. We've taken the Tube the whole way into London on previous trips, but it's a long ride with a train change at Earl's Court, and not the best introduction to taking public transport.

Do watch some you.Tube videos on how the system works and to see what the stations look like. That will help you feel more at ease once you get there. It really is pretty easy once you've used it for a while.

In the 90’s Vancouver Studios was my go to accommodation when visiting London. Liked the location and price. Would enjoy coffee and breakfast at Cafe Diana.

The Prince Edward pub was nice and now I understand even nicer. Morphed into a gastro pub. Liked the area as there many food the options along Bayswater Road. There was also a nearby laundromat. Uncertain if it’s still there these days.

Go with Vancouver Studios.

If you still are uncomfortable use busses. Use the www.tfl.gov.uk website. Simply remember traffic is abysmal in London and best to ride busses after commuter times.

You can get around by bus. It’s slower but you see more. On the Citymapper app you can select bus only routes.

I'm going to look into the Citymapper app. I just hope my phone works this time. We were in France 2 years ago and my phone didn't work. I do have a newer phone now.

FYI Our daughter could navigate on the Tube when she was a freshman in college. One of the things I love about Europe, that we have never had where I've lived, is the public transportation. You should be aware that, at least in 2022, the Circle Line did not make a complete circle.

I recommend looking at a map of London before choosing your hotel or apartment.
Look on a Google map--enter the name of the hotel you're thinking of staying in--and see if the location suits you.
Check out several hotels or apartments to see how the location works for you, walking or riding the bus or tube to attractions.

Lots of good information in Lola's post.
The London city buses are good transportation.
You can see a lot of London by taking city buses.
Pick up a bus map at one of the tube stations and consider riding these.
Just tap in with your Oyster card, which you get from a machine at the tube stations.
DO NOT tap out when you get off the bus.

Another good transportation option would be the Uber/Thames Clipper boats:
https://www.thamesclippers.com/plan-your-journey/route-map
It's easy to get on near Westminster Abbey/Parliament/Big Ben and have a nice boat ride east to the Tower of London.
Great views of London from the water.
Tap in with your Oyster card when you get on; tap out when you exit the boat.

The Thames Clipper/ Uber Boats are our favorite way to go long distances—- Westminster to Tower of London, for example. And the best way to reach Greenwich. I neglected to mention those in my prior post. They are more expensive than the bus, but offer a wonderful sightseeing experience.

In addition to offering commuter service, they have a nighttime narrated tour of the illuminated bridges, Saturdays at 9:30 pm through May 25. This is a roundtrip tour starting and ending at Tower Pier.

https://illuminatedriver.london/

Yet another reason to stay close to the river, in my view.

@shelley, I think you'll adjust quickly to using the Tube. Californians are unaccustomed generally with public transit, since ours is so dreadful. But trains in London are so convenient, and the stations so bright and pleasant, that I bet you'll fast become a fan. And if not, London is a very easy city to walk. Enjoy your trip!

WOW WOW WOW! THANK YOU all for all of your wonderful, informative and comforting replies! Thank you for the detailed and extremely readable bus line map!!! I have printed five copies! That alone eased my mind tremendously. . I am going to print this entire thread and share with my husband so he too can feel more at ease. We had a challenging experience in Prague where apparently our train had to go to the maintenance yard for some repairs, and yet we just stayed on, wondering why so many people were getting off. I am embarrassed to say it took quite some effort and a bit of discomfort (we ended up in a very rural area with zero services, so we just retraced our path) to figure our way back. It was not that big of a deal, really, looking back, but it sure tested our confidence in our public transit skills! And the bickering was not much fun, either. LOL. And thank you for the suggestion of spending a day riding BART to boost our confidence! We love spending the day in San Francisco anyway, so that's a great excuse. Now I am off to print this and read more carefully and thoroughly and start planning for London!

Pam gave you good advice, to take the National Express coach into town from Heathrow, if you stay at the Lime Tree Hotel.
At Heathrow, you simply follow the signs and walk to the bus/coach station attached to the terminal.
(Our plane arrived @ Terminal 5; we got on the coach to London & left from T5 coach station.)
Buy a ticket either from the ticket kiosk or the bus driver after getting on the bus/coach.

It's a nice coach, with AC, WiFi and clean comfy seats.
You're sitting up high, with a good view of the roadway and neighborhoods as you come into London.
It delivers you to the coach station just steps away from the Lime Tree.

Keep in mind that many tour companies doing day trips have coaches leaving out of Victoria Bus Station or Victoria Train Station area. These are tours to Bath, Stonehenge, the Cotswolds, Windsor, and so on. If you are planning to do a lot of these, it might pay off to stay in the Victoria Station area.
https://evanevanstours.com/
https://www.goldentours.com/
Rabbies Tours would be my pick of all of these:
https://www.rabbies.com/en/england-tours/from-london

"Best hotel choice for a subway-timid traveler"
might be something in the area of Westminster Abbey, Parliament, Big Ben and the London Eye. To me, that would be the Premier Inn right behind the London Eye.
You would be walking distance to everything I've just named, plus many more sights along the river. You wouldn't have to worry about riding the tube all the time. Just walk along the river to the Tate Modern Art Museum, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, Borough Market.
Cross over the bridge to St. Paul's Cathedral or walk farther along the river and cross over Tower Bridge to Tower of London.

Premier Inn County Hall:
https://www.premierinn.com/gb/en/hotels/england/greater-london/london/london-county-hall.html?cid=GLBC_LONCOU
Check out the map here:
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g186338-d210361-Reviews-Premier_Inn_London_County_Hall_Hotel-London_England.html

You'd be right across the river from Parliament/Big Ben; just walk out the front door of your hotel and across the bridge.

Keep in mind, there are many ways into London; many have been discussed.
There is also a very reliable car service we have used, Blackberry Cars.
If you feel like splurging, this would be one way to get into London without riding the tube or train.
One big advantage: They deliver you right to the door of your hotel.
https://www.blackberrycars.com/

My first trip abroad was solo to London in 2011 and while I am also from the SF bay area I am very comfortable with BART--which sort of prepared me for the Underground. I had been given a friend's Oyster card with instructions to top it up at Heathrow, and then I followed the signs to the Piccadilly line which magically deposited me at the Gloucester Rd tube station in about 40 minutes--my hotel was just across the street. I felt a tremendous sense of accomplishment and did the same to return to the airport, and used the tube daily to go all over London.

I use the TFL app to plan trips and keep track of which lines have closures (there's always an alternate route), and my advice that I still use no matter what foreign country I am in is to plan at least my first excursion of the day on a sticky note unless I absolutely know where I'm going--I note the name of the line and direction (by the end stop), and any stops to change to a different line to get to my destination. I'm very familiar with the Underground now after 5 visits but every now and then I'll still consult the big maps in the station.

Hi Shelley,

I am sorry to hear about your experience in Prague and totally understand your trepidation. If it’s any comfort to you, that happened to us a number of times but thankfully a kind passenger always clued us in and we exited the streetcar/tram in time. I find the tube very easy to get around in London and easier than trams or streetcars. I would urge you to find a YouTube tutorial on how to travel by the London tube and get a map of the same and plot out your route. It is really easy and efficient. If you are unsure when you are there, ask someone for help. Edited to add - YouTube video How to take the tube in London.

Let me post some help on finding bus stops. In some “hub” areas, there are a lot of them, all marked by letter. So you need a map and key to the letters.

Say you want to take the #15 bus from in front of St. Paul’s to Covent Garden. You can google “#15 London bus” and it should take you straight to the TFL webpage for that bus, like this:

https://tfl.gov.uk/bus/route/15/

That page will show the whole route and all the stops. Look down and find St. Paul’s Cathedral. The little SJ in the red circle is what you will see on the sign at the stop (note you will have to be on the correct side of the street for your direction of travel!).

For Covent Garden, you will want to get off at Aldwych/Drury Lane. You will see that is marked as stop R. Touch that, and it will open a page like this, with a link to the map of the actual stops along the Aldwych loop. Use the “map view” button to open it.

https://tfl.gov.uk/bus/stop/490019703Y/aldwych-drury-lane?lineId=15

Then, to find the stop for your return trip, go back to the original route page and use the blue arrows to reverse the direction, making it from Trafalgar Square toward Blackwell. Find the Aldwych stop (it is the 2d one down, labeled D. Use the little blue arrow on that station to show the bus stop details, and change it to “map view” to show a map of all the bus stops at Aldwych. You will find D almost across from R where you got off, but on the opposite side of the street.

It sounds complicated but it isn’t, And there are other ways to do it, using the TFL app, or even Google maps. Or you can go to the “spider maps” on the TFL website,:

https://tfl.gov.uk/maps_/bus

Enter the number of the route you want, and open the “find spider map” button for Aldwych. You will get a map like this, showing all the stops at Aldwych on an easy-to-read map. I like to take screen shots of these to use while we are walking around.

https://content.tfl.gov.uk/bus-route-maps/aldwych-a4-300923.pdf

This map will show all the bus routes feeding into that area, but you will still need to go to the original route may for your bus line to get the red-circle letter for your bus stop.

The Tube is just about the easiest "subway" to use having lived in NY and traveled in many big cities and used public transportation many times by myself. If in doubt ask someone and usually will.have no problem getting advice. Don't ask someone with a suitcase lol because chances are they are tourists too!

The Premier Inn County Hall location is great as a base for sightseeing. But how do they get to London City Airport from there? Wouldn’t they need to take the Tube to a DLR station? I can’t figure it out from the map of all the lines.

I can understand your trepidation. On a trip helping lead high school students around London, I was able to make fairly good sense of the Tube by day two and use it marginally well. We were staying by the Bayswater station. But on another trip, this time to Paris, I tried to use the Metro but just got really frustrated. I like to walk, so I just walked all over Paris--some tiring days but I enjoyed it. I like the light rail here in Seattle--just one line going north and south! (eastside eventually coming).

The Premier Inn County Hall location is great as a base for sightseeing. But how do they get to London City Airport from there? Wouldn’t they need to take the Tube to a DLR station? I can’t figure it out from the map of all the lines.

There are various routes but my choice would be Jubilee Line from Waterloo to Canning Town, switch to a DLR bound for Woolwich- 3 stops.

The other obvious route is the Waterloo and City line (aka the Drain) Waterloo to Bank then DLR Bank to LCY.

Time wise I don't think there is any real difference and I just prefer to switch at Canning Town.

Simon,
What hotel do you recomend around the Victoria station. We will be visiting Buckingham Palace, etc
Thanks

trblee, you need to make sure you have an international plan for your phone or get a sim card. Your phone doesn't just randomly work or not work in Europe based on the age of the phone.

I think my thoughts have mostly been expressed by others: I am all about the buses in London, and it seems that you have found the maps. Premier Inn County Hall is in such a great walkable location for so many London sites. I love Lime Tree and have taken the coach from Heathrow, but if it is getting pricey, well, because of overall central location, County Hall would be the one for me. I have taken the Tube from Heathrow with County Hall as my destination; I believe I needed to make on Tube line switch. But here is a thought: do not be afraid to take a cab when in central London. I am not advocating that as your main means of transportation, but if, for instance, you get from Heathrow to Paddington and then want to take a cab to County Hall - why not? Will it cost more - yes. Will your nerves be less frayed - probably.

BTW, not sure if this is at TFL, but it is easily located via google: there is a handy map showing the walking times between Tube stops. It kinda helped me look at transportation and distance from a different perspective. Yes, if you are going across town, great: Tube or Bus. But sometimes you can accomplish the distance on foot in 15 mins.

I know nothing about London City Airport. Maybe you will let us know how your departure goes?? Oh, PS, both Lime Tree and County Hall have convenient sandwich shops and grocery shops nearby. That always comes in handy.

London City Airport is great—- small, easy to navigate, and an easy trip from central London with the Docklands Light Rail. I would choose it over Heathrow for a flight from London if there was a flight going where I want to go. I know BA has a flight to Zurich from LCY.