I will be in England for two full days and three nights. I'm looking for a hotel that has easy public transportation from Heathrow Terminal 5 - and will give me good access to both Hampton Court Palace and Chawton. My first thought was somewhere in Woking, but after looking at the area around the train station, I'm a bit reluctant to walk alone there at night. Any thoughts or suggestions?
Posted by
Land of La
9265 posts
Stay in London.
Easy access ( using your Oyster card) to Hampton Court. About 30 minutes from Waterloo
Station so why not stay at the nearby Premiere Inn.
No fear of walking around that neighborhood at night and the pay off is being able to see Parliament lit up.
Most iconic part of London even with Elizabeth Tower and Big Ben in scaffolding.
Have not been to Chawton so hopefully our English contributors can share.
I do know from Waterloo to Winchester which is near Chawton is about an hour’s ride.
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
34005 posts
To get to Jane Austen's home in Chawton it is an easy train ride from Waterloo, too. Off at Alton then taxi or bus for the final 2 miles.
Posted by
OP
North Myrtle Beach, SC
32 posts
That is a possibility. But I was hoping to experience a small town in the evenings rather than being in the city. I've been to London many times.
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
34005 posts
Well Woking may be outside the M25 but it is firmly placed in London Commuter Land. You'll need to go further to get away from London.
Or could you perhaps be a touch more specific about what you are looking for, please?
Posted by
OP
North Myrtle Beach, SC
32 posts
Sorry. I was just looking for a place central to Heathrow, Hampton Court and Chawton. It would be nice if it was a small town, but good transportation is more important. I may be asking for too much, I appreciate all the feedback.
Posted by
Portsmouth
5554 posts
That is a possibility. But I was hoping to experience a small town in the evenings rather than being in the city. I've been to London many times.
What time of year are you going and what are your expectations for an evening in a small town? With the exception of the warmer months there probably will be little to experience. For the majority of people the working week typically comprises of going to work, return home, cook dinner then watch TV/walk the dog/spend too much time on internet forums etc. People don't tend to frequent pubs during the week like they used to. Most of the time all you'll see are kids roaming the streets, some more feral than others.
Even in the summer most people tend to socialise in their gardens with friends and family on a weekend or the pub becomes more popular particularly if it has an outdoor area. Villages tend to be more sociable than small towns. Cities less sociable but more going on.