We are from USA and will be visiting London staying for 6 nights. Budget is $225-250 USD per night. Pls suggest hotels or Vacation rentals. Apart from VRBO are there any local websites that offer vac rentals?
We are 2 adults and 2 kids. Suggest things to do as well.
Posted by
San Francisco
993 posts
Hi:
Not sure of your exact dates, but we just booked this place for late July... the area looks super cute, and about a 15 min tube ride into the city.
Kim
Posted by
Land of La
8647 posts
First suggestion is to buy and read the RS London guidebook. Informative and practical information regarding transport, accommodation, sites, etc. Good resource for first timers planning a visit. Well known and respected vacation rental websites include, Airbnb, At Home In London, Cross-Pollinate.
You could also contact Vancouver Studio Apartments. Their newer apartments are away from the main building at Prince's Square might meet your requirements. They are popular and book quickly so best to review soon.
Posted by
Seattle, WA
16185 posts
Your question is not an easy one. And the Rick Steve's guidebook is actually no help with apartments, whch is what would be best for you for six nights. There are many reputable agencies that rent holiday flats, often serviced apartments with a front dest. And there are many tested listings of private flats on holidaylettings.com, Flipkey, VRBO, etc. we have been to London many times and know the neighborhoods we like and still has trouble sorting through all the listings.
You might try plugging your dates into booking.com and see what comes up. Use the filters to select for apartments for 2 adults and 2 kids; you can also filter by neighborhood and price. Many of the agency listings as well as private ones are listed here. And there will be lots of reviews.
Another option is to search vacation rentals on Tripadvisor, using the same selection criteria. I only look at places with multiple reviews. Payment goes through Tripadvisor and is supposedly secure.
Or you could search the various agencies. I found one I liked at Go Native but I waited to book and the price took a jump. Others are IvyLettings, onefinestay, Indigo, and many more.
How old are the children? Will they share a large sofabed, or do they need a separate bedroom with twin beds? You can find anything from studios ( with double bed plus sofabed) to two bedroom apartments that will accommodate the four of you. Just do not compromise on location to save money.
Posted by
Tunbridge Wells
6113 posts
You could also look at Owners Direct or Airbnb. Take reviews from trip advisor.
With only 6 days, including presumably getting over jet lag, I would stay in and around London - most of the museums and galleries are free. If you wanted a day away, I would suggest going by train to either Windsor, Oxford or Cambridge. Depends on the ages of your children.
Posted by
Halifax, Canada
7 posts
Hello. We went to London in January 2014 and stayed in a hotel in Russell Square, which would be out of your budget in July. BUT... I'm mentioning it because we loved the neighbourhood. We picked it because it was close to the British Museum, which is free, and we wanted to be able to go there as often as we liked. Don't know your kids' ages or interests, but the British Museum was a highlight for our family, and it was so nice to be able to see it in several small doses.
Apart from that, Russell Square is a quieter neighbourhood, a little off the beaten track, but still very close to the action. The square itself is a lovely green space. I'm sure there are apartment rentals in that area, and there was a grocery store quite near the museum.
We saw all the usual sights and loved pretty much all of it. A highlight I wouldn't have expected was the theatre. We saw the Lion King and it cost a fortune, but it was magic. You can keep costs down by going to a matinee and booking well ahead.
If there were something I would have skipped if I had it to do over, it would be the aquarium (over by the London Eye). It was okay, but it was all underground and there is just one hallway through. You start at the beginning and walk through to the end. With the crowds, it is hard to see and hard to turn around and go back against the flow.
Kim
Posted by
OP
Sacramento
11 posts
Thanks for all of the replies so far. Kids are 12 and 8. They are good with Museums. We plan on doing Harry Potter sets for sure. Our stay is flexible we could extend it by 1-2 days. Is Zone 1 & 2 (central to west) considered good in terms of proximity to the attractions and safety?