My husband and I are taking our kids(ages 10 and 15 months at time of travel) to London next summer. I have never been to England before so trying to figure out a good location for an Airbnb is challenging for me. Any suggestions on what areas to stay or if you have a particular Airbnb that was great?
Posted by
1172 posts
We just stayed in the Southbank area this past July and loved it. Our kids are 12 and 9 and it was perfect to walk so many places, close to tube stations, great restaurants, close to the river for evening walks. We would for sure rent in that area again.
We stayed herehttps://www.vrbo.com/110276?unitId=110276
The owner was great and so easy to work with. Highly recommend.
For your 15 month old, I would highly recommend a backpack to carry him/her in as using strollers would be a nightmare in most areas.. so crowded, tons of steps etc.
If your 10 year old if a Harry Potter fan, we cannot recommend the Warner Brother studyio tour enough. It was fantastic. If you are interested, buy your tickets early as they sell out very early.
Another highlight was Hampton Court Palace. They had a great playground and the audio guide was very family friendly.
Have fun!
Posted by
New York, NY, USA
11294 posts
The EuroCheapo website has very good neighborhood descriptions. Here's the one for London: http://www.eurocheapo.com/london/hoods/
And here's the take from TripAdvisor: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g186338-s204/London:United-Kingdom:Neighborhoods.html
Posted by
not here anymore
631 posts
as said Zone 1 or 2 (2 is a ring around 1) although you need to ask that, it isn't part of any official address.
But also worth considering your point of entry to UK and how you would reach the place. All the London airports are a good way out of the centre and it can get expensive if you pick somewhere that isn't easily reached.
here is a tube map with zones, as you can see Zone 2 in the near Hammersmith would be easy to reach from Heathrow but zone 2 in teh south east at New Cross would be hopeless. http://content.tfl.gov.uk/standard-tube-map.pdf
Posted by
Toledo, Ohio, US
11613 posts
I just spent a week+ at the Bayswater area, very easy to get around.
Posted by
Land of La
8667 posts
I removed my post about the apartment in Holland park as It's no longer available. Apologies.
Posted by
824 posts
I particularly like the area around Earl's Court and Gloucester Rd tube stations but with a 15 month old I think you'll be taking the bus than the tube. IMHO, buses are easier when traveling with a stroller/pram given that not all tube stations have lifts. There are several fine (and free) museums in this part of town and Hyde Park is a walkable distance for most able-bodied people.
Use Google Maps (be selecting the bus stop) to see what buses serve the venues you plan to visit then look at the bus route on the TFL web site. Alternatively, you can find some prospective apartments and use the TFL web site's trip planner to determine travel times and trip complexities to your intended venues.
I would definitely stay as close-in as your budget will allow. This will minimize commuting and maximize sightseeing which can be really important when traveling with a little one.