London neighborhood recommendation- Kensington vs Notting Hill vs St Pancras area

I'd check AirBnB and opt for the Notting Hill, Holland Park area. Don't miss enjoying pastries and coffee at Gail's Artisan Bakery on Portobello road or the breads from Fabrique. In 2015 had a lovely 2 bedroom AirBnB apartment in Holland Park. 4 Blocks to Portobello Road. Loved it. Enjoy your few days.

Thanks Claudia! I really Like the idea of Notting Hill but the only bummer is our flight home is at 2 pm on Sat May 6 so we will have to hit Portobello Market right at 9, spend an hour there and leave by 10 to get to Heathrow on time. At least we will be close so we can get the market experience before heading home.

We love the Kensington area - many shops - Gloucester Road tube is close and easy access from there to Heathrow on the Picadilly line. We walked from our hotel in Kensington to Portobello Road and Kensington High Street.

Claudette,

My favorite neighborhoods are the South Kensington and Earl's Court areas. They're close-in and have plenty to diverse transportation options while also being an easy trip to/from Heathrow. You could take the Piccadilly Line easy enough and the Earl's Court station has a lift (helpful with luggage).

We stayed right across from Hyde Park and Kensington Palace which was an easy walk to Notting Hill. While the Hilton was a bit dated, we used points, the convenience to Hyde Park and Notting Hill was worth it.

I think I will look for places to stay in both Kensington and Notting Hill. I like the convenience to Heathrow of Kensington and how walkable it is Notting Hill. I looked on the Portobello Market website and was happy to find out it's open on weekdays too. Thank you everyone for your suggestions.

If you're in Notting Hill it could be a short taxi ride to Paddington where you could get the Heathrow Express and be at the airport in 15-20 minutes. Walk-up fare is high but you can get a much lower-priced ticket online for the day you'll be going. It's for the date but not for a specific train. Taxi plus Express will cost more than the Tube but could save time and lugging luggage.

We have stayed at the Crowne Plaza, 100 Cromwell Road, South Kensington. We stayed there three different times. It is directly across the street form the Gloucester Tube station. It is one Tube stop away from Harrods. It is a short walk to Kensington Gardens. You earn IHG points when staying there. The Crowne Plaza is part of the Holiday Inn, InterContinental Hotel group.

Another vote for Earl's Court area. Lots of what every traveler needs and convenient tube connections to everywhere.

There are several street markets in London that are open different days of the week; this easily discovered online. Portobello is a fun experience and you can certainly get there before 9. They have vendor cafes that are open by 7am. Being the most famous it does have many vendors and shops that line the street. The only real bargains I saw were antique bookplates and they are easy to pack,. The pound/dollar exchange is better than it has been for a while...so you might get some better buys. The other street markets may seem to be a little funkier but you might find more hidden treasures. Beware of any scrimshaw as it is all fake. Real ivory pieces are illegal to possess unless they have documents that prove that they are true antiquities and may be confiscated by TSA.