Paddington Sights

The Paddington neighborhood is not known for “sites.”

However, you can walk from there into Hyde Park or Kensington Gardens.

Depending on exactly where your accommodation is will depend on how close you will be to Kensington Palace in Kensington Gardens. If you are closer to the Queensway station then easy stroll in Kensington Gardens past the Princess Diana Memorial Playground to Kensington Palace.

Double check the address of where your accommodation is then use Google maps overhead view to see what’s truly close by.

In the Paddington neighborhood there is the Alexander Fleming Museum which isn’t a tourist spot but an interesting memorial to a historic moment in medicine.

As far as the easiest way from Paddington to Victoria depends on your pocketbook and amount of luggage. I’d opt for the tube but you will need to change trains. For some that’s daunting.

Otherwise consider a cab.

Notting Hill Gate station on the Central line is closest to Portobello Road--but Saturday is the day to go, the street is closed and lined with vendors from antiques to collectibles to food (fresh veg & fruits as well as other goodies), modern stuff, car boot sale stuff, and the wonderful antique stalls are all open. Quite a lively scene. Follow the signs from the tube station, plenty of people will be heading there as well. Other days of the week it's still certainly a charming place to visit, plenty of shops and restaurants.

I stayed in this neighborhood my past 2 trips and discovered a great old pub with excellent food and service on Strathearn Place, The Victoria. I also enjoyed exploring Hyde Park and visiting Kensington Palace for the Queen Victoria bicentennial exhibit (I was just there 2 weeks ago.)

I would take the Central line to Oxford Circus, then transfer to the Victoria line. You can get the TFL app on your phone to see if there are delays or line closures https://tfl.gov.uk/ If need be, a black taxi is always a good option.

Are Ubers used in London? Thanks!

there are also several bus lines in the Paddington area which may be easier for two "semi elderly" ladies than the Tube. All, or pretty much all, sub-surface stations have some or many stairs. Sometimes deep lines have fewer perversely.

Have a look at which bus lines may be able take you where you want to go...

Hello Berry,

Local resident here....the easiest way to get to Portobello Market from Paddington station is by bus. When are you coming? If your trip is November or beyond, take the 7 or 23 from bus stop F on Praed St (the buses will say East Acton or Westbourne Park on the front.) If you’re coming in October then there’s some diversions going on and the bus stop will be in a different place (Eastbourne Terrace might be closest.)

Yes, Little Venice is within a mile of Craven Terrace. You can walk along the canal side of Paddington Station and keep going north/west to reach it. There’s signs around and of course you can always ask; there’s loads of people about.

Friday is the best day for Portobello Market in my opinion. You get about 80% of the market stalls set up and significantly fewer other shoppers.

For Victoria Station you can either take the tube (Circle line westbound from the Praed St entry to Paddington Station,) or the 36 bus from stop H on Praed St. Again the bus info might be slightly different if you’re coming in October.

If you have a smart phone, download the app Rome2rio and put in your starting place then your destination. Several options will pop up.
Click on your desired mode of translation and you will get step by step instructions.
You can also download the tube map so you can see at a glance the different lines.
Hope this helps.

If you don't have a mobile phone (me neither) you can probably find a computer in your hotel lobby to make your plans at https://tfl.gov.uk/
An alternative, if you want comparisons, is Google Maps. An old-fashioned accordion-fold map, including a Tube map, used to work for me before computers. Start practising now so you will be more comfortable after arrival.

Are Ubers used in London?

Yes. However, based on reports* from London residents including a friend of mine, I wouldn't use Uber in London. I'd use one of the "black cabs" (aka "black taxis") instead. If you're staying near Paddington Station, you should be able to hail a black cab on the street, or you could go to the taxi rank at Paddington (rail) station, or prebook one.

If there are two of you with luggage to go to Victoria Station from your hotel close to Paddington, I recommend sharing a taxi. You should be able to estimate the fare using the link I included above on the TfL website, to determine if it's an acceptable cost. I've traveled with luggage on the Tube more than once. If you can figure out a step-free journey and aren't traveling at jam-packed-train rush hours, it's do-able, but TBH I just prefer sitting in a nice roomy black cab with my bags and alighting at my station or hotel in a somewhat rested state. :-)

*The most memorable report was from my friend who thought she'd be fine taking an Uber between Heathrow and the City of London (where she lives and works). It was a nightmare; the driver knew less about the route than she did, almost got lost, and the trip took a ridiculously long time even for a drive through London congestion.

Thanks to all who responded! We’ll be coming into London the week of October 12th. I appreciate all the information and the app suggestions!!

I was just in the Paddington neighborhood for 3 weeks, and would highly reccommend the nearby Hyde Park, it's breathtaking and a quick cab ride or bus ride. Just a bit further is Kensington Palace, my brother in law's wife is a teacher and had taken her classes to The Tower of London for years, but says she wants to take her classes to Kensington Palace from now on, she loves it more.

I was there during that "rebellion" in April which was making transportation a mess (to harm the environment instead of saving it), and worked off of the hop on hop off buses, which has a bus stop near there. They had to re-route but they kept running, better than the regular buses which would go a little ways, tell us all to get out and that no other buses were coming to get us.

THe HOHO bus routes vary a bit from one company to another, their bus stop is in front of a Superdrug store down the street. This is the address: West End Quay, 4 & 5, Praed St, Paddington, London W2 1JB, UK. They also have staff manning the stops, I thought they'd be really pushy and sales-y (I bought my tickets online), but they are actually VERY helpful. After seeing lots of sights, I would recommend The V&A, Victorial and Albert Museum, their jewelry room had way more tiaras than the Crown Jewels :) I think the V&A could take 3 days to see it properly, but the sights you all want to see the most are up to you. The HOHO bus does stop at Kensington Palace too, shortly after the V&A stop.

The nearest sight (after you buy a bear at Paddington station) is the St Mary's Hospital where William and Harry were born. Short walk from your hotel. Right next door is a museum about Alexander Fleming, inventor of Nobel prize-winning discovery of the antibiotic, penicillin. They're both on Praed St as you walk towards the HOHO bus stop.

I did find that there are some buses that SAY they're going to Paddington station, but they actually drop you off on Bishop's Bridge at the whole other end of the station, and it's up on a bridge and it's several outside staircases down to the station. Looked to me when I went to try to get out of Paddington after taking the Heathrow Express, the only way I could figure out to do it & get to Praed St would be to go through the Hilton. There were some exits closed, so that could have changed. You might want to ask directions and study the station map.

Be sure to wear jackets while in Paddington Station, it's missing an entire wall in the back, and it's a wind tunnel all the time, from what I can tell. :)

Good restaurants right near there, good Indian one down the hill from there, closer is an Italian one with a very Italian staff which was very good, also right across from the station on Praed St.
Hope you all have a great time!

-Alison

Alison,
Wow! Thank you for all of the thoughtful detail you’ve given me!! After reading through your post, I feel that I can make my way around this area pretty darn well. I’m bringing a warm jacket w a hood and your tip about the wind tunnel is a good one. I see that it’s going to be wet all next week, so maybe the “extinction rebellion” will be kept to a minimum. Lol. I love to eat in the Indian restaurants in London, so I’ll be on the look out for the one you’ve mentioned. Also, I don’t want to find myself at the “wrong” end of the station, with all the stairs, near the bridge...so I’ll make sure I’m heading in the right direction. Thank you again!!! I’m so excited!!

Several canal boats leave from the Paddington Station - Little Venice basin to cruise around Regent's Park to the Camden Lock Market, very busy on Saturdays. It's a pleasant ride on a sunny day and there is an Underground station near the market.