Hi there,
We are traveling to London in June this year. Trying to decide whether to stay near Paddington Station or in the Westminster Area. Which might be better to see the sites from? Not interested in a lot of shopping, but trying to see as many of the major sites as possible. Our budget is about $200CAD per night...give or take.
Also taking the Tunnel (Chunnel ?) to Paris a few days later. Is one location easier to get to the Tunnel station than the other?
Thanks In Advance!
Sherry
Westminster area pricier and nicer although the Paddington area is fine. It’s where I’ve stayed for decades.
Via the Tube ( London Underground ) its easy to get to the sites. Take the tube to Westminster. Exit and you are in the shadow of Elizabeth’s Tower. Big Ben is the bell.
Kings Cross / St Pancras train station is where the Eurostar departs from. Saying or referring to the Chunnel will generate quizzical looks, smirks or just plain disdain.
Thanks for the tips, especially about the Tunnel.
How much is 200 CAD?
Kings Cross/ St Pancras area would be handy for transport routes and Eurostar.
If budget allows, Westminster is far more central for the main tourist sites than Paddington. I wouldn’t fret about how close you are to St Pancras station for the Eurostar - most locations are a short bus or tube ride away.
200 Canadian dollars= $150 US dollars= £120= a major challenge in London!
If you can go to about $330 Canadian (£200) you will have more options.
Can really recommend staying in Westminster. It's a great area: not too busy and very close to a lot of sites.
I stayed at a Premier Inn Hub Hotel close to Westminster Abbey. It was nothing special but it offered great value for money!
Given your budget and the fact that you are presumably flying into either LHR or LGW and leaving on the Eurostar then the St Pancras/Kings Cross area beats both Westminster or Paddington. You can get direct by tube from LHR and by train from LGW and you're right there for the Eurostar. It's perfect for getting to other parts of central London for your tourist visits and has lots of accommodation and eating choices at all budgets.
Westminster is very central and close to some iconic views but you almost certainly can't afford them. Paddington is off to the north west of the centre and so less convenient
I am a real fan of booking.com.
It is a good site to do research on and you can book thru booking or go directly to the hotel website.
Last summer we spend 4 nights in Premier Inn Paddington Basin. Main reason I booked it was our late arrival in Heathrow and I did not want to commute around London with our luggage.
We did not regret it. I was positive surprised by the area around Paddington Basin that seam to be a newly built mainly business area but offers nice walks along the water channels to little Venice (I did not know about it before) with several pub and restaurant options.
At the same time Paddington is a traffic hub serving several tube lines and the newly opened Elisabeth line, thus navigation through London is easy from here.
Other areas might be more central but Paddington is not bad at all.
Hi Sherry,
We went to London with a similar budget and picked a Hub by Premier Inn hotel. There's a few around the city.
As long as you are prepared for a tiny room, it is a perfectly good option, just choose the "Bigger" room category. They are clean and modern and centrally located. We stayed at the one in Soho but there's others.
Good luck and have a great trip!
PQ
