Wembley Stadium

It's very easy to get to Wembley - but the getting back really depends on the event.

It also depends on where you need to get to - if it's just back to central London then it's normally fine. If you then need to connect to get somewhere else more outlying it can deliver you back too late to make a connection at Waterloo or Victoria or similar.

If you can find accommodation there for one night it can make life easier for some events.

There are a couple of Premier Inns, then Novotel, Ibis, Hilton and some others.

I wouldn't look to stay there any longer than that one night though.

Thank you!

Firstly if it's a big event (and most of then are) it's likely that all the local hotels will by now be booked up or very expensive.
Secondly I assume that going to the event is not the only thing you will be doing in London on your trip? If so, it will be a pain to relocate twice just to be close to Wembley for one night. As long as you're staying in central London getting back will be fine on the evening and central London is the best place to be if you want to visit tourist sights there for the rest of your trip. If it is something at the stadium rather than the arena then it may take a while to get back on the tube at the end of the event but they are very used to moving lots of people quickly. You just need a little patience.

If it’s a large event hotels in the vicinity of Wembley will be crazily expensive. It’s also not a convenient location to stay for anything else in London.

The process for emptying the stadium is extremely well organised. It is very busy and is slow because they need to get many thousands of people in to the trains but you will get there and you will get back to your hotel. Try to stay somewhere that’s reasonably easy to access eg just one tube ride away.

Thanks for all of the info! How close is Brixton to Wembley?

Not at all. It's south of the river and Wembley is in the north west. But, if the accommodation is close to Brixton tube then it will be fine - it's about 40 minutes between the two.

Aside from the show at Wembley, we’d love to check out non-touristy pubs and small cafes with live music. Where are the best locations to stay for those types of activities?

Virtually every London neighborhood has pubs. If you researched the word pub you would discover they are places where families often meet up, especially in more rural areas.

You’ll be fine in Brixton for non touristy pubs, cafes, et al. Same with nearby Clampham Common and Peckham. Might there be some tourists, maybe, but those neighborhoods aren’t usual destinations for visitors who prefer areas closer to central London.

Good Sunday Roast can be found at the Old Nun’s Head pub in Peckham.

Brixton is not really a tourist area so if that’s something you want to avoid you’ll be ok there. Is there a particular reason for thinking of Brixton as a base? Just wondering which other areas you might like.

Considering Brixton because someone I know stayed there and really enjoyed it. How easy is it to use the Tube?

Very easy. If you have a contactless debit or credit card or phone or smart watch pay you can just use that. You don't need a ticket - just tap in and out and the system will calculate the cheapest overall payment.

Is Camden a good place to find fun pubs and live music?

what kind of live music?

Looking for rock/pop. Basically we’d like to plan a vacation with double decker tours for sightseeing and pubs for drinks and live music and possibly some shopping (Camden Market?) Would love to see both downtown London and non touristy areas. We are not that interested in museum tours. Also would love to see Abbey Road.

Also would love to see Abbey Road.

Just be mindful that as much as you'd love to see Abbey Road, local drivers would not love to see you. As a result be aware that despite traffic law dictating that pedestrians be given priority when crossing a zebra crossing a lot of drivers don't stop due to the sheer number of people stopping to replicate the famous Beatles scene.

Got it! We don’t necessarily need our pic in the crosswalk. Wondering if the studio has tours?

Cool London is East these days and has been for some time. Dalston, Shoreditch and Hackney areas. I’m middle aged and not cool enough to have particular recommendations. If I go to Shoreditch it’s to visit some of the well known restaurants and probably grab a cocktail somewhere.

My son (almost 40) told me yesterday that Shoreditch is no longer cool and that even Hackney Wick is losing some of its cool lustre.
You certainly need to be well east of Shoreditch.
If you are seriously interested in The Beatles you should really be trying to get to Liverpool.
If by double deck tours you mean the Hop On, Hop Off buses then I would seriously reconsider. They are very slow because of the traffic in Central London. If you get off it can sometimes take ages to get back on - you might have a long wait and the first bus might come full.

Well the very fact that I even go to Shoreditch will tell you it’s not really cool. I’ve never been to Dalston. Maybe that’s better?

I read somewhere that Camden might be a great place to check out live music and shop. Anyone have info. Regarding Camden Town?

Camden market is a good place for young teens to shop. No doubt there will be some live music round there but I doubt if there is any more than in Brixton for example.

https://www.cntraveller.com/gallery/live-music-bars-london

Unless you have tix this August you will not be touring Abbey Road Studios.